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Theories About Rollins' Past On 'PLL'

by Kaitlin Reilly

If you thought Charlotte's crazy Big A reveal was the most mind-blowing twist that Pretty Little Liars could offer, well, think again. Though the Season 6A finale was absolutely bananas in its own right, I think it's safe to say that few fans could have expected the pieces of this TV puzzle to fit together in the way that they did in the Season 6B finale. In the Season 6B finale, Pretty Little Liars finally revealed that Alison's mom Jessica has a twin named Mary Drake, and that Mary definitely isn't the nice aunt that Ali might have hoped for. In fact, Mary is out for revenge against the DiLaurentis family — but it's her partner in crime that made fans' jaws really drop. Ali's husband Dr. Rollins is Mary's ally, and according to Mary, "the only man [Charlotte] has ever loved." The doctor and his one-time patient are definitely a couple, but how did Charlotte and Rollins actually meet? Not all might be as it appears.

Though Rollins' betrayal was shocking, hindsight is 20/20, and there were definitely signs that Charlotte and Rollins were closer than previously expected. For one thing, Rollins definitely pushed for Charlotte's release, and I'm not so sure that a psychiatrist who knew Charlotte kidnapped five girls and killed a police officer would be all gung-ho for her release a mere five years later. Then there's the bigger red flag: the fact that, when Ali told Charlotte about Rollins, Ali said that Charlotte felt "betrayed."

Fortunately, showrunner I. Marlene King told Zap2It that Season 7 will give us all the answers about Charlotte's relationship with Rollins:

I said at the end of Season 5 that the Charlotte story wasn’t over, that we still had some mythology to come and now we’re going to answer a lot of that with Dr. Rollins and Mary... We will find out the whole story of when [Elliot and Charlotte] met and how and who and where and what.

But how, exactly, did Charlotte and Rollins meet? Here are just a few theories to hold us over:

1. Wren Introduced Charlotte And Rollins

We haven't seen Wren in a long time, but every so often, the show likes to remind us of his existence. In Season 6B, it was revealed that Charlotte called Wren and seemingly told him some shady things about his then-girlfriend Melissa, leading to their breakup. Clearly, Charlotte and Wren had a deeper relationship than PLL initially led fans to believe — so, him having introduced Charlotte to the potential love of her life could be in the cards. It's worth noting that Rollins has been hiding an English accent this entire time, which could have been a way to keep his connection to Wren a secret. Perhaps Wren and Rollins are brothers, or longtime friends, and Rollins developed an affection for Wren's patient.

2. Rollins Met Charlotte As A Patient In Radley

Rollins tricking Ali into falling head over heels for him only to gaslight her so badly that she checks herself into a mental institution can only be the work of a seriously disturbed individual. Rollins could have been a patient at Radley a long time ago, and fell in love with Charlotte when they were both under lock and key. Rollins could have left Radley after Charlotte and helped her with the A game, which might explain how Charlotte was able to be "everywhere and nowhere."

3. Rollins Met Charlotte When She Was In Europe

Rollins is British, and we know that Charlotte spent some time in Paris before heading back to Rosewood. Perhaps Charlotte and Rollins fell in love when she was running away from the police, and when it was time for Charlotte to head back to Rosewood, Rollins joined her under an assumed identity. When Charlotte finally got caught, Rollins made sure that he was assigned as a doctor on her case so that they could spend ample time together.

4. Rollins Fell In Love With Charlotte As Her Doctor

The relationships on Pretty Little Liars are often... atypical (um, Aria dating her English teacher come to mind?) so it wouldn't be that shocking if Charlotte became romantically involved with her doctor. Charlotte and Rollins could have begun a courtship while she was still in the mental institution, with Charlotte assuming that they would be together when she got out of the hospital. Maybe Rollins had that plan, too, but first wanted to make sure that he secured the DiLaurentis fortune — hence teaming up with Mary and dating Ali on the side.

Charlotte and Rollins definitely have one of the most mysterious relationships on this show, so here's hoping that the series makes how they really know one another yet another crazy reveal.

For more on Pretty Little Liars, check out Bustle's very own PLL podcast, Taking This One To The Grave:

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