It’s a new year and there’s a new Mona (Janel Parrish) on the loose on ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars.

But the first episode of Season 3B didn’t only feature the former Radley patient back to torment our girls at Rosewood High, fans were also treated to some sketchy background info on Mr. Montgomery (Chad Lowe) and clues as to possible new “A” team members.

Before we dish on the episode though, let’s talk about how good Parrish and Keegan Allen (Toby) are at playing creepy? The actors playing the currently outed “A” team members freak me out every time they’re on screen. They are fantastic. And if Mona showed up in my bedroom in the middle of the night like that you can bet I’d be sleeping with a crowbar too — just like Aria (Lucy Hale) said she would.

Note: Spoilers ahead if you haven’t seen Tuesday’s winter premiere, “She’s Better Now.”

The winter premiere opened with Mona’s aforementioned late night visit to Hanna (Ashley Benson) and a creepy Toby knocking down a black hoodied skateboarder with his car. Meanwhile, Emily’s (Shay Mitchell) parents have gone all Defcon 1 and installed a new security system in their house to protect their daughter from anymore crazy incidents ala last summer’s midseason finale.

As expected, Mona doesn’t get the warmest reception upon her return to Rosewood High. But things come to ahead when she opens her locker to find a cow brain tacked to the door with a knife. Every smartphone on campus, of course, documents the incident as Mona throws the brain and the knife out, whispering to Lucas (Brendan Robinson) before walking away. Shortly thereafter, she was also seen talking to the janitor who the Liars remember as Harold (Travis Richey) from the Lost Woods Resort, the place where Mona had her crazy “A” lair.

When Lucas heads to Hanna’s for no other reason than to further the story, he lets her know that Mona had been sneaking out of Radley long before she had permission to. He also credits his new limp to a skateboarding accident, which gets the wheels in my head turning. (More on that below.)

Now, it appears that Rosewood High’s new janitor has a whole lot of Mona’s things in his office, including one of Allison’s (Sasha Pieterse) old journals. When the girls ditch a charity 10K to go through the stuff, they find Ali’s diary containing an entry highlighting Aria’s dad, Byron. From what we were shown in the flashback, it’s clear she was blackmailing Mr. Montgomery over his affair with Meredith (Amanda Schull) and asking for a pretty penny to keep quiet.

After Aria and the girls had a small incident with Meredith in her class, “A” had exactly what she needed to frame the girls. Meredith, in the wrong place at the wrong time thanks to a note from “A,” gets injured in a fire at the finish line. Later, Byron confronts Aria about the incident, questioning whether or not she and her friends did this, as he knows what they’re capable of. But what is Byron capable of? His accusations, tone of voice and creepy stares while listening to his daughter’s call with Spencer — which mentions “A” — indicate there is a lot more to learn about the Montgomery patriarch.

The note marks the second time Aria was “A’s” main target in the episode, after she received an “It’s a boy” basket outside Ezra’s (Ian Harding) apartment.

We also NEED to discuss Mona and her new friend Jason (Drew Van Acker). Now, without a doubt, the best line uttered in the one-hour episode had to be Spencer (Troian Bellisario) telling Toby, “he [Jason] is basically hugging a hand grenade.” But what exactly is this partnership between Spence’s half-brother and Mona? I really have no idea and that’s the writers’ point. Of course, Spence does her best to convince Jason that Mona can’t be trusted but by episodes end, we see the duo together on his steps as she cleans his wound. But where could he have gotten hurt?

With Jason’s cut and Lucas’ limp, it seems to me that we have at least two possible new candidates for the “A” team. My theory, based on what executive producer Oliver Goldstick told us about Lucas revealing too much, makes me think he was the one Toby was chasing down. Perhaps he doesn’t want part of the “A” team anymore? While maybe Jason was hurt by Aria on the “A” train (I hope not!) or the culprit who set the fire?

As with most PLL premieres, there were little answers provided but a whole lot of questions ensuring a VERY interesting season to come.

Buzz Moments:
OMG: While there weren’t any moments that made me gasp during the episode, I was SUPER creeped out when Mona showed up in Hanna’s room to plead her case. Seriously, not ok.

Thank you, TV gods.: That PLL is back! I missed this show while it was gone!

Awk-ward: Every single moment that Spencer and Toby are together (For the audience at least).

Hotness: Toby was looking all sorts of HOT and kind of creepy after he and Spencer went for a run!

Fab-u-lous: All of the PLLs were looking cute on the premiere. I particularly loved Hanna’s blue polkadot dress, which thanks to wornontv.net I found out is from Anthropolgie. Spencer’s cami/skirt combo was also one of my faves and Possessionista has all the details on where to get it!

Can. Not. Wait.: To find out what the deal is between Jason and Mona? Also, to see how Toby is revealed to the girls as a member of the “A” team! As with any and every premiere of PLL there are so many new questions to be answered!

Celebuzz (1-10): 8. An overall great episode that set up this season’s mysteries quite nicely.

Do you think Lucas was being chased by Toby? Is Jason working with the “A” team? Are you just as creeped out by Mona and Toby as I am? Sound off with your theories and observations about the winter premiere below!

ABC Family is launching its annual 13 Nights of Halloween programming Friday with Harry Potter, The Mummy and an Addams Family double feature. The spookiness begins at 1 PM with the sixth installment of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. You can visit the network’s website for a full schedule. [ABC Family]

When will we see the end of Wednesday’s The X Factor?

After the scheduling debacle with FOX’s The X Factor, which was partially pre-empted due to the MLB playoffs, the network had originally announced it will re-air the entire two hour broadcast on Tuesday.  On Friday, FOX announced that it will now air the one-hour conclusion of the “Judges Home” round at 9:30 PM on Tuesday, Oct. 23. This schedule change leaves most of the FOX Tuesday comedy block intact with new episodes of Raising Hope, Ben and Kate and New Girl airing in their respective timeslots form 8 – 9:30 PM that night. Freshman comedy The Mindy Project will still be pre-empted. [FOX]

CBS won the ratings game Thursday with The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men with 15.4 and 13.6 million viewers respectively. Men’s ratings were up as compared to last week possibly due to guest star Miley Cyrus. ABC’s Last Resort also up in the ad-coveted demo with 7.3 million viewers respectively. Meanwhile The CW’s reboot of Beauty and the Beast lost 40 percent of its audience from last week’s premiere with 2 million total viewers tuning in. Meanwhile its lead-in, The Vampire Diaries, lost 25 percent with 2.7 million total viewers. [Variety]

Two of the boys of ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars are giving you the chance to ask them your questions before the premiere of the Pretty Little Liars Halloween special. Tyler Blackburn (Caleb) and Keegan Allen (Toby) are having a live one-hour Ustream at 3 PM PT/6 PM ET on Monday, Oct. 22. The chat will be hosted by Entertainment Weekly’s Tanner Stransky and can be seen on the PLL Facebook page, EW.com, and Ustream. [ABC Family]

A day after Wyclef Jean tweeted a scantily clad image of himself on his hog, he tweeted another photo of himself fully clothed — actually in a very smart suit — which broke news: A recurring role on ABC’s new series, Nashville. ABC confirms that he will appear on multiple episodes, but didn’t disclose who he’s playing. [Zap2it]

TNT’s Dallas has found a sibling for Elena (Jordana Brewster). Mexican actor, Kuno Becker, will join next season. A troubled teen who straightened out in the military, the character may become a threat to the Ewing oil fortune. American audiences may remember him in a recurring role from the final season of CSI: Miami or on the short lived series, The Defenders. [TVGuide.com]

ABC is showing some confidence in its new dramas Last Resort and 666 Park. It has ordered two more scripts from both series. So far this fall season, NBC’s Animal Practice and CBS’ Made in Jersey have been pulled from airing. [TVLine]

WOW! When Pretty Little Liars executive producer Marlene King told Celebuzz that Tuesday’s midseason summer finale of the hit ABC Family show would bring “justice for Maya (Bianca Lawson)” and that there would be multiple betrayals, we thought we were prepared for might go down but we were definitely not!

Note: Spoilers ahead if you haven’t watched Tuesday’s episode, “The Lady Killer.”

We’ve been saying all along there was something sketchy about Nate (Sterling Sulieman) and it turns out we were right. There is no Nate. He was Linden James and was Maya’s stalker and killer. After kidnapping Paige (Lindsay Shaw), Emily (Shay Mitchell) then killed him in a bout of self defense. Moments later, Caleb (Tyler Blackburn) found her and a shot went off injuring Hanna’s (Ashley Benson) boyfriend. We were just as devastated as she was.

That’s not all though. We also learned that Ezra (Ian Harding) is definitely a daddy but that Maggie (Larisa Oleynik) wants Aria (Lucy Hale) to keep this a secret from him. Then, the biggest “OMG” moment came with seconds to spare when it was revealed that Toby (Keegan Allen) is on the “A” team. I think it’s safe to say no one called that one. So what’s next in Rosewood?

When Celebuzz caught up with King she told us what we can expect from the new web series premiering after the finale and the Halloween episode in addition to what it was like to direct PLL for the first time.

Celebuzz: What can you tell us about how the web series, Pretty Dirty Secrets, figures into the overall plot of the show?
Marlene King: It’s definitely tied into the story. Some of the episodes introduce new storylines and some of them are about storylines we’ve already introduced. It’s definitely part of the mythology of the show. It’s really fun to see these characters we might not have seen together ever on the show or who rarely get to be together in these fun scenes. It’s a snippet of a life in Rosewood that we feel like we’re getting a sneak peek of. It’s really fun. It’s these characters finding their way into this Halloween store getting ready for our big Halloween episode.

CB: What was your part in developing the web series? Did you write them?
MK: They were written by Kim Turrisi and Kyle Bown. Kim is a friend of mine and a huge fan of the show. She wrote a web series that she won an Emmy for called Venice. Kyle is my assistant and an amazing writer. We produced them here and it’s just like any other episode of Pretty Little Liars.

CB: Is this year’s Halloween episode, “This is a Dark Ride,” as big to the overall Liars story as last year’s origin flashback tale, “The First Secret?” Is it a flashback?
MK: No, it’s not a flashback. You will see we key up the Halloween train at the end of [Tuesday's] episode. Halloween is really just a couple of weeks after the finale wraps. It’s huge. It’s an amazing ride. Season 3B will pick up a couple of weeks after that.

CB: You just finished directing your first episode of Pretty Little Liars for episode 3.16, “Misery Loves Company” which will air in 2013. How was your experience sitting in that chair?
MK: It was amazing. Our cast and crew are just tremendous. It was so much fun just to get to be with everybody all that time. It was exhausting but it was fun and amazing. I can’t wait to share that episode with everybody. It’s Season 3 and I’ve actually been working on the show for four years now so it’s really fun to be challenged and to get to do something I normally don’t do. To get to write your own words and then be the person who makes all the decisions about bringing it to the screen was very rewarding. Everybody was so supportive. All the girls, the whole cast. People really wanted me to succeed and it felt like it was a family reunion in a lot of ways because I don’t get to be on set as much as I would like to be.

You can watch the first episode of Pretty Dirty Secrets above and be sure to check ABCfamily.com for a new installment every Tuesday.

The Halloween episode of Pretty Little Liars airs on Oct. 23 at 8 PM with season 3B coming back in early 2013.

Did you suspect Toby of being on the “A” team? What about Nate killing Maya? Let us know what you thought about the midseason finale in the comments below!

Hundreds of fans entered, but only two got to chat with Pretty Little Liars‘ star Tyler Blackburn face to face! Now Celebuzz has the videos of his Skype chats.

The actor plays Caleb on the hit ABC Family show about a group of girls trying to uncover the truth surrounding their friend Allison’s death, which just had its season three premiere. Taking time out of his busy work schedule, he sat down and talked with Shannon and Alanna about the show, music, and much more. Also, he may or may not have revealed some PLL spoilers!

Watch Tyler’s chat with Shannon above.

As far as story lines on Pretty Little Liars, Tyler told Alanna:

“I can’t say a whole lot but, I’ll say in a recent episode I spent five hours crying. Let’s just say that.”

Are Caleb and Hannah (Ashley Benson) headed for splitsville? Say it isn’t so! The third season kicked off on Tuesday night, and while all seemed to be good between one of Rosewood’s cutest couples, there did seem to be a bit of tension. Hannah was secretly visiting Mona in the asylum she has been staying all summer, after it was revealed she was A, and has been lying to all her friends about it.

Watch the video below for more.

Did you watch the PLL premiere on Tuesday? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.

Celebuzz has an awesome chance for all you Pretty Little Liars fans out there — and that’s the truth!

If you love Tyler Blackburn, who plays Caleb on the hit ABC Family show, we’re giving our readers a chance to chat with him face to face! That’s right, two of you will be able to get “up close” with him by chatting with him on Skype.

How can you get in on the action?

Simple! Watch the video above where Tyler breaks it down for you.

What are you waiting for?! Get started and good luck! CLICK HERE for a chance to Skype with Tyler — plus a $250 gift card!

‘pll’ star lucy hale bikinis in brazil!

14 Photos »

The People’s Choice Awards have come and gone (did you see Robert Pattinson’s shaved head?!), but the night wasn’t over once Kaley Cuoco said her final goodbyes as the 2012 host. Celebuzz was at the Hollywood Agency presents Private After Party for The People’s Choice Awards hosted by Mario Lopez to capture every little bit of it — including an exclusive performance from Brian McKnight that you can see below.

Mario Lopez told us that he’s very much looking forward to some vacation time — most likely in Mexico — following a very busy awards season over the next few weeks, and that he’s also pumped to be hosting Live! with Kelly Ripa next week. We also caught up with Pretty Little Liars cutie Tyler Blackburn and The Blind Side gentle giant Quinton Aaron, who couldn’t have been nicer.

Blackburn told Celebuzz that his sleek khaki pea coat was from Banana Republic. “I just threw something together … it gives me so much anxiety,” he said with a big smile.

Aaron told us that the thing he’s most excited about for 2012 is the release of his first behind-the-scenes project, a suspense thriller that he produced.

We were also on stage with none other than R&B legend Brian McKnight, who belted out some serious tunes for the crowd — and even did the Dougie for everyone to see. Check out the video below:

Shay Mitchell may let “A” bully her character in ABC Family’s hit show Pretty Little Liars, but in real life Shay is campaigning to put a stop to digital drama. 

“This is such a huge thing right now. Social media is such a huge part of all of our lives and I think it’s really important for teens and everybody who has a computer and goes on the internet to know what to do if you are getting bullied … know not to participate in it and hit delete,” says Mitchell.

The Canadian actress isn’t the only cast mate from Rosewood to stand up for what she believes in. The show’s bad boy, hottie Tyler Blackburn, also stopped by ABC Family and Seventeen Magazine’s rally to delete digital drama to voice his opinion on the issue.  

“Bullying effects so many people in different ways and I think that it has kind of been accepted,” says Blackburn. “I think it’s good to raise awareness … and  finally say it does not make you cool, you’re not cool by doing it, just don’t do it; and this is how it effects people.”

The two actors were at the rally to bring awareness about online bullying, but Celebuzz was also able to get some inside scoop about the current season of Pretty Little Liars. So what did we learn? 

The big news is that someone will be returning to Rosewood and is sure to stir up some drama – we are excited already!

“Maya is coming back. As far as how long she will be there is yet to be determined, but she does pay a little visit,” says Shay. “She comes to spice things up with Emily and all of her other girlfriends.”

Speaking of girlfriends, even though the pretty little liar isn’t a lesbian herself, she plays one on the show.  Emily told Celebuzz she wasn’t nervous to take on the role at all — despite her character’s sexuality.  

“We all know what it’s like to love somebody, you know what it’s like to feel something for somebody, and I think the bottom line is that it’s that person — it’s not so much their sex, it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, my character felt a connection with these girls and that’s what I’m going to play,” she says.  

Once on the topic of relationships, Tyler dished a little about what is going on with his character and Hanna (played by Ashley Benson). The stud was smitten and says, “Last episode there was a kiss, if it is going to lead to something more … it just might, I know for sure but you don’t,” jokes Tyler.

Tyler did reveal his personal dating preferences.  Unfortunately for Haleb fans it’s not Hanna who Tyler would date in real life, but rather another little liar from the clan.

“I would date someone like Aria. She is pretty worldly, she’s wise, but she also has a sense of humor and I like that. I like someone you can have a really intelligent conversation with and someone you can be totally silly with too. I like someone who is comfortable in their own skin,” says Blackburn.  

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like anyone in Rosewood has time to make relationships work right now.  The four girls are completely consumed with trying to solve who the mysterious “A” is that has turned their lives upside down.  Shay says she is right along with the millions of fans speculating who the culprit is each week.  

“Honestly I started thinking about who “A” was when we first started shooting and I think I went through everybody in the cast and I honestly don’t know, I don’t know,” says Mitchell. “Even I tried to come up with my own theories and I’m still like oh my gosh its’ wrong, I’m wrong.”

It seems like PLL fans won’t be getting any answers soon, but the two assured us there’s still a lot to look forward to in the upcoming episodes. 

“The next episode is going to be great. It’s a huge fashion event, it was a huge deal. They all wore the craziest, coolest outfits it was a good time, that will be enjoyable,” says Tyler.  

No matter if it’s wacky fashion, thrilling relationship drama, or nail biting scenes, something crazy happens every single episode of Pretty Little Liars – and it doesn’t stop now.  

“It only gets more intense from here. Everybody keeps saying this episode was so intense, this episode was so intense, but just wait,” says Shay.