Didn't Watch 'Ravenswood'? Study Up, Friends

They definitely brought this guy back for a reason. ABC Family fans rejoiced when Pretty Little Liars brought Caleb Rivers back in its 100th episode. How could they not? Haleb is one of the series best relationships and well, Hanna and Caleb work really well together and if they're not working, they commiserate really well together — at least, that's what we've learned from PLL Season 5. But it's going to be Caleb's crazy, paranormal Ravenswood experience (and not his taste in alcohol) that will give him an advantage in Rosewood now that Alison is back — even if it does serve as a romantic roadblock for Haleb.

What exactly happened to Caleb when he left Rosewood during PLL Season 5? Well, for starters, he saw his first friend, Miranda, die and then spent the remaining nine episodes of Ravenswood talking to her ghost. No, I'm not making this up and neither is he, even if Hanna "didn't know" if she could believe his story. Poor Caleb thought he might get a little reprieve from the terror of Rosewood, but he just found himself in another little town with even bigger problems. But anyway, Caleb spent his entire stay on Ravenswood evading murderous spirits, learning that his family's been cursed under The Pact since the early 1900s, living in a funeral home, and trying to bring dead Miranda back to life. Again, no, I'm not making this up and neither is Caleb, so cut him a break, Hanna.

Aside from the paranormal aspects of the show — the ghost population and rapidly multiplying spiders — Ravenswood actually had a lot of PLL's elements (which was to be expected, since the writers were the same). But, the resolution fans got from Ravenswood's first and only season should mean something to PLL fans — if Caleb can get to the bottom of things once, he can get to the bottom of them again.

The Pact Master vs. "A"

I can't help but equate the Pact Master from Ravenswood with PLL's "A." I mean, in the final episode, the guy tried to bring Miranda back to life so that he could kill five teenagers. A lot more straight-forward than "A," but much like PLL's faceless villain, the Pact Master essentially ruled Caleb, Miranda, and the other three unlucky teens' lives. Caleb faced death in the Season 1 finale and he prevailed, sending the Pact Master back to hell where he came from. Caleb was literally marked for death so now, "A" should just seem like a tip of the iceberg of life. He has nothing really to be afraid of, which makes him integral to the final "A" showdown.

He Helped Solve A Murder

If there's anything that PLL's got plenty of, it's murder. So far in Season 5, we're all trying to figure out who killed Mrs. DiLaurentis and who killed Bethany Young. Caleb might not have been involved in the final reveal of who killed Olivia and Luke's father on Ravenswood, but that murder mystery was central to the show's storyline and to the people living in the town. Caleb learned something important from his time in Ravenswood — how to follow clues and how to determine whether or not a clue is important — and that's going to come in handy this season on PLL. Especially now that the liars have that creepy Bethany drawing of Mrs. D.

He's Seen It All

Caleb's time on Ravenswood was an eye-opener, so I can't see anything that "A" is capable of being able to shock or surprise him anymore. I mean, he was living amongst ghosts and accepted that that was his life. Ali coming back from "the dead" and "A" blowing up a house is really nothing compared to trying to bring a dead girl back to life or finding out that you're destined to die because of a 100-year-old curse. Basically, Caleb's going to be a lot more critical and perhaps observant of "A" acts of terror because the surprise factor just isn't there anymore.

He's Learned Not To Jump To Conclusions

One of the big Ravenswood questions was whether or not Miranda's uncle was just creepy or evil. And, in the early episodes of the show, Caleb was convinced that it was the latter. He was wrong. Miranda's uncle actually turned out to be one of the good guys who'd been trying to protect the town and his niece all along. So, Caleb's going to tread more lightly around this situation with Alison — he's never met her (another advantage) but he's also not going to brand her as reformed or evil until after he feels out her behavior. Sure, he's going to confront her and try to protect Hanna, but Caleb's perception of Alison and her behavior is going to add a whole new layer to PLL. Thanks, Uncle Collins.

So, will Caleb finally be the one to take down "A"? I mean, that'd be satisfying. If anything, coming back from Ravenswood has given his character a new edge that he didn't have before. For everything else you could ever want about Caleb, check out Bustle's Pretty Little Liars podcast below.

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