As far as television finales go, Pretty Little Liars had one of the most shocking. With answers to twists and out there reveals galore, the series ended in a way that largely pleased longtime fans, but really miffed others. While showrunner I. Marlene King seems largely content with how she brought her series to an end, she does regret that one special moment didn't happen between Spencer and Toby and, if she could, she'd change the show's finale to include it:
Yes, I would have Spencer and Toby kiss! I wouldn't change anything plot-wise --- we always knew Alex Drake was going to be our Uber A --- but I do feel like I would've loved to have given Spoby the extra bonus happy ending, but you'd have to have another hour for that.
I. Marlene King noted that many "Spoby," fans were upset following the finale, as they believed Spencer and Toby never really got that happy ending they deserved. That came as a shock to King and the rest of the Pretty Little Liars writers, as they felt the moment where Toby realized Spencer is the true character and not her evil twin Alex Drake was enough of a conclusion. King told EW that while she's fine with the rest of the plotline of the show's finale, disappointing the true Spoby fans is something that still stays with her to this day.
That's a lot of guilt to carry for a small portion of the Pretty Little Liars fanbase, but it's understandable why I. Marlene King may feel that way after what she put those fans through in the show's later seasons. One twist that stung was when it was revealed that all of Spencer and Toby's hookups through Season 6B and 7 were not actually between the couple, but Toby and Spencer's damn evil twin Alex Drake. It was a knife twist for some even more painful than some of the awful things the girls went through over the course of the series.
I. Marlene King has tried to make amends with the fanbase since the conclusion of Pretty Little Liars, although it's been met with mixed results. Following the finale, King stated in interviews that Spencer and Toby got engaged following the finale and lived happily ever after. And while some are happy with that, others are not willing to accept her word as official canon. Perhaps to finally find peace, King might just have to make a one-off special just so Spencer and Toby fans will finally leave her alone. Surely few Pretty Little Liars fans would have a problem with that, right?
All seven seasons of Pretty Little Liars are currently available to stream on Netflix. For a look at some shows that are due to premiere in the final days of 2017, visit our fall premiere guide. Those instead curious as to which shows are going to return or premiere in 2018 can head over to our midseason premiere guide. For a list of shows that were canceled in the past year for one reason or another, visit our cancellation guide.
