Marlene King Dishes Pretty Little Liars Scoop

AfterEllen got to talk to showrunner Marlene King about what we can expect for season 2. Among the topics covered include Emily becoming A's latest target, a special Halloween episode, and how if you watch closely this season you may discover A's identity.

AE: You're doing a 24-episode second season, right? 12 episodes in the summer and 12 in the winter? MK: Actually, we’re doing 25 episodes this year. 24 regular season episodes and a Halloween episode. We don’t air in the fall, but we’re shooting a very special Halloween Pretty Little Liars standalone episode.

AE: Um, awesome. Is this the season we’re going to find out who “A” is?
MK: This season the girls are going to come very close to finding out who “A” is. And I think people who are really paying attention might finally have a chance to come close to guessing who it is.

AE: Oh, man, that’s me! I pay the closest attention! Ideally, how many seasons do you think Pretty Little Liars will run?
MK: You know, I think we could run five to seven seasons. I originally thought five would be good for us, but Sara Shepherd is writing new books and delivering fresh material and new mysteries to us. The mystery is a big part of the show, and it’s fun to keep guessing about who “A” is and who killed Alison, but really, I’m a fan of the show, and I have fallen in love with these characters. And I think their personal stories keep the show fresh too.

AE: I agree. The mystery just sort of adds pressure to the story. You can’t miss it because you don’t want people talking about it the next day if you haven’t watched.
MK: Exactly! And I watch the show every Tuesday with everyone else. Someone Tweeted me the other day and said, “You’re such a fangirl!” And I am! I just love the show. I love the characters. It’s so much fun.

AE: So, in terms of character stuff, what can we expect for Emily this season?
MK: Remember how “A” really went after Hanna last season? With the cupcakes and making her sabotage Aria? Well, “A” is really taking aim at Emily this time around. “A” thinks she’s identified Emily as the weak link and she’s just going to go guns blazing at her.

AE: Ooh, that’s exciting. You know, now that I’m thinking about it, Emily always does seem like the first one who’s ready to give up the information. Let’s go to the cops, let’s turn in the videos, let’s talk to a dang adult!
MK: Right, and “A” really preys upon that this summer. And “A” is really going to set Emily up. It looks like the family is moving to Texas and Emily is going to have to deliver a very big lie to her parents if she wants to stay in Rosewood. And that lie is really going to leave her vulnerable to A’s horrible doings.

AE: I love that you guys continue to be deliberate about Emily’s sexuality, even when she’s not in a relationship. The scene with her and Toby last week was beautiful.
MK: I want a friend like Toby. It’s such a good relationship. The characters thought it was going to be romantic, but Toby was actually more wise than Emily about her sexuality. Or, well, Toby was more ready to accept it than Emily was. He and Maya both helped Emily come out.

AE: Toby turns out to be the greatest person in Rosewood. He goes from being the creepiest guy on the show to the most stable, supportive, loving friend and boyfriend.
MK: I don’t think Toby lied at all during the first season. But there will be a time this season — and you’ll be very aware of it — when he lies for the first time. And it’s going to be complicated: Why he does it, who he does it for, and how he feels about it.

AE: What’s coming up for Spencer this summer? More hats, I presume.
MK: [laughs] Well, Spencer’s parents don’t want her hanging out with Toby and Toby’s parents don’t want him hanging out with Spencer, so they’ve got some really romantic Romeo and Juliet stuff coming up this summer. They just ooze romance.

AE: What about Aria and Ezra? I think I read that Aria’s got a new love interest coming to town.
MK: Actually, there are two new characters coming to town, one Aria knows and one Ezra knows, and it’s definitely going to put some stress on that relationship.

AE: What about Hanna Banana?
MK: Hanna is in love with Caleb, obviously. We saw that in the premiere. But he’s definitely going to have to work hard to try to win back her trust. But she’s open to that.

AE: Rightly so. The interesting thing about Pretty Little Liars as compared to, say, Glee is that Glee is kind of a giant orgy, but your ships are a little more carved out.
MK: Right, we tell our stories over such a long period of time, and because the mystery gives the show such a heightened sense of reality, we want the characters’ relationships with each other to feel grounded. From the pilot onward, that’s really what we’ve strived for, in the girls’ relationships with each other, with their parents, and even with their partners.

It's true. Glee really is one giant orgy.