Ravenswood is the first spin-off of Pretty Little Liars, and it plays like a direct extension of that show’s rules. The premise is simple: a town suffers from a curse, and five strangers find themselves drawn into it. The execution is uneven, but it lands somewhere between a thriller and a soap opera, and that mix is exactly what makes it worth watching.
Trailer, via Freeform.
The Curse That Binds Ravenswood
The show opens with a clear setup. Ravenswood, Pennsylvania, has been cursed for generations. Five strangers arrive in town and start feeling connected to each other. The town’s dark history is the engine of the plot, and the show spends its ten episodes digging through that past.
The Five Strangers
The core group is Miranda Collins, played by Nicole Gale Anderson; Caleb Rivers, played by Tyler Blackburn; Luke Matheson, played by Brett Dier; Remy Beaumont, played by Britne Oldford; and Olivia Matheson, played by Merritt Patterson. Their stories cross over, and the show builds tension around what they will find out about the curse.
A Franchise Move
Ravenswood is the second series in the Pretty Little Liars franchise. It shares characters and references with its parent show, and the show leans on that connection for its audience. Blackburn’s return as Caleb Rivers is a draw for fans of the original series.
The Cast Builds
The casting announcements came fast and changed frequently. Elizabeth Whitson was attached as Olivia, then the role was renamed Luke and handed to Brett Dier. Merritt Patterson took over as Olivia. Meg Foster joined as Mrs. Grunwald. The show kept announcing new additions through August 2013, with Steven Cabral, Luke Benward, Henry Simmons, Sophina Brown, and Haley Lu Richardson joining the cast.
The Town’s Dark Past
The series relies on its history to drive the plot. Each episode adds another piece to the puzzle of the curse, and the show is at its best when it lets the town itself become a character. The mystery is the hook, and the show mostly delivers on it.
The Show’s Weakness
The pacing drags in the middle stretch. Some episodes feel like filler, and the curse plot loses momentum before the finale. The show also leans heavily on its connections to Pretty Little Liars, which can feel like a crutch rather than a strength.
The Finale
The show ends on February 4, 2014, after ten episodes. The network canceled it on February 14, 2014, citing low ratings after one season.
|Ravenswood Timeline|
|—|—|
|First aired|October 22, 2013|
|Last aired|February 4, 2014|
|Canceled|February 14, 2014|
|Episodes|10|
Our Verdict
Ravenswood is a solid but flawed entry in the Pretty Little Liars universe. The curse plot is strong, and the cast chemistry holds the show together. The pacing and the reliance on the original show’s audience keep it from greatness, but the show earns its place as a worthy spin-off.
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