Pretty Little Liars: Summer School Just Destroyed Ezra With 1 Line

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Pretty Little Liars: Summer School episode 1!

Summary Imogen's decision to call off the adoption due to concerns about Ezra's character adds a new layer of complexity to Pretty Little Liars lore.

Summer School's take on Ezra Fitz highlights the problematic nature of the character's relationships and interactions in the original show.

The spinoff introduces a new villain and explores the aftermath of Imogen's decision, shaking up the familiar dynamics of the Pretty Little Liars universe.

Pretty Little Liars: Summer School makes a callback to Ezra Fitz in episode 1, but in doing so, the spinoff leans into the criticisms of the original show character. Summer School is the follow-up to 2022's Original Sin, Max's Pretty Little Liars spinoff set in another Pennsylvania town while following a new set of "liars." Whereas Original Sin focused on another "A" in the form of Archie Waters, Summer School's characters are being terrorized by a new villain named Bloody Rose. Of course, it couldn't be a Pretty Little Liars spinoff without some fun connections to the original show.

Thus far, only two Pretty Little Liars character have made their way from the original show to the Max spinoff: Eddie Lamb and Dr. Sullivan. The town of Rosewood has also come into focus a few times, including a notable couple who apparently still reside there. Following Imogen's birth in Original Sin's ending, she revealed that she found a fitting couple to adopt her daughter, and the pair happened to be Ezra and Aria. The reveal set up a Pretty Little Liars crossover, but that no longer seems to be the case with Imogen's Summer School update, which simultaneously destroys Ezra's character.

Summer School's Main "Liars" Actor Imogen Adams Bailee Madison Chandler Kinney Tabby Haworthe Noa Olivar Maia Reficco Mouse Honrada Malia Pyles Faran Bryant Zaria

Pretty Little Liars: Summer School Confirmed That Imogen Called Off The Adoption Because Of Ezra

Imogen's Line Follows Viewer Criticism Since The Original PLL Show

Close

With Imogen's baby being adopted by Ezra and Aria, it would have made sense for future references or even direct appearances by Ian Harding and Lucy Hale. Instead, Summer School episode 1 throws in another twist, revealing that another couple adopted the baby. The reasoning behind the adoption plan change comes later in the episode when Bailee Madison's Imogen attends a therapy session with Dr. Sullivan. There, Imogen reveals she called off the original adoption because she "got a weird vibe from that Ezra dude," but it goes deeper than that.

Aside from the trauma she endured from the death of her mother and the terror caused by Archie Waters, Imogen has been living in constant fear due to the safety of her birth daughter. "A" escaped custody once, so Imogen understandably worries that he will break free again. Aside from the girls, Imogen believes the baby would have a target on her, too. Calling off the adoption shows that she didn't trust Ezra to potentially protect her child and that there was something off about him, in general, something that a good portion of fans believed ever since he set his eyes on Aria.

Related 10 Harsh Realities Of Watching Pretty Little Liars 5 Years After The Show Ended Though the series is still iconic, there are multiple harsh realities that come up when watching Pretty Little Liars five years after the show ended.

Why Pretty Little Liars: Summer School's Ezra Line Is Such A Big Deal

Pretty Little Liars Finally Suggests That Ezra Is Problematic

The original Pretty Little Liars show has been criticized for how it approached the romance between Ezra and Aria

It's possible that a crossover with Ezra and Aria was planned but didn't come to fruition, explaining why the adoption fell through in Summer School. However, if that were the case, it still could have happened while keeping the couple offscreen. Rather than make up a logical explanation for leaving them out of a mix, Summer School labels Ezra as "weird," like some kind of creepy character that women shouldn't trust. Considering his controversial history, Imogen's line has extra weight to it within the Pretty Little Liars universe.

The original Pretty Little Liars show has been criticized for how it approached the romance between Ezra and Aria, seeing as he was initially her teacher. Ezra faced consequences for his relationship with Aria, but the show leaned more into romanticizing the couple instead of presenting them as problematic. At times, that "weird vibe" even led to characters believing Ezra was "A." Still, that creepiness obviously didn't disappear after he and Aria got married. Evidently, Ezra may have also prevented any plans of starting a family based on Pretty Little Liars: Summer School's Imogen reveal.