Well, folks, the time we've all been waiting for is almost officially here. After over five seasons of complex theories and obsessive research, Pretty Little Liars fans will finally be able to put a face to the name (or rather, a face to the letter, if you really want to get technical about it). But as much as I'm definitely looking forward to A's epic reveal, it is by far not the only question I'm eager for the show to finally shed some light on. One thing that immediately comes to mind, for example, involves the mystery surrounding the death of Marion Cavanaugh. For years, the truth about what happened to Toby's mom at Radley has always remained a rather big question mark. Who killed her (whether it truly was accidental or otherwise) and how the heck does it fit into this whole Charles equation?
The PLL Season 6a finale synopsis assures us that all will be revealed once and for all. But until that glorious moment of answers actually arrives, it's important that we first make sure we have all of our facts straight in regards to this particular storyline. That's why I've taken the liberty of compiling everything we know about Marion thus far that could be considered useful when A starts detailing the method (and reasoning) behind all of this madness. First, for even more PLL theories, check out Bustle's podcast Taking This One To The Grave.
She Suffered From Depression
If there's one thing we know about Marion, it's that she was placed in Radley due to her on-going battle with depression, which had allegedly lead to her suicide. (According to the reports, Marion had apparently stolen a key and intentionally jumped out of a window at Radley.) However, when new details started getting brought to the surface — like the fact that the fall came from the roof and not an unlocked window — Toby began thinking there was more to his mother's death than Radley was willing to admit. Which brings me to my next point of discussion…
Her Suicide Was Actually A Cover-Up
After doing a little detective work, Spencer and Toby were able to force Radley to admit that Marion’s death wasn't a suicide after all. According to them, Marion and another patient were up on the roof together when Marion accidentally fell to her death. The only reason they decided to label the death as a suicide was to help protect the identity of the other patient. Sounds a little shifty, right? I mean, where's the proof that Marion fell and wasn't pushed? There is none… which is what makes the identity of this mystery patient all the more intriguing.
She May Be Connected To Bethany
During a visit with one of Marion's former doctors, Dr. Palmer, Toby learned that his mother had been warned to "stay away from that blonde girl" who supposedly had a bad air around her. Palmer never specified who that mystery girl was, though many fans have concluded that he must've been referring to Bethany Young, who was also a Radley patient at the time. And given that one of her sketches was of a woman falling to her death (above), it may be safe to assume that Bethany was also the "other patient" on top of the roof during Marion's accident — if it really was an accident, of course. For all we know, Bethany could've pushed her off the ledge. Or, at the very least, witnessed who did. (Maybe that's even why she was killed on the night of Ali's disappearance?)
A Helped Toby Discover The Truth
Though many details about Marion's death have still been left up in the air, the one person who played a big part in helping Toby piece bits of all this information together was actually A. But why? Was A just trying to mess with Toby's mind or was there a bigger incentive for having him discover the truth? We know that Charles and Bethany knew each other at Radley, so it stems to reason that Charles and Marion may have interacted as well. It's possible that A came to care about Marion and was upset that her cause of death was being covered up in such a way. Perhaps A was even a secret witness to the whole thing and has been trying to exact revenge ever since. Either way, A's interest in Marion could be the key to blowing both Charles and Bethany's stories wide open.
Marion May Be Connected To Jessica
There's no denying that Jessica and Marion definitely look like they could be sisters. And while this could just be the writers' way of messing with us, I think it could all end up leading to a much bigger plot twist — like the fact that Charles and Toby are actually related. Just saying!
Want to know what everyone else thinks about your favorite show? Watch the video below to see what people who have never seen PLL before think the series is about, try to guess A's identity, and more.
Images: Eric McCandless/ABC Family; Wifflegif; prettylittlesecrethints/Tumblr; screengrab; Giphy
