So Ezra Is Pretty Little Liars’ ‘He Who Must Not Be Named’

Bad news, Pretty Little Liars fans. It looks like fan-favorite Ezra might not be so stalwart and true.

Tuesday night’s summer season finale of the hit show revealed that the mastermind behind all of the “A” antics plaguing the main cast is none other than Ezra Fitz, yes, Mr. Fitz, Aria’s former lover. Or the episode seemed to reveal that.

We’re not going to speculate (okay, maybe a little). We saw the same things you did and have no more insider knowledge than you. But Pretty Little Liars has played fast and loose with our emotions before, throwing giant, smelly red herrings to and fro, mis-naming villains constantly and later revealing them to be double-agents, forces for the greater good, or just Aria’s dad.

What we will do is provide you with a list of persuasive reasons why and why not Ezra really is “A.”

Why Ezra Is “A”

No. 1: Money. Remember, Ezra “sold his car” for a giant pile of cash right after Jason was seen writing a $50,000 check for a mystery someone. As Wet Paint sharply notes, there are “no coincidences” in Rosewood.

No. 2: He warmed up to “A” stuff pretty quickly. Frankly, I used to think this was bad acting. Ezra was pretty unflappable when he found out what the liars did to Jenna, accepted the idea of “A” immediately and without question, and pushed his former love Aria to spend more time with Jenna. So if Ezra really is “A,” I owe Ian Harding a beer and an apology for thinking he sucks.

No. 3: Typewriter. “A” uses one, and Ezra happens to own one. Coincidence, or aesthetic clue?

No. 4: “A” rarely targeted Aria.

No. 5: Writers have implied that the relationship between Aria and Ezra figures heavily into the show’s endgame.

Why Ezra Isn’t “A”

First of all, this is just a mid-season finale. They’re not going to blow the biggest reveal of the series with one-and-a-half seasons still to go. Plus, what was with all that heavy-handed “Alison is still alive” hint-dropping all episode?

Secondly, I’ve long thought that the “twin factor” from the Pretty Little Liars novels would play into the show at some point. Go back and watch the episodes on Netflix while you wait for the rest of Season 4. “Twin” themes, dialogue and imagery are sprinkled throughout the show, and are especially heavy in Alison-centric episodes.

Third, what’s the motive with Ezra? I could unpack that idea a bit more, but I think it speaks for itself. Seriously. What’s the motive? His get-go, from the start of the series motive?

Fourth, when the season comes back in October, a one line “Oh hey, I was worried about Aria and followed you guys here” would totally exonerate him. It has worked before, after all.

Finally, who was in the other red coat? Whether Ezra is involved or not, I don’t peg him for the mastermind. The episode ham-fistedly hinted that Red Coat was Alison, which goes back to the twin theory. We doubt it was an already-introduced character.

Anyway, did you see the mid-season finale of Pretty Little Liars? Do you think that Ezra is “A,” or no? Leave us your theories and feel free to explain to me why, as a man, I have no right to write about this show. God, you sound just like my wife, reader.