There Might Be More To Mr. Hastings On 'PLL'

It goes without saying that Pretty Little Liars has its fair share of shady characters. From mysterious oddballs like Lyndon James and Mrs. Grunwald, to trusted staples like Ezra and Toby, it's hard to know exactly who we and the liars can trust. But if there's one character who's not getting nearly as much attention as he should, it's Spencer's father, Peter Hastings. Think about it: Virtually every character has been caught in one lie or another at some point over the past five seasons. It doesn't matter if the lies are huge or inconsequential — they're there and they're important in their own ways. But Mr. Hastings' lies have not only been massive, they've affected almost every character in the show in some way. First there was the time Mr. Hastings tried to shut down Radley because he thought it was "outdated" — and it almost destroyed Toby's investigation into his mother's death. And, of course, there was the lie that changed everything: Mr. Hastings' affair with Jessica DiLaurentis, which resulted in Jason DiLaurentis being born.

Now, with the theory that Charles, aka Big A, is Jason's twin, it's time for us to take a deeper look into some of the theories out there surrounding Mr. Hastings' involvement in the show's plot. Is he just a father trying to protect his children? Or does he know more than he's letting on? Here are the best theories about Spencer's father that are swirling around the Internet, all in one place for your viewing and learning pleasure.

It's Mr. Hastings' Fault That Charles Became Big A

Tumblr user thebestplltheories posits the idea that Charles is the result of a second affair between Mr. Hastings and Jessica DiLaurentis, but was not exactly met with the same reception as Jason was. The theory states that Mr. Hastings wanted Jessica to get rid of the second pregnancy, and when she wouldn't, he essentially commanded that she keep him a secret. This left Charles feeling neglected and unloved as a child, leading to the depression that landed him in Radley in the first place. There, he met Bethany, and when Bethany died, Charles sought revenge, becoming A. So, as this theorist sees it, if Mr. Hastings had never ignored Charles to begin with, he never would have become A. Talk about a complicated origin, story, am I right?

Mr. Hastings Is Ali's Real Father

Tumblr user rosewood-clues theorizes that Peter is both Jason and Ali's father, and all of those pictures that he had of her in his desk back in Season 2 weren't there because he hired a private investigator to find information on her possible death (which he later wrote off as trying to figure out whether or not Melissa was involved), but because she's his daughter. This theory also points out that Mr. Hastings is Ali's father in the books, but as we know, the books and the show aren't exactly the same.

The incident with the field hockey stick in Season 2 also supports the whole Mr-Hastings-Has-Tons-Of-Kids theory. Remember how Toby found a bloodied field hockey stick in the woods, and, in a flashback, we saw Ali carrying it? Well, Mr. Hastings then proceeded to bury it, proving that either he wanted to protect someone or he was guilty of murder (and I seriously doubt it's the latter).

Mr. Hastings Tried To Kill Ali, But It Doesn't Mean He's A

Facebook user Once Upon A Liar is convinced that, even though we don't know for sure who tried to kill Ali, it was a Hastings, and Peter is the likeliest suspect. The way the theory essentially goes is that he somehow found out that Ali knew about his affair with her mother, and in order to prevent her from telling people about it, he tried to kill her. Honestly, this theory is lengthy and includes a lot of clues, so it's worth a read-through. I don't think it's necessarily and important plot point for the show at the moment in comparison to things like the Old Campbell Farm and Andrew Campbell himself, but it could serve to put some things into context for us.

He's Hiding Another Twin — Spencer's Twin

Tumblr user analyzinga thinks that Mr. Hastings is hiding the biggest secret of all: Spencer's twin. Did you ever wonder where Ali came up that story from the first Halloween episode about the young girl who killed her twin? Some say that it was kind of paying homage to the whole Ali-having-a-twin thing from the books, but maybe Ali knows something about Spencer that Spencer doesn't. On the flip side, maybe no one except for Spencer's immediate family knows about said twin, and those chunks of time from the summer Ali disappeared aren't there because Spencer didn't do it — her twin did. This one seems a little out there, but I really don't think I can allow myself to be surprised by anything that happens on the show anymore.

Peter Hastings Is Big A

Because everyone has to be accused of being Big A at one point or another, right? Amanda Rayelle at gossipandgab.com has a five-point list to back up her thinking, and it's not so far off base, if I'm being completely honest. For one thing, Mr. Hastings has got a ton of money; A has a ton of money too, and we've always wondered where he got it from, so this could explain it. For another, this theory posits that, after he was unsuccessful with the aforementioned private investigator, he began tormenting the girls in hopes that they would eventually lead him to Ali. Would it be a little sick for the show's writers to have Spencer's father be the one torturing her and her friends? Yep. But I'm thoroughly convinced that the writers are a bunch of sick individuals, so I wouldn't put it past them.

Hopefully some of this will prove to be true when Pretty Little Liars Season 6 returns. It would be nice to see one of the many fan theories I've read over the past few years turn out to be true.

Images: Eric McCandless/ABC Family; Giphy (3); Rebloggy; little-lies-little-trust/Tumblr