We Were Letting The Fans Down: Pretty Little Liars Star Gets Candid About Alison & Emily's Fate

Pretty Little Liars star Sasha Pieterse opened up about her dislike towards Alison and Emily’s fate in the show’s sequel series, feeling like it was a letdown for fans of the characters. The original Pretty Little Liars ends with Alison and Emily getting together and raising two daughters, seemingly a happy end for the couple after everything they’ve been through. However, the short-lived sequel Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists sees the pair get divorced, a storyline never resolved due to the show’s cancellation after season 1.

Speaking with TV Insider, Pieterse, who played Alison, opens up about how disappointed she was in Alison and Emily’s fate after Pretty Little Liars, in particular disliking their divorce storyline in Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists. The actor also feels like her character was mischaracterized during the sequel series, not viewing her as someone who would be neglectful of her kids. Check out what Pieterse had to say below:

I was super, super, super, super bummed with that storyline. I’m an Emerson shipper, and I was bummed that that’s the direction that it went in. Again, in my universe, in my world, not only would the divorce not have happened, but I just see them being together and being such a good family. I think because of everything that they had gone through, it would never be that easy to separate. I feel like they have been through so much that they would work through things. It would be worth it to work through things. They had two beautiful kids, so that storyline made me really sad.

It was also unfortunate that we didn’t get to do it justice. Also, in so many ways, I felt like because I didn’t have any control over it, I felt like we were letting the fans down and letting the fans down so early, too, so that was a hard thing for me.

I also felt like all of a sudden Alison was a terrible mother, which also was weird for me. We never showed her FaceTiming her kids and saying goodnight. I was like, ‘What?’ But it is what it is. In general, Alison will always be close to my heart regardless.

How Pretty Little Liars Could Still Resolve Alison & Emily’s Relationship

Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists getting cancelled means there’s no direct way of finding out what happened to Alison’s relationship following the events of the series. Shay Mitchell never appeared in the sequel series as Emily, making the breakup between the two even more unsatisfying. Because of how important their relationship had been in the original series, it’s understandable as to why Pieterse saw the breakup as a disservice to fans of the show. However, there is still one way the franchise could resolve their relationship, even after the sequel’s cancellation.

The end of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin revealed the new show in the franchise shares a universe with the original, with Aria and Ezra adopting Imogen’s baby offscreen. While season 2 of the show, subtitled Summer School, is ongoing, this same interview included Pieterse hoping to cameo in the series at some point in the future. If she were to make a return in the spinoff, then the show could offer a better conclusion to her and Emily’s relationship. This could even include nullifying the divorce and having them get back together.

With Pretty Little Liars: Summer School referencing the original throughout its ongoing season, a stronger connection to the first show is a real possibility. However, with no clarity whether the show is going to continue beyond season 2, there’s no way of knowing if Alison and Emily’s story can be resolved in the spinoff. However, the possibility still exists, even if there’s only a small chance it will happen. Hopefully the Pretty Little Liars couple can get the ending they deserve in some form as the franchise continues.

Source: TV Insider

Pretty Little Liars

Pretty Little Liars is a Teen Drama and Mystery series based on the novel by Sara Shepard. The show was created by Marlene King and stars Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, and Holly Marie Combs. The series revolves around four friends who meet back up with one another and begin to receive strange threats from an unknown source simply labeled “A.”

Cast

Troian Bellisario , Ashley Benson , Holly Marie Combs , Lucy Hale , Bianca Lawson , Laura Leighton , Chad Lowe , Shay Mitchell , Nia Peeples , Ian Harding

Release Date

June 8, 2010

Seasons

7

Franchise(s)

Pretty Little Liars

Writers

Ina Marlene King

Showrunner

Ina Marlene King

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