Pretty Little Liars: Summer School Confronts The Past In Season 2's Best Episode Yet

If there was any episode of season two of Pretty Little Liars: Summer School that exhibited this show's ability to respect its past, it was "Hell House."

The truth of what the Church's "Redemption House" is finally came to light, and it was a horrifying representation of a religious outlook on sexuality and sins.

The Church takes hate to an extreme level by making heavily implied scenes that reflect Imogen, Tabby, Noa, Mouse, and Faran's real alives. Each of the girls is captured in a moment of their past as they confront a scene that looks like it came straight out of their personal history.

"Hell House" depicts the worst of what it means to sin, and how it hurts the other characters. Ash is passionate about getting Redemption House closed down because of how it can cause people to inflict self-harm. Imogen is horrified that such an event not only takes place in her house, but practically reenacts her mother's suicide in her mother's own bedroom.

But, this is also an episode that highlights support for friends and support for pride. The girls stand beside each other and their significant others, throwing a party to support and celebrate pride. But, they also take it a step further, and embrace the Church's view of them being "monsters" by wearing monster masks and running through the house causing chaotic panic.

It is a fun scene, but of course, it can not end without a final girl moment, and Imogen finally gets her season two big fight scene. Confronted directly by Bloody Rose, Imogen is forced to fight for her life, and in doing so, strives to unmask the serial killer who has been aiming to harm her friends and herself.

Imogen's attempt does get her somewhere. But is is the truth? When her friends race to see her, Imogen reveals it was her mother's face under the gauze. But, how does that make sense? Imogen had found her mother's body and the audience had been given a glimpse at the bath tub to prove it.

Was Imogen's mother never really dead? Did she have a secret identical twin sister that Imogen never knew about? Is it just another mask that makes Bloody Rose's identity look like Imogen's mother? Or, could Pretty Little Liars: Summer School be leaning into a much more dangerous approach with supernatural resurrection?

"Hell House" continued to confirm that Millwood shares a universe with Riverdale, where supernatural elements were brought into the series. So, following that connection, the potential could be there.

Still, while it could be said that Pretty Little Liars: Summer School should push forward and away from the connections and easter eggs to Freeform's Pretty Little Liars, the same could be said about connections to Riverdale.

Suggesting that Greg is Kevin Keller's cousin felt more like a name drop just because they could rather than a relation that will ever mean anything in Millwood. While making that connection does not necessarily draw harm, it also is not exactly something the narrative needed to do. Fans were already able to connect the dots when "A" was revealed to stand for "Archie." For viewers who know that both shows come from the same creator, it was not much of a stretch to put the connection together.

Still, "Hell House" does a great job at setting up the final season two episodes of what is to come from Pretty Little Liars: Summer School.