The parents of ‘PLL’ ranked from shady to shadiest
Even with only three more episodes left in Pretty Little Liars’ #SummerofAnswers, it still feels like anyone and everyone in Rosewood might be A. Or working with A. Or hiding information about A. Basically, the more these mysteries unravel, the less we can trust any of these characters — not even the mommies and daddies.
Virtually all of the parents of PLL have had their shady moments, but when it comes to taking secrets to the grave (or putting someone else in one), there are definitely some who seem significantly sneakier. So, as a guide for the rest of the season, here is a ranking of the show’s parentals, ranked from least to most suspicious.
Wayne Fields
Shade Level: 0
Emily’s dad is by far the most innocent Rosewood adult. Because of his job with the Army, Mr. Fields is rarely around, so odds are, he’s not spending his time sprucing up a creepy underground dollhouse. Instead, he’s been so supportive of Emily, it’s heart-wrenching. Literally.
Ella Montgomery
Shade Level: Shrug
Considering that Ella has been A’s victim on a number of occasions — from finding out about her husband’s affair to getting locked in a mini-van full of killer bees — there’s little-to-no chance she’s on the dArk side. The only thing about Ella that remains suspicious is how she gets her hair that long and shiny.
Pam Fields
Shade Level: A Little Warmer
Admittedly, Pam Fields is definitely guilty … of having a killer popover recipe. Like Aria’s mom, she’s been tortured at the hands of A so much – RIP living room – that it would be shocking to find out she’s playing for the A-Team. But since when has PLL shied away from “shocking?”
Tom Marin
Shade Level: Meh
Oh, Mr. Marin. His new wife and stepdaughter are probably more dastardly than he is. But while he’s no evil mastermind, he can certainly keep secrets. Based on the fact that he left Ashley Marin — Rosewood’s ultimate catch — so far we can only accuse him of being a dummy.
Leona Vanderwaal
Shade Level: In Your Face
Girlfriend has a mean slap, but her grief over Mona’s (un)death felt really legit. While it’s clear that you don’t want to get on her bad side, she probably didn’t have anything to do with A’s plot to fake murder and kidnap her own daughter. Although, you never know …
Kenneth DiLaurentis
Shade Level: Questionable
Are we to believe that Mr. D really didn’t know that Charles is alive? True, he did run for the hills after receiving that scary birthday card, but it’s important to remember that his first instinct after finding that note was to dig up his assumed-dead son’s grave. That’s mad shady.
Byron Montgomery
Shade Level: Long-Time Coming
Mr. Montgomery’s past of infidelity, lying, and bringing a complete psychopath (Meredith) home to meet his kids makes him look pretty bad. Plus, he’s constantly “teaching in Syracuse,” and has a mysterious brother with a history of mental instability, which could connect him to Radley. Also, let’s not forget he met with Ali “That Night,” angry that she was blackmailing him. Anyone who was within 100 ft. of Alison’s disappearance is suspicious, and Byron is no exception.
Ashley Marin
Shade Level: O.G.
Hanna’s mom was being shady long before A was — she practically invented the “get out of jail free card” when she started a weird, totally inappropriate relationship with Wilden in season one. Since then, it’s all been chardonnay and hiding stolen money in pasta boxes and hitting police officers with her car. There’s also a slice of fandom that believes Ashley could be Black Veil. It’s possible — she’s got the bod for it.
Veronica Hastings
Shade Level: By the Book
It feels like whenever Spencer asks her mom an important question — like, “Is Jason my half-brother?” — Mrs. Hastings replies in cryptic riddles, using her lawyerly skills to avoid giving a straightforward answer. She’s covered up incriminating info about her family so many times, who knows what else she could be hiding?
Peter Hastings
Shade Level: Infinity
Every time it seems that Peter Hastings has finally cleared his name — of murdering his ex-lover, sending private investigators after his daughters, or paying off teenagers to keep quiet — another one of his secrets surfaces. His desk drawer used to contain a folder of spooky Alison photos and a gun. Can’t get much shadier than that.
Jessica DiLaurentis
Shade Level: Deadly
Mrs. D (gone too soon) might have given birth to A. Not only did she hide Charles from her whole family, she managed to find time for two extramarital affairs with Mr. Hastings and Bethany Young’s dad. That takes some serious sneaking. Of course, her untimely death makes her look even more suspicious: What did she know that A didn’t want us to find out?
Toby’s Dad
Shade Level: Unreal
No, seriously. Is Mr. Cavanaugh real? He’s always “out of town” or “in the hospital with a broken leg.” What does he know about Marion’s death, and — most importantly — what does he know about A?
Personally, I cannot wait to find out.
