Life Sentence Recap: Clinical Trial and Error

When I first learned that Pretty Little Liars’ star Lucy Hale was getting a new show on The CW, I was excited. I wanted to see her in a role far removed from that of Aria Montgomery. I wanted it to be a show that was funny, charming, a little silly at times but overall a good show. While I’m certain that the powers that be at Life Sentence feel that is exactly what their show is, it has not proven to be just that for me.

In fact, over the course of the three episodes of the show’s debut season, I have found it to be quite predictable – maybe even too predictable. As I watched last night’s episode, I found myself getting more and more bored and I was able to anticipate the dialogue as well as the outcomes of the various situations portrayed in the episode.

I knew that the man Stella was talking to at the hotel bar was Roger Shaw, the benefactor of the clinical trial that saved her life. I knew that Stella was going to stick Wes with having to watch her niece and nephew well before she even learned about the hotel party. I knew that Aiden was going to somehow know Lauren, the woman who went home Paul. Sorry, three strikes and you’re out with me.

Oh, and I still think that Stella’s older brother is a loser. Sure he had one moment in the episode where I didn’t avidly dislike him when he revealed just how much their parents went through to demand, plead and beg to get Stella into the clinical trial that eventually saved her life. But one shining moment just isn’t going to do it for me.

I said last week that I would give the show a few more episodes, but I’m not. I’ve already invested my time in three episodes, and I have found the show to be a lot less than what I was hoping. I want less predictability and sadly Life Sentence just isn’t providing that.

If you plan to continue watching the show, Life Sentence will air its next episode on Wednesday, March 28 on The CW at 9/8c.