| This article is about Emily Fields, a TV show character. You may be looking for Emily Fields (Book Character). |
| “ | If lying was a crime, we'd all be in jail. | ” |
— Emily to Spencer
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Emily "Em" Catherine Fields is one of the Liars and main protagonist of Pretty Little Liars on Freeform. She is portrayed by Shay Mitchell.
A loyal and kind girl who had a secret love for her best friend Alison DiLaurentis, Emily had a rough time in the group and was singled out by Alison for being a closeted lesbian. She became the star swimmer on Rosewood's swim team. After fighting against "A" and her imitators, she became a strong, determined and hard-working girl, managing to have that confidence in herself.
Biography
Emily Catherine Fields is the daughter of a formerly deployed veteran, Wayne Fields and his wife, Pam Fields. She grew up in Rosewood and was a talented swimmer from a young age. At some point during in junior high she befriended the beautiful queen bee Alison DiLaurentis and earned a spot in her popular posse, with Spencer Hastings, Aria Montgomery, and Hanna Marin. The group became known as The Liars to other people. The five girls, Alison, Spencer, Aria, and Emily, were inseparable. She was always shy and introverted and often avoided talking about her love life.
After Alison's mysterious disappearance, Emily reverted back to her shy and introverted person. A year later, the mysterious "A" arrived and knew about Emily's conflicted feelings regarding her sexuality. She met Maya St. Germain who helped Emily come to terms with her sexuality. The two even dated for several months.
When Emily came out, her parents, especially her mother, struggled to cope with their daughter's new identity and their conflicting moral beliefs. Her friends were supportive of her from the beginning, especially Hanna. Her parents eventually accepted her and her sexuality, as well as her than-girlfriend, Maya. In the meantime, Emily and her friends struggled to unmask their tormentor, "A". Shortly after, Maya was suddenly murdered, and Emily spiraled into self-destruction. She spent her Summer overseas building homes for the less fortunate while drinking away her grief.
When Emily returned for Senior year, her wits were instantly tested when a new "A" arrived, taking Mona Vanderwaal's place. This new "A" viewed her as the weakest link due to her kind and easily-trusting nature.
Emily later met fellow swim-team member, Paige McCullers, who was a closeted lesbian. Emily helped Paige cope with her sexuality and come out to her father. Emily dated a few girls throughout high school, including Sabrina, Samara Cook, and on-and-off-again relationship with Paige. She soon discovered that Alison was still alive, which lead Alison to confide in Emily. She helped Alison to return to Rosewood, which strained her relationship with Paige. Paige and Emily eventually broke up when Paige moved away. In the meantime, Emily continued to grow closer to Alison, as she felt she had to protect her friend.
After Alison was arrested for the murder of Mona Vanderwaal, the police arrested Emily and her friends for accessories to the murder. They were kidnapped while being transferred to a prison, and brought to A's Dollhouse. Emily and her friends were tortured by A for weeks. After being rescued by Alison, Emily drifted from her friends and her kind and trusting persona were gone. She became guarded and wanted to use a firearm to protect herself. She gradually came to terms with the torture that she endured and worked tirelessly with her friends to expose "A" and put an end to the torment once and for all. On the day of prom, "A" kidnapped Alison and lured Emily and the Liars to a vault where they witnessed the reveal of Charlotte DiLaurentis as "A".
She graduated from Rosewood High School and attended Pepperdine University. During her college years, Wayne Fields died due to complications with his ongoing heart condition. His death caused Emily to spiral and drop out of school. She spent her inheritance on alcohol and drowned herself in grief. She lied to her mother and friends about being enrolled in college. She faked her graduation picture and returned home where she kept up her slew of lies. When she finally admitted her faults, she chose to make it right and go back to school.
Personality
Emily has a large heart filled with compassion, kindness, empathy, and loyalty. Alison described her as being able to see the good in people and the light in the world. As a teenager, Emily was shy and introverted, and never really dated anyone. Out of her friend group, Emily is the most caring, sweet and loyal. She cares deeply about her friends and would do anything to keep them safe.
Emily became aware of her sexuality when she befriended Alison DiLaurentis toyed with her emotions and impulses. Alison would lead Emily on only to pull away and chastise her for liking girls, which heavily affected Emily. She lacked a sense of identity for years, which made her accommodating to other people's needs. Her lack of courage stopped her from standing up to Alison, however, she would often support Spencer when the latter confronted Alison. Even after Alison's disappearance, Emily suppressed her feelings for women until she finally came out. After coming out, she felt liberated but was wary of her mother's reaction. She felt embarrassed and the need to hide her relationship with her girlfriend for the comfort of her mother. When Pam accepted Emily, she was able too fully accepted herself and be in a committed relationship.
After Maya's murder, Emily spiraled and became depressed, cynical, and detached. She began drinking to cope with her grief and pushed those around her away. Emily killed Lyndon James in self-defense after he lured her to his cabin and threatened to murder both Emily and her then-girlfriend, Paige. She expressed little-to-no empathy over Lyndon's death but felt an immense sense of guilt for her injured friend who was caught in the crossfire.
After coming to terms with Maya's death and dealing with the escalation of A, Emily became more confident and developed a sense of identity. Her fierce protectiveness over her friends and loved ones escalated, and she became confrontational. Emily never starts arguments on her own accord, though she now has confidence in expressing herself. The morals her parents taught her were tested throughout the years, but Emily always tried to stay true to her own beliefs.
Emily suffered a great deal of psychological and emotional trauma after being kidnapped by A. After Emily and her friends' rescue, Emily expressed compassion and kindness for another girl who was held captive. However, her compassion soon turned to a fierce protectiveness and eventually, anger towards those around her. She struggled to feel safe or protected until A revealed herself to the group. During her college years, Emily's father died which caused her to spiral completely out of control and drop out of school to drown in grief. She lied to her mother and friends about still being enrolled in college. When she finally admitted her lies, she did everything she could to make it right. As an adult, Emily is hard-working, caring, and loving towards her wife and daughters. Her kind heart and ability to see the good in people continues to guide her through life, even though her past still haunts her.
Physical Appearance
Emily has a slightly round-oval face with full lips and deep set hooded eyes. Her dark brown hair, which is usually worn down, compliments her olive complexion. She has an athletic body type, as she used to be a swimmer. She is the simplest dresser and wears minimal makeup. Her charming smile adds to her persona. In season 7 she starts to wear more make up and less simple clothes.
Series
Pretty Little Liars
The Perfectionists
In "Pilot", two-years have passed since the reveal of A.D. Emily and Alison have since gotten married and are still co-parents to their twin daughters. However, they still struggle to move beyond their complicated past. While they love each other and remain married, it has become hard for them to trust one another and figure out who they are without 'A'.
In "The Ghost Sonata", Alison received papers from the Rosewood county family and law courts. She ignored the papers along with the influx of missed calls and texts from Emily. When Mona finally confronted Alison, she explained that she saw a picture of Emily and the girls on Instagram that morning. Emily wasn't wearing her wedding ring, which she assumed meant that she had moved on. Mona helped her realize that if she had moved across the country she must have known how this was going to end, to which Alison admitted to convincing herself that Beacon Heights was the fresh start she thought would help her marriage. A few days later, she texted Emily that she was sorry for having avoided her, but the last step had been really hard for her. She then tearfully signed the divorce papers and removed her wedding ring, setting it on the papers as she cried. She looked solemnly at a picture of her, Emily, and the twins on her mantle.
Appearances
Pretty Little Liars (160/160)
Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists
- Pilot (Mentioned and pictures)
- The Ghost Sonata (Mentioned and pictures)
Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin
- Chapter Fifteen: Friday the 13th (Name only)
Relationships
Alison DiLaurentis: Divorced. (See "Emison") Alison was Emily's childhood crush and the first girl she truly loved, though she didn't have the chance to tell Alison before her disappearance. Alison favored Emily in their friend group, and often spoke of running away to Paris together. They shared what Alison called "practice kisses". Alison saved her from a barn fire and confided that she missed Emily the most before kissing her. When Alison returned from her abduction with Emily's help, the girls grew closer and eventually slept together. While their relationship endured many ups and downs in the years that followed, they always found their way back to one another either as friends or hookups. Alison's refusal to accept her bisexuality and inability to process her feelings for Emily often drove them apart. Through the help of Emily's ex-girlfriend, Alison realized that she loved Emily and wanted to be with her. With this realization, Alison admitted her true feelings and they began a relationship. However, when A.D. impregnated Alison with Emily's eggs, they faced a new obstacle on whether or not to become mothers after this extreme violation of consent. Emily was supportive of Alison's choices both when she thought about an abortion and when she decided to keep the child. Two years later, the women were mothers to twin daughters Lily and Grace. Alison later proposed to Emily and they wed shortly after. Their relationship remained rocky as Emily struggled to cope with their pasts and accept that Alison had truly changed from the viscous mean girl she once was. This drove them apart, which is why Allison eventually decided to take the job in Beacon Heights, she later received divorce papers from Emily. Dispite this, the two decided by mutual agreement, to continue raising their twins together as a family. Also by mutual agreement, the two decided to start seeing other people, once their divorce was finalized.
Ben Coogan: Broken Up. (See "Bemily") Ben was Emily's first and only boyfriend during high school. Their relationship was unstable from the beginning and abruptly ended when Ben tried to have sex with Emily in the girls' locker room. After their breakup, Ben continued to try and win Emily back, however, she realized she was a lesbian and never spoke to Ben again.
Maya St. Germain: Broken up. (See "Emaya") Maya was Emily's first girlfriend and first real love. They became friends when Maya moved into Alison DiLaurentis's old house. The girls grew close as time passed before they had their first kiss in a photo booth. Emily wouldn't accept that she was gay which forced the pair to separate until Emily finally accepted her lesbianism. Now an out and proud couple, Emily and Maya dated, had sex, and were marvelously happy together. Emily often struggled with PDA in front of her parents due to their slow acceptance of Emily being gay. When Emily was unable to swim due to an injury, Maya decorated her room to match the water. They broke up when Maya was sent to juvenile camp, but reconciled upon her return, despite the secrets between them. Maya was ultimately murdered by her camp stalker and her murder sent Emily down a spiral of drunkenness and depression. She found tapes that Emily had made where she spoke how being with Emily made her feel as though time stood still. Emily avenged Maya's death with the stabbing of Lyndon James after her kidnapping, and was able to accept Maya's death and move on.
Paige McCullers: Broken Up. (see "Paily") Paige was Emily's first relationship about Maya's death, and her second official girlfriend. Paige was still closeted during their initial encounters, and they were competitors on the swim team. Paige even went as far as threatening Emily by almost drowning her. However, these actions stemmed from Paige's own lesbianism and inability to accept her sexuality due to her religious father. Paige abruptly kissed Emily in a parking lot but told her not to tell. Unwilling to be forced back into the closet, Emily put off a romantic relationship with Paige, though lead to believe she would come out eventually, something that ultimately broke them up. Paige slowly came out of the closet at her own pace and the pair reconciled, sang karaoke together, and began to go on public dates. Emily trusted Paige with her life and secrets, as their relationship grew stronger and healthier. Emily even told her about A and saved Paige's life when they were kidnapped by a deranged stalker. However, Paige learned that Emily kept the secret of Alison DiLaurentis being alive, and urged Emily to end the communication, as Paige harbored resentment toward Alison for years of bullying. Emily learned that Paige told the police about Alison being alive and felt her trust had been betrayed, effectively ending their relationship. After time passed, Emily sought to speak with Paige about their relationship which led to a reconciliation. They planned to attend colleges together and travel after graduation. When A's antics continued raged on in Rosewood, Paige's parents decided to move to California and Paige agreed to move with them. This was last time Emily saw Paige for roughly five years. They caught up with one another in Rosewood when Paige returned as an adult to pursue a career at Rosewood High School, and they became colleagues. They re-started their relationship and remained strong. Though Paige grew paranoid with Emily's actions and sought to protect her. She noticed the closeness between Emily and Alison, which made her jealous and they both sunk into old habits of lying and harboring secrets. Paige later learned of Alison's pregnancy and that Alison was in love with Emily. She emotionally decided to leave Rosewood.
Samara Cook: Briefly Dated. (See "Emara") Emily had a brief relationship with Samara that was focused on Emily reaching another level of acceptance in her sexuality. Samara was a member of a LGBTQ+ group and help integrate Emily into that world. She also made jewelry and would give Emily gifts. Their short-lived relationship soured when Emily was blackmailed by "A" into giving her number to Samara's friend, Zoey. Samara asked for a reasoning behind Emily's actions but when Emily couldn't give one, Samara ended things and told her to talk to her after coming up with "a reason" for her actions. The conversation never happened.
Talia Sandoval: Kissed and Briefly Dated. (See "Emalia") Emily and Talia met when Talia was hired at The Brew by Ezra. Emily initially disliked Talia as she thought Ezra's hiring of her was due to his lack of faith in Emily. As they butted heads over the changes in uniforms and dishes, they slowly grew closer and shared flirtious moments. Emily finally kissed Talia, though they shared a second kiss a few days later in the spot where Talia would of had her first kiss. They began a relationship though decided to take things slow due to Talia having a husband and being rather new to the exploration of her sexuality. When Emily talked to Talia's husband she learned that Talia being into girls was "just an experiment" and ended things with Talia.
Sara Harvey: Kissed and briefly dated. (See "Sarily") After their harrowed escape from A's Dollhouse, Emily was shocked to learn that the mysterious Sara Harvey had also been imprisoned there. Emily sought answers from Sarah and helped her cope through the trauma she endured. She also let Sara stay at her house after her mothers neglect forced her to run away again. Emily saw Sara as someone who understood what happened at the Dollhouse. When she learned that "A" had microchipped each of their prisoners, she returned to her bed to check if Sara was also chipped. This awakened the girl and they made out. Their relationship was a whirlwind of pushing boundaries, coping with trauma, and letting one another in. Emily helped Sara reconnect with her former friends from before she went missing. She genuinely fell for Sara and they went to prom together. Their blissful status crashed down when Emily learned the truth - Sara was never kidnapped by Charlotte, but worked with her from the beginning as Red Coat and The Black Widow. Sara trapped Emily and her friends in A's technological monitoring room and nearly blew them up at Radley Sanitarium. After the near explosion was averted, Emily saw Sara who tried to speak with her, though Emily punched her in the face. Five-years-later, their paths crossed again though they never dated.
Trivia
- Out of the four Liars, Emily's parents have the most stable relationship, neither having cheated on the other before.
- Also out of the four liars, Emily arguably has the best relationship with her father.
- Emily is the most sensitive out of the four girls.
- Emily tends to show a great deal of compassion and empathy for people who are outcasts or act suspiciously.
- Emily comes face to face with "A" during Season 2, although she does not see A's identity.
- Emily is the second person to be seen drunk, after Wren.
- Emily was a competitive swimmer until she blew out her shoulder.
- Emily has received 25 individual messages from "A", plus 21 messages sent to all 4 girls.
- She is the second Liar to be "visited" by Alison, which was in the Season 2 episode, Over My Dead Body, the first one being Hanna.
- She is a lesbian, unlike the other Liars.
- Emily is the character that appears to have shown the most growth in the show.
- Emily used to be considered the "weakest link" by A, but now she's arguably the bravest and strongest of the four girls.
- Emily was born in November 1993. Her birthday is the only one to have been celebrated.
- Emily is the oldest liar, and the only one born in 1993.
- Emily is Filipino, Korean, Irish and Scottish as mentioned in Gamma Zeta Die!.
- Emily's favourite holiday is Christmas as mentioned in Taking This One to the Grave.
- While the girls were being held by A in the dollhouse they were forced a series of games as explained by Hanna. One of these games was that the girl sitting in the chair must pick a switch with another girls face under it and that liar would suffer. If they didn't pick one they would all suffer. Emily went for the right switch with Spencer's picture meaning she picked her to suffer.
- She is the liar with the least amount of screen time, with 2652 minutes (44 hours), over 155 minutes behind Hanna (third place).
- Emily is the third of The Liars who lost her virginity - she had sex for the first time with Maya St. Germain in "A Kiss Before Lying".
- The first was Alison who lost her virginity even before "Pilot".
- The second was Hanna who lost her virginity to Caleb Rivers in "A Person of Interest".
- The fourth was Aria who lost her virginity to Ezra Fitz in "If These Dolls Could Talk".
- The fifth was Spencer who lost her virginity to Toby Cavanaugh in "The Lady Killer".
- Emily is the fourth of The Liars who got married - she married Alison DiLaurentis between "'Til Death Do Us Part" and "Pilot (Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists)".
- The first was also Alison who married "Elliott Rollins" in "We've All Got Baggage".
- The second was also Hanna who married Caleb Rivers in "Choose or Lose".
- The third was Aria who married Ezra Fitz in "'Til Death Do Us Part".
- The fifth was also Spencer whose secret wedding with Toby Cavanaugh was revealed in "Sex, Lies and Alibis".
- Emily is the first of The Liars who killed someone - she killed Lyndon James in self-defense in "The Lady Killer". She also killed Noel Kahn in self-defense in "The DArkest Knight".
- The second was Aria who killed Shana Fring defending Alison, Spencer, Hanna and Emily in "EscApe From New York".
- The third was Mona who killed Charlotte DiLaurentis in self-defense in "Of Late I Think Of Rosewood" (which was revealed in "Farewell, My Lovely").
- The fourth was Hanna who accidentally killed Archer Dunhill in "The Talented Mr. Rollins".
Book Comparisons
- Emily is bisexual in the books but lesbian in the series.
- Emily becomes pregnant and gives the baby up for adoption, a plot that doesn't happen in the show.
- In the books she's white, has strawberry blonde hair that is tinted green from chlorine. and hazel/green eyes. In the TV series, she's Asian-American, has black-brown hair, and dark brown eyes.
- In the books Emily loses her virginity to Isaac, however in the show she loses it to Maya.
- In the books, Emily is sent to Iowa to live with her Aunt Helene, Uncle Allen and six cousins after her parents learn Emily' sexuality. In the show, Maya's parent send her to to a rehabilitation camp after finding marijuana in her room.
- In the books, Emily dated a guy named Isaac. No such character exists in the show.
- In the books, Emily gets pregnant with Isaac's baby and gives up her baby for adoption but in the show no such thing happens.
- In the books Emily has brief relationships/flings with Trista Taylor and Kelsey Pierce, however, she realizes she really loves Jordan Richards. In the show, none of these characters exist.
- In the books A sends Emily to an Amish community to 'help' her on the search for Ali's killer. In the TV show, it is Hanna and Aria who visit the Amish community, not Emily.
- In the books, Emily starts to work as Santa in the mall to spy on 'The Merry Elves', a group of girls accused of stealing Christmas decorations. This didn't occur in the show.
- Emily seems much more naive in the books than she is on the TV show.
- In the show, Emily's fist kiss is with Alison, but in the books, it is with Courtney, who is posing as her sister Alison.
- In the books Emily attempts suicide and fakes her own suicide (in order to find Ali) - in the show none of this happens.
- In the books it is Emily who finally finds Alison, in the show it is more of a joint effort between all of the Liars.
Quotes
Toby: Notice how much we keep saying "sorry" to each other. Emily: Sorry. |
Spencer: You taking something for the pain? Emily: Yeah, but nothing that dulls my mother. |
Emily [about Alison]: I loved her as more than a friend. |
Emily: If lying was a crime, we'd all be in jail. |
Hanna: Is this a gay thing? Emily: No. It's a brain thing. |
Emily: Can we get out of here? My goosebumps are getting goosebumps. |
Emily: Guys, I don't trust Melissa as far as I can throw her and Ian's fetus. |
Aria: What should wear? I have to look insanely sophisticated for this. Emily: How about a "Hello Kitty" t-shirt? |
Emily: Lying to Toby is like lying to the Dalai Lama. |
Spencer: Senior year is supposed to be best year of life, did you know that it? Emily: Yeah, if you survive it. |
Emily: Look, I don't want to be the person who ends up with a mushy squash. Paige: Are you drunk? |
Emily [to Ezra]: Will you make sure a real teacher gets this? |
Emily: Ruin one of us, ruin all of us. |
Paige [about her parents]: They want me somewhere safe. Emily: California has earthquakes. |
Emily: Never say never. Hanna: Ok, thanks Pam. Emily: Hey! |
Gallery
 Emily Fields has a photo gallery. |
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References
- ↑ The character ages reflect the last time the audience sees them in Season 7.
- ↑ I. Marlene King has Tweeted that she wanted Emison to get back together after their divorce in The Perfectionists, however, this was never shown onscreen. "Emison" is still canonically divorced.