10 Times Spencer was the Best Character on Pretty Little Liars
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VOICE OVER: Elise Doucet
WRITTEN BY: Mark Sammut
Remember all these times Spencer Hastings was the best character on Pretty Little Liars?
Quotable, intelligent, and always a step ahead of the rest! Welcome to MsMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the 10 Times Spencer Hastings Was the Best Character on Pretty Little Liars.
For this list, we’re looking at those instances when Spencer absolutely owns the show on “Pretty Little Liars,” which is most of the time. Please note, we’re issuing a major spoiler warning, as many of these moments are crucial to the overarching plot.
#10: Spencer’s Great Dollhouse Escape Plan
As the brains of the group, Spencer's inquisitive mind makes her a huge threat to 'A.' In the Season 5 finale, Spencer, the Liars, and Mona are trapped in a dollhouse by 'A,' who wants the teens to create a fake prom. Summoning her inner-MacGyver, Spencer tricks 'A' into providing the necessary supplies to build a machine that can temporarily short circuit the electricity and surveillance. Remaining relatively calm while also inspiring the other captives in this moment, Spence reminds us why she’s often seen as the de facto leader of the Liars.
#9: Spencer Feels Sorry for Toby
Unintentional though it might be on his part, in the first half of Season 1, Toby mostly comes across as aloof and slightly creepy. After becoming suspect number one in Alison's disappearance, Toby grows even more ostracized from the rest of Rosewood, with many not even bothering to hide their disdain for the guy. While initially agreeing with the general consensus, Spencer begins to rethink her stance on Toby, even if it mostly starts off as pity. This not only led to one of the best relationships of the series, but also demonstrates that Spencer has a clear willingness to admit that – perhaps – she isn’t entirely infallible.
#8: Spencer, Caleb, & Hanna
After learning that her boyfriend Caleb kissed Hanna, Spencer rightfully becomes upset, putting the whole relationship on hold. This leads to a seriously emotionally draining exchange, in which Caleb tearfully professes his love to Spencer while Hanna listens in the background. Although this scene belongs equally as much to Hanna and Caleb, the aftermath is all Spencer. In the same episode, Spence gets drunk, almost has an affair, drops some words of wisdom about love, shows a great deal of self-awareness, and, after learning that Caleb moved, manages to once again make everyone cry.
#7: Spencer Realizes Ezra Was Alison’s Mystery Man
There is a reason Spencer often gets compared to popular teen detectives. Like the greatest fictional sleuths, Spencer only needs the smallest and most mundane of clues to put two and two together; or, in the case of Ezra's past as Alison's secret lover, a bottle of beer and a slice of pie. Sure, the reveal didn’t actually amount to much in the long run, but considering this plot thread begins with Rosewood's Nancy Drew figuring out that a bird was singing a telephone number, you have to admit that Spencer's investigation skills nonetheless keep things interesting.
#6: Spencer Takes On A by Herself
Even prior to this whole ‘A’ thing, Spencer was the most resilient of the Liars, usually being the only one willing to stand up to Alison. With Spencer feeling vulnerable after just being released from rehab, however, and also lacking the means to contact the rest of the group, A saw this as the perfect opportunity to break down the teenager's defenses. Despite hallucinating some rather unsettling imagery involving Ali's disappearance, Spence manages to hold strong against ‘A's’ mind games. While the Liars are all strong in their own ways, Spencer tends to be the most willing to shoulder heavy burdens to protect the others.
#5: Spencer Figures Out Charles Is A
Season 5 culminates in the Liars being locked in a dollhouse by 'A.' Along with coming up with the aforementioned brilliant escape plan, Spencer also finds the time to figure out that 'A's' name is Charles, with the reveal being literally spelled out. You'd think with Spencer’s impressive track record for solving mysteries, 'A' would know better than to leave a clue right out in the open. Still – credit where credit is due – for someone who’d been recently kidnapped, it’s impressive that Spencer remains collected enough to memorize some random toy blocks and crack the mystery wide open.
#4: Spencer Confronts Toby for Joining the A-Team
The A-Team recruited a wide variety of members throughout the show, but none were as big of a surprise as Toby - Spencer's long-time boyfriend. After a couple of episodes of Toby secretly giving the evil eye to Spencer, the truth finally came out in a heart-breaking scene that also included one truly vicious slap. Although Spencer is awesome during the confrontation, the aftermath is nearly just as good, with Troian Bellisario delivering some of her best acting in the entirety of "Pretty Little Liars." When this episode comes on, there isn’t a dry eye in the house.
#3: Spencer’s Film Noir
In Season 4, "Pretty Little Liars" takes a brief detour by slipping back in time to the decade of Humphrey Bogart, dames, and snappy dialogue. From Alison's femme fatale to Toby's hard-boiled private eye act, the entire cast adjusts seamlessly to the Film Noir aesthetic, but Spencer kind of steals the show. First things first, Spencer's imagination is the only reason the 1940s temporarily make a comeback in Rosewood. Looking like she just walked off the set of "The Big Sleep," Spencer dominates the majority of the episode, bringing back a slice of old Hollywood and making it look good.
#2: Spencer Goes Undercover & Joins the A-Team
After learning that Toby joined the A-Team and then finding what she believes to be his dead body, Spencer has an emotional breakdown and winds up in Radley. While this chain of events might break most people, Spencer instead winds up going on the offensive, joining the A-Team as a double agent. Spence's spy gig doesn’t last too long, but this is another moment that shows the lengths to which the high school student is willing to go to protect her friends and stand up to 'A.' The Liars are often playing catch-up, so it was really cool to see Spencer flipping the script for once.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Spencer vs. Jenna
"The Kahn Game"
Spencer, Hanna, & CTRL A
"CTRL:A"
Spencer Builds Aria Up
"Unmasked"
Spencer Tutors Toby
“Je Suis une Amie”
Ian Tries to Kill Spencer
"For Whom the Bell Tolls"
#1: Spencer Realizes Mona is A
There is no forgetting your first, even when it comes to unmasking stalkers with a penchant for attempted murder. Season 2's big finale is all about Spencer, who leads the hunt in uncovering 'A's' true identity. The reveal is well-handled, with Spencer piecing together the truth just as Mona appears wearing 'A's' iconic black hoodie. In the space of a single night, Spencer solves the 'A' mystery, gets abducted, bravely escapes from a moving car, survives a shoving match, and sends Mona flying off a cliff. If 'A' is Professor James Moriarty, then Spencer is Sherlock Holmes.
For this list, we’re looking at those instances when Spencer absolutely owns the show on “Pretty Little Liars,” which is most of the time. Please note, we’re issuing a major spoiler warning, as many of these moments are crucial to the overarching plot.
#10: Spencer’s Great Dollhouse Escape Plan
"Welcome to the Dollhouse"
As the brains of the group, Spencer's inquisitive mind makes her a huge threat to 'A.' In the Season 5 finale, Spencer, the Liars, and Mona are trapped in a dollhouse by 'A,' who wants the teens to create a fake prom. Summoning her inner-MacGyver, Spencer tricks 'A' into providing the necessary supplies to build a machine that can temporarily short circuit the electricity and surveillance. Remaining relatively calm while also inspiring the other captives in this moment, Spence reminds us why she’s often seen as the de facto leader of the Liars.
#9: Spencer Feels Sorry for Toby
"Know Your Frenemies"
Unintentional though it might be on his part, in the first half of Season 1, Toby mostly comes across as aloof and slightly creepy. After becoming suspect number one in Alison's disappearance, Toby grows even more ostracized from the rest of Rosewood, with many not even bothering to hide their disdain for the guy. While initially agreeing with the general consensus, Spencer begins to rethink her stance on Toby, even if it mostly starts off as pity. This not only led to one of the best relationships of the series, but also demonstrates that Spencer has a clear willingness to admit that – perhaps – she isn’t entirely infallible.
#8: Spencer, Caleb, & Hanna
"Hit and Run, Run, Run"
After learning that her boyfriend Caleb kissed Hanna, Spencer rightfully becomes upset, putting the whole relationship on hold. This leads to a seriously emotionally draining exchange, in which Caleb tearfully professes his love to Spencer while Hanna listens in the background. Although this scene belongs equally as much to Hanna and Caleb, the aftermath is all Spencer. In the same episode, Spence gets drunk, almost has an affair, drops some words of wisdom about love, shows a great deal of self-awareness, and, after learning that Caleb moved, manages to once again make everyone cry.
#7: Spencer Realizes Ezra Was Alison’s Mystery Man
"Bite Your Tongue"
There is a reason Spencer often gets compared to popular teen detectives. Like the greatest fictional sleuths, Spencer only needs the smallest and most mundane of clues to put two and two together; or, in the case of Ezra's past as Alison's secret lover, a bottle of beer and a slice of pie. Sure, the reveal didn’t actually amount to much in the long run, but considering this plot thread begins with Rosewood's Nancy Drew figuring out that a bird was singing a telephone number, you have to admit that Spencer's investigation skills nonetheless keep things interesting.
#6: Spencer Takes On A by Herself
“Cover For Me”
Even prior to this whole ‘A’ thing, Spencer was the most resilient of the Liars, usually being the only one willing to stand up to Alison. With Spencer feeling vulnerable after just being released from rehab, however, and also lacking the means to contact the rest of the group, A saw this as the perfect opportunity to break down the teenager's defenses. Despite hallucinating some rather unsettling imagery involving Ali's disappearance, Spence manages to hold strong against ‘A's’ mind games. While the Liars are all strong in their own ways, Spencer tends to be the most willing to shoulder heavy burdens to protect the others.
#5: Spencer Figures Out Charles Is A
"Welcome to the Dollhouse"
Season 5 culminates in the Liars being locked in a dollhouse by 'A.' Along with coming up with the aforementioned brilliant escape plan, Spencer also finds the time to figure out that 'A's' name is Charles, with the reveal being literally spelled out. You'd think with Spencer’s impressive track record for solving mysteries, 'A' would know better than to leave a clue right out in the open. Still – credit where credit is due – for someone who’d been recently kidnapped, it’s impressive that Spencer remains collected enough to memorize some random toy blocks and crack the mystery wide open.
#4: Spencer Confronts Toby for Joining the A-Team
"Misery Loves Company"
The A-Team recruited a wide variety of members throughout the show, but none were as big of a surprise as Toby - Spencer's long-time boyfriend. After a couple of episodes of Toby secretly giving the evil eye to Spencer, the truth finally came out in a heart-breaking scene that also included one truly vicious slap. Although Spencer is awesome during the confrontation, the aftermath is nearly just as good, with Troian Bellisario delivering some of her best acting in the entirety of "Pretty Little Liars." When this episode comes on, there isn’t a dry eye in the house.
#3: Spencer’s Film Noir
"Shadow Play"
In Season 4, "Pretty Little Liars" takes a brief detour by slipping back in time to the decade of Humphrey Bogart, dames, and snappy dialogue. From Alison's femme fatale to Toby's hard-boiled private eye act, the entire cast adjusts seamlessly to the Film Noir aesthetic, but Spencer kind of steals the show. First things first, Spencer's imagination is the only reason the 1940s temporarily make a comeback in Rosewood. Looking like she just walked off the set of "The Big Sleep," Spencer dominates the majority of the episode, bringing back a slice of old Hollywood and making it look good.
#2: Spencer Goes Undercover & Joins the A-Team
“I’m Your Puppet”
After learning that Toby joined the A-Team and then finding what she believes to be his dead body, Spencer has an emotional breakdown and winds up in Radley. While this chain of events might break most people, Spencer instead winds up going on the offensive, joining the A-Team as a double agent. Spence's spy gig doesn’t last too long, but this is another moment that shows the lengths to which the high school student is willing to go to protect her friends and stand up to 'A.' The Liars are often playing catch-up, so it was really cool to see Spencer flipping the script for once.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Spencer vs. Jenna
"The Kahn Game"
Spencer, Hanna, & CTRL A
"CTRL:A"
Spencer Builds Aria Up
"Unmasked"
Spencer Tutors Toby
“Je Suis une Amie”
Ian Tries to Kill Spencer
"For Whom the Bell Tolls"
#1: Spencer Realizes Mona is A
"UnmAsked"
There is no forgetting your first, even when it comes to unmasking stalkers with a penchant for attempted murder. Season 2's big finale is all about Spencer, who leads the hunt in uncovering 'A's' true identity. The reveal is well-handled, with Spencer piecing together the truth just as Mona appears wearing 'A's' iconic black hoodie. In the space of a single night, Spencer solves the 'A' mystery, gets abducted, bravely escapes from a moving car, survives a shoving match, and sends Mona flying off a cliff. If 'A' is Professor James Moriarty, then Spencer is Sherlock Holmes.
