| This article is about the Original Sin character. You may be looking for the PLL character, Wesley Fitzgerald. |
| “ | It's like I told you, Tabs. It's hard for young white guys trying to break in right now. The doors just don't fly open like they used to, 'cause they're too busy opening up for people. Like. You. | ” |
— Wes to Tabby[src]
| ||
Wes is a major supporting character in the first season and a main antagonist in the second season of television series, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin on HBO Max. He is portrayed by Derek Klena.
Wes is Tabby's boss at The Orpheum, Millwood's second-run local movie theater. A devilishly handsome film school graduate, Wes and Tabby have bonded over their mutual love of film, but Wes's intentions are anything but pure.
Biography[]
Although unknown if he originated from Millwood, Wes attended New York University and majored in their film/fine arts division. He allegedly held high, respectful relationships with his professors and other school faculty, and was something of a womanizer as he claimed to have had more than one girlfriend during his collegiate years.
After he graduated, Wes settled in the unremarkable town of Millwood and, after some time, was made into the manager of The Orpheum, the town's local theater.
Personality[]
Wes is charming, outgoing, flirtatious, and complimentary of Tabby every chance he can. While his motives may appear friendly to the common passerby, his innuendos, comments of her being mature for her age, and attempts to be alone with her, are anything but innocent. He soon exhibits unhealthy tendencies such as lying, gaslighting, and manipulation of Tabby. He has an exaggerated sense of self and believes he is the next big director, unable to catch a break because everyone else is the problem. He can't admit his wrongdoings, always diverting fault to someone else. He is increasingly more racist toward Tabby, turning from microaggression to outright racial attacks. He is extremely jealous of Tabby's talent and yearns to destroy her success, as he believes she is given opportunities because of her gender and race. Wes has always been a dark individual, with murderous fantasies that he longs to carryout in the form of an epic horror film. He identified Chip's darkness and laid out the groundwork for them to become friends and filmmakers, out of the hope Chip would help him make the ultimate horror film. Wes proves himself to be a murderous psychopathic narcissist with little-to-no regard for human life. He wants fame so bad he will do anything to accomplish it.
Physical Appearance[]
Wes is a tall, slender man with dark brown hair styled in a long haircut with no facial hair. He has thick brows and small hazel eyes. He has plump lips and a structured face complete with high cheekbones and a slim nose. When not in his Orpheum attire, he dons dark jeans, a jacket, and a t-shirt.
Series[]
Season 1[]
In Chapter One: Spirit Week, Tabby arrives late at The Orpheum, apologizing to her boss Wes. He tells Chip to clean up the bathrooms, but the latter says it is Tabby’s turn to do so. Wes, however, says Tabby is in charge of the popcorn and orders Chip to do it. Tabby recommends Wes try to look like he’s trying to work. Continue to read his comic, Wes declares that as manager he doesn’t have to pretend and it is work, specifically research. Wes begins to advocate on the ingenious that is “Dressed to Kill,” but Tabby argues against the oversexualization of the movie’s females before they’re slashed to death. Wes rhetorically asks if Tabby’s still in high school as she reminds him of his NYU girlfriends. Tabby asks if she be allowed to host her double feature on Thursday and negotiates terms, to which Wes agrees.
Wes parks his car in a desolate spot in town, taking out a cigarette for a smoke. He says what he meant about Tabby early was true - she is something special, something his old professors agreed when he talked to them. Tabby is elated to hear that, as NYU is her dream school besides AFI where Ari Aster attended, who Wes is the same age as. Tabby nonetheless doesn’t want to sidetrack and asks what he’s talked to them about, which he replies as a young filmmaker. Wes makes his move holding her hand and goes for a kiss before Tabby notices a masked figure before them. Wes is about to head out the car, but Tabby warns him not to. He drives them away.
In Chapter Two: The Spirit Queen, Imogen and Tabby prepare for the screening at The Orpheum while discussing Karen. Wes asks if they are going in, so they do. A few minutes after the feature stars, Karen runs out of the theatre crying. Kelly runs after her, catching the attention of Wes who enters the screening, just as the movie starts. He looks up at the booth to see Chip inside. After everyone leaves, Tabby goes back into the theatre to find Wes interrogating Chip about the video he played before the movie. Tabby admits it was her video and not Chip's. She asked Chip to show it and he tried to talk him out of it, but she wouldn't let him. Wes tells Chip to go home so he can talk to Tabby alone. They could all get into serious trouble for what she did. She asks him not to fire her as she loves her job. This is the one place she feels at home. She apologizes to him, and he can tell she is sorry. This is her only mess-up. She hopes it won't come up again, especially with is NYU professors. He tells her to clean up so he can give her a ride home.
In Chapter Three: Aftermath, Tabby runs down the stairs, having looked through the screening room at the Orpheum. She asks Wes if he’s seen a flash drive, a question he finishes by asking if it holds the video she showed at the premiere. He admits he swiped the thumb drive before the deputies could find it. She asks for the drive, but Wes replies it’s back home and offers for her to come and get it later. Tabby looks conflicted, before she receives an urgent message from Imogen.
On Wednesday, Tabby arrives at Wes’ residence, who shows her a candlelit setting to her dismay. Wes says they could start an international film watch every right, tonight being Italian. Tabby asks about the film drive, but Wes says he’ll get it later as first is their dinner and movie. He asks her to pour him a glass and one for herself. Tabby begins to panic at the sight of the roses and the candles as Wes rambles on about colors. Mentally she can take no more and finds the thumb drive in a basket. She discreetly leaves with Wes’ back turn to her, who hears the front door shut to his irritation.
In Chapter Five: The Night He Came Home, a disgruntled Wes comments on how Tabby ghosted him the other night. Tabby confronts him that he used the flash drive as bait to lure her, while never having time to discuss what happened in his car. He relents and apologizes, adding she still has her old job if she wants to. Wanting no bathroom duty, she accepts. Wes asks if she could cover tomorrow’ Halloween movie marathon, which she agrees.
In Chapter Seven: Carnival of Souls, the next Monday, Wes and Chip greet Tabby at the snack counter in The Orpheum, laughing and discussing their newest idea for a double feature. Last House on the Left and its unlikely inspiration, Virgin Spring. She thinks those movies depict incredibly graphic rape scenes. Wes thinks she's missing the point, which is that they're violent but highly moral. She has to look at them as products of their respective times. Tabby clutches the pen in her hand as his words drone on. She stabs his hand and blood squirts everywhere, making both men scream. Back in reality, Wes tells Tabby that if she's going to attend film school she has to have critical distance. Her problem isn't that they exist, it's that bozos like them two venerate the films without having a clue on what they're actually saying about sexual violence. She asks if her and Chip's drama didn't teach him anything. She decides to take a break to work on her project, leaving the men speechless.
In Chapter Eight: Bad Blood, it's Thanksgiving Week, and Wes asks Tabby what she's working on. She has to come up with a new project idea since Mr. Smithee shot down her last one for being controversial. Her idea was to reimagine the revenge rape story through a feminist lens. He asks if it's because of their conversation about movies, and it partially was. He suggesting telling Smithee to fuck off and make it anyway. She has to fulfill her assignment. He suggests making two movies - one for herself and one for class. The film she wants to make is going to get her into NYU, not some bullshit puff piece for Smithee. She thanks him as that's exactly what she needs to hear.
In Chapter Nine: Dead and Buried, Tabby asks Wes for advice on her short film, leaning on the counter of The Orpheum as they talk. He thinks it's awesome and offers to lend her some of his equipment for her shoot. This excites her, though he reminds her to be super careful with his camera. As they plot over the story boards, Chip watches from the background, clutching his mop. Sidney gets a drink of water after her run. She reads a text from Tabby who is working late. Sidney offers to pick her up, but she's getting a ride from Wes. Sidney doesn't like that and storms out of the house. She arrives angrily at The Orpheum and tells Wes to get away from her daughter. Tabby starts to protest but Sidney is adamant. She questions how old he is, averaging 30, though he lies about being in his 20s. She sneers at his making a teenage girl work late, giving her rides home. He was helping her with her shot list, which she thinks is his grooming her and preying on her. He made a move on her one time but apologized right after. That's enough for Sidney, who calls him a motherfucker and plans to call the police. Tabby finally gets through to her mother, insisting she stop to listen to her. Sidney is protecting her from this rapist, with Wes holding his hands up in an act if innocence. Tabby pulls her mom outside, though she continues to hurl insults at Wes, including that if he comes within 10 feet of her daughter, she'll cut his fucking dick off. Wes walks off as Chip stands on the indoor steps.
On December 13, Now outside, Tabby tells Sidney to calm down. The woman can't, not after what he did to her daughter. Wes isn't the one who hurt her. Sidney iterates that nine times out of ten it's someone they know. Tabby tells her the girls theory of it being someone at school, probably a jock. They were both at parties with a bunch of football players. Sidney wants to tell that to Principal Clanton, but Tabby already has a plan. She tells them about the DNA testing that Noa's mom is helping them with. The more proof they have, the more chance the people in charge will actually do something. Sidney decide to talk to Corey and see if she knows anyone in the DA's office to help them navigate this.
In Chapter Ten: Final Girls, Tabby questions Wes about where Chip is. He's in the booth, though she adds she doesn't need him, she's just curious. She asks if he remembers over the summer when they showed Jaws and Jaws II. He remembers that she and Chip both bailed. Tabby knows she went to a party, but asks where Chip went. Wes doesn't know for sure, though he assumed he went to the same party. She asks who is closing tonight, learning that it's Chip, since Wes is going to Pittsburgh.
Season 2[]
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In Chapter Eleven: SpookySpaghetti.com, it's been six months after the Millwood Massacre, and Tabby applies for PIFT. but doesn't get in. Once at The Orpheum, Wes tries to cheer up Tabby by telling her of other directors who didn't get into PIFT. What's even more shocking is that PIFT rejected his shorts three years in a row. She sarcastically agrees but he doesn't pick up on the sarcasm. He doesn't think she needs PIFT because her film is killing it online. Mrs. Langsberry calls it a disgusting film from the doorway. It's bad enough her son was murdered, but now Tabby's trying to destroy him in death. Tabby insists that's not what her movie is about, but Mrs. Langsberry doesn't listen. She accused Tabby of suggesting her son is something that he's not, which angers Tabby. She accuses Mrs. Langsberry of knowing exactly what her son did. She calls Tabby a liar and demands she take it down. Tabby refuses and presses that she didn't use his name in it. She's sorry if people are assuming her son is exactly what he is. Mrs. Langsberry slams a folder down. She has 24 hours to remove the film or she'll sue Tabby and her mom for defamation.
The next day, Tabby enters the Orpheum where Wes is reading a newspaper about Chip. There's an article that Mrs. Langsberry wrote about her son being the forgotten victim. He suggests she have compassion which stuns her. He tells her to forget that he said anything.
In Chapter Twelve: Summer Lovin, Tabby asks Wes if he's looking to stock up for the summer rush. He's already hired someone new. Christian emerges from the back in a style that reminds Tabby of Chip. He just moved to Millwood from New York, which Tabby is sorry to hear. He has experience as a projectionist, so Wes asks Tabby to show him the ropes.
The next day, Wes and Christian banter behind the counter over horror movies while Tabby sweeps the floor. She listens to their argument until she can't handle their inaccuracies any longer and has to jump in. Christian teases her about horror not being her thing. Wes blurts out that she is and compares her to a real-life final girl. He's heard her compare herself to that many times. He asks Christian if he's seen her short film yet, and he hasn't but would love to see it. He is all smiles over the idea of watching it. Wes suggests they watch it now, but Tabby interrupts to ask for the rest of her shift off to surprise Imogen..
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In Chapter Fifteen: Friday the 13th, Leading up to Friday the 13th, the Orpheum prepares for their biggest weekend of the year: Friday the 13th. Christian and Tabby talk about their favorite Friday the 13th's in preparation for their screening. They talk about attending camp. Tabby went to Camp Millwood as a kid but it was shut down years ago. Wes emerges to ask why a prosthetic hand was in the popcorn machine. Tabby tells him not to be mad, admitting she shot a new short film for PIFT at The Orpheum. Wes is shocked that she got a call from PIFT. He calls it exciting and she asks him to put in a good word for her with the selection committee. He agrees and she thanks him profusely. He wishes she would have told him about shooting the film, as there's liability issues to worry about it. Christian gives him the side eye as Wes leaves. He points out that Wes was pissed. Tabby brushes it off as he is stressed for the Friday the 13th marathon tomorrow. It's their most lucrative night and something always goes wrong. Christian doesn't trust Wes at all, calling him darkness.
Later, Tabby and Christian talk more about the Friday the 13th films. Wes tells Tabby that he thinks he knows why PIFT called her about another short. Christian thinks it's because she's talented, which Wes off-handedly agrees with. He thinks it's because PIFT has been dragged over their lack of diversity. She asks if he's really telling her the only reason she got picked was because she's black. He scoffs as he nervously says that's not the only reason. She's proud to be a black woman with a perspective that people like Wes will never have. She got the call because she's good, her voice is unique, and she is needed. If he's so good, she wonders why he's the one barreling toward 30 while working in the same movie theater as a teenager. He claims things are harder for a straight white guy right now. She suggests he do what women and artists of color have been doing this whole time to break-in - be undeniable. She suggests they post their latest shorts without credits and let the masses decide which is better in a movie-off. He tells her to fuck that and to forget about him putting a word in for her. She doesn't need it and is sure he would have undermined her anyway. He's done being talked too like that as her boss, and decides not to help with the Friday the 13th marathon.
Wes doesn't come into work on the 13th despite the AC breaking. He leaves Christian and Tabby to handle it and they ultimately relocate the screening to an outdoor one at Camp Millwood.
In Chapter Sixteen: Hell House, the days pass, and Wes still doesn't show up at work. Tabby knows this is weird and texts him. Christian rambles to Tabby while she's on her phone. She's not paying attention because she's worried about Wes. She's texted him dozens of times and thinks she should check on him. He agrees but insists on going with her.
They go to Wes's house where his door is open. She knows he wouldn't leave his door open. He sees masks on the desk which are copies of Christian's work. He's in shock over Wes being a poser. She calls the masks knock-offs like ones on Spookyspaghetti. She opens his laptop which has the website pulled up. He asks if she ever found out who posted her personal info. She didn't and then shakes her head. She's tired of dealing with other people's psycho bullshit. She wants to forget about Wes and celebrate Pride with her friends.
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In Chapter Seventeen: The Bogeyman, two days later, Wes finally shows up at work, but he has a cardboard box. He came to tell them he quit the movie theater. Millwood is a dead end for him so he's leaving. One of his former roommates at NYU is working for A24, so he's crashing there to finally make his movie. He spoke to Mrs. Orpheum and recommended them both for co-manager positions, which means they can do special programming. Christian is excited about the horror noir film festival he wanted to host. Wes apologizes to Tabby for being such a dick to her and Christian. He tells them to take care and leaves while Tabby watches.
The next day, Tabby visits Wes's apartment again to make sure he's left town and isn't just gaslighting her. She and Christian find it empty.
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In Chapter Eighteen: Final Exam, Tabby is abducted by Bloody Rose and taken to Our Mother of Holy Grace where she is surrounded by a transformed space that describes The Reckoning. She stands in the church as two assailants wearing horror masks and cameras enter. She backs away in fear, then turns to see A and Bloody Rose emerging from the altar room. Tabby can't believe it's A and begs it not to be him. She doesn't want it to be Archie as he's dead. She screams that he's dead and tries to run, but he restrains her. He throws her on the floor by Bloody Rose's feet. Bloody Rose tells Tabby to confess the truth about her son to confess her lies. Tabby questions the "son" and then realizes she doesn't mean Archie - it's Mrs. Langsberry behind the mask. The woman coldly asks who else it would be. Tabby looks up at the A in front of her, knowing that can't be Archie. He unmasks himself as Wes, who is pleased with his charade.
Bloody Rose wants Tabby to confess that her son didn't do those things to her and the other girl. Wes picks up a camera and begins recording the confrontation. She couldn't save her son's life but will redeem his legacy. He thinks it's a pretty good dilemma for a horror movie's final girl. He's making a horror movie and live-streaming it right now on Spookyspaghetti. In this scene, his final girl, Tabby, is going to tell the villains what they want to hear. Even if it betrays what she knows is in her heart of hearts. If she does this, her ordeal ends and she'll walk away. Or, she can stand her ground and everything will get way worse for her.
Tabby looks to the camera, admitting she has something to say to everyone watching. She confesses that Chip Langsberry raped her and he raped Imogen Adams who had his baby. They are survivors of more than the Millwood Massacre. They are survivors of Chip Langsberry. Bloody Rose screams that Tabby is a liar and a whore, while Tabby sneers that Chip got what he deserves. Bloody Rose raises her knife but Wes stops her. They gave her the choice but, as he expected, she didn't take the easy way out. The harrowing of Tabitha Haworthe must continue. He assures Bloody Rose that at the end of the film, as promised, Tabby will die.
Tabby asks Wes why he's involved in all this. After Chip was slaughtered, Wes emptied Chip's stuff and brought it to Mrs. Langsberry. She was devastated and needed someone to fill the void that Tabby and Imogen created. As time passed, Wes opened up to her, too. Wes and Chip talked about making a movie once. He flashes back to being the Orpheum with Chip one night. Wes has an idea for the ultimate horror movie, which piques Chip's interest. Wes wants to kill someone for real in real-time as people watch while they film it. Chip laughs it off as a joke, and Wes covers that it is. Now, Wes explains how it took a while for the stars to align. He needed to lay a lot of groundwork; build SpookySpaghetti, use it to recruit a cast, and a crew, and figure out what to tell them exactly. Though most of his proxies were already lost souls and members of Pastor Malachi's church cult. Tabby can't believe there was no other way for Wes to make a movie. It's been hard on him to break in as a young white guy. The doors don't fly open like they used to because they're too busy opening up for people like Tabby.
Tabby calls Wes an idiot for thinking he can get away with this when he's live-streaming it to a bunch of witnesses. He's not worried about getting away with it. He wants everyone to know how he planned and executed the ultimate horror movie - one that even Ari Aster couldn't pull off. Tabby exclaims that he killed people and tried to kill her friends. His horror movie can't just be one final chase. It can't just be a final girl without victims and potential victims. She calls both of them insane.
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She asks if Wes quitting the Orpheum to move was a misdirect. He needed time to get ready. He wonders how Imogen feels seeing Mrs. Langsberry in the mask of her mother. He planted the mask in the basement of Tabby's boyfriend just as they were falling for each other. She tells him to shut up, calling him a hack. When he gets arrested he won't be known as a filmmaker, but another small, pathetic, loser monster with a grudge against the world who wants to feel like a big man. He wants her to thank him because he's giving her a chance to have her story talked about, and celebrated, for years to come. He lists iconic final girls that she will be ranked with. She's at the center of a real-life modern horror flick as a black final girl. She realizes that without her, his movie is nothing. It's just another unfinished pile of garbage. She's not giving him what he wants. No more screams, tears, or fear. She's not giving him the big, amazing final girl performance for his fucked-up shitty joke of a movie. He is sure she will with the right motivation. The monitors behind her begin playing live footage of a proxy outside Sidney's bathroom window. Tabby panics as she shouts out for her mom. Wes tells her to listen very carefully. There are seven of his proxies stationed outside her house. One text from him and they'll break in. He recognizes the look on her face as being the part where the final girl plots her escape. All the exits are covered by his proxies - there's nowhere to go and nothing to do. She charges at a window with a scream as she throws herself outside. Wes cheers as he was hoping she would do that. He tells the proxies to get her and not to stop filming. Tabby struggles to her feet and limps off into the woods. Wes turns to Bloody Rose, perched atop her throne of branches, promising to be back for the post-credit tag with the sacrifice.
Tabby tears through the woods as the proxies give chase. She rounds a corner and takes refuge behind a boulder. The proxies are closing in, still recording on their masks. One calls out for Tabby and she jumps out from behind him. She hits him over the head with a branch and continues to hit him until he's unconscious. She stands over her chaser, declaring that's one down. She also takes his crowbar. The second proxy tries to contact the other two on comms but is unsuccessful. He passes a tree where Tabby swings the crowbar, hitting him in the stomach. She strikes him in the head, raising her takedown count to two. The third attacks her from behind and they engage in hand-to-hand fighting. She takes him down and punches him several times until he's unconscious. She spots Wes nearby and takes off as he points the camera toward her, smiling over this being "their" final girl.
She reaches Bloody Rose's cabin but stops herself from entering. She recalls her horror movie knowledge of this being Jason's cabin. A real final girl wouldn't walk into a death trap. She opens the door and then runs around the side. Wes sees the door open and believes she's fallen victim. He walks in as she hides. She sees a pitchfork nearby.
Wes tries to goad Tabby into coming out. They know how this will end because it's pre-ordained. The Reckoning demands a blood sacrifice. She tells the dumbass to turn around, wielding the pitchfork. Just because he's a horror cliche doesn't mean she is. Only a novice final girl would walk into the crazy killer's shack. He didn't find this place he built it with help from his crew. She's appreciating his set dec skills right now, especially the pitchfork. He doesn't think she has what it takes to kill him with it. Tabby charges forward with a feral scream, impaling Wes through the chest and into the wall.
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Tabby slowly emerges from the shack covered in blood, but victorious. She takes a seat on a boulder outside. Her girls rush up to her and realize she's in shock. Mouse asks what happened but Tabby isn't responding until Imogen grabs her. She doesn't know if Wes is alive or not - he's inside. The girls go inside to investigate. They see Wes pinned to the wall and go up to him. He jerks away with a scream. Imogen punches him across the face, knocking him out. They hear muffled grunting and open a closet to find Dr. Sullivan bound and gagged inside. They begin to untie her as sirens wail in the background. Tabby is on the rock with a blank, yet traumatized, stare.
Wes and Mrs. Langsberry are arrested along with all their proxies. The Spookyspaghetti site was also shut down.
Appearances[]
|
Season 1 (8/10) |
Season 2 (6/8) |
Trivia[]
- His name, Wes, is a nod to the infamous director Wes Craven, who directed many horror franchises, such as Scream, Nightmare on Elm Street and many others.[2]
- Lindsay Calhoon Bring mentioned in an interview that Wes was suppose to be one of the victims of Bloody Rose in Chapter Sixteen: Hell House at the Orpheum. However, Lindsay and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa didn't like it very much and decided to scrap the idea and make Wes the secondary antagonist of the season.[3]
- Wes's character and his interest in Tabby is comparative to that of Ezra Fitz and Aria Montgomery from Pretty Little Liars. However, Wes's storyline is shown in a more realistic light, with Tabby being uncomfortable by the advances Wes makes on her, as he's significantly older. This contradicts the romantic overtones of Ezra and Aria's relationship, despite Ezra also being significantly older than Aria.
- Both men also held the power dynamic in their relationships, as Wes was Tabby's boss and connection to NYU, while Ezra was Aria's teacher at the beginning of their relationship.
- Wes is the second character in Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin to use the "A" alias. He stole it from Archie Waters while pretending to be the serial killer during The Reckoning.
Quotes[]
Gallery[]
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References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 In "Chapter One: Spirit Week," Wes mentions that he's the same age as Ari Aster. Tabby mentions Midsommar, which came out in July 2019. The season is set in 2022, making Wes 35.
- ↑ Teen Vogue: A New Generation of Pretty Little Liars Takes on the Horrors of Being a Teenage Girl
- ↑ Screen Rant: Pretty Little Liars: Summer School Ending's Bloody Rose Reveal Explained By Creators