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The Spirit Week Dance is a yearly event held by Millwood High School that celebrates the school spirit with a dance and ceremonial crowning of the elected Spirit Queen. The 2022 spirit week dance was clouded with rivalry, unprecedented claims, and a grisly death that rocked the town of Millwood.
Spirit Week[]
Monday[]
Spirit week began on Monday, September 28th, with Karen Beasley actively campaigning for her win as Spirit Queen. She runs unopposed, of course, but still sets up a booth with her friend Sandy where she hands out fliers. She tries to pressure her student body into voting for her, though a select few refuse. Imogen Adams, for starters, butt's heads with Karen immediately following her return after her mother's tragic death. She fakes sweetly veiled surprise that Imogen is back, leading Tabby to snark that if she wasn’t such a narcissist she’s check up on Imogen. Karen coldly tells her to get off her ass as it was traumatizing for her to see, recalling back when she ran out the house screaming. She tells Imogen she’s here for her and pulls her in for a hug. However, she cruelly whispers, “People may be polite to you, but trust me: nobody wants your pregnant, tragic ass back here.” Karen wishes her a good first day back, but Tabby overheard and asks why she’s a bitch about everything.
Faran Bryant completely ignores Karen, strutting past the campaign booth without so much as a glance. Karen turns her anger onto Mouse Honrada, mocking her for staring at a Spectrum Club poster. Noa Olivar agrees with Mouse that Karen and her twin are evil. Meanwhile, Noa apologizes to her boyfriend Shawn Noble for not being able to attend the dance, as she's on probation.[1]
Tuesday[]
Imogen learns from Principal Clanton that some of the students are uncomfortable with her return to school. She immediately assumes that Karen is the culprit and confronts her at lunch. Karen plays innocent, concerned this might not be the right environment for someone in Imogen’s “condition”. She demands to know she truly did to piss Karen off, turning to Greg to admit the truth in front of her. Karen snaps and says she doesn’t belong here, and she isn’t the only person who feels that way. She defiantly states she won’t go anywhere, and in fact will be Spirit Queen like her mother. Karen is shocked by the threat, flustered as Imogen leaves the cafeteria gossiping in her wake. The other girls are left impressed.[1]
Wednesday[]
Imogen and Tabby arrive at school to find Karen’s posters defaced and replaced with ones supporting Imogen, with the second “A” in her last name highlighted in red. The girls immediately blame Karen for it, and the principal calls them to his office now. Three other girls are unjustly reprimanded for grievances against Karen: Faran Bryant, Noa Olivar, and Mouse Honrada. Fed up with Karen's antics and believing that the girl did all those things to herself to frame them, the girls plot their revenge.[1] The Little Liars decide to leak an unflattering video of Karen from a party six months ago. Tabby Haworthe agrees to project it before her Jordan Peele double feature at The Orpheum, that way it won't be online forever, and kids won't have enough time to record the video.
Thursday[]
On October 1st, Karen walks into school to find Imogen and Tabby hosting a booth for her campaign for Spirit Queen. She's also hosting a screening at The Orpheum because Jordan Peele is dope and Mr. Smithee is racially biased. He's not the only one. It's also an event to promote Imogen's spirit queen campaign. Karen's surprised that Principal Clanton let her run after she trashed her posters. Imogen thinks he's afraid the pregnant girl would sue the school if he didn't. Tabby adds they didn't trash their posters, but if there's anything she wants to confess, this is her last chance. Karen has nothing to confess. Imogen might give a speech, so Karen decides to come against Tabby's request. Karen grabs a flyer and stomps off. They play the video that evening, which causes Karen utter humiliation.[2]
Friday[]
Kelly as Karen
Kelly, posing as her twin sister, admits to Principal Clanton that she wrecked her Spirit Queen posters, not Imogen and Tabitha. As punishment, Karen is removed from the Spirit Queen race and must serve a week's detention. Unbeknownst to anyone else, Kelly and Karen have a sinister plan to get revenge on Imogen Adams - Carrie style. The twins plot their diabolical plan in their shared bedroom, with a devastated Karen smiling at the havoc they're about to cause.
Imogen is called to the principal's office over the intercom. Clanton tells Imogen that Karen recused herself from the Spirit Queen race. He owes Imogen and Tabby an apology. Karen admitted that she destroyed the posters herself and will be punished accordingly. Since Imogen is the only student in the race, she will be crowned Spirit Queen. He congratulates her, as it's his understanding that it's mother-like daughter.[2]
Night of the Dance[]
Early Hours[]
The Spirit Week Dance takes place on Saturday, October 3rd, at Millwood High School. Imogen, Tabby, Noa, Faran, and Mouse get ready together at the Haworthe house. Imogen plans to find Karen and apologize for the video. She also wants to give Karen her Spirit Queen crown. They arrive at the dance together with Shawn Noble, Noa's boyfriend, as Noa successfully got her ankle monitor removed for the evening. They fan out to survey the dance for Karen.
Imogen finds Kelly, who she mistakes for Karen. Kelly admits her twin is around. Imogen wants to make things right, so Kelly agrees to relay her message. She congratulates Imogen for winning against her sister as not many people can do that. She can't wait to see her up on the stage tonight. Kelly flashes back to before the dance when the twins pour red paint into a bucket, smiling diabolically. In the present, Imogen walks away so Kelly resumes her dancing.
Henry finds Faran who is looking for Karen. He saw her when he came in but asks for a dance. Across the gymnasium, Greg spikes the punch with his flask. Over by the bleachers, Ash inadvertently scares Mouse by saying hello to her. She's nervous about the crowds as she has social anxiety. They go outside to vape marijuana. Noa and Shawn sneak off to a classroom to have sex, while Chip agrees to help Tabby look for Karen.[2]
Crowning of Spirit Queen[]
A walks to the high school and pulls open the back door. Inside the dance, the couples sway happily to a slow song. Imogen stands off by herself and Tabby tells Chip it's a Perks alert. He doesn't mind and tells her to go. The girls walk over to Imogen and Tabby extends her hand first, inviting her to have the dance. She accepts and Tabby leads her to the dance floor, twirling her around. The group dances happily as their boy's watch, later joining them.
Clanton takes the stage to announce Millwood High's Spirit Queen. He calls Imogen Adams to the stage to accept her crown. A spotlight finds her and the crowd cheers loudly. She ascends the staircase to the stage. Clanton places the crown atop her head. Faran sees Karen in the rafters and nudges Tabby, who in turn, gets the attention of the other Liars. They try to scream for Imogen to look up. Shawn gets involved too. Karen smiles maniacally from the rafters as she inches the bucket closer to the edge. Imogen turns to look up at the balcony. She sees a man approach Karen wearing a full-body suit - it's A. Karen starts to look behind her but it's too late, A has ahold of her. He wrestles with her for a moment before pushing her over the balcony.
Karen falls to her death with a loud squishing noise on the stage below. The partygoers begin to scream and run-in different directions. Imogen stands still, too dazed to move. A pool of blood inches closer to her shoes. The Little Liars all get texts at the same time. It ominously says that one bully is down, but there are five more to go. Keep quiet about him, or they will all be next. The message is signed with -A. Imogen looks up to see A looking over the balcony at her. Karen's dead body lays on the stage, blood seeping out of her face as her eyes stare blankly ahead.
A group of students gets high outside when the rest of the student body flees, screaming and crying. A boy deviates from the group and bumps right into A. He asks who the fuck the guy is supposed to be, but his empty stare scares the boy away. The masked assailant turns and walks into the darkness, a crimson red A carved on his mask.[2]
Aftermath[]
Sheriff Beasley's Crusade[]
Sheriff Beasley sought to expel the The Little Liars for causing his daughter to seemingly commit suicide as all evidence of the prank she was going put on Imogen was taken away from the railings above most likely by - A. However his surviving daughter (Kelly) stops that by telling the school what her twin sister (Karen) was doing.
Dance Attendees[]
Students
- Imogen Adams (Spirit Queen)
- Karen Beasley †
- Kelly Beasley
- Faran Bryant
- Tabby Haworthe
- Mouse Honrada
- Henry Nelson
- Shawn Noble
- Noa Olivar
- Ash Romero
- Greg Mantzoukas
- Chip Langsberry
Faculty
- Principal Marshall Clanton
Others
Notes and Trivia[]
- According to the Pilot Draft, the Spirit Week Dance was the Homecoming dance.[3]
- Karen falling to her death from significant height, the positioning of her body, and her blood pooling at Imogen's feet mirrors the events of Angela Waters suicide at a Y2K rave.
- The Little Liars receive their first group text from A soon after Karen's murder.
Gallery[]
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