Lucy Hale is leaving Pretty Little Liars behind for a life sentence — as in, her new TV series Life Sentence. The actress, who has portrayed Aria Montgomery for seven seasons on PLL, is now moving on to a role that's a touch more grown-up — and a lot more touchy-feely. The new show was officially picked up by The CW last week, and now fans of Hale have a first look at this reverse cancer story, which promises oodles of family secrets, heartfelt moments, and sweep-you-off-your-feet romantic gestures. Yep: The CW is officially getting into the This Is Us business.
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Like This Is Us — a drama that revels in tearjerker moments and never fails to surprise with jaw-dropping reveals — Life Sentence is, at its core, about a family going through some major changes. The most major? The fact that daughter and sister Stella (Hale) has just learned that she's not actually dying from cancer.
That's obviously awesome news, but there is one big caveat: for the past eight years, Stella has lived like she was dying — and so has everyone else in her life. That means Stella's family has sheltered her from the "tough stuff," including her mother's secret affair with a woman and her brother selling drugs to soccer moms.
Sounds like Stella should really meet This Is Us' Randall (Sterling K. Brown) for coffee and discuss the many things their families have been keeping from them.
"I used to have all the answers," muses Stella in the show's new trailer. "And now I don't know anything at all."
"You beat certain death," says her brother Aiden, played by Jayson Blair. "I think you can figure out how to handle uncertain life."
Of course, while Stella's life is at a bit of a crossroads — does she stay married to the dude she wed on a whim, even if he now refuses to go outside to fart? — it's also filled with magical moments. Don't be surprised if this show makes you weep, a la a certain NBC family drama.
Check out the new trailer below: