Let's Talk About: Saying Goodbye to 'Pretty Little Liars'

It is hard to believe, but after 7 entertaining seasons, “Pretty Little Liars” is ending. Fans have had a considerable amount of time to prepare for this reality, and while the show has seen its fair share of ups and downs, it does not make its impending absence any less sad. 

For seven years, “Pretty Little Liars” has been there, through our own ups and downs. It’s been there during the cold nights of winter, and the hot evenings of summer. Life has changed so much for the characters on-screen, which is an experience undoubtedly felt by its viewers, who have also changed through the years.

Saying goodbye to “Pretty Little Liars” does not just mean saying goodbye to a series. It means saying goodbye to a television comfort, a resort to set aside our highs and lows and focus on the Liars’ instead. Soon there will be no Rosewood to escape to, at least, not in its current form. Hopefully, that will change, as hopes for a spinoff are realistic.

So let’s talk about what we do know based on the final chapters of “Pretty Little Liars.” Have the final episodes delivered closure, or torn apart everything this viewer has enjoyed? Let’s talk about saying goodbye to “Pretty Little Liars.”

Alison

Alison (Sasha Pieterse) is having Emily’s baby and they have agreed to become a family. Despite everything Alison says; she has still not taken full responsibility for getting the Liars’ into the position they are currently in. 

[Image by Freeform]

She was a bully and she ruined countless people’s lives because of that. While she has undergone personal hardships, she has not connected the dots and actually shown a great deal of remorse for how her behavior has affected other people. Rather how it is catching up to her now.

“Pretty Little Liars” did brush over Alison’s assault too quickly. Along with the trauma, she experienced from being violated. A happy ending does not distract from the circumstances surrounding it.

Aria

The final half of Season 7, saw Aria (Lucy Hale) become a tool for A.D., as she succumbed to their blackmail plot. Aria doing this was not out of character, and it actually brought Ezra and her back together, in a healthy way.

Ezra (Ian Harding) took accountability for the police report, Aria had written all those years ago. A sign of ample maturity on his part, and instead of breaking them up, this admission brought them closer together.

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If Ezra had been written this humble and devoid of ego for the past seven seasons, I would have probably liked his character a lot more. It also did not hurt that in the penultimate episode, Ezra stood up for Aria, tongue-lashing her “friends” for turning their backs on her for a lapse in judgment. 

His reasoning was fair and his fiery defense of Aria was a welcome relief for a relationship that has always had Aria working to support and defend him. During the remaining episodes of “Pretty Little Liars,” Aria and Ezra have actually felt like a team; a match of true equals and it’s great.

Emily

Emily’s final arc has been about getting together with Alison and reacting to the baby bombshell. Paige’s exit could have been handled more gracefully. It felt a bit hasty for a relationship that had been so constant over the course of the series’ run. PS - does Emily's mom have any idea what's been going on with her daughter?

Emily (Shay Mitchell) finally has everything she has ever wanted, Alison and a family with her. The only personal question left for Emily to answer is who the father of her child is. If you think you have it figured out (I have a good idea), then all that is left to do is see if it comes true.

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How Emily is going to be able to find out this information will be interesting to watch. With Mona (Janel Parrish) out of commission following the Charlotte reveal, Emily does not have a real resource to pin down the information. 

However, Emily has not seemed super concerned with finding out; who the father of her child is. A strange reaction, given that whoever the father of the baby is, A.D. wanted them to be.

Theoretically speaking, if the Liars figure out who the father is, they should figure out who A.D. is. Another oddity is that Emily does not seem more determined to find out A.D.'s identity when they committed a horrific assault on Alison. Maybe that will change in the series finale.

Hanna

Hanna (Ashley Benson) and Caleb (Taylor Blackburn) are finally married. Unlike other “PLL” couples, Hanna and Caleb have always been a team, and Season 7B has been no exception. The main downside to Hanna and Caleb’s storyline has been how they have had to tiptoe around Spencer, who is apparently still upset over Caleb wanting to be with Hanna, instead of her. 

Hanna and Caleb were together first. Spencer telling Caleb not to forget their relationship in the penultimate episode was beyond outrageous. 

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He is a married man and his relationship with Spencer is a thing of the past for a reason. If what they shared was so memorable, he would still be with her. Besides, Spencer was clearly way more into Caleb than he was into her. Let it go, already.

In many ways, "Pretty Little Liars" would have been better off forgetting it ever happened. It was a terrible relationship and Spencer broke "girl code" to pursue it. She brought everything that happened on herself. She should have known she could not contend with Hanna’s years-long relationship with Caleb. Okay, Haleb rant over.

Spencer

Spencer’s rationale has always been hard to follow. She has accused everyone in Rosewood of being a part of the “A-Team” conspiracy but always holds back on accusing one of her family members, no matter how guilty they appear. 

Her actions have gotten innocent people killed for crimes they did not commit. Yet, she feels no remorse for this and is outraged that her parents have lied about her biological origins.

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Spencer (Troian Bellisario) still pouting over Caleb has also been frustrating. Less we forget; Spencer is the one who initiated the cover-up of Hanna hitting Dunhill. If everything had been left as it was, Hanna would have probably gone free, once she explained everything to the cops. 

Spencer insisting on them covering it up is what got everyone into the trouble they were in. In a way, it seems like Spencer wanted to sabotage Hanna’s chance at an innocent explanation so she could punish her for what happened with Caleb. While it sounds far-fetched, it is not outside the realm of possibility.

By the way, what was up with Toby hooking up with Spencer, right after his wife died? Yvonne's memory deserved more time and respect than that.

Who is A.D.?

Whoever A.D. is they are apparently very petite. The person sitting in the driver’s seat could barely see over the steering wheel. With Mona finally cleared as A.D., the only other petite suspect left is Aria. Or is it?

The main reason to doubt it is her is that an “Aria is A.D. ending" would create more story, not end it. Either way, fans will soon have their answer. The series finale of “Pretty Little Liars” airs Tuesday at 8/7c on Freeform.

[Featured Image by Freeform]