The premise of the popular series Pretty Little Liars is pretty sad, as four teenage girls mourn the disappearance (or death) of their friend Alison DiLaurentis. They're not sure if she's out there suffering or in a grave somewhere, and when "A" starts texting them all their biggest secrets, they realize they're part of an evil game.
The teen drama has many romantic storylines and the characters have a lot to learn about relationships. Even though there's a mystery at the show's center, each season of the show has many tragic scenes that are impossible to forget. One scene in each season stands out more than others, though.
Season 1: A Hits Hanna With A Car
In the first season episode "Keep Your Friends Close," A hits Hanna Marin (Ashley Benson) with a car, and it's a sad and also terrifying moment since it proves that this figure is really dangerous.
Hanna becomes a different girl by the end of the show and she has definitely been through too many tough times, as they all have, thanks to A. In the next episode, Hanna assumes that Noel Kahn (Brant Daugherty) is A, and it's clear that she's really scared of what's going to happen next. Of course, this is just a red herring as the real A is a much more complicated story. This is an especially sad storyline because Hanna seems like such a confident person and for A to totally take her down, almost kill her, and steal her confidence is pretty telling.
Season 2: Maya's Death
Emily Fields has several girlfriends on PLL and the first person that this beloved character (played by Shay Mitchell) falls in love with is Maya St. Germain (Bianca Lawson).
In the first season of the show, Emily is struggling with her sexuality, and after meeting Maya, she realizes that she's gay. She slowly tells people and becomes more comfortable dating Maya out in the open. In the second season episode "UnmAsked," the girls learn that Maya's dead body has been discovered. A man named Lyndon James killed her and yet fans don't really get many answers about this death, which is too bad. It's heartbreaking to watch Emily grieve Maya as she taught her so much.
Season 3: Spencer Thinks Toby Died
In the season three episode "I'm Your Puppet," Spencer Hastings (Troian Bellisario) is at Radley, one of the scariest locations on the show. She's having a breakdown as she thinks that her one true love Toby Cavanaugh (Keegan Allen) died, but the girls visit her and try to explain that someone else's body was in the forest.
Fans could ship Spencer and other love interests and yet she really can't let go of Toby. It's really sad to see Spencer so distraught. Thankfully, in the next episode, she sees Toby again and he tells her that he's on the "A-Team" so he can help her out and make sure that she's okay. This is great news and they're good with each other again.
Season 4: Ali Shares Her Story
The saddest moment in season four of Pretty Little Liars comes when Ali finally lets the girls in on what went down when she disappeared.
In the season four finale "A Is For Answers," Alison DiLaurentis (Sasha Pieterse) comes back and explains where she was. They can't believe that it's really her and after that shock begins to settle, her tale is a crazy one. She says that her mom tried to bury her alive and she got away. Mona saw her and came up with the idea of pretending to go missing. While Ali has her good and bad moments, she does care about the friend group that she left behind, and it's hard for them to realize how much pain she's been in.
Season 5: The Liars Are Kidnapped
The season five episode "Welcome to the Dollhouse" is a totally creative feat and almost plays out like a stand-alone episode. The liars are kidnapped by "A" and thrown into a terrifying dollhouse.
The girls wake up in what looks like their actual bedrooms but what are actually copies. It's incredible to think about how someone could have created this place, and it's like A literally crafted a nightmare for them. It's so sad to watch the girls struggle as it's unclear if they will get out.
Season 6: Emily Mourns Her Dad
In the sixth season, Emily Fields (Shay Mitchell) is faking a lot of things about her life and not telling her friends the truth. She's not able to cope with her father's death and having a terrible time.
It's really sad to watch Emily mourn the loss of a parent, as her dad was always sweet and caring and supportive. While Emily's storylines get silly, including when she becomes an egg donor, it's relatable to see her deal with the death of a loved one.
Season 7: Spencer Discovers Alex Drake, Her Evil Twin
In the series finale "Till Death Do Us Part," the mystery is finished as Spencer discovers the existence of her evil twin, Alex Drake, who is not only trying to murder her but has been pretending to be her countless times.
Alex's mom is also Mary Drake and she didn't like that Spencer had such a great life when she was suffering. Spencer isn't sure if she can get out alive. Fans have mentioned that there are ways to tell Alex was "A.D." but many were surprised by this reveal and scared for Spencer. It's sad to watch this confident character learn such a painful secret and almost lose her life in the process.