This article is about Ezra Fitz, a TV character. You may be looking for Ezra Fitz (Book Character). |
“ | People get what they deserve...eventually. | ” |
— Ezra
|
Ezra Fitz (formerly known as Ezra Fitzgerald) is a former English teacher at Rosewood High School, and the current owner of The Brew. He is portrayed by Ian Harding.
Biography
Ezra Fitz, born as Ezra Fitzgerald, comes from an extremely wealthy family from which he is almost entirely estranged, having both rejected his existing and future inheritance, and changed his last name from Fitzgerald to Fitz. In the summer after high school graduation, he had a girlfriend named Maggie who got pregnant, but his mother paid Maggie to leave town and have an abortion. She had the baby which Ezra believed was his son, Malcolm and Ezra didn't find out about it until the child was 7 years old. Due to a DNA test Ezra finds out that Malcolm is not his child, and that Maggie lied to him about his paternity because she had remorse over the situation that resulted in his birth.
He used to be engaged to Jackie Molina, but she broke off the engagement. Ezra is in love with one of his former students, Aria Montgomery, but she broke up with him in the Season 3 finale. He is well liked by his fellow faculty members and by his students. He resigned from Rosewood High and was teaching at Hollis, until Byron Montgomery got him fired. He recently became a substitute teacher at Rosewood High School, then became a full-time teacher again. Aria regretfully ended their relationship because it was becoming too complicated.
In season 4, Aria and Ezra get back together while Aria was still dating Jake. Aria tells Ezra he's "the one" and always has been and breaks up with Jake. She's not ready to tell her friends yet, so they keep it a secret, only for the girls to spy them together at the end of Shadow Play.
It was revealed in "Free Fall" that he had a brief relationship with Alison DiLaurentis and has been tracking her and The Liars in order to write a "true crime novel" and figure out who 'A' is.
In A is for Answers, Ezra gets shot in New York by 'A', who he later reveals to be Shana.
In 'Welcome To The Dollhouse' Ezra helps Caleb and Toby attempt to track down the liars after they are kidnapped by A while being escorted to prison.
Series
Ezra meets Aria at a bar. The two start talking about college, traveling, writing, and music, hitting it off right away. When Ezra mentions that he's come to Rosewood to teach, Aria lets him think she's a bit older than she is. They go to the bar bathroom and start to make out.
The next Monday, they are both shocked to find that Ezra is Aria's English teacher. When they get a chance to speak privately, Ezra expresses that he felt Aria was dishonest in her self description, but Aria clarifies that she chose her words carefully. He tells her even though she is amazing, nothing more can happen between them. They see each other again at Alison's funeral and though Aria seems prepared to say goodbye, he does not; he kisses her there in the church.
Aria approaches Mr. Fitz to sign the slip giving her permission to transfer out of his class. He asks her to come into the classroom so they can speak privately. He tries to persuade her to stay, stating that he can keep his feelings in check. The problem is she can't. She tells him that she can't sit in a classroom calling him Mr. Fitz when she knows him as Ezra. He signs the slip for her.
Mona saunters into to class and asks if she's late while calling Ezra "Mr Fritz." He simply tells her to take her seat. Aria walks in after and drops the permission slip on Ezra's desk showing that it has been denied.She then takes her seat and they glance at each other longingly realizing the only chance they had to be together just slipped through their fingers.
Aria runs into Mr. Fitz outside the movie theater where she is seeing It Happened One Night with her mom. Ella invites Mr. Fitz to join them. They sit next to each other uncomfortably for the duration of the film. Later, Ezra sees Aria walking home during a rainstorm. He pulls up next to her and opens the passenger side door. He drives to a secluded street and they give in to their feelings once again.
Aria visits him after class to discuss possible weekend plans. He encourages her to hang out with her friends instead. They have a moment, touching hands and staring into each other's eyes until interrupted by another teacher. Flustered, they pretend Aria was there to talk about a homework assignment and she leaves. After a distressing encounter with Meredith at her mom's gallery, Aria shows up to Ezra's apartment. He gives her a much needed hug.
Ezra takes a bike ride through town and gives a wave to Aria and her friends, who are checking him out. At school, he invites Aria to dinner at his place.
During dinner, they discuss her parents' marital problems. He mentions that before his parents were divorced, they had come to an arrangement where they saw other people. He suggests maybe there is more to her parents' relationship than she is aware. They argue and Aria leaves angry.
The bell rings, and Ezra begins his English class. An awkward class discussion ensues over a character's hypocrisy in the assigned novel they are reading, "To Kill a Mockingbird." When one student named Sperling speaks up, Ezra jumps down his throat, accusing him of not attempting to understand the book, while defending Aria's statement. Eventually, he comes to his senses, but Spencer and Emily seem to pick up on the awkward tension.
Later, Aria heads to Ezra's apartment in a fury. She blasts him for the way he handled the class discussion, snappily defending her in a way that people could detect something amiss. She also goes off about the suggestion that her parents have an arrangement, telling him that he doesn't understand the situation. But Ezra defers to Aria and doesn't try to argue. Instead, he tells her that he would like to get to know her better and closes the door.
Ezra self-deprecatingly invites Aria to a poetry reading, where he will be reading a short story, joking how if it doesn't go well, he might have to hurt himself; it could get ugly.
After his piece, Ezra is surprised to find that his old college friend Hardy is also in attendance. The three then hang out playing darts, eating French fries, and sharing college stories with Aria. Hardy is quick to pick up on Aria and Ezra’s scandalous relationship, privately warning Ezra that it could bring him more harm than good down the line.
Later, Ezra takes Hardy's comments to heart; he mocks Aria that she will find out what college guys are like when she gets to college after she asks if all college guys are like Hardy. They discuss their relationship, whether it is right or wrong and if it should continue. Aria convinces Ezra that when they're alone with no one to judge, it feels right. Ezra asks her to stay, but Aria has to get home, promising to cook him dinner tomorrow night.
Turns out Aria accidentally left her phone at his place. He looked at it because it kept buzzing and unknowingly intercepted a message from "A." He thinks "A" is a friend Aria confided in about their affair and when she shows up at his door with groceries in hand, he quickly puts an end to their relationship, saying she's obviously not mature enough to handle it.
There's No Place Like Homecoming
Aria tries to talk to him at school, but he is unwilling to hear her out, claiming to be late for a staff meeting. At the homecoming dance the next day, Ezra is in charge of the bean bag toss booth. Aria happens to be assigned to the same booth. She takes the opportunity to try to explain about the text. Aria tells him she didn't tell anyone and "A" is not a friend, but doesn't seem to be getting through and walks away.
When Mr. Fitz walks into his classroom, he heads to the board to erase the game of hangman spelling out LIARS. He is not thrilled to see Noel has returned to school. He beckons Aria to speak privately in the classroom, checks if she is alright after the incident with Ian and if she wants to talk about it, but she is uncommunicative. He tells her nothing has changed, he is here for her and still loves her. Ezra tries to apologize about Jackie, but Aria is mostly unresponsive. He asks if they are over, and Aria can't manage more than a "I don't know..." He looks very upset when she leaves.
Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares
One month after the girls' arrest, and after Aria finishes community service, Ezra bumps into her and Mike on the street outside the bike shop. Things are clearly awkward as they talk about not having seen each other lately and a book of poetry he loaned her. When Mike steps away, Ezra has a chance to say how he has felt numb since they stopped seeing each other and how he wished things were different. Mike returns and they all exchange awkward goodbyes.
The next day, Aria leaves him a voicemail telling him how much she loves him and that things will blow over eventually.
In Season 3, it's revealed that his last name is Fitzgerald and that his family is very wealthy, but because of their high standards he broke almost all ties with them.
It is later known that his mother took care of his problem with Maggie by paying her and making sure Maggie never contacts Ezra again. This happened before Ezra decided to cut ties with the Fitzgerald family so this could be part of the reason he decided to leave .
He appears quite unexpectedly in a train (This Is A Dark Ride) which throws a suspicion on him. Ezra was going to surprise Aria at the end of the line train but it looks quite unfavorably. As soon as he came Alison DiLaurentis' body was found.Ezra and Aria run into each other and he reveals that he is once again a teacher a Rosewood. He is arrested for having sex with a minor (Aria) after Principal Hackett anonymous got pictures of them together. However, it was revealed to be a hallucination by Aria. After this daydream Aria texts him to say she wants to see other people. Later, in the episode, we see Ezra and Maggie in attendance at Wilden's funeral.
We see Ezra teaching English class. He assigns East of Eden as extra credit reading for those students who haven't had enough doomed relationships, an obvious reference to he and Aria. After class Spencer tells his about her rejection from the University of Pennsylvania and he offers to help her with essays for applications to other schools. Later, when they are reviewing her essay he is supportive, saying he thought it was well written and moving, but thought it disclosed too much personal information. Spencer gets upset and asks him when not telling the truth has ever helped either of them.
We find that Ezra is on a family outing with Maggie and Malcolm when Aria runs into the kid outside the bookstore. It's ambiguous if Ezra has told Malcolm he is his father yet since Malcolm still refers to him as "Ezra". However he also doesn't seem phased when Aria tells him to go back inside before his "mom and dad" notice he is missing. When Jake asks, Aria says Ezra is just one of her teachers, but later reveals the details of their relationship. Jake is sure that Aria and Ezra still have a chance.
Under the Gun
Aria storms past Ezra on her way to the boys locker room to confront Connor and Ezra appears worried at Aria's apparent distress and looks on at Mike. Just as Connor reveals that he knows about Aria's relationship with Ezra and calls her a "slut". Ezra appears behind her and says she isn't supposed to be in the locker room. As Aria appears visibly upset on the school stairs, Ezra comes and asks if she is okay to which she replies that he "can't be the guy that makes her feel better anymore" before telling him to stay away from her. Later, in The Brew, Ezra can bee seen looking through the window at Aria who is unaware of his presence, suggesting he still has feelings for her.
He helps Mike from being thrown out of the school because the vandalized of Connor's car. Later he's seen, at his apartment after shopping, and Aria thanks him for his help to her brother.
He is at phone with Malcolm when Emily came in and he guide her for college, and then he suggest to reconnect Emily's connection to her old supervisor at Haiti Zoe.
Ezra is revealed to not be Malcolm's father and angrily confronts Maggie about it.
Ezra is talked about by Carla Grunwald, who tells the liars that A, who is in Ravenswood, is watching them and is hoping they will lead him to Alison DiLaurentis. Ezra then follows the girls to a Halloween shop and watches them. Once the girls enter, he walks back to his A lair and angrily slams the closet door.
He's still in Ravenswood and calls Aria asking where she's. She gives him the answer Ravenswood cemetery after she hangs up its shown he's spying on the liars. Through most of episode he's dress as War 1 solider with a mustard gas on. He knocks Spencer out cold when she fights against him and Hanna sees him from a distance. When the girls are trying to leave, but cannot because A slashed the tire and stole the spare. Ezra comes up to offer them a ride which they accept. Later Ali runs away before she can meet Ezra face to face while she has finally made contact with the liars who know she's alive.
Ezra says that he is going to Philly to meet a college friend to Aria. However Jake sees him outside the Grill shouting at a blonde woman in a car who speeds off. When confronted about this Ezra says that it was Maggie's solicitor and that Maggie is trying to stop him from seeing Malcolm.
Aria goes to his cabin and finds his camera equipment and runs into Ezra. He chases her to the ski lift where he reveals he is not A, but writing a book on Alison. They dated but never did anything sexual. He continuingly says sorry, but this, however, doesn't convince a distraught Aria to forgive him. When she swears to read the manuscript in and out he pushes it out of her hands and it falls to the ground below.
While he did not appear physically, Aria flashes back to the first time she met Ezra in "Pilot."
Emily goes to him to return homework to him. When he asks if he could look over, Emily refuses and tells him to make sure it gets to a "real teacher,
It is also revealed that Mona had been helping him with his book so that the stuff that could put her in prison would not get published.
Later, Aria visits him in his apartment tells him to leave Rosewood for good much to his sorrow. Before she leaves, Ezra gives her the manuscript saying that it may help her and girls figure out who 'A' is whom he believes to be Jessica DiLaurentis.
Alison reveals that she had a relationship with Ezra, but it wasn't sexual. On the night she disappeared, Ezra drives to the barn tells her that they're through because he didn't know she was underage.
He later shows up in New York saving the Liars from a gun wielding A. He says the police are on their way and he claims to know who they (A) are. In a struggle Ezra is shot and slips into unconsciousness.A semi-conscious Ezra is loaded into the back of an ambulance after having been shot in the stomach.
Ezra is rolled into the emergency department by paramedics and the on-call trauma surgeon quickly assesses Ezra’s consciousness before telling the hand-off doctors to get him to the OR.
In the OR, Ezra is on the operating table, and the surgeon says there is a ton of debris in the wound and he’s losing too much blood. Ezra’s vitals start to fall and the surgeon tells him that she’s doing her part, and he has to do his.
Ezra wakes up in recovery with Aria and Shana by his bedside. Upon seeing Shana, Ezra starts to hyperventilate, and Aria rushes to the door and calls for help while Shana slips from the room. Nurses run into Ezra’s room to try and stabilise his vitals, while a male nurse ushers Aria from the room.
Aria walks into Ezra’s room and places her hand on his. As he wakes, Aria tells him that he’s going to be okay. Looking around the room, Ezra removes his oxygen mask and whispers something in Aria’s ear which causes her to rush out of the room.
While Ezra does not appear in this episode, Aria tries calling the hospital in New York to get an update on his condition.
Aria is outside of Ezra's apartment, unsure on whether to knock or not. As she begins to walk away Ezra opens his door and the two sharing a longing look. Inside, Ezra tells her about his home care professional and makes a joke about being her favorite gunshot victim which falls flat. Ezra tells Aria that while he knows he promised he wouldn't come back to Rosewood, he doesn't have anywhere else to go. After asking how he is, Aria asks if he knows about everything that has happened, with Alison. Ezra understands that he has to go along with Alison's kidnap story. Aria then asks if he knows about Mrs DiLaurentis'; Ezra knows it was a murder, and initially he thought it was Shana but the timing doesn't fit. He had everything backwards and it wasn't until he saw Shana in New York dressed as 'A' that he knew she was 'A'. Ezra asks if Aria's heard from Shana since New York, and when Aria tells him no, he tells her to be careful. As Aria is about to leave, Ezra thanks for her coming by and letting him see her, and Aria tells him she wanted to see him also.Alison has stopped by Ezra's apartment and while she's thankful he was on the roof in New York and he didn't die, she knows he held things back in his book. "There's more, isn't there?" Alison asks him, and Ezra all but confirms it, "if there was anything left, the only thing preventing me burning it is the possibility that it would help Aria; if she would let me help." After asking if Aria knew about her visit, Ezra tells Alison to tell her, as its all he has left.
Aria is back at Ezra's apartment, telling him that she should have warned him that Alison might drop by like she did. Ezra says the only reason he opened the door to Alison was because he thought it may have been Aria. After their goodbye earlier they had both thought it was going their final goodbye. Aria then confesses what really happened in New York. Shocked, Ezra can't believe what he's hearing and asks Aria what she is responsible for. Aria then finally admits to someone outside of the other girls that she killed Shana. Ezra takes a moment to process before standing up and asking how he can help.
Aria knocks on Ezra’s door, and rushes into his apartment where she tells him she can’t keep thinking about Shana’s family and when she closes her eyes all she can see is Shana’s grandmother and how empty she looked at the funeral. Ezra asks her how she knows what Shana’s grandmother looked like, and Aria admits to watching Shana’s funeral online, many times. Ezra tells her that she’s just going to have to find a way to forgive herself.Having gone to grab some food, Ezra walks back into his apartment while Aria is on the phone to the church where Shana’s funeral was held, hoping to make a donation. Placing the food on the table, Ezra asks her what she’s doing, and when she hangs up, he tells her, “that’s not trying to find a way to forgive yourself. That’s hoping they forgive you”. Ezra also mentions that if they did forgive her, it wouldn’t be because she made a donation. Moving to the couch, Ezra tells her he knows it’s not easy, and he can say this because it’s what he has to tell himself every night, “once you found out about the book, the only thing that I could think of was how to make it up to you. And I would have done anything to get you to forgive me. But I realised, that might not ever happen, and I had to be okay with that”. Leaning forward, Ezra grabs his checkers board and starts to set it up. When Aria asks what he’s doing, Ezra tells her they’re playing checkers until they get sick of it, they’ll play chess.
Aria wins another game of Gin, and Ezra asks why she is so freakishly good, only for her to tell him he’s just freakishly bad, “thanks. Did I mention I, I’m recovering from a gunshot wound that might affect my game, you know”. As Aria passes him to cards to shuffle and deal, Ezra tells her he’s starting to fade. At the thought of going home to an empty house, Aria asks if she can stay over… on the couch. Ezra agrees, and goes to grab a shirt for Aria to change into, “this is the one you liked, right?” As Ezra hands over the shirt, Aria realises that she shouldn’t stay, and leaves.
Ezra and Aria are walking down the main street of Rosewood, when Ezra asks if Aria is still having nightmares of Shana. She tells him she is, and he tells her she needs to let go. Reaching up, Aria runs her hand down Ezra’s cheek, before realising what she was going and dropping her hand. Walking past him, she tells him she keeps waiting for an ‘A’ message, a text that is going to come in with a picture of her standing on Shana’s dead body. Ezra reminds her that photo doesn’t exist, “you don’t have to live in fear of your cell phone anymore”. Stopping, they notice Alison leaning in the window of a car and Ezra wonders what she’s doing out so late. Aria tells him she doesn’t know and calls out to Alison. When Alison asks them if this is a date, they both tell her no. As Alison mentions that her mom must have taken care of things regarding school, Ezra takes the chance to say he’s sorry about her mom. Hearing a familiar sound as a bus starts to depart, Ezra, Aria and Alison turn, coming face to face with Jenna who is back in Rosewood.Walking into Ezra’s apartment, Aria hands Ezra a Paula’s Pie box, while reminding him that while there might no longer be ‘A’, he should still lock his door. Sitting down at his table, Ezra asks “why pie?” to which Aria throws a why not pie comment over her shoulder as she grabs forks from a drawer. Aria tells him that Jenna is blaming herself for Shana's death, and if she's to blame anyone, it should be her. Ezra thinks that they should both be blaming Shana as she was the one holding the gun. As Aria eat a mouthful, Ezra wipes some cream from her bottom lip and licks the cream from his thumb, before realising what he just did. Aria tells Ezra that Alison believed that Jenna was manipulating Shana, but Aria thinks Jenna was truly in love with Shana. Ezra tells her that she needs to stop beating herself up, and when she says she doesn't know how she is going to get past it, he stands up, lifting his shirt and shows her his scar from the gunshot wound, “do you see this? This is what she did to me. I’m lucky to be alive, and so are you”. Saddened, Aria traces over the edges of the wound with her thumb, and tells him that she is sorry. Grabbing her wrists and lifting her up, Ezra tells her that he never wants to hear her say she's sorry again, and leans in to kiss her. Reciprocating the kiss, they move to Ezra's oven where he lifts her onto the stovetop and they continue to kiss with more passion and urge.
On Ezra's bed, Aria and Ezra are feverishly making out, and when Aria rolls on top of Ezra, she asks if that hurts, to which Ezra tells, “I can handle it”. Sitting up, Aria drags the bed sheet over them as she leans back down to kiss him.
A breaking news story breaks in regards to the identity of the Jane Doe who was buried in Alison's grave, so everyone gathers in Emily's living room. As the press conference starts, Ezra reaches out to Aria and she takes his hand in hers and rests her other hand on his arm. The Police Chief explains that they've received confirmation tonight that the girl that was buried alive on the DiLaurentis property was Bethany Young. As the Police Chief is finishing up the press conference, a large boom is heard and windows of Emily's lounge room explode. Recovering from the glass blast, Ezra and the others walk out onto the street to find the Cavanaugh house on fire and rubble lying all over the road.
The Liars' cell phones are beeping and ringing with an incoming text message, and Alison says that it is from A, so Ezra asks what it says, and Aria reads it out loud, "Did you miss me, bitches. -A". A second explosion inside the Cavanaugh house occurs leaving Ezra and the others ducking for cover.In Ezra's apartment, Aria tells Ezra that Shana wasn't 'A', and that she killed an innocent person, and Ezra reminds her that Shana was not innocent. Aria tells him the cops aren't going to believe that when they find out she's been covering Shana's murder up, and it's only a matter of time before A exposes she I did. Ezra tells her that they don't know if this person has any idea of what happened in New York, and when Aria asks Ezra what he is doing, he tells her he's looking for a connection between Mrs DiLaurentis and Bethany Young. When Aria questions him why, Ezra explains that he doesn't think he was to far off with his Mrs D theory, "Mrs D was on the board at Radley Sanitarium. Bethany was a patient there. Bethany was buried in her yard, in the same spot where Ali was buried". Aria picks up that Ezra thinks A killed Bethany and Mrs D, and Ezra confirms it, "that would be a connection". He goes on to say when he was writing his book he interviewed some of the staff at Radley and he thinks the name Bethany Young came up, he just doesn't know which file it is in. As Aria tells him that she can help him look after school, he tells her that they're going to get through this.
Ezra and Aria are going through Ezra's research when Aria stumbles on a photo of them together, and Ezra tells her it was a fun day the day the photo was taken. As Aria begins to talk about what happened the other night, Ezra cuts her off, "felt right, didn't it?", but Aria tells him it doesn't mean things can go back to the way that they were. Ezra questions what it does mean, and Aria says that she's not going to pretend she doesn't miss it, them, because she does, and Ezra tells her he does too. Aria then tells him that she then remembers everything that happened, how they met and all the lies he told, and while Ezra says he wishes he could go back and change things, Aria reminds him he can't, and the other night was a mistake. As someone knocks on Ezra's door, he gets up to answer it, and Lieutenant Tanner introduces herself, and wonders if she could ask him a few questions. Handing Ezra an envelope that was outside his door, Tanner wonders if she can come in. Ezra hesitates before allowing Tanner entry, and walking back inside his apartment, he drops the envelope on the photo of he and Aria to cover it up.
Noticing the boxes, Tanner asks Ezra if he's moving out, but Ezra tells her he's just getting rid of some old school files. After Ezra asks what he can help Tanner with, she says she has some questions regarding Shana Fring. Confused, Ezra thought the New York detectives were handling that case, and Tanner tells him they are, but Shana was a former resident of Rosewood, so we're just helping them gather further information. Tanner asks if Ezra knew Shana well, and Ezra tells her Shana was never one of his students, before Tanner asks him if he mentioned that his mother owned a Theater in New York, but Ezra tells her he never mentioned that to any of his students. When Tanner says that it must have been a coincidence that Shana's body was found there, Ezra tells her, "it came as quite a shock to me and my family". Rehashing details, Tanner mentions that Ezra was shot the night before Shana was killed, and that when they found Shana, she had some gun residue on her sweatshirt. After wondering what Tanner's question was, Tanner asks Ezra if he remembers anything about his mugger, but he tells her nothing he hasn't already said. Thanking Ezra for his time, Tanner stands to leave, and Ezra says to let him know if he can be of any further help.
After Lieutenant Tanner has left, Aria tells Ezra that they need to get the boxes out of his apartment quick, and when Ezra tells Aria to slow down, Aria is convinced Tanner is probably already on her way back with a search warrant. Ezra tells her that Tanner is not on her way back, and when Aria asks how he can say that as Tanner basically said that she knew Shana was the one who shot Ezra, Ezra questions why Tanner would want to search his apartment. Aria tells him Tanner knows Ezra is hiding something, and Ezra tells her that "she's going to need a whole lot more than suspicion to get a search warrant". Aria goes on to say that if Tanner does come back she's going to find proof that Ezra was lying about how well he knew Shana, and that Alison wasn't kidnapped. Ezra says that he could move the stuff into his storage unit, but Aria realises that if it's registered in his name, they'll search the storage unit as well, before Aria suggests that they just put everything in her attic. Ripping open the envelope that was left for him, Ezra finds a drawing and wonders what it is. Walking over to him, Aria says that she thinks it Mrs DiLaurentis, and when Ezra asks how she can tell, Aria explains that it's the DiLaurentis house in the background, she was obsessed with her roses, and she definitely wore scarves like the one in the picture. Flipping the page over, Ezra reads the signature, "Bethany", and when Aria questions how many Bethany's he knows, he tells her just one, "and she was buried in Mrs DiLaurentis' backyard". Aria wonders who would want him to have this picture, and when he wonders why, Aria tells him her money is on 'A', before Ezra realises that he still has his security camera's up in the hallway.
Going through the security camera footage, Aria hands him a bottle of water and asks if he's seen anything, and he tells her, "just you arriving at my door". Aria can't believe that he still has a camera in the hallway, but Ezra tells her "it makes sense with all the research material here". Aria comes to the conclusion that whoever dropped of the picture had to of done it after she arrived, but before Tanner came, and with Ezra agreeing, he puts the video in fast forward. Aria tells him she's been thinking, and that perhaps he should tell Tanner the truth about Shana, and that she was the one who shot him. When Ezra asks where this is coming from, Aria tells him that he lied to the police and that he could get into serious trouble. Ezra reminds her that if he tells the truth now, they're going to know he's covering something up. Sighing, Aria says that she hates that she's dragged him into this mess. Grabbing her hand, Ezra tells her she didn't, "I dragged myself into it when I decided to write a book". Placing her hand on Ezra's, the two share a look, before Ezra notices something on the security camera footage. Rewinding and going through the footage in slow motion, they spot who left the envelope, and when Aria asks Ezra if he knows who the person is, Ezra tells her that it is Eddie Lamb, "he works at Radley, and he's one of the people I interviewed for the book". Recognising the name, Aria mentions that Eddie Lamb was the one who Spencer talked to earlier, and he wouldn't tell her a thing, and when Ezra says that he must have had a change of heart, Aria questions why he left the picture for Ezra, but Ezra doesn't know.
Ezra is closing the locks on a metal briefcase when someone knocks on his apartment door. Going to answer, Ezra greets Spencer, and when Spencer asks if he's ready, Ezra lets her in. When Spencer comments wow, Ezra asks "wow what?", and she tells him she forgot about how enthusiastic he was about watching things. Scratching his head, Ezra asks if Spencer has heard from Aria, and she tells him she just talked to her, before Ezra says that they should have waited, "I can talk to Eddie myself once the police finish". Spencer tells Ezra in her experience with Eddie Lamb, he's much less likely to talk to him after the police leave, and Ezra says that "he must know something. He left the picture on my doorstep". Spencer goes on to say Eddie is big on self-preservation, and seeing the concerned look on Ezra's face, she reassures him that Aria will be fine, and that Aria told her not to let him do any heaving lifting. As Spencer is carrying a briefcase towards the door, Ezra asks if she parked downstairs, and she tells him she parked around the corner. As Ezra plays with a piece of equipment, Spencer asks him if he's let her borrow one of his cameras, and after a moment, Ezra tells her "no problem".At Ezra's friend's shed, Spencer thanks him for showing up on the roof in New York, and Ezra tells her “it’s turning into my greatest hit”, before Spencer says that it was pretty impressive. Ezra tells Spencer that “all those boxes, and all those words, and it wasn’t even the book I wanted to write”, and when Spencer asks him what he wanted to write about, he tells her “my family. My brother, me, what happened when my parents divorced. My mother and my father came from who we thought they were to who they really are”. Ezra goes on to say that he was going to figure it all out on paper, but he couldn’t, and Spencer tells him families can be hard. Ezra then mentions that he decided to write a book on a mystery he thought he could solve, “and not only did I not solve it, I, uh, I probably made it worse”, to which Spencer tells him she knows that feeling, and that the camera she’s borrowing is for her sister because she’s connected to all this, Spencer just doesn’t know how. Ezra suggests that maybe they should just put down the puzzles and walk away, but Spencer tells him when he finds out how to do that, to give her a call, “you’ll be the first one”.
Ezra is standing on Aria’s front porch when she opens her front door, and he asks for confirmation that she saw Eddie as she was leaving Radley. Aria tells him she did, in the parking lot, and when she asks why, Ezra tells her “he called to set up a meeting. I waited for over an hour, and he never showed up”.
Although not seen in this episode, after Alison is questioned by Lieutenant Tanner, Aria tells the other liars that she has to go tell Ezra about what was broadcast in The Brew, so he’s not ambushed if Tanner decides to question him while he’s having a medical check-up in New York.Aria is leaving Ezra a voice mail saying that Alison got grilled by Tanner and that ‘A’ must have tipped her off about New York. She asks if Eddie has called yet as they need to figure out what is up with those drawings, and she has to get them back to Big Rhonda before she notices them missing. After spotting Ella walking towards her, Aria tells Ezra to call her as soon as he can. While Aria is talking with Ella, Ezra tries to call Aria back.
While not in this episode, Aria sends Ezra a text message telling him not to rush back from New York and that Lieutenant Tanner had a lot of questions about him and Shana.
In his apartment, Ezra questions if Alison is going to say that Cyrus is guilty and Aria tells him yeah, and that she thinks that he’s going to lead her to ‘A’, when really A’s going to make the whole confession lead Tanner back to then. When Ezra comments that Alison wouldn’t do that, “she’s crazy, but she’s not stupid”, Aria tells mentions that she thought so to, but a whole day has passed and Cyrus is still sitting in jail. Having looked around the apartment, Aria asks that everything is gone, the book, the research, the photos of Ali, because if Tanner comes here…, and cutting in, Ezra reminds her that she was the one who sent over Spencer to help him move everything, “she’s very thorough. You and I both know that”. Ezra asks “where she is?”, and when Aria questions if he’s talking about Spencer, Ezra tells her no, “Alison”. Aria asks why and when Ezra tells Aria that she wants to talk with her, Aria tells him no, no he’s not. Aria reminds Ezra that he just got his stitches out and he’s about to take a bike ride for the first time in god knows how long, and when Aria mentions that he just got the all clear from his doctor, she realises that he’s okay again, really okay. Aria continues by saying that she’s not going to allow him to jump back on Alison’s crazy train, not with Tanner circling and ‘A’ watching their every move, and as Ezra tries to speak, Aria cuts him off, asking him to promise her that he want speak to Alison. After Aria adds that she likes knowing that he’s safe, Ezra tells her okay, “okay. I promise”.At The Brew, Ezra is getting a takeaway coffee when he spots Alison sitting at one of the tables. As he begins to leave, Ezra changes his mind and walking over to Alison he sits, and mentions that she’s not in this alone, “a lot of people have supported you, don’t whatever you’ve asked, gone along with your stories…” When Alison asks if he is threatening her, Ezra says that right now it’s an observation. Alison questions if Aria asked him to talk with her, before going on to say that if one more person tells her what she should do, she’s going to scream, and before Ezra can answer, Kenneth walks back. Kenneth asks Ezra if he can help him, before telling him that if there is anything he wants to say to Alison, he can talk to him, or the police. Ezra apologises and explains that he was just saying hello, before he grabs his takeaway coffee and getting up to leave. As Ezra is walking away, he stops when he notices Aria watching and the two share a look.
Ezra is standing with Aria at her car when she asks him what he said to Alison. When Ezra says that he told Alison that her actions have consequences, Aria wonders what about him, before questioning if he was even listening when she asked him not to talk with her. Ezra tells her yes, “I was”, and Aria comments that he sought her out anyway. Ezra begins explaining himself, and as Aria struggles to close the trunk of her car, he offers to help her, but Aria tells him she’s got it. Stepping back, Ezra says that he “didn’t seek her out. I saw her, I made a split decision and I walked over’, and Aria comments that he did it right in the middle of town, right in front of her dad. Aria questions what if Tanner saw him, and when she figures out he and Alison are connected, it is over, before asking if he gets that. As Aria is going through the trunk, Ezra apologises and says that he was just trying to help and the only way he knew how…, but cutting him off, Aria turns back and questions that he was trying to help by lying to her. When Ezra tells her, “by talking to Alison, because…”, Aria says that it was the one thing she asked him not to do. Crouching down to collect the things that Aria had just dropped from the car crunch, Ezra asks her why she’s this upset. Looking at a photo, Aria looks up to Ezra, and instead of answering, she gathers what they’re both holding and putting them in the trunk, she brushes past him. Picking up a photo that was left on the ground, Ezra stands and watches as Aria gets into her car.
No One Here Can Love or Understand Me
Having let Emily in, Ezra asks how Alison could identify the kidnapper when she was never really kidnapped, and Emily explains that Alison knew him from when she was on her own. Emily mentions that the name the kidnapper gave the police was Cyrus Petrillo before asking if Ezra has ever heard the name from all the time he was doing his research. Ezra tells her no, and that he doesn’t have much from when she was gone, “it’s blank”, before he wonders why Cyrus would confess to a crime he didn’t commit. Emily suggests that perhaps he knew it wouldn’t stick, or maybe he knew Alison wouldn’t confirm the story until it was too late. Ezra questions why you would take that chance, before realisation sets in, “because somebody has something worse to use against you”. Emily grabs a photo from her bag and passing it to Ezra, she asks him if he’s seen it before. Ezra tells her no, and asks where she got it, and Emily tells him she got it from a friend of a friend. Looking over the photo, Ezra says he’ll find out what he can on Cyrus, and after Emily has thanked him, Ezra thanks her for trusting him. When Emily says he’s the only one who might be able to help her get the answers she needs, and that she has to trust him, Ezra thanks her for her honesty.
In the Brew after close, Ezra tells Emily that the photo of Alison and the mystery man was taken 16 months ago at a branch off the turnpike near Donegal, “you can tell by the code. It’s in the timestamp”. Going on, Ezra explains that if you have that code you can find all sorts of other interesting things, before he hands Emily a photo where the man with Alison is facing the camera. When Emily says that it’s Cyrus Petrillo, Ezra says that he’s also known as “Cyrus Hart, Robert Hart and Cy Enfield”, and that none of them are solid citizens, “he’s been arrested half a dozen times”. Seeing Emily’s face, Ezra says that you have to know where to look, “it’s all petty stuff. No convictions”. Emily wonders what Alison promised Cyrus to get him to confess and Ezra says that Emily seems pretty sure that’s what happened, to which Emily says that it makes sense, at least the way Alison thinks. When Emily says that Alison has an amazing gift for knowing what a person wants, what they’re missing, Ezra comments that “it’s a very special talent”, and one that causes a lot of damage.
Standing by a police vehicle as a house is taped off as a crime scene, Ezra and Aria, along with Hanna and Emily, stand huddled together, visibly upset and shaken. Officer Barry Maple approaches them and says that he’ll take their statements now, one at a time. As Aria turns in towards his chest, Ezra listens as she comments that he saw the amount of blood in there and that there’s no way anyone could have lived through that. Aria, Hanna and Emily’s cell phones ring with an incoming text, and Emily reads it aloud, “it’s all your fault. –A”.In Ezra’s apartment, Aria tells Ezra that he has pumpkin guts on his face, and when he tries to wipe it away, she grabs a tea towel and does it for him. As Ezra continues to remove the innards from a pumpkin, Aria tells him that they can just go to Paula’s and buy the pies. Ezra tells her no, “this is my grandmother’s recipe”, and its way better than Paula’s. Aria mentions that Granny Rose uses Libby’s canned pie mix, puts it in a frozen shell, and the Montgomery’s never know the difference. Ezra mentions that this is the first time the “Montgomery’s” have invited him over for Thanksgiving, “and you’re mother assigned me with pie duty, so I’m not taking it lightly”. Aria tells him that they’re not going to have enough time to judge his baking, as they’ll be too busy judging him. When Ezra gives her a deer in the headlights look, Aria tells him that is why he was invited, her family knows they’re spending a lot of time together and they want to make sure he’s worth a second look. Laughing, Ezra says that he’s starting to feel like a used car, and questions whether her family are going to “kick my tyres and check under my hood?” Shrugging, Aria tells him that if Aunt Sarah gets drunk, she may check under his hood, and her Uncle Danny will ask him to arm wrestle, but to just say no. Going on, Aria tells Ezra that he’s going to love Granny though, and that if he can get passed the long chin hairs, he won’t mind that she toots a lot. As Ezra shudders, Aria tells him that she’s joking and that Granny plucks her chin hairs, before the two sharing a smiling behind the eyes look.
Ezra tells Aria that he knows they don’t need the pies they baked, but he figured someone may get hungry, when Aria lets him into her house. Closing the front door, Aria tells Ezra that her mom is still on the phone with Veronica, and that the Hastings’ still haven’t seen Spencer yet. Ezra assures Aria that the Hastings’ are working on Spencer’s bail, “they’ll get her out of there in no time, Aria”. As Aria’s phone rings with an incoming call, she tells Ezra that it’s Mona calling. After Aria ends the call, she tells Ezra to grab his coat, and when he asks her where they’re going, Aria tells him that they’re going to Mona’s, as Mona has found proof that Alison’s ‘A’.
Walking into the Vanderwaal residence, Ezra, Aria, Emily and Hanna are shocked to see Mona’s house trashed with hand prints of blood in the entryway, “oh no”.
Standing by a police vehicle as the Vanderwaal house is taped off as a crime scene, Ezra and Aria, along with Hanna and Caleb, and Emily and Paige, stand huddled together, visibly upset and shaken. Caleb listen on as Detective Holbrook tells the waiting press that while the investigation is ongoing, they have ruled what has happened a homicide and that Mona Vanderwaal was murdered.
At Rosewood High, Ezra steps out from behind a Christmas Tree, as Aria goes to place a tray of cookies back on the table with other food. Mentioning that he knows she wanted to keep it low key these holidays, Ezra says that he got her something for tonight. Aria questions if it’s an Ali decoder ring, and after Ezra chuckles, she opens the gift box to find a pair of dangling diamond earrings. After Aria tells him they’re beautiful, Ezra says that “Mandi at the boutique” said the earrings might to go well with the second present he gifts her with. As Aria takes the larger present, she comments that if this is low key, she’s afraid to ask what full on Christmas looks like at the Fitzgerald house. Ezra tells her not ask, “it’s like ‘how many ponies can you get’”. Shocked, Aria asks if he’s serious, and when Ezra coyly tells her “no”, Aria calls him out, and Ezra tells her that he got two ponies, “but I only asked for one”.Ezra and Aria, along with Emily and Paige, and Hanna and Caleb, slow dance under the lit up gazebo, until everyone turns their attention to the top of the staircase. Walking to the edge of the gazebo, Ezra, Aria, the other couples and Spencer watch as Alison, followed by four other girls, make their grand entrance.
Spotting someone, Ezra, Caleb and Paige start to follow.
Walking up to Ezra and Caleb, Paige mentions that Emily and Aria lost sight of Alison. Ezra says that he thinks he just found her, and the three watch as Alison enters the Winter Wonderland Maze.
Ezra, Aria, Emily, Caleb and Paige discuss the possibility that Holbrook was the one who Alison was kissing. Aria notices a look on Ezra’s face and asks him what it is, before Ezra says that if Holbrook is helping Alison, he wants to know when it started. Ezra then listens as Emily says that CeCe showed up in New York that night, and Alison helped get her out of the country. Ezra questions if Emily thinks Holbrook was in on it, and Emily says that she thinks Holbrook helped CeCe escape, and he did it for Alison. Noticing Alison and someone dressed in a white coat and hood walk out of the Maze, Caleb comments that it looks as though she made a friend, and Ezra adds, “she went in their alone”. When Emily says that they’re walking towards the exit, Ezra mentions that Holbrook is as well. Caleb tells Aria and Emily to follow Ali, while he and Ezra follow Holbrook, and Paige adds that she’ll grab Lucas.
Walking up behind Holbrook, Ezra, accompanied by Caleb, calls out to the detective, “can I have a word with you for a second”, while Aria and Emily slip by to keep following Alison and the person in the white coat and hood.
In the Hastings’ living room, Ezra, Aria and the other couples listens as Toby says that the letter Hanna found proves that Alison knew Bethany, and that it may create enough reasonable doubt to clear Spencer’s name. As the clock strikes midnight, Ezra leans downs to kiss Aria, before kneeling on the floor and wrapping her in a hug.
Ezra, Paige, Toby and Caleb appear on the Hastings’ staircase wearing nothing but Santa boxers, “Merry Christmas”. As they begin to walk down the stairs, Ezra turns back to help Toby, who is on crutches.
Ezra and Aria are getting food out of the fridge, as everyone else huddles around the island bench in the Hastings’ kitchen.
Grabbing a cooked roast from the Hastings’ island bench, Ezra presents, “Christmas chicken”, to everyone. As Ezra sits down, Aria tells them that they should all say a prayer, and they link hands with one another.
Laughing and enjoying each others company, everyone starts to serve their plates with food.
Ezra listens as Emily toasts to their family, may they always stay together, before clinking glasses with everyone. Suddenly everyone hears the sound of bells and something falling down the chimney. Getting up from the table, everyone heads outside where they find a Christmas tree all lit up in Spencer’s backyard. As they’re admiring the tree, snow starts falling and a message over Spencer’s barn lights up. Aria reads the message aloud, “Merry Christmas, Bitches. –A”, before snuggling into Ezra’s chest.
Ezra walks out of the Rosewood Church following Mona’s funeral service. Standing off to the side with Mike, Ezra watches as Leona Vanderwaal slaps Alison when she tries to say that she had nothing to do with Mona’s death.Walking into The Brew, which is being remodeled, Ezra tells Aria that once it’s all done, the side wall will be all bookshelves. Aria tells him that it looks good in a, has to get real messy before it gets clean, kind of way. Saying that he appreciates her optimism, Ezra comments that he thinks Aria needs to get her eyes checked. Ezra questions if Aria has heard from Oberlin, and Aria tells him no, she hasn’t yet, but maybe tomorrow. Ezra then asks if she’s heard from Mike since the funeral, and turning back to face him, Aria admits that she kind of lost track of Mike after the slap that was heard around the world. Aria questions why, and Ezra says that he was just wondering how Mike was doing, “Mona was a lot of complicated things, to a lot of different people, but she was just one thing to Mike”. Aria mentions that Mike loved Mona, and she was the one to screw it up, twice. When Aria says that Mike doesn’t want to talk to her about Mona, Ezra suggests that he could try, “could say that I need help with my bookshelves”. Aria comments that he does need help with his bookshelves, and with a smile, Ezra tells her that it’s a win-win.
With Mike in The Brew, Ezra comments that he didn't see him at the cemetery yesterday, “did you leave early?” Mike says that he guesses, to which Ezra tells him that he did, before asking if there’s a reason why. Mike mentions that it wasn’t a real funeral, and when Ezra questions that it wasn’t, Mike says that if there’s no body, there’s no funeral. Nodding, Ezra asks if that makes him upset, “I’m trying to get a sense of how this all makes you feel”, and Mike questions if Ezra looked all this up online. Mike adds that he feels as though he doesn’t want to talk Ezra about his dead girlfriend. When Ezra says that he wasn’t sure if Mike thought Mona was actually gone, Mike tells him that no one loses that much amount of blood and lives to tell the story. Ezra comments that Mike isn’t acting as if he’s lost someone, and turning to face him, Mikes asks Ezra how he wants him to act. After questioning whether Ezra wants him to cry his eyes out, or bang his fists on the wall, Mike says that Mona is gone, that’s it, people leave, people die, and that’s the only sure thing in this world.
Ezra is one the phone with the caterer for The Brew’s relaunch party, “I understand that Andre, but scallops are not part of the budget”. When Aria walks over to him, Ezra tells her that Andre keeps putting him on hold. Aria says that he should tell Andre to stick to the original plan, to which Ezra tells her that that was like three plans ago. Noticing the book Aria is holding, Ezra tells her that the author is coming to the party tomorrow night, “you should really talk to him, he teaches at Vassar”. Ezra then questions whether Aria has heard from Vassar or not, and she tells him she hasn’t, not yet. Andre comes back on the line, and Ezra tells him that they need to go back to the original plan. Andre must ask why because Ezra says that “it’s a bookstore” and that nobody’s coming here for the tamarind dipping sauce. After questioning, “what?”, Ezra tells Aria and Emily that Andre just quit on him. Emily says that she can do it, and when Ezra asks, “do what?”, Emily tells him she can cater his party. Ezra questions if he missed something, before asking when she became a professional chef, to which Emily says she’s been helping her mom in the kitchen since she was could walk, and that Ezra should let her do it. Looking wary, Ezra listens as Aria tells him that she’s sure it will be amazing, and it’s not like Emily’s a stranger to The Brew’s kitchen. Emily adds that Ezra’s guests are going to be here in less than 27 hours, so they can either debate the issue or she could get started, stick to his budget, and blow him away, his choice. Ezra asks if Emily even took home economics, and after Aria gives him a look, Ezra apologises and tells Emily to “go for it”.Walking into The Brew’s kitchen, Ezra overhears the last of Aria and Emily’s conversation where Aria says that she may not get to go to college next fall. After Emily says that she’s going to go call her mom, Ezra puts down the box and walks over to Aria. Holding the letter she has written to Talmadge College, Aria tells Ezra that she didn’t know how to tell him, but nobody wants her. Ezra tells her that that’s not true, “there are many, many, many great colleges that you can apply to in the future”, to which Aria says that she can write a better letter. Saying that she could write the Grapes of Wrath, Ezra tells her that it still wouldn’t matter, “Talmadge recently hired Jackie Molina as an admissions officer”. Aria questions if he means Jackie as in his ex, the one who hates her guts, and trying to lighten the situation, Ezra tells her that she forgot to mention that Jackie hates his guts even more. Ezra comments that he knows it hurt, “but it’s a temporary setback, that’s all. Promise”, before wrapping Aria in a hug.
Ezra walks into The Brew’ kitchen in the middle of the night while Emily is on the phone with her mom. Ending her phone call, Emily mentions that she thought Ezra went home to crash, to which Ezra tells her that he did, but he couldn’t sleep. Emily gathers that he’s nervous about tomorrow, only for Ezra to say that he swerved right past nervous and he’s into “full blown panic attack”. Ezra questions if they should be calling in some help, and when Emily asks what he means, Ezra tells her, “like a professional chef”. Emily wonders why, before saying that everything is totally under control, and that the food is going to be awesome. Saying okay, Ezra questions if they’re going to eating dinner off the walls, and looking over her shoulder, Emily explains that that was an experiment, but she’s just spoken with her mom, and Pam’s given her her famous empanada recipe. Ezra suggests that he can always call a restaurant, “or I can ask”…, but cutting him off, Emily tells him he shouldn’t, and there’s no need to panic, everything is going to be great.
Sampling some tapas, Ezra tells Talia that her food is truly amazing. When Ezra asks her what the spice is, Talia tells him that she’s so glad he likes it. As Emily walks in, Ezra tells her that he wants her to meet somebody, before introducing the women to each other. Emily questions what is going on, and Ezra explains that he asked Talia to help out tonight in the kitchen. When Emily says the she doesn’t understand, Ezra pulls her aside, “well I would just prefer that you come tonight as a guest”, but Emily says that she doesn’t want to be a guest. As Emily begins to say that Ezra hired her to, Ezra cuts her off, saying that he knows, “I think we can both relax knowing there’s a professional back there in the kitchen”. Saying that they should think of Talia like a saviour, Ezra adds he’s still going to pay Emily for the work she did last night. Emily mentions that it’s not just about last night, she was hoping she could become more than a barista, and Ezra comments that he didn’t realise, before adding that they can revisit that at a later date. Emily tells him fine, and that she has work to do, before walking off towards the kitchen.
At The Brew’s relaunch party, Ezra talks with Bob, the teacher from Vassar College.
Walking up to Aria when she arrives at the party, Ezra tells her that he’s been looking for her. Kissing Aria on the cheek, Ezra tells her that there’s somebody he really wants her to meet. With a hand on her lower back, Ezra guides Aria over to Bob, and gaining Bob’s attention, Ezra tells him that Aria is the young lady he was telling him about. Ezra explains to Aria that the man is Bob Milson, and that he teaches at Vassar, “I thought that one gifted writer would appreciate another”.
After saying goodbye to the final guests at the party, Ezra tells Talia that thanks to her, he’s royally screwed. Talia comments that she’s scared to ask why, and Ezra says that everyone is raving about her food. As Ezra questions what he’s going to do when he opens the place up, Talia tells him that he knows where to find her. Noticing Emily listening into the conversation, Ezra walks over to her once Talia has walked off. Saying that he doesn’t want Emily to feel “resentful or unappreciated”, but before he can finish, Emily tells him to hire Talia. Ezra questions, “what?”, and Emily tells him that she’ll get over it, besides Talia touch what she can do with a cappuccino.
Walking into The Brew, Ezra notices some tension between Emily and Talia, and asks Emily if everything is okay with the two of them. Emily tells him that it is, they’re just defining job duties, and Ezra wonders if Emily wants him to say anything. Emily tells him that it’s okay, they’ll work it out, before she walks away from the counter. As Ezra’s phone rings, Aria approaches him, asking if they can talk, but cutting her off, Ezra explains that the contractor is calling him and he’s been trying to get hold of him all day, “I’ll be right back”. Walking into kitchen, Ezra tells the contractor that it’s because he disappeared for three days on another job, “and I’ll tell you what, when you get back to me, it better be with a refund cheque”. Ending the call, Ezra tells Aria, who followed him into the kitchen that the contractor is trying to charge him for the shelves he himself installed with Mike. Aria apologises and asks if she can do anything to help, but Ezra tells her no, “it’s alright”. As Aria begins to say something, Ezra questions if she had fun last night, “I think Bob Milson really liked you”, and that he knows Bob could speak to the admission staff at Vassar on Aria’s behalf, “it’s one phone call”. Aria tells Ezra that that would be great, and as Ezra’s phone begins to ring again, Ezra tells her he’s so sorry, but he has to take the call. Walking off, Ezra questions that the contractor can’t find the invoice, so he comments that he can send him his.Sitting at one of the couches in The Brew, Ezra is going over some paperwork when Emily walks in. Noticing her, Ezra comments that “this time next week, I’ll have an actual office in the back”, before asking Emily if she’s here for her pay cheque. Saying that he thinks it’s over by the register, Ezra stands, and when Emily begins to say she can get it herself, Ezra tells her no, to let him get it as it’s his first pay day as boss, “I’m kind of looking forward to it”. Leaning over the front counter, Ezra looks through the pay cheque’s for Emily’s.
Ezra comments that he came as soon as he could when Aria opens the front door of the Montgomery house for him, “is everything okay?” As Ezra places his satchel down on an armchair, he listens as Aria tells him that everything’s fine, she just wanted to let him know she got into Talmadge. Ezra tells Aria that “that’s fantastic news”, before hugging her. As he’s pulling out of the hug, Ezra comments that it must mean Jackie doesn’t review every single application, and after noticing a look on Aria’s face, Ezra assures her that Talmadge is a very good school, “and it’s a big one. It’s unlikely you’ll ever run into Jackie”. Ezra then tells Aria not to let Jackie ruin this for her, and Aria says that she won’t. Saying that he’s so happy she told him, Ezra apologises to Aria telling her he has to get back to work, but they can celebrate tonight. After gathering his satchel, Ezra kisses Aria, and as he’s heading towards the door, Aria calls him back. Turning back, Ezra listens as Aria tells him that that’s not the only thing she wanted to talk to him about, before saying that Jackie did review her application. Ezra questions how she knows that, to which Aria admits she wrote a letter to the admissions board hoping that it would specifically land on Jackie’s desk, and it did. Confused, Ezra asks what letter Aria is referring to, and picking up the letter from the coffee table, Aria hands it to Ezra to read over.After reading over the letter and commenting, “no wonder you got in”, Ezra listens as Aria assures him that she doesn’t blame him for being furious and that it was a really stupid thing to do and she realised that after she did it. As Ezra places the letter back on the coffee table, Aria goes on to say that she tried to get the letter back from Jackie but she’d already read it and it was too late, but cutting Aria off, Ezra tells her to stop, “I’m not angry”. Shocked, Aria questions that he’s not, and Ezra tells her it was a brilliant move, “Jackie must have laughed it up”. Taking Ezra’s hands, Aria tells him she’s sorry, but Ezra tells her she did what she had to do to get in. Ezra says that there was no harm done, and when Aria says that there was because she made Jackie believe she feels a certain way about him, Ezra mentions that he doesn’t care what Jackie thinks, “only what you do. And that is all that matters”. After Ezra pulls Aria in for a hug, Aria pushes out of it, commenting that she didn’t have to write the letter, before saying that she doesn’t even want to go to Talmadge, she was just scared if she didn’t get in she’d be stuck in Rosewood. Ezra comments that now Aria doesn’t have to worry, and after the two share a look, Aria walks back into Ezra’s embrace. Looking over Aria’s shoulder, Ezra eyes the letter.
Sitting in The Brew’s storeroom, which is serving as a makeshift office, Ezra rereads the letter Aria’s wrote to Jackie.
Sitting on the Montgomery’s couch, Ezra comments that Aria didn’t eat that much when they place their plates of takeout on the coffee table. After Aria mentions that she’d not that hungry, Ezra gets a present for her out of his satchel. When Aria questions what it is, Ezra tells her it’s something to celebrate her “getting into Talmadge”. Ezra watches as Aria opens the present to find a journal monogrammed with her initials, and after she says that it’s beautiful, Ezra tells her he remembers how excited he was when he got accepted to Hollis, “there are so many amazing adventures ahead of you, and I don’t want you to miss out on a single one… the way that you missed out on so much of high school because of me”. Aria says that she doesn’t actually feel that way, and when Ezra mentions that he read the letter again, Aria tells him that she only wrote what she thought Jackie wanted to hear. Ezra notes that he thinks the letter rang true to Jackie for a reason, and when Aria comments that it’s because she’s a good writer, Ezra just looks at her. When Aria says that she doesn’t understand, and that this morning he was practically laughing when he read the letter, Ezra explains that he then had a chance to think about it and he doesn’t think Aria could have written what she did if there wasn’t some small part of her that thought that way about them. Aria assures him that she doesn’t regret being with him at all, to which Ezra tells her that she may not now, “but if we stay together”… Aria questions Ezra’s use of the word if, and after Ezra just gives her a look, Aria wonders what Ezra is trying to say. Saying that he wants what’s best for her, Ezra reminds Aria that she’s approaching a very exciting time in your life, “you’re going to be meeting people. You’re going to be discovering yourself”. Cutting in, Aria tells him that she can do all that and still be with him, and after taking a moment, Ezra takes Aria hands, “if we stay together you might grow to resent me. But if you take this time for yourself, there will be no regrets”. Asking Aria to at least promise him that she’ll think about it, Ezra watches as a tear rolls down Aria’s cheek as she reluctantly nods and tells him that she will.
Ezra is sitting on one of the couches when Emily walks into The Brew and questions that he’s doing paperwork on a Friday. Ezra tells her that he’s just trying to stay ahead of the game, “turns out I don’t get weekends off anymore”, to which Emily adds that you also don’t get summers off. Ezra then asks if Talia has already left, and when Emily tells her she has, she was just saying goodbye, Ezra comments that the two of them seem to be getting on a whole lot better these days. Emily then asks whether Ezra can believe that Aria might be in Savannah next year, before adding that they could have their very own Southern Belle. Surprised by the news, Ezra questions that Aria got into SCAD, and realises that Aria hasn’t told him, Emily says that she thought he knew as Aria’s pretty excited about it. Starting to sweep the floor, Emily says she’ll let Ezra get back to work, but it’s then that she notices Talia’s name on some paperwork and points out that Talia’s last name is Sandoval, so why does her file as Mendoza. Picking up the file, Ezra says that Mendoza may be her married name, “a lot of people use their maiden name professionally”, to which Emily insists that Talia is not married. Opening the file, Ezra says that she is, “she has her husband listed under her emergency contact”.Walking into The Brew’s kitchen, Ezra asks Talia if everything is okay when Emily storms out.
Ezra looking at a book when an upset Hanna walks into The Brew, “Hanna, are you okay?” Instead of answering, Hanna asks where Emily is, to which Ezra tells her that she left early, “what’s going on?” Hanna tells him nothing, she just left her phone at her dad’s office and she can’t reach anyone, and when Ezra questions that she can’t go back and get it, Hanna tells him she can’t go back there. Saying that she doesn’t have to tell him anything, “but you can if you want to”, Ezra takes a seat at the other end of the couch when Hanna sits down. Ezra listens as Hanna says that her dad doesn’t think she’s college material, but Kate is. Hanna adds that her dad never thought she would go to a good school and now because of him she might not get to. Confused, Ezra asks who Kate is, and Hanna tells him Kate is her stepsister, her stupid, perfect stepsister. Hanna goes on to say that she wanted dad to help pay for school, but what she wanted more than that was for him to just look her at once and say ‘I knew you had it in you’. Ezra tells her that when he was in high school his parents couldn’t agree a single thing, “except for the fact that I wouldn’t amount to much”, and when Hanna asks him what happened, Ezra explains that once they cut him off, he realised that he was on his own, “I took out a bunch of loans, I applied to every job that I could no matter how ridiculous and I paid my way through school. By myself”. Ezra asks if Hanna knows those guys who stand outside in the hotdog uniforms in 90 degree heat, and after Hanna questions that he was a hotdog, Ezra tells her he was the “best damned hotdog”. Saying that he knows it isn’t the same, Ezra reminds Hanna that he used to be her teacher, “and I always knew that you had it in you”.
Standing behind The Brew’s counter, Ezra takes his phone back from Hanna who mentions that her call to Aria went straight to voicemail. Ezra wonders if Hanna wants to call someone else, “I have Emily’s number”, but Hanna says that it’s fine, she’s just going to head home. Saying “okay”, Ezra listens as Hanna thanks him for the image of him in a hotdog costume, and for everything else that he said, before Ezra tells her, “any time”.Appearances (95/120)
Relationships
Maggie Cutler: After high school graduation, he supposedly got her pregnant.
- Started: Before "Pilot"
- Ended: Before "Pilot"
- Reason: Mrs. Fitzgerald paid her off to get an abortion and to stay out of his life.
Jackie Molina: They were engaged.
Alison DiLaurentis: Ended. (see "Ezrison")
- Started: Before "Pilot"
- Ended: Before "Pilot"
- Reason: Ezra found out that Alison lied about her age.
Aria Montgomery: Dated (see "Ezria")
First Relationship
- Started: "Pilot"
- Reason: They meet in a bar and instantly click, ending the night by making out in a bathroom.
- Ended: "Reality Bites Me"
- Reason: "A" texts Aria while her phone is at Ezra's apartment, leading him to believe she told someone about their secret relationship.
Second Relationship
- Started: "Keep Your Friends Close"
- Reason: Ezra says he was a jerk and asks Aria to take him back.
- Ended: "For Whom the Bell Tolls"
- Reason: Aria thinks Ezra still has feelings for Jackie, and is also upset because Ezra didn't tell her Jackie worked at Hollis. And she is mad he lied to her.
Third Relationship
- Started: "The Goodbye Look"
- Reason: Aria realizes she has made a mistake leaving Ezra and runs back to him by his car, where they kiss and make up.
- Ended: Between "Over My Dead Body" and "Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares"
- Reason: Jackie blackmailed Aria to break up with Ezra and Aria didn't want Ezra to get in trouble with the cops following her arrest.
Fourth Relationship
- Started: "Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares"
- Reason: One month later, Ezra finds out about Jackie blackmailing Aria and decides to tell her parents about their relationship.
- Ended: "A Hot Piece of A"
- Reason: Aria's dad threatened Ezra that if he ever saw Aria again, he would turn him into the police.
Fifth Relationship
- Started: "The Blond Leading the Blind"
- Reason: Ezra realized he wanted to be with Aria so he went to meet her in Philadelphia.
- Ended: "A DAngerous GAme"
- Reason: Aria wanted to protect Ezra and Malcolm.
Sixth Relationship
- Started: "Close Encounters"
- Reason: Aria broke up with Jake to be with Ezra, whom she was still in love. Ezra was "the one" and had always been.
- Ended: "Free Fall"
- Reason: Aria finds out that Ezra was writing a book about her and her friends, and the basis of their relationship was based on a lie.
One Night Stand
- Started: "Miss Me x 100"
- Reason: Ezra tells Aria he never wants to hear her say sorry again and he leans in to kiss her. They continue to kiss more passionately before having sex.
- Ended: "Run, Ali, Run"
- Reason: Aria tells Ezra that them sleeping together was a mistake, and that they can't go back to the way they were, even though they're still in love with each other.
Seventh Relationship
- Started: Between "No One Here Can Love or Understand Me" and "Taking This One to the Grave"
- Reason: Aria and Ezra have been spending a lot of time together, and as a result the Montgomery's invited Ezra over for Thanksgiving dinner. Aria also refers to Ezra as her 'bed buddy'.
- Ended: "To Plea or Not to Plea"
- Reason: Aria tells Ezra that she feels she should be single when she goes to college. Ezra decides it would be best to break up so that they are not counting down the days until their relationship ends.
Meet the Parents
Ella Montgomery met Ezra early on in the series, when they run into each other at the movies. She takes a liking to him right away, noting how "young" and "handsome" he is. The two become colleagues and friends when Ella starts working at Rosewood High, meeting for the second time in a supply closet during a severe storm. She tries to set him up with Aria's old babysitter, Simone, and later, they go to a book signing together (along with other faculty members). Byron worries there is something going on between them, but it's all in his head. Byron first meets Ezra during student-teacher conferences. Their first encounter was not what Ezra hoped it would be. Instead, Byron grills him about his taste in literature and awkwardly marks his territory when it comes to his wife. When Aria tells him he's misread the situation, Byron invites Ezra out for a drink. They go, and get along fine, though it's quite awkward, and makes Ezra think hard about his future with Aria. Byron mentions that teaching at the college level would allow Ezra more time for his writing. He later helps Ezra get a job at Hollis College and invites him to the Montgomery home for a faculty mixer.During the second season, Ezra continues to have contact with Aria's parents. He is invited to an intimate dinner party at their home along with Mr. and Mrs. Partha and Jason DiLaurentis. Later, Ella spots him with Spencer Hastings in his car and gets the wrong impression. When Ezra shows up to the police station at Aria's request, Ella stops him, giving him the chance to walk away. He says he's in love with "her," which Ella takes to mean Spencer.
After the mid-season hiatus, Byron visits Ezra in his office. They are friendly and make plans to combine their classes and have dinner and drinks. Ezra sympathizes with Byron having to deal with all the issues that arose following Aria's arrest. The next day, Ezra stands in the Montgomery's living room and confesses his love for their daughter. They are shocked to learn exactly how long their relationship has been going on and are clearly angry. Byron confronts Ezra in his apartment the next day without Ella's knowledge. What starts out as a business-like conversation turns angry and defensive and ends with Byron threatening to call the police. When they see Ezra dining alone at a restaurant in town, the Montgomery family finds someplace else to eat.
In order to prevent Ezra from ever seeing Aria again, Byron recommends him for a job in New Orleans. When Ella gets wind of this, she heads over to Ezra's apartment, to find him and Aria eating dinner and discussing their future. She agrees to listen to what they have to say and try to understand their relationship. However, despite her supposed open-mindedness, Ella goes to Ezra's office to tell him she is not an ally in this situation. Byron also pays Ezra a visit, at Ezra's behest, hoping he has chosen to take the position, but Ezra assertively informs him he won't be going anywhere, leaving Byron at a loss for words.
Trivia
- He drives a silver Toyota Camry.
- His real last name is Fitzgerald but he truncated it to "Fitz," according to him as a way to shake his past.
- The name Ezra Fitzgerald is likely a reference to Ezra Pound and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
- In the prequel episode, "The First Secret," Ezra is a student at Hollis, and Aria suddenly bumps into him. Unbeknownst to each other, Aria and Ezra did meet before they met in "Pilot."
- It was thought that Ezra got Maggie pregnant in high school, but it is later revealed that he isn't Malcolm's father in "The Mirror Has Three Faces."
- He eats Special K cereal, as seen in "UnmAsked," on top of his fridge while Hanna, Aria, Emily and Spencer are looking through Ali's stuff in his apartment.
- He has a younger brother named Wesley Fitzgerald.
- He does not get along with his mother at all.
- He paid Cece Drake money for information about Alison for his book.
- He wrote a book about Alison.
- He saw Alison the night she disappeared.
- After being shot by Shana Fring in "A is for Answers", Ezra revealed to Aria that she was A in "EscApe From New York".
- He took Aria Montgomery's virginity in "If These Dolls Could Talk".
- In Season 5, Ezra bought the Brew, and turned it into a book store and coffee shop
- Ezra's phone number is shown in Over a Barrel to be (215) 555-0165 and his email is e.fitz147@ertweb.com
Book Comparisons
- In the books, Ezra gets arrested after A sends a text to Sean, Aria's boyfriend. In the show, Noel, Aria's then-boyfriend, found out about Ezra and was about to out him; however, "A" got to Noel first.
- In the show, Ezra was close friends with Ella prior to her finding out his relationship with Aria. In the books, they were merely acquainted.
- In the show, Ezra has a brother named Wesley. In the books, not much light has been shed on his past. For example, Jackie and Maggie didn't exist in the books.
- In the books, Ezra wrote an unpublished novel about his relationship with Aria. In the show he wrote an unpublished novel about Alison and her disappearance.
- In the books, Ezra hooks up with Klaudia, an enemy of Aria's.
- In the books, Ezra has blonde hair. In the show, he has dark brown hair.
- In the books, Ezra is seen mostly in the first book and is never seen again until Ruthless. In the show, however, Ezra's stay in Rosewood is prolonged.
Quotes
Ezra: Holy crap. |
Ezra: Mr. Sperling. Do you have something to add to the conversation, aside from phlegm? |
Ezra: You're lucky—my cooking's always better the next day! I make really good leftovers. [Aria laughs] Ezra: Don't laugh. No, seriously—the pesto will get up your nose, we'll need the Jaws of Life in here. |
Ezra [to Aria]: If A knows, I'm thinking B and C and everybody else knows. |
Ezra [to Aria, about Noel]: Even though this doesn't look right, it has always felt right. And I will not let him change this into something that feels wrong. |
Ezra [to Aria]: Here I was hoping you'd be at the potter's wheel, so I could wrap my arms around you and hum "Unchained Melody." |
Ezra [to Ella and Byron]: I'm in love with your daughter. I love Aria. |
Ezra: Life isn't always romantic. Sometimes, it's realistic. |
Aria: French food? Wow, you must really like me. Ezra: Aria, it's French, vegan food. I must really love you. |
Ezra [to Aria]: This is our first dance. I want to see you. |
Ezra [to his mother]: It’s astounding that you can do things like this and still not understand why I want nothing to do with this family. |
Ezra [to his mother]: You can endow all the museums you want, but you’re not fooling anybody. There’s not a generous bone in your body. |
Ezra: You'll be fine, just change your shoes. |
Ezra: People get what they deserve...eventually. |
Ezra [to Aria]: I didn't know I was going to fall in love with you. |