Should Caleb end up with either Spencer or Hanna on Pretty Little Liars, or are the girls better off without him?
The Pretty Little Liars love triangle that nobody asked for is getting more and more complicated in season 7. Relationship lines that were once clear are now getting extremely blurry in Rosewood, and Caleb, Spencer and Hanna are perhaps part of the messiest situation of all.
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It’s time to play judge and jury on these ships. What makes more sense: the iconic, first love story of Haleb, or the Spaleb love that evolved over time? Should the girls just leave Caleb behind and run off together as friends (or even more)? We’re sure you already have your mind made up, but in the name of justice, we will present a small case for each pairing anyway!
In defense of Haleb
Hanna and Caleb were high school sweethearts, and each other’s first loves. Through loving and supporting each other they each became the person that they are today. If not for Caleb, Hanna may still be the superficial kleptomaniac that she was when we first met her.
She’s been through some crazy things since that day at the mall with Mona that surely had a tremendous effect on her as well, but Caleb was one of the first people to see the real Hanna underneath the blonde curls, designer clothes, and makeup. Loving and learning from Caleb, a person completely different than the rest of her social circle, helped the real Hanna come to the surface for everyone else to see.
Hanna wasn’t the only one changed by their relationship, either. Caleb was nothing more than a thief with some technical talent when he arrived at Rosewood High School. Hanna helped him realize his true potential and guided him towards the success he’s now achieved. Supporting Hanna through all the A drama definitely shaped Caleb into the man he is now.
Of course, most high school relationships change you and have an effect on who you become, so that’s not reason enough. What makes Hanna and Caleb special is how they were willing and able to take their love beyond high school and build a real life together. So many couples crumble at the prospect of making their plans fit with someone else’s at that age, or fall apart once the realize there’s a much bigger world out there than the one they knew in their hometown. Not Haleb! They did what it took to stay together after high school and made it work for an amazing two years.
They eventually broke up because Hanna’s schedule was crazy, and they were both struggling to figure out their priorities. That’s a normal part of growing up and something most couples deal with, but for Haleb, the circumstances unfortunately turned what should have been just a fight into a relationship killer. Now that they both know what they want and have aged into slightly more stable places in their lives, there’s nothing in the way of Haleb’s happily ever after, especially since they’re clearly still in love with each other!
In defense of Spaleb
While Haleb is based on history and nostalgia, Spaleb is all here and now. Spencer and Caleb found each other while they were both out exploring Europe, and felt a connection that was new for both of them. Even while Spencer and Caleb were still in high school and Caleb was dating Hanna, Spencer and Caleb teamed up often. They have similar skills and ways of thinking, so it makes perfect sense that a connection would evolve between these two.
The fact that these two have kept in the best contact after graduation says the most about the potential of this couple. In high school, you’re very limited in terms of the people you can interact with. Once you get out into the world, you can find people whose interests and personalities simply fit better with yours, and these people can often end up replacing even your best friends from your younger days.
Even through the strange transition period known as the college years, Caleb and Spencer remained close. That’s because they’ve always been made of the same stuff. You’d think that two people who are so similar would butt heads and fight often, but they have just enough complimentary differences to make thinks work. It’s hard to argue that Spencer has ever been happier than this time that we’ve seen her with Caleb, and that’s because she’s finally found someone who both wants her, and wants the things that she wants out of life.
It may seem like Spaleb is heading towards its last days on Pretty Little Liars right now, but if anyone can find their way out of this situation, it’s Spencer and Caleb! They always come up with the best plans, and if Spaleb is what they want, you can bet it’s what they’ll get.
In defense of Spanna
We’re mostly talking about Spencer and Hanna’s friendship here, but if Spanna is one of your romantic Pretty Little Liars ships, all the power to you! All we want is for these two to remain in each other’s lives forever, in the largest capacity possible.
I think all Pretty Little Liars fans can agree that the absolute worst thing that could come of this love triangle would be the end of the Spanna friendship. Things threatened to get messy between them when Spencer’s feelings for Caleb came to light, but Spence handled things like a champ and Hanna granted them her blessing. Unfortunately, things got even more worrisome when Hanna and Caleb kissed in the Lost Woods Resort.
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We’re not trying to excuse what Hanna did, as she was an engaged woman, but we will try to see things from her perspective. She was in an extremely dangerous situation, being used as bait for A, and one of the people who she’s loved most in the world was there for her. Anybody could get caught up in that moment of terror and adrenaline and do something they would later regret. Hanna should have told Spencer what happened, but she did put a stop to any potential future with Caleb immediately and returned to her fiancé. She didn’t exactly take the high road, but she at least took the medium road.
The girls have been trying to make the best of a bad situation, but Caleb has just been sitting back, enjoying the ride. While Spencer asked for her best friend’s blessing before pursuing a relationship with Caleb, guess who didn’t say a peep to his best friend a.k.a. Toby a.k.a. Spencer’s ex boyfriend? You guessed it, Caleb! While Hanna’s guilt forced her to take action, even amidst being kidnapped, Caleb still tried to keep both girls in his pocket by keeping Spencer in the dark.
Caleb used to be great, but at this point, both girls deserve better. The only ship that should make it out of this love triangle unscathed is Spanna!
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