Warning: This article contains spoilers for Pretty Little Liars: Summer School.

While waiting for season 3 of Max’s Pretty Little Liars spinoff, one horror TV show is the perfect substitution for viewers. Max’s Pretty Little Liars spinoff– not to be confused with the original show of the same name – follows a group of five teenage girls who, each season, get tortured by a masked villain who wants to kill them for unknown reasons. Original Sin (season 1) and Summer School (season 2) have been highly rated and reviewed, a rarity for horror TV shows and movies.

Even though the finale of Pretty Little Liars: Summer School has been released, the studio hasn’t announced yet whether or not Max’s Pretty Little Liars will get a third season. Based on the timeline between the first and second seasons, it will likely be at least a month before the show gets renewal news and a year or more before Max’s Pretty Little Liars season 3 releases. Lucky for impatient fans, there is already a perfect horror TV show with five binge-able seasons that can satiate the need for drama and gore while waiting for the potential new season.

Slasher Has Many Of The Same Elements As Max’s Pretty Little Liars Spinoff

Slasher And Max’s Pretty Little Liars Are Dramatic Pay Homage To Horror Movies

Because the shows are so similar, the Netflix/Shudder series Slasher is the perfect show to watch while waiting to see if Max’s Pretty Little Liars spinoff gets a third season. The series both have a dramatic tone that verges on soap opera. Like the Max series, Slasher leans into the campy tropes rather than trying to subvert expectations. The show is chock-full of outrageous dialogue and intentionally gratuitous violence that feels almost like parody.

The narrative choices also have important similarities that will keep viewers engaged. Even though Max’s Pretty Little Liars spinoff isn’t an anthology like Slasher, the villains take an anthological approach, featuring one each season so far. This keeps the shows feeling fresh and across different seasons. Both shows also pay respect to their predecessors. While they aren’t as frequent as what’s seen in Max’s Pretty Little Liars, Slasher also includes homages to classic horror movies, including Friday the 13th, Psycho, and I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Additionally, both Slasher and Max’s Pretty Little Liars spinoff deviate from traditional slasher norms by featuring well-rounded LGBTQ+ and BIPOC characters without resorting to stereotypes. They also delve into important social issues like race, class, complicity, and oppression. These similarities in perspective make the series feel like kindred spirits, despite their lack of direct connection.

The Villains’ Identities & Motivations Are A Central Mystery In Both Series

These Series Fuse Horror With Murder Mystery

On top of using the same elements, Slasher and Max’s Pretty Little Liars spinoff also have one crucial similarity that makes them more alike than different. While many of the above elements are typical of the larger horror genre, the two TV shows incorporate elements of murder mysteries that aren’t as common. Slasher franchises often involve the one villain with a consistent motivation. Freddy kills children. Jason exacts revenge by killing anyone who gets close to Camp Crystal Lake. Traditional Leatherface kills indiscriminately. Michael Myers’ motive for killing changes, but the person under the mask doesn’t.

In contrast, the killers’ identities in Slasher and Max’s Pretty Little Liars remain a mystery for most of the season, leading to a climactic reveal. Each villain has a complex backstory that somehow connects back to the protagonists or the community (though the Pretty Little Liars spinoff has a small flaw in this area). The series both add red herrings that distract from the real killers, keeping the protagonists and viewers guessing. Because of this, Slasher and Max’s Pretty Little Liars catalyze the same invigorating feeling that comes with either solving the mystery or being surprised by the reveal.

Slasher Is More Mature Than Max’s Pretty Little Liars Spinoff

Slasher Includes Mature Content, So Viewers Should Watch At Their Own Discretion

While Max’s Pretty Little Liars spinoff has a lot in common with Slasher, there is one thing that viewers should know before going into the latter show. Slasher is much more mature than the spinoff season. From the start, the show includes extremely graphic violence and gore, with almost everything being shown onscreen. The villains kill in increasingly imaginative and visually horrifying ways. The episodes include few cutaways, offering some moments that truly churn the stomach.

Slasher also doesn’t shy away from sex, drugs, and alcohol. The show incorporates steamy scenes that show sexual acts and bare skin, which is much more risqué than the implied sex scenes in Max’s Pretty Little Liars spinoff. Additionally, later scenes involve drug and alcohol use to excess, with some characters even living with a substance use disorder. Because of these adult themes, viewer discretion should be advised when starting Slasher. Still, it’s one of the best, freshest, and most fun to watch horror TV shows with a similar narrative and character development as Max’s Pretty Little Liars spinoff.