Say it ain’t so! “Pretty Little Liars” fans might be saying goodbye to Aria (Lucy Hale), Emily (Shay Mitchell), Hanna (Ashley Benson) and Spencer (Troian Bellisario) sooner than they thought! It’s no secret that the hit ABC Family series is ending after its seventh season, but Lucy Hale just revealed exactly when she’ll stop portraying her artsy character.

In an interview with V Magazine, Hale confirmed that she’ll be finished with the teen drama by the time 2017 rolls around -- October 2016 to be exact.

“I’ll be done next October with ["Pretty Little Liars"] forever, which is exciting, but also scary at the same time because it’s the next chapter of my life, and so I’m really looking forward to exploring different and darker roles,” she explained.

The Season 6 summer finale just aired on Tuesday, wrapping up the story line surrounding the identity of “A.” However, the girls will still be in trouble when the season picks up again in 2016. The final moments of the finale jumped five years forward to reveal that someone is still after Alison (Sasha Pieterse). Creator Marlene King dished in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that fans will be introduced to a new mystery when Season 6 resumes.

“That story will most likely end at the end of Season 7,” she added. “So it’s a great finale, gigantic mystery twist -- I think it’s the biggest we’ve ever had. And that feels like Season 7 is probably a good time to end that story.”

But just because filming will conclude in October doesn’t mean that that’s when the series finale will air. The ABC Family drama generally splits its episodes into an “A” and “B” season. Season A premieres at the start of summer in June, and concludes in August. Meanwhile, Season B picks up in January and ends in March. If the show sticks to that formula, the seventh and final season will air its finale in March 2017.

Is that enough time to say goodbye to your favorite Rosewood characters? Tweet your thoughts to @AmandaTVScoop.

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