Pretty Little Liars has definitely faced some criticism over the years for being a somewhat inconsistent series. Aside from the many plot holes within the show that infuriated fans, the series is also chock full of character inconsistencies.
The Liars have done quite a few things that conflict with who they are, such as Spencer picking and choosing when to use her high level of intelligence or Alison’s trademark personality suddenly disappearing into thin air. Keep reading to find out all 10 character inconsistencies in Pretty Little Liars.
10 Spencer’s Intelligence
Spencer is known for being the most intelligent of the Liars. In season one, it’s obvious that Spencer is both book-smart and street-smart. She does well in school and she knows how to handle herself in real-world situations.
However, as the series progresses, her level of intelligence varies. In some episodes, “A” outwits Spencer far too easily while in other episodes, Spencer’s brains save the day.
9 Spencer Dating Caleb
The Liars were closer than ever right before the time jump in season six. At the end of the episode, “Game Over, Charles, ” the girls went their separate ways but made it clear that they’d always be best friends.
However, when the girls reunited after the time jump, it’s revealed that Spencer is with Caleb. This just isn’t in line with Spencer’s character as Spencer would never put her feelings for Caleb above her friendship with Hanna.
8 Ali Trusting Mona
As Pretty Little Liars fans know, Ali is extremely clever and cunning. She was often two steps ahead of “A” and even managed to sneak in and out of Rosewood effortlessly for the first several seasons of the show.
Alison trusted no one and suspected everyone of being “A”, so why wasn’t she more cautious of accepting help from Mona? These two were enemies from the beginning and Ali should have known better than to underestimate her.
7 Emily Dating Paige
Emily’s interest in Paige came as a shock to most fans. In season one, Paige relentlessly bullied Emily and even tried to drown her at one point.
While it’s true that Emily is all about forgiveness and second chances, she’s also extremely careful and cautious so it seemed out of character for her to want to be in a relationship with her former bully.
6 Alison’s Personality
Ali was portrayed as an irresistible and confident character at the beginning of the series. She was the mean girl that Rosewood loved to hate thanks to her charm and wit, however, that all changed as the series progressed.
In fact, Ali’s personality transformed completely in season six. She went from mysterious to bland without much notice at all.
5 Emily Framing Ali
There’s no doubt that Emily is the most loyal Liar. That’s exactly why it was so out of character for her to turn on Alison and try to frame her for Mona’s murder. Not only is Emily loyal to her friends, but she’s especially devoted to Alison.
Fans have seen Emily defend Alison on numerous occasions even when she didn’t deserve it – so why would Emily suddenly have a change of heart in season five?
4 Ezra’s Suspicious Behavior
For the first three seasons of the show, Ezra was portrayed as a well-intentioned character. These seasons gave fans no reason to question his motives and they certainly didn’t foreshadow Ezra’s dark side.
Things just didn’t add up when the series suddenly began to portray Ezra as a potential threat in season four. This storyline didn’t line up with Ezra’s character and it ultimately felt half-baked.
3 Caleb’s Hacking Skills
Caleb was depicted as an extremely advanced hacker, he was even shown hacking into the police department’s command center in season five. If Caleb is so great at hacking, then why didn’t he simply use his skills to track down “A” once and for all? Let’s not forget this is a villain that almost exclusively used technology as a weapon.
There have been several missed opportunities where Caleb’s skills would have come in handy but the series only utilized them a handful of times.
2 Toby Marrying Yvonne
It’s hard to believe that Toby would go through with marrying Yvonne. Of course, their marriage was extremely short-lived, but that doesn’t change how out of character this storyline seemed.
Toby was madly in love with Spencer – to the point where he would do anything for her. He even joined the A-Team just to keep her safe. It doesn’t make sense for Toby to choose anyone else in the end.
1 Hanna And Caleb’s Break-Up
Caleb and Hanna’s breakup during the time jump was an unnecessary tragedy. They broke up out of anger and made an irrational decision, it happens. However, what happened next just doesn’t add up.
Hanna knew that she wanted Caleb back immediately after their breakup but somehow went on to get engaged to Jordan. The Hanna that fans know and love would have gone after what she wanted and gotten Caleb back – instead of settling for someone new.
