What Could A.D. Stand For On 'PLL'?

Sadly, Pretty Little Liars is officially ending after Season 7B — but, thankfully, there is a silver lining to this news. There are so many unanswered questions on Pretty Little Liars that are finally going to be acknowledged in the next 10 episodes. I'm talking questions like who killed Charlotte, the truth behind Spencer's parentage, and, most importantly, who Uber A, aka A.D., really is. Considering the latter is likely the biggest question in Pretty Little Liars history apart from "who is 'A'?" — after all, A.D.'s identity has been top priority since the Liars received their first A.D. text in Season 6B — the Liars figuring out A.D.'s true identity will likely close out the season. However, while the biggest question might be who is A.D., it's not the only question about this mysterious torturer. Another biggie, for instance: What does A.D. actually stand for on Pretty Little Liars ?

It's a mystery wrapped inside another mystery, and there's a real chance viewers won't find out exactly what A.D. stands for until A.D.'s identity is revealed. However, that doesn't mean fans can't narrow down all the of the suspects while they wait, even if it's just by considering what the potential initials (if that's what they are) could really stand for. Here are some options for the meaning behind the two-letter name:

1. It Stands For "A. Drake"

At one point, the believed that A.D. stood for "A. Drake," aka, Mary's second child. Though we know that Mary did, in fact, have another kid after Charlotte, Mary told the Liars in the Season 7A finale that it was Spencer who was that baby. As far as viewers know, Spencer definitely isn't A.D., but that doesn't mean that A.D. standing for a member of the Drake family is totally off the table. Perhaps Mary had a third child and that kid is A.D., or perhaps its Charlotte's unseen father (who could also go by the last name Drake) — there are a lot of possibilities here.

2. They're Initials For A Member Of The DiLaurentis Family

The Big A twist already revealed the existence of a secret DiLaurentis sibling, sure — but that doesn't mean that the show won't go there again with the reveal of A.D.'s identity. Perhaps Big A is another relative of Alison's who is somehow related to Alison's father, Kenneth — or perhaps they're yet another secret sibling that Alison and Jason had no idea existed. Though the show doesn't make a habit of following any plots from Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars book series, it was revealed in them that Alison had a secret identical twin all along — so, could the Liars finally meet a long-rumored Ali twin?

3. It Stands For Alison DiLaurentis

Some fans have long suspected that Alison was really the mastermind behind this whole A game, as she was in Sara Shepard's book series. Though, again, the books played out totally different than the TV seems to be, it's worth wondering if maybe Alison hasn't really changed as much as she claims to have. Of course, if Alison is A.D., the series has a lot of explaining to do.

4. It's Mona's Code Name

Mona snuck into Radley using the fake moniker "Ali Dee." Then, when she was thrown in the dollhouse, she was forced to dress like Alison. Could Mona have decided to play the A game once again, and assume Alison's identity by choice?

5. It's A Code That Means The Person Is Dead

Could A.D. mean "after death," which would imply that the person torturing the Liars this time around is someone they (and viewers) believe to be dead? Like, perhaps, Charlotte?

6. It Means "Avenging Death"

It's possible that A.D. doesn't have a mysterious meaning at all. Maybe, it stands for the unnamed torturer's motivations. We know that A.D. was interested in finding out who really killed Charlotte, so perhaps whoever it is decided to go by these initials in order to demonstrate that they were avenging her death.

Of course, though we can all theorize as much as we want, no one will truly find out the meaning behind A.D.'s name — as well as A.D.'s identity — until Season 7B premieres in April 2017.

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