The first four minutes of the winter premiere episode of "Pretty Little Liars" looks subtle, but viewers can still feel the danger waiting for the Liars' return to Rosewood in season 6B.
In the new sneak peek, viewers will see where the Liars are five years after the fateful incident where they learned that CeCe (Vanessa Ray) and Ali are siblings, and she was the one who had been torturing the girls for years as "A."
It shows Alison (Sasha Pieterse), who is now an English teacher in Rosewood High School, reading a chapter in the middle of her class. When the class ends, Ali is approached by her husband and psychologist Dr. Rollins (Huw James Collins) to tell her that he managed to make the judge agree to set a hearing in four days.
Ali is delighted with the news, but the handsome new psychologist seems to be skeptical about the possible reaction of Ali's old friends when they receive the court notifications that will require them to return to Rosewood. But according to Alison, she knows her friends more than he does.
Then the rest of the Liars are seen reading Ali's handwritten notes attached to their court notifications. Spencer (Troian Bellisario) was in Washington, D.C. when she got the letter, while Aria (Lucy Hale) read hers after her book launch. Hanna (Ashley Benson) contemplated about Ali's request during a flight, while Emily (Shay Mitchell) considered her options while bar tending.
During the previous PaleyFest, Pieterse teased why Ali wanted her friends back. "Charlotte's gotten a lot better, that's kind of how we open. I'm asking the girls to basically come back and approve of Charlotte's trial to be let out as a normal citizen, which is hard, obviously. It brings a lot of turmoil back," the actress explained.
But since this is "Pretty Little Liars," the girls will not be able to have a peaceful homecoming because of the new threat that will greet them in Rosewood. But this time, the new tormentor will also level up.
In an interview with TVLine, Hale shared that the new "A" kept in touch with the girls through the usual text messages and signs. But the threat became more lethal. "It's not like, 'I'm going to tell on you,' but more like, 'I'm going to kill you if you don't give me what I want.' So 'A' is a lot edgier and smarter — and there might even be some use of emojis," the actress said.
The second half of "Pretty Little Liars" season 6 will begin with the episode titled "Of Late I Think of Rosewood," airing Tuesday, Jan. 12, on Freeform, ABC Family's new name.
