The series premiere of Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists was loaded with references to its parent series, though some weren’t quite as obvious as others.
One such Easter egg came in the episode’s final moments: Moments after Nolan’s corpse was discovered on campus, Mona stormed into the bathroom to contact someone via the mysterious Beacon Guard surveillance system — but she wasn’t alone. Before she could ask for answers, she had to kick another girl out of the bathroom, one who looked like she borrowed her entire ensemble from “nerdy” Mona, seen only in flashbacks throughout Pretty Little Liars‘ seven-season run.
“That was a little Easter egg for our fans,” Janel Parrish confirms to TVLine, giving all the credit to showrunner (and pilot writer) Marlene King. “We dressed [the actress] to look like a young Mona, a little nerdy Mona. I’m so glad you noticed that! We’ll have a couple of those Easter eggs here and there throughout the season.”
Parrish adds that fans should pay attention during scenes set at Mona’s apartment. “There are hints of weirdness all over the place,” she says. “There are some doll parts around, lots of Paris references. You know, kooky Mona!”
Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists continues with a new episode on Wednesday (8/7c). Did you enjoy the premiere? Drop a comment with your review below.
