Shay Mitchell knows how to keep a secret.
Like her mysterious character, Emily Fields, on this summer’s biggest breakout hit Pretty Little Liars, Mitchell’s lips are sealed about tonight’s much-anticipated season finale, though she did reveal a few juicy tidbits to marinate over while on the phone from Los Angeles.
Based on the hugely popular teen book series of the same name by Sara Shepard, Pretty Little Liars became the highest-rated series debut for ABC Family this summer (airing in Canada on MuchMusic) and snagged a Teen Choice Award this past weekend. No wonder. What’s not to love about mystery, murder, drama and lots of eye candy – this guilty pleasure is like Desperate Housewives for teens.
In a sneak peak for tonight’s mid-season finale, the girls are invited to Mona’s birthday “glamping” party (Yes glamping. Think glamourous camping with all the amenities) where they receive a message from “A,” sending them on a scavenger hunt to find out who exactly “A” is.
TVGuide.ca: Congratulations on the show’s success. It’s been a huge hit this summer.
Shay Mitchell: Oh my gosh I can’t even believe it. It’s crazy.
TVG: What was your first impression of the show when you read the script? After the first episode I thought this was going to be like Mean Girls with murder but really, you four lead characters turned more into outsiders with big secrets than the Queen Bees I thought you were.
SM: When I first read the script, the title was so intriguing and I thought we were just going to be lying over and over. But after shooting the episodes, I’ve realized it’s so much more than anybody expected. It’s dealing with so many issues that so many teens are actually going through with divorce, parents separating and financial issues which we just dealt with in the last couple episodes and then with my character figuring her out her sexual orientation which everyone seems to think is so important. And then Spencer always trying to be perfect and that stress of living up to those expectations. So it deals with so many different things. That’s why it’s become such a hit, because people are wanting to see a little bit of reality. They want to see others going through things that they’re going through instead of just a made-up storyline.
TVG: I really liked your character from the beginning, because to me it’s always the quiet ones you have to watch out for. Throughout the series your character has revealed so many layers and kept the biggest secrets, so aside from Emily being attracted to girls, is there still more that we haven’t found out about her?
SM: So much! I think we only really got to the top layer of her. She always wants things to be good with her friends and smooth over everything and she’s been brought up to be perfect, similar to what Spencer goes through. But I think there’s so much more to her than what people expect. I think we’re only just starting to get to know her.
TVG: I think so too because she’s nothing like the first impression I got of that character being very shy and timid.
SM: Exactly. Now she’s gotten a little snappy with the girls. She has a fire in her too and it might come out if need be.
TVG: She’s really grappling with her sexuality and I think a lot of teens can relate to that idea. Unlike other shows, she didn’t have this big coming out episode and a less shocking reveal which I think speaks volumes for where we’re at for portraying this kind of subject in TV shows. How do you feel about the show’s decision to portray her sexuality in that way? Do you think they should make her identity clearer or make it indecisive?
SM: The way that the writers have done it for Pretty Little Liars is that they haven’t put a label on her just yet. As far as my take on it right now is that she’s not really labeling herself and just trying to figure things out. Sexual orientation it’s not necessarily black or white as some people like to think. I think for her, I don’t think she feels there needs to be a label on her and she enjoys her relationship with Maya and with Toby. And if one day she decides to call herself bi-sexual, gay or straight is up to her and well, the writers. Some people think labels are limiting and some people think that they’re freeing, so with her character and why it’s so different from other characters on TV, which I think so many teens can relate to, is that she’s just discovering who she is. She doesn’t know. She’s in the middle. I think a lot more people out in the real world are in the middle than we seem to think.
TVG: I think so too. It’s funny that there aren't a lot more characters like her on TV when I think it’s more reflective to how it is today.
SM: Exactly. The writers have a really good hold on society today. So I have all my trust in them.
TVG: What kind of feedback have you gotten from Maya and Emily’s storyline? Are there any Toby supporters out there?
SM: It’s funny because I do Twitter and Facebook, and I see what people write to me and that’s where I get a lot of the comments. It’s been the most amazing thing. Girls from all over the world write to me. If they’re a little bit older they say ‘I wish this show was around 10 years ago’ when they were going through high school and then from the fans that are in high school they say ‘thank you for making me feel like I’m not the only one going through this and you’re putting it out there on ABC Family for everybody to see.’ For a couple of them they said it helped breach the topic a bit better for them because they were watching the show with their family and they could have a discussion about it after. That’s all I want to do is start a conversation and I would love for girls and boys to feel comfortable to talk about these things. Because they shouldn’t feel alone and I think it’s great that they’re using this show and my character to depict what a lot of teens are going through. Getting comments like that are the best.
TVG: Since we brought up Toby. In the finale will we find out anything about him? Is he dead? Is he going to make an appearance?
SM: I think if he actually comes back we could possibly find out some new stuff about him. His character too, I mean, we’ve only scratched a couple of layers off. I think that’s why he and Emily have such a deep connection when they met. They were dealing with similar issues. So it will be interesting to see if he’ll come back or not. I don’t know what the writers have in store for him.
TVG: I caught a few previews of the season finale and you girls are going “glamping.”
SM: Oh yes! It’s a new term. I think it’s going to catch on.
TVG: So there’s supposed to be a scavenger hunt to find “A,” will viewers get a surprise in what the girls find?
SM: Oh they will definitely get a surprise. I will just say if you found yourself on the edge of your seat for the past 10 episodes, for this episode you will find yourself on the floor because you’ve fallen off the couch. Mark my words it will happen. You just have to see it.
TVG: I haven’t read the books before but is the show going to play a close interpretation of its plotlines because it reveals who “A” is there or is it going to deviate?
SM: I have read the books, except for the eighth one because I don’t want it to be over because I’m stalling. I think the writers have definitely captured the spirit of Rosewood and the essence of the characters and Sara Shepard’s story but they’ve added new events and new characters so that the readers of the books wouldn’t be knowing what’s going to happen two steps ahead. So as far as “A” is concerned, it could definitely switch. So who’s to say it will stay the same, and I don’t think the writers will be telling us anytime soon. Which is good because things always pop out of us.
TVG: This being an overnight success for the show and for you in your career, how do you keep yourself grounded as a good Canadian girl?
SM: I’m living every single moment. I’m not thinking far ahead. I’m not thinking about the past. I’m just living in the now. And I’m so fortunate for where I am right now. I think what a lot of people mix themselves up with is that they think too far ahead and they get so swept up and forget this moment. But this is such an incredible time for me because like you said it’s my first big break and it just happens to be such a great show. I think I’ll really get to take it in when I go home after the Teen Choice Awards to Vancouver for a couple of weeks and to be in that kind of environment after such a whirlwind is going to be nice and it will sink in.
TVG: What do you have planned for the rest of your summer?
SM: I’m going to hang out in Vancouver for two weeks, eat at a lot of good restaurants and then I’m going to be back in L.A. to shoot a second season. I’m really excited about the Teen Choice Awards and then I just want to turn off my phone and just hang out with my family and friends because I’ve been so busy, I don’t want them to think I haven’t had time for them.
The Pretty Little Liars finale airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MuchMusic.
Who do you think “A” is? Any predictions on the rest of this season? Are you a big PLL fan? Email me at Jessica.russell@tvguide.ca
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