Christian Youth & Young Adults
Neil Armstrong once said, "mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand". In that department, Pretty Little Liars satisfies.
The ABC Family show Pretty Little Liars is a major hit, especially among the coveted demographic of teenage and young adult women. Constantly playing tricks on the audience, throwing out red herrings, and revealing twists and turns no one saw coming, the mystery element of the show is very much alive (unlike an increasing number of Rosewood residents). Neil Armstrong once said, "mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand". In that department, Pretty Little Liars satisfies. Parents will object to some of the show's content--particularly the overt sexuality, drug use, and rampant lying--but considering the show's popularity, it may be best to use it as a teaching opportunity rather than causing division. So with that in mind, here are a few of the biggest mysteries fans are hoping to get the answers to in the upcoming fourth season.
5. What's in Wilden's trunk? We can be pretty sure this will be the first question answered at the beginning of the season four premiere. To recap, Detective Wilden's police car was fished out of the lake that Hanna and Aria pushed it into. Hanna thought she was protecting her mom, but probably could have found a better way to do so since nothing that's buried in Rosewood ever actually stays hidden. "A" left a present for the girls in the trunk of the police cruiser and the cliffhanger of the season three finale was the girls gathered around the trunk and gasping as they saw what was inside. So what was in there? Was it another body (they keep piling up in Rosewood after all)? Or was it some piece of evidence that no one was expecting to see again? Did "A" actually put the surprise in there or just point it out so the girls would find it?
4. What role do Jenna, Shauna and Detective Wilden play together? When the police cruiser ended up back on solid ground, it was set to play the full video of what happened after a threatened Ashley Marin ran over Detective Wilden. With Ashley having fled the scene, Jenna and Shauna show up and can be seen picking up the injured, unconscious Wilden and taking him to safety. So what were those girls doing in the woods? And what is their connection with Wilden? Furthermore, what is their connection with each other? We can assume that Shauna was the person Jenna was meeting with right after she got her sight back in season two, but we don't know anything about how they know each other. There are still so many unanswered questions about both Jenna and Wilden, so the fact that they are somehow involved together adds a whole new layer of confusion.
3. Is Toby really on the good side? Toby was very convincing in the season three finale when he assured Spencer that not only was he alive, but had been working for Mona only to protect Spencer. But there are still a few questions about his motives that don't line up. First of all, we found out that he was the affectionately nicknamed "Pretty Eyes" from the diner in the season two mid-season finale. This means Toby was the one blackmailing Dr. Sullivan when she was close to revealing Mona as "A." Or it means that everything we thought we knew about Dr. Sullivan is tainted by the secrets she's been keeping about Toby. So what side is Dr. Sullivan really on? And how did Toby happen to start working for Mona long before she was revealed to be "A"? Toby claims everything he did was to protect Spencer, but has she really been in that much danger this whole time? Finally, what was the significance of the "North by Northwest" lighter that was dropped next to Toby after the building got lit on fire in the season three finale?
2. Who is Red Coat? The identity of the mysterious leader of the "A Team" is apparently unknown to everyone, including Toby and Mona. Mona supposedly met Red Coat while she was at Radley and all of their interactions featured Red Coat wearing an Alison mask. So who is the all-powerful leader of the "A Team"? Is it someone we've known all along throughout the series, like the oft-suspected Melissa Hastings or CeCe Drake, or will it be someone who comes out of nowhere much like Shauna did in the last season? It's definitely someone with a lot of time on their hands and a vendetta against these girls that is apparently even stronger than Mona's.
1. Who killed Alison, and is she really dead? The question the series has revolved around since the beginning has been who killed Alison. We've been given several red herrings, first with Ian and later with Garrett, but all of these suspects have been ripped away (and eventually killed off). In the season three finale, the idea that Alison isn't even dead came back into vogue with all the girls and Mona being sure they had seen her during their traumatic experience in the woods. So what is the story with Alison? Obviously someone matching her description has been dead and autopsied years ago making the chances that she is actually alive pretty slim. More likely is the existence of a very convincing Alison impersonator who happens to show up when the girls are in various states of mental un-clarity. Still, if Alison is dead, there is someone out there who killed her. We may not find out who that someone is until the credits roll on the series finale, but hopefully we'll keep getting clues.
Spiritual Prayer
Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed—but he marches on forever. I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish. Were you angry with the rivers, Lord? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode your horses and your chariots to victory? You uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers;
the mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high. Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear. In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations. You came out to deliver your people,
to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot.
With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding. You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters. I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.