The Pros and Cons of Every Major Pretty Little Liars Love Interest

Including the good, the bad, and the downright illegal.

January 8, 2016

Image may contain Keegan Allen Human Person Food Court Food and Restaurant

Like Doritos Roulette, the love interests on Pretty Little Liars are a mixed bag full of tasty noms that are kinda terrible for you. (Take Ezra Fitz. On the one hand, he's a major babe and recites Edith Wharton like we recite Drake. On the other, he's literally a stalker.) While we don't know too many details about PLL’s upcoming season, we do know that Aria, Spencer, Emily and Hanna aren't necessarily with their OTPs — which means the time has come to rate their pros and cons. In a town where people go from stalking their SOs to taking a bullet for them, these things are pizza-levels of important.

1/40
Caleb Rivers
PRO: He's a hacker. Which, to be honest, is incredibly useful on a show where breaking into the police department is a weekly occurrence.
2/40
PRO: He's deeply emo. Caleb basically has an Elliott Smith soundtrack following him at all times, which gives him that "needs to be fixed" vibe some people (cough, Hanna, cough) just can't resist.

3/40
PRO: He believes in ghosts, thanks in part to that one time he moved to Ravenswood (RIP). The fact that he hasn't received a letter from Hogwarts is a crime.
4/40
PRO: He's age-appropriate for his girlfriend. Unlike other men on this show, Caleb is actually in high school, which means we don't feel uncomfortable every time he kisses his GF.

5/40
PRO: He brings out Hanna's best. Before Caleb came along, Hanna had a thing for petty theft and cared zero amounts about school. Now, she's basically a genius who has her pick of Ivy leagues. #ThanksCaleb.
6/40
CON: He broke up with Hanna. Thanks to ABC Family greenlighting Ravenswood, Caleb moved out of town and onto a new show, which meant #Haleb was put on hold. We can forgive, but we'll never forget. Actually that's a lie, we'll never forgive.

7/40
CON: He had a major downward spiral. Post Ravenswood drama, Caleb took up residency in a weird woodland cabin and developed some substance abuse problems — not to mention violent tendencies. Pass.
8/40
CON: He spied on Hanna. Like Ezra before him, Caleb spied on his girlfriend for Jenna Marshall and it was totally uncool. But before you question the very meaning of life, he quit the gig and confessed. Is it too late now to say sorry?

9/40
CON: He spent an entire season with Meg Ryan's middle parted bob on his head. The evidence is damning.
10/40
...Actually, we take that back because this happened.

11/40
Toby Cavanaugh
PRO: He whittled Spencer an armchair. Like, with his own two hands. Just sitting their whittling and whatnot, all casual style.
12/40
PRO: He joined the police force just to protect Spencer. That's how dedicated he is, guys.

13/40
PRO: He's honest to a fault (emphasis on "to a fault"). Toby has a very intense moral code that can get a little annoying, but honesty is definitely the best policy on a show with "liars" in the title.
14/40
PRO: He's tried harder than anyone to take down A. Poor dude literally traveled to London just to help Spencer find answers about her shady sister. Lord knows he completely failed, but bless.

15/40
PRO: Have you seen him shirtless? We rest our case.
16/40
CON: He joined Team A and broke Spencer's heart. Yeah, it was for research purposes, but nope. Nope, nope, nope.

17/40
CON: Back to him joining the police force...Anyone who watches PLL knows just how inept the Rosewood police are, and Toby is no exception. Not only are his cop skills lacking, he became kind of a downer. We get it, Toby, you're a boy in blue. Emphasis on boy.
18/40
CON: He took Spencer's virginity on the same day he broke up with her. This is a thing that actually happened.

19/40
CON: He made out with his stepsister. Blackmail, but still.
20/40
CON: He got a tattoo based solely on teen #drama. We appreciate that Jenna harassed Toby throughout high school, but did he really need to get the worst stomach tattoo of all time to express his feels?

21/40
PAIGE MCCULLERS
PRO: She truly loved Emily. Through good times and totally murderous times, Paige's love for Emily never wavered.
22/40
PRO: Their chemistry was on fire emoji. Presenting exhibits A, B, and C.

23/40
PRO: She was smart enough to leave Rosewood. Apparently no one else realized that leaving a town populated by crazed murderers and stalkers was a good idea.
24/40
PRO: She helped Em embrace her sexuality. Paige and Em started dating at a time when neither of them were fully comfortable being out, and they helped each other be more honest and open about their identities.

25/40
PRO: She helped break stereotypes. Thanks to Paige, Pretty Little Liars became one of the first "family" shows to showcase a lesbian relationship in a dynamic and careful way — giving each character room to develop free of stereotypes.
26/40
CON: She tried to drown Emily. Note to everyone: don't date people who tried to murder you.

27/40
CON: She's somewhat cowardly. Unlike Ezra and Caleb who took bullets in the name of love, Paige usually shies away from adventure. We get it, but meh. Unimpressed.
28/40
CON: She rejected Emily and moved out of Rosewood. Apparently, Paige didn't think Emily was worth staying in a town for (see the pros…it’s complicated), to which we say GOOD DAY, MADAM.

29/40
CON: She betrayed Em's trust. Emily asked Paige not to tell anyone that Ali was alive, and what did Paige do? She up and told the police. Fail.
30/40
CON: She's too competitive. In case the drowning didn't tip you off, Paige has some jealousy issues surrounding Emily's skills as a swimmer. They worked it out, but maybe it's better for Em to date someone with slightly varied interests.

31/40
EZRA FITZ
Before we dive into the pros and cons of one Ezra Fitz, we have to note that this has been one of the most controversial story lines in PLL history. While it's unclear whether their interaction would lawfully be considered statutory rape (Rosewood is located in Pennsylvania, where the age of consent is 16), as Aria's teacher, Ezra's abuse of power in this dynamic is pretty inappropriate regardless. But we also can't ignore that Ezra and Aria are one of the longest-running couples on the show. Barring the fact that this one major con nullifies basically all of the pros combined, let us weigh the differences:
PRO: He's a literary dreamboat. Ezra's brilliant, well-versed in important things like hipster poetry, and bonded with Aria over their shared love of writing. Ezra's ability to make English teachers crushable doesn't send the best message to teen viewers, but let's save that for the cons.
32/40
PRO: His fashion choices. Remember when Ezra spent all his waking hours in jaunty vests and you were like SLAY, EZRA! And then he started rocking hoodies and baseball hats and you were just like "dhjsakhdjskhdaks." Definite pro.

33/40
PRO: He dressed up as a shirtless Santa. That is all. It was glorious.
34/40
PRO: He's willing to do anything for Aria. Including but not limited to taking a bullet for her.

35/40
PRO: He's father-material. Aria's a long ways from having kids, but Ezra totally stepped up to the challenge during that super awkward time he thought he was a dad. If Future Aria's looking for someone to procreate with, Ezra is a pretty good bet.
36/40
CON: He's made out with not one, but two, teenagers. Look, we know Ezra thought Aria was older than her years when they first met, but that didn't stop him from dating her while she was a student in his class. Hard. Pass.

37/40
CON: He stalked Aria. Ship Ezria all you want, but no one can deny it wasn't totally shady when he was stalking Aria and her friends from a secret bunker. There were hidden cameras involved; that's all we're saying.
38/40
CON: He wrote a book about Aria. We know Ezra wanted to write the Great American Novel, but he has zero chill. Maybe next time he feels like penning a masterpiece about a teenage girl squad (please lord, never again), he can do it sans stalking.

39/40
CON: He dressed up as half-naked Santa. Here's where we add in the helpful fact that Ezra was hanging out shirtless with a bunch of teenagers during Santa Dress Up Time.
40/40
CON: His family? Not great. Look, a man is more than his fam, but Ezra's mom tried to pay Aria to break up with him. Huge red flag.

Keywordspretty little liars

Culture

Becka Is Going Through It, but Mattea Conforti Is Going to the Jersey Shore

We caught up with 'The Testaments' star ahead of her summer break, before she returns to Harvard.

By Kara Nesvig

Shopping

20 Best Swimsuits for Teens That Are Cute, Trendy, and Comfortable

We've put together the best options, from one-piece swimsuits to bikini tops and bottoms.

By Brittany Romano

Not Suitable For Work's Three Male Leads Are the Antidote to the Manosphere

“They create a safe space for each other,” says Nicholas Duvernay, one of the stars of Mindy Kaling's new Hulu comedy.

By Max Gao

The Best BL Dramas of All Time

From Gameboys to Young Royals to Heated Rivalry, a curated list of the best BL dramas ever.

By K-Ci Williams

Entertainment

'Avatar the Last Airbender' Cast Catch Each Other's Lies

The cast of Avatar: The Last Airbender sits down with Teen Vogue for a game of Are You FR?, where they reveal what's fact—and what's a lie. From behind-the-scenes stories and cast dynamics to surprising confessions and internet speculation, the stars of Avatar: The Last Airbender set the record straight. Watch to find out what's really true. 🌊🔥🌎💨 Season 2 of Avatar: The Last Airbender is available to stream June 25 exclusively on Netflix