To skip or not to skip: Is Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin on HBO Max worth watching?

The first three episodes of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin is now streaming on HBO Max. After watching the episodes for ourselves, we have a lot to say about the fourth television series in the Pretty Little Liars franchise. And let us just say, not everything about to be said will be good.

The new teen mystery series developed by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Lindsay Calhoon takes viewers to a blue-collar town called Millwood. Twenty years ago, the small town experienced a series of tragic events that nearly ripped it apart. Now, in present-day Millwood, the story follows a group of teenage girls who find themselves tormented by an unknown assailant named “A.” This mysterious person wants to make them pay for their mothers’ secret sins as well as their own.

The talented cast stars Bailee Madison, Chandler Kinney, Maia Reficco, Zaria, and Malia Pyles in the leading roles. In addition, the supporting cast includes Alex Aiono, Mallory Bechtel, Eric Johnson, Carson Rowland, Jordan Gonzalez, Ben Cook, and many others.

With a successful parent series, it comes as no surprise that many people would have high expectations for the new sequel. So did Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin do justice to the original series? Is it worth watching? We’re here to let you know whether or not you should add the teen series to your watchlist.

Is Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin worth watching?

While reading our opinion on Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, keep in mind that it’s based on the first three episodes. As the show goes on, our opinion could change. But based on what we’ve seen so far, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin should be skipped if you’re expecting the show to be darker than the original series and filled with thrills and chills.

We’d even argue that this show is something we’ve already seen plenty of times in the past. It’s supposed to be a fresh, new take on Pretty Little Liars, but nothing about it seems different other than “A” looking more like your typical horror flick villain.

The teen series is described as a horror-tinged drama, but it needs more horror and drama to make it stand out. It’s supposed to be scarier than the original series, but “A” doesn’t have the scary factor. The show’s creators promised that it would be more suspenseful, but it isn’t hard to figure out what will happen next in each scene.

Also, the show’s attempt at jump scares just isn’t working. Lastly, the writing and acting can be cringey at times. However, Pretty Little Liars struggled with these same issues. You can look past the bad writing and acting if you try hard enough.

It might seem like we’re just bashing the show, but it’s only because we were expecting more from it. Unfortunately, the show fell short of our expectations. However, we will say that there’s more blood and the character deaths are more brutal in Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin compared to Pretty Little Liars, which slasher fans would appreciate.

This might’ve been what the creators meant by “darker” and “scarier,” but the character deaths shown so far weren’t necessarily terrifying to watch. In fact, they were expected and unoriginal. Many people will also appreciate the diverse cast because representation matters. The diverse casting makes the show relatable to a wide range of audiences.

So what’s the verdict? We initially said you should skip this show because the creators didn’t deliver on their promises, but maybe it will get better later in the season. The first three episodes slowly drag by as you wait for something significant to happen. But perhaps it took three episodes to set up the story, and then it will pick up in episode 4. Overall, the first three episodes were underwhelming, and we can only hope that things turn around as the season goes on.

The first three episodes of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin is now streaming. Episodes 4 and 5 drops Aug. 4 on HBO Max.