'PLL' Star Lucy Hale Previews New Season Secrets

By
ABC Family

We're six days away from the Pretty Little Liars season four finale -- a year that will, by all accounts, be the show's darkest yet!

To find out what else lies in wait for fans, I hit up the set and sat down with the stars to talks cliffhangers, trunks, breakups and disappearing characters. Yesterday you caught up with Ashley Benson, today it's Lucy Hale's turn!


ETonline: First of all, I have to say, you and Ian Harding broke my heart several times last season.

Lucy Hale: Yeah, they've had quite the ride and I think that was so impactful because this time, it was for real. We as actors, and we as the characters, know that it's time to move on to the next chapter. I saw that episode and I was really happy with how it turned out.


ETonline: So the Ezria breakup sticks?

Hale: My personal opinion is a reunion is inevitable, but Aria does her own thing this season. She's dating, she's meeting new people, she falls for a new guy and that's good -- I think she needs to live a little. Aria's too young to be tied down. But I play scenes with the new guy that Ezra is always in the back of her mind.


RELATED - PLL Creator Breaks Down Ezria's Break-Up


ETonline: What did your Twitter @ replies look like the night they broke up?

Hale: I sorta stay offline on nights like that because the fans love Ezria. They've created this online family and it gets intense. But it's so flattering as actors because we've brought this relationship and these characters to life, so to know people truly care about them is amazing. I mean, it's to the point where they want Ian and I to date in real life ... which is not going to happen. So, yeah, it gets pretty intense.


ETonline: So much of Aria's trouble with A stemmed from Ezra being hurt/finding out. Does The Montgomery Family become A's new target?

Hale: Oh yeah, Aria is super worried A is going to start targeting her parents. She's such a family person so she’s going to do whatever it takes to protect her family.


ETonline: The finale made everyone question whether or not Ali was really dead. Where is Aria's head at?

Hale: Aria thinks they're all crazy. Ali's dead. She knows Ali's dead. So she's trying to keep the girls grounded, basically telling them, "You're insane!" Out of all the girls, she's the only one who thinks this. Emily and Hanna firmly believe Ali's alive and as the season goes on, Aria's eyes open more to certain things.


ETonline: How does Aria feel about Mona being the fifth PLL?

Hale: She doesn't trust her. Not one bit. Aria isn't very forgiving of everything she put them through. I think Hanna is the only one who kind of does -- which is crazy because out of everyone, Hanna should hate her the most. Aria doesn't think Mona is A anymore, but knows she has valuable information.


VIDEO - Watch Paige & Caleb's Unaired 'A' Reveals


ETonline: The new season kicks off by revealing what's in the trunk. What was your reaction to finding out?

Hale: Disgusted. It's shocking ... to say the least.


ETonline: What are you excited for fans to see this season?

Hale: Oh man, a lot goes down. We're bringing in lots of new characters, which is super exciting. But Mona is my favorite character on the show, and I have to give Janel [Parrish] a lot of the credit for that because she's played so many different sides to that character so well, but I'm excited for the fans to see a more genuine side to her. There's now five Liars, so I'm excited to see the fan reaction to that new dynamic. I can't wait for fans to see what’s in the trunk, obviously. Things start slow at the beginning but they pick up quickly and this season, the whole town has a secret -- especially the parents. You can't trust anyone, and the girls are realizing that more than ever this season.


ETonline: And everyone is buzzing about the Halloween episode. What can you tease?

Hale: I just read the Halloween episode that takes us to Ravenswood, and I have to tell you, that is the most shocking episode we've ever done. And we've done 80-something episodes. I had chills reading it. There's so much in the Halloween episode that will make people really unhappy. But it's so good. And it's the best written episode we've ever done. You're actually going to die. It's so good.


Pretty Little Liars
premieres June 11 at 8 p.m. on ABC Family.