“Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin” is finally here, and there’s a lot to unpack following its three-episode premiere on July 28. The latest slasher thriller is the third spin-off of the popular Freeform teen drama (which is available to stream in Australia on Binge), “Pretty Little Liars,” which loosely adapts Sara Shepard’s YA book series of the same name. Expanding the PLL canon, the new HBO Max series opens with a bang as viewers are taken 22 years back to the fateful night that kicks off the chain of mysterious events that are transpiring in the present timeline.
It all starts with the turn of the century celebrations that come to a bitter end as a student named Angela Waters kills herself during a rave in Millwood, PA. She was a friend to a tight-knit group of five young girls who just so happen to be the future mothers of the new generation of Liars (Imogen, Tabby, Mouse, Noa, and Faran). Wild coincidence, right? Not really. You see, it’s all connected to the death of Angela Waters, including the motive of the sinister stalker “A” who’s tormenting the new Liars. Let’s get into all the details we have at our expense about the pivotal night and what we know about Angela’s life so far.
How Did Angela Waters Die in “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin”?
In the flashback to New Year’s Eve 1999, five close friends – Corey, Shirley, Elodie, Marjorie, and Davie – are having the time of their lives at a secret rave.
That’s when Angela enters the celebrations in clear distress, mascara running down her tear-streaked face. She’s desperate for someone listen to her, but her anguished pleas go ignored by her peers. Angela then finds her way to the aforementioned clique, but much to her dismay, they also ignore her. In fact, Davie warns her friend Shirley not to pay Angela any mind when the latter shows concern about Angela’s state.
Disheartened by a series of rejections, Angela climbs the stairs leading to the roof of the warehouse in a last-ditch effort to make others acknowledge her. As the countdown to midnight begins, she yells out “Can you see me now?” from the rafters, and everyone finally turns their attention to Angela. Seconds before the clock strikes midnight, Angela plummets to her death in a blood-curdling moment, every partygoer witnessing the horror in an absolute panic.
The Aftermath of Angela’s Death
The aftermath of Angela’s gruesome death is equally disturbing. Nobody reports the incident or even so much as calls an ambulance for Angela, which goes to show just how much they didn’t bother with the troubled girl, even in her death. Her body was eventually found two days later at the site, and the whole town pretty much glossed over the accident as if it didn’t happen.
Most of the context behind the suicide (if it was, in fact, a suicide) of Angela is still unclear. However, Corey, Shirley, Elodie, Marjorie, and Davie, have returned to the warehouse on several occasions over the last 20 years to pay their respects to Angela, suggesting that there’s more to her death than they’ve let on.
Who Was Angela Waters?
Imogen has a hunch that Angela might be central to decoding “A”‘s identity, as well as the sudden suicide of her mother, Davie, who had received a vaguely threatening note with a flyer from the 2YK party mere moments before her death. In episode three, when Imogen and Tabby are investigating Angela’s death, they arrive at the abandoned warehouse that is a memorial to her. They run into Tabby’s mom, Shirley, who fills them in on some details about the tragic life of Angela.
According to Shirley, Angela was an “unlucky girl” who was emotionally damaged. While her father was not in the picture, her mother was mentally ill, so nobody investigated or reported her tragic death. “If it had been anyone else, they would’ve. But not Angela. Not the crazy girl with the crazy mother,” Shirley explained to the girls. She adds that she often goes to the warehouse to pay her respects as she feels guilty about her actions – or lack thereof.
Were the Liars’ Moms Involved in Angela’s Death?
When informing her OG friends about Imogen and Tabby’s inquisitiveness regarding Angela, Shirley states that she only revealed what was already publicly known, hinting that there might be more to the story than what she lets on. It’s apparent that Shirley and Co, or the “original sinners,” most likely did something behind the scenes that pushed Angela over the edge. Only time will tell what exactly the extent of their involvement is.
Catch episodes four and five of “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin” when they hit HBO Max on Thursday, Aug. 4, followed by the release of episodes six and seven on Aug. 11, and the final three installments of season one on Aug. 18.
