OK, I have to be honest about something. As much as I'm looking forward to the return of Pretty Little Liars Season 6B, there's also a big part of me that's nervous to see what this five-year time jump will ultimately reveal. I mean, sure, there are definitely things we, as fans, have to look forward to — Hanna's engagement (hopefully to Caleb); Alison as a teacher; a new Big Bad to discover. However, there are other storylines I'm much more hesitant to pursue, and no, I'm not just referring to Spencer's bangs. I'm talking about whether or not Spencer and Toby are still together post- PLL time jump. Because if the teaser trailer is any indication, things aren't looking all that great for Team Spoby in this new world.
What makes me say that? Well, for starters, they aren't seen together at all throughout the clip. While Spencer is busy looking super professional (and potentially working on her mom's political campaign), Toby is busy chatting with Emily on her porch about her less than thrilling college years. Now, don't get me wrong, I've always loved this particular friendship and am pleased to see that it will come back into play more prominently. But if Toby is spending more time with Emily, could this be a clue that he's spending less time with a certain someone else? After all, this isn't exactly the face of someone who looks super happy with their life.
Granted, this teaser only shows us a very small glimpse at what life in Rosewood will be like when the series returns. For all we know, I. Marlene King purposefully left all Spoby interactions out, knowing that it would drive us crazy and make us think something was wrong with one of our favorite PLL couples. (She does have tons of experience playing mind games with us, after all.) But maybe, for once, this isn't just a red herring. What if, over the course of the past five years, these two decided to call it quits?
Of course, I hate to even think about such an unbearable concept, but let's be honest here. We can't really expect for every couple to still be together after all this time. Otherwise there would be nothing to work toward and no romantic obstacles to overcome. And I'm not going to lie… if I had to sacrifice a (hopefully) temporary rift between Spencer and Toby in order to preserve Hanna and Caleb, then that's precisely what I would do. Sorry, folks, but Haleb feels trump Spoby feels each and every time.
That's not to say, though, that this beloved duo will be dunzo for good. Given that a new mystery is about to come back into the picture and that both characters will be featured prominently throughout the season, we're bound to see these two interact on several different occasions. And perhaps the more they see of each other, the more they'll remember why they made such a fantastic pair. Plus, they still are acting super adorable on set together, so it's not like we're losing them entirely.
So just keep that in mind if things between Spoby aren't exactly how you want them to be at first. Circumstances can change and let's not forget that nothing stays dead on this show — not even the relationships.
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Images: Eric McCandless/ABC Family; screengrab/ABC Family; Giphy; Troian Bellisario/Instagram
