For a show that prides itself on tip-toeing around the truth, Tuesday night's Pretty Little Liars episode "Songs of Experience" threw a very shocking detail into the mix when it was revealed that Charles was Jason's imaginary friend. But, of course, we and the Liars know that this person is no mere figment of Jason's imagination. Charles is very, very real, despite Mr. DiLaurentis' former protests to the contrary. So what happened then to make Charles "need to go away"? Unfortunately, we have no idea what Mr. D. told Ali and Jason during their little late-night chat, but if next week's promo is any indication, he seems to be under the assumption that Charles is actually dead. But is Mr. DiLaurentis lying about Charles' death or does he really believe this to be the truth?
At first, I immediately thought the latter since I would not put it past Mrs. DiLaurentis to keep a secret this massive from her husband. (This is a woman who puts the Liars' lying to shame.) However, we've also seen firsthand just how capable Mr. D. is at lying to his own daughter's face, which makes either option seem more than possible. But what if the answer isn't as black and white as all that? (And on this show, it rarely is.) What if the truth can be found in some gray area? Perhaps this guy is actually an innocent bystander like all the rest of us. (Unless you're A, that is. In which case, I'm onto you!)
OK, here's what I think… What if Kenneth knows that Charles is alive, but his motives for lying about it are actually pretty pure? We know that Charles is a master at two things: blackmailing and threats. Just look at how quickly he got the girls to refrain from saying his name to Dr. Sullivan after he threatened to harm Sara if they talked. Kenneth could be getting the same type of warnings if he were to come clean about what he knows.
Charles could be threatening to hurt Alison or Jason or any of the girls if he spills the beans. So by not telling the truth, Mr. D. could be saving their lives. (Hey, stranger things have happened on this show.) Alison's dad has been looking super guilty all season, which leads me to believe he's actually not the culprit we think he is. So yeah, maybe he is lying and maybe it is for different reasons — like the fact that he's ashamed of Charles and decided to ship him off to Radley, or who knows what else. But the point is, right now we just don't know for sure. So until then I'm going to give Mr. D. the benefit of the doubt for once and believe that this lie comes with good intentions.
Rosewood parents aren't known for being very reliant on this show. But maybe Mr. D. is the surprising exception to the rule.
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