Pilot

Season: 1

Episode: 1

Information

Airdate

June 8, 2010

Written by

I. Marlene King

Directed by

Lesli Linka Glatter

Episode Guide
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The First Secret (Chronologically)	The Jenna Thing

“	I'm still here, bitches. And I know everything.	”
	— A

Pilot (alternatively Popular in Life and Death) was the series premiere of Pretty Little Liars, airing June 8, 2010.

Synopsis[]

When their best friend mysteriously vanishes, four girls believe their secrets are safe forever. But when they begin to receive threatening messages, the truth may be only one text away.

Plot[]

The show begins with footage of the night Alison DiLaurentis disappeared. Alison and her clique: Aria Montgomery, Spencer Hastings, Hanna Marin, and Emily Fields were having a sleepover in Spencer's barn. The lights had gone out before Alison had scared them by sneaking up on the other girls in the barn's doorway. They had laughed and joked about it, sipping the drink Alison had brought them. Aria had woken up, followed by Hanna and Emily, to find Ali and Spencer missing. Spencer had returned to let the other girls know that Ali was missing and that she had heard a scream.

It's been a year since the disappearance of her best friend Alison DiLaurentis, and Aria has returned from her father's sabbatical in Iceland to a whole new dynamic in Rosewood. In her home, where Aria and her mother , Ella, unpack boxes, Aria discusses the oddness of being home at precisely the anniversary of Ali's death. When Ella leaves, Aria tells her father, Byron, that she intends to keep his secret...

Aria drops her brother Mike off at lacrosse practice before heading to a local bar, where she spots a missing persons poster of Alison. She then spots a cute Hollis College grad named Ezra sitting a few stools down. The two talk about their travels in Europe, specifically Iceland, music, and their love of English literature. Ezra says he is teaching English, though he does not specify where. In addition, Aria is vague about where she attends school. Their meeting ends with the two making out in the bar bathroom.

At Rosewood Mall, Hanna and her friend Mona are shopping. Hanna bumps into Spencer and takes the opportunity to catch up with her. She then shoplifts a pair of expensive sunglasses, while her pal Mona shoplifts a scarf. Just then, a security guard follows Hanna out of the store to hand her her bag, which she forgot inside. Hanna smiles mockingly and leaves with Mona, both scared but relieved.

Byron drops Aria off for her first day back at school, and while the two are alone in the car, he tells Aria that he really loves both Aria and her mother, but he made one mistake that shall not be repeated. Just then, Aria has a flashback to the summer when she and Alison had meanly ditched then-nerd Mona only to find her father, Byron, kissing another woman inside his car.

Once back at high school, Emily is the first to fill her friend Aria in on what she missed while away, including the fact that the other three girls, her former friends Hanna, Spencer, and Emily, have all disbanded since Alison's death.

In the meantime, the formerly chubby, gawky Hanna has become the new queen bee, alongside formerly nerdy sidekick Mona, who has had a glam makeover of her own.

Aria's fling with a cute, young college grad named Ezra goes awry when he shows up at her first day of class as Mr. Fitz, her new English teacher. She stares in disbelief. Equally shocked, he mumbles "holy crap" when he notices her, letting the students know that something is up. Just then, she gets a text from "A”. “Maybe he fools around with students all of the time. A lot of teachers do. Just ask your dad. -A.” Aria dissipates the tension in the room by mumbling "sorry" for the beeping noise so that the lesson can begin.

Meanwhile, Emily discusses Aria's return home with her own mother, Pam, who is clearly judgmental and controlling as a mother, as she comments on the pink streak Aria used to sport in her hair and, no less, the fact that her mother used to let her "walk around like that."

Emily is then sent by her mother to bring a gift basket to the St. Germain's, the new family that moved into the neighborhood, and to Alison DiLaurentis' home. While there, Emily meets the St. Germain's daughter, a spunky girl named Maya, and helps her move boxes into her new home. Both girls say they have boyfriends. Maya is even persuasive enough to get Emily to try smoking weed for the first time.

At the same time, all-star student Spencer must contend with her sister's new fiancée, Wren. Melissa compliments her sister on the barn renovations she's been working on for the past couple of months. She then informs Spencer that she is moving into the barn Spencer had planned to move into, as promised by their parents. Wren is sensitive and concerned, whereas Melissa is smirking and glib. They move in as planned, anyway.

Later, Spencer spots Wren smoking and sarcastically calls him out for knowing better as a medical student. She also correctly guesses that Melissa is oblivious to her fiancée's smoking habit. The two behave flirtatiously towards one another, with Wren going as far as to massage a bikini-clad Spencer's back the next day when she displays signs of muscle aches. The two immediately disengage when Melissa enters the room, though. Spencer flirts back too, pronouncing Wren the first boyfriend of Melissa's that she's ever liked... (Well, almost...)

At school, Aria meets Ezra alone in his classroom to discuss the status of their relationship. Ezra feels Aria led him on and is unprepared to engage in an illicit relationship with a student, while Aria tries to persuade him that he feels something too.

Maya and Emily go for a walk, and Emily shares her thoughts about Alison and her disappearance. It is hard for Emily to see the tributes people left for Alison being loaded from the curb in front of Maya's house into a dumpster. Maya kisses Emily as she leaves. Later, in the school's gym locker room after swim practice, Emily finds a note from "A" in her locker. “Hey Em! I've been replaced. You've found another friend to kiss! -A.” Letting her know that she is aware of her previous kiss. Spencer closes her locker nearby, where she has just changed into her field hockey uniform, and sees Emily staring into space. She asks if everything is okay, but Emily denies that anything is wrong.

At the Montgomerys' home, Ella and Byron are making progress on unpacking. They discuss their adjustment back to Rosewood, and Byron reveals how nervous he is to lose the closeness he had with his wife in Iceland, where the two were forced to bond due to the lack of other friends there. He doesn't entirely reveal what he is afraid will threaten his relationship with his wife in Rosewood. Oblivious to the nuance, Ella agrees that the adjustment is hard, considering that they once again live near the DiLaurentis house, and driving past it evokes bad memories. They declare their commitment to one another, and the two embrace over a glass of wine.

Later that night, while Spencer watches Melissa and Wren kiss from her bedroom window, she receives an anonymous email from "A”. “Poor Spencer. Always wants Melissa's boyfriends. But remember, if you kiss I tell. -A.” Letting Spencer know that they are onto Spencer's jealous feelings, and this wouldn't be the first time. Spencer flashes back to the summer when Melissa was dating her then-boyfriend, Ian Thomas. She had been standing with Alison and Hanna in her kitchen when Ian and Melissa walked in. Suddenly, Alison announced that Spencer had something to reveal, but Spencer denied it, annoyed and angry by her so-called friend's blunt betrayal. Spencer had countered Ali's vague threat with a threat to expose Ali's involvement in "The Jenna Thing."

Back in real time, Spencer looks timidly out the window, with the paranoid feeling of being stalked. She then catches sight of a wavy-blonde-haired girl through the window in the former DiLaurentis home across the street and gasps, "Alison." In the following scene, Emily visits Aria, and they sit in front of the Montgomery house. Emily tells Aria she received a letter, to which Aria asks ''from A? They discuss whether A can be Alison, because she is the only one who could have known the personal content of the messages. They really thought Alison was dead, but now they are not so sure anymore. Could she be back?

That night, the police show up at Hanna Marin's doorstep, busting her for shoplifting the expensive sunglasses from the local mall. They caught her using the security tapes. At the precinct, she almost munches on candy corn to calm her nerves until "A" sends a mocking text, alluding to her overweight days. At this point, all four girls have been messaged by "A." “Be careful, Hanna. I hear prison food makes you fat. -A.” The man on Hanna's case, Detective Wilden, has his sights more set on her newly single mother, Ashley. Hanna is waiting in the station when Ashley prompts Hanna to get up and leave. Outside the station, dozens of cop cars are seen rushing somewhere with their sirens on.

In the car, Ashley scolds Hanna for her mistake, reminding her daughter that Rosewood is unforgiving of damaged reputations. She gleans from Hanna that she did it to get her father's attention, not because she couldn't obtain the merchandise on her own. Ashley lets Hanna know that she will take care of the situation and tells Hanna to admit nothing.

Suddenly, the camera follows the police cars to Maya's house, where ambulances are flanking the street, and it seems the whole town has come out to watch what's going on. Emily walks past and, catching sight of the scene, runs toward Maya's front steps, terrified that something has happened to Maya. But Maya comes to greet her, seemingly fine. She lets Emily know that Alison has been found, and Emily is excited until Maya tells her that it is her body that has been found. A stretcher with a body bag atop it is then wheeled past where they are standing. The Pretty Little Liars find one another amidst the crowd and stand together to discuss the craziness.

Back at home, Hanna sits on the couch eating ice cream, eyes glued to the television set, as the news report of Alison's resurfacing unfolds. Apparently, her body was found under the gazebo in the backyard, which had been under construction the summer before when Alison had gone missing. Suddenly, Ashley loudly enters the house... with Darren. The two kiss passionately. She then climbs the stairs with him, leading him to her bedroom, turning to exchange eye glances with Hanna, who watches guiltily frozen on the couch.

The next day, a funeral service is held in Rosewood's local church. There, Jessica DiLaurentis greets the Liars and thanks them for coming. They all sit together, among hundreds of attending townspeople and reporters. Just before the service, Ezra corners Aria alone to apologize for her loss and for brushing her off. Aria gives Ezra a soft kiss before turning to leave. He pulls her back and kisses her properly, sending the signal that he wants the relationship to continue. At the service, Hanna offers her hip flask to the other girls, and they share the fact that they have all received messages from "A." Jenna Marshall arrives, led by Toby Cavanaugh, to their utter shock and also Jessica's surprise.

“I'm still here bitches! .... and I know everything! **- A**”

After the service, Darren Wilden introduces himself to the Liars, though Hanna needs no introduction. He informs them that Alison's police case has transitioned from a missing person's case to a murder mystery. Spookily, he lets the girls know that he will be reviewing their statements and watching them... A message from "A" texted to all four of their cellphones lets them know that they will be watching too. “I'm still here bitches, and I know everything. -A.”

Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Carlo Marks as Ian Thomas
Anne Marie DeLuise as Jessica DiLaurentis
Cody Christian as Mike Montgomery
James Neate as Toby Cavanaugh
Stephen Park as Department Store Clerk
William "Big Sleeps" Stewart as Department Store Security
Dale Wolfe (II) as Reporter
Sophie Lui as News Reporter
Michael Bean as Minister
Cameron K. Smith as Crime Scene Witness

Featured Music[]

"Secret" by The Pierces* (Opening Theme)
"Don't Trust Me" by 30H!3 (sleepover in Spencer's barn)
"I Won't" by Colbie Caillat* (Aria drives Mike to lacrosse practice)
"Beauty Queen" by Ben's Brother* (Aria meets Ezra in bar)
"Happiness" by The Fray (Aria and Ezra continue chatting)
"More of You" by Mozella* (Aria and Ezra make out)
"It Girl" by Twirl (Hanna and Mona shop)
"Flaunt" by Girls Love Shoes (Emily meets Maya moving in)
"When Love Goes Well" by Michael Rossback (Ella and Byron talk)
"I Got Up" by Overnight Lows (flashback of Spencer, Ali and Hanna)
"Suggestion" by Orelia Has Orchestra* (Alison's body is found)
"Begin Again" by Measure (guests arrive to Alison's funeral)
"Hands of Time" by Rachel Diggs (girls receive text from "A")

Notes and Trivia[]

The term 'Pilot' is traditionally used in the entertainment industry to identify the first episode of a television series.
- The title would have been "Popular in Life and Death" if "Pilot" hadn't been chosen. The line is spoken by Spencer in the first episode while the Liars are at Ali's funeral. "Can you believe what a scene this is?" Hanna asks. "Ali would have loved it," points out Aria. "Popular in life and death," says a cynical Spencer.
Alexis Denisof, who played Wesley Wyndam-Pryce on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, was originally cast as Byron Montgomery and appeared in the unaired pilot, but was replaced by Chad Lowe in April 2010.
Similarly, Cody Allen Christian's role of Mike was initially given to Igor Hudacek, but the part was recast.
Aria said the first line of the show, which was, "it's bad, huh?", but due to the storm, it cannot be heard very well.
Aria was the first liar to get a text message from A. It said, "Maybe he fools around with students all of the time. A lot of teachers do. Just ask your dad. -A".
Emily was second, but she did not get a text. In fact, she got a note, which said, "Hey Em! I've been replaced, you've found another friend to kiss! -A".
Spencer was third. She received an email that read, "Poor Spencer. Always wants Melissa's boyfriends. But remember, if you kiss, I tell. -A."
Hanna was the last one. She got a text saying, "Be careful, Hanna. I hear prison food makes you fat. - A".
At the end, all of the liars got a text saying, "I'm still here, bitches. And I know everything. -A".
According to a new article that was recently (2022) published, the cigarette-smoking scene ended up being one of Marlene's biggest fights with the studio. "The biggest debate was [over] Wren smoking a cigarette!," citing a Disney policy that frowns on people smoking. "But they allowed us to let him put out the cigarette butt in a plant holder. That was the most daring thing we did," said Marlene.
Spencer was the first liar to mention "The Jenna Thing", which becomes relevant in further episodes.
Many sets and cast members were changed and recast after the pilot aired. Like Spencer's room, Emily's living room, and Spencer's kitchen. Characters like Ian, Alison's parents and brother, Spencer's parents, and Toby and Emily's dad were recast.
The series had several changes after the initial Pilot draft was created on September 22, 2009.
- The episode opened with Aria in her bedroom talking with Ella. The iconic opening scene didn't occur until later in the episode when Aria sees the Hastings barn while driving around town. The sequence of the scene is entirely different, with dialogue changed. Alison hypnotizes the girls into sleep instead of drugging them.
- Alison disappeared in 2006 at the age of 13, not 2008 and 15, as later retconned. She's also been missing for three years, not one. Additionally, all the girls were 13 when Alison went missing.
- Alison's iconic line, "friends share secrets, it's what keeps us close," was originally, "it's the secrets we share that will bond us forever."
- Hollis Bar & Grill was called "Snookers Bar".
- Mona's surname is spelled "Vanderwall" instead of "Vanderwaal".
- Hanna and Spencer are approached at the mall by strangers who remark on Alison's disappearance.
- Ezra was described as having blonde hair and "Siberian husky" eyes.
- In the classroom, Aria "sees" Alison across the courtyard from her seat in the class.
- Spencer finds out about Wren and Melissa living in the barn during a family dinner with Wren, instead of outside the barn like in the aired Pilot. Spencer walks away from the table, and Wren follows under the ruse of using the bathroom. Spencer is smoking a cigarette outside. The exchange between them of "Does my sister know you smoke?" takes place here instead of outside the Hastings house at night.
- Sean and Hanna have a conversation in the Hastings kitchen about his virginity, with her coming onto him, a scene that is moved to a later episode. Instead, this scene is replaced with Hanna, Ashley, and Wilden.
- Ben is a swimmer who competes against Emily.
- Wren and Spencer's massage scene takes place in a jacuzzi instead of in the kitchen.
- Emily's father was named Robert and was present in her life, not overseas like in the series.
- Spencer's first -A message is entirely different and talks about coveting Wren. After getting the message, she sees a blonde girl outside her window.

Continuity[]

We learn in "Keep Your Friends Close" that the secret Alison threatened to expose during the flashback was that Spencer shared a kiss with Melissa's boyfriend Ian.
It is revealed in "The First Secret" that Darren Wilden and Ashley Marin had met over a year ago. He expressed his interest, and she turned him down.

Gallery[]

Pilot has a photo gallery.

Memorable Quotes[]

Alison: Friends share secrets. That's what keeps us close.

Emily: Not everyone dreams of making it in Rosewood, Mom. Some people dream of making it out.

Wren: You probably have a fluid build-up in your bursa sack.
Spencer: I bet you say that to all the girls.

Emily: We all know she's dead, right?
Aria: Right. I just never heard anyone say it.

Spencer: You know what they say about hope. It breeds eternal misery.

Spencer [about Alison]: She's gone, but she's everywhere.

Aria: I think she's playing with us.
Emily: Why would she do that?
Aria: It's Alison that we're talking about. Wasn't that her favorite sport?

Ezra: I'm your teacher.
Aria: I know it's not just me. You feel that this is right for us, too.

Emily: Poor Ali.
Hanna [about Ali's funeral]: Can you believe what a scene this is?
Aria: Alison would've loved it.
Spencer: Popular in life and death.