This article is about Mike Montgomery, a TV show character. You may be looking for Mike Montgomery (Book Character). |
“ | I'm going to make it up to you, okay? | ” |
— Mike to Aria
|
Mike Montgomery is Aria's younger brother. He is portrayed by Cody Allen Christian.
Biography
He suffered a lot as a result of his parents' divorce along with Aria, which involves several violent episodes. He also sneaks around his parents, keeping secrets that Aria is aware of in general, but not privy to. He also suffered chronic depression which seems to be under control now, with the help of a therapist and medication. Mike wasn't in any of the episodes of season 3. He and Aria have seemingly become closer in Season 4.
Series
Mike is first seen telling Ella Montgomery and Aria Montgomery that he needs a ride to lacrosse practice. He goes downstairs to search for his equipment. He complains to Ella that his stuff is in a hundred boxes and she suggests they look in the basement. After finding it, he leaves with Aria. When they arrive, he tells Aria what time to pick him up then goes to practice.
Mike comes home with Ella bringing Chinese takeout. Mike, Ella and Byron start eating while Aria goes upstairs to change her clothes.
Mike approaches Aria with his concern about Byron and Ella fighting, feeling vulnerable, but Aria tells him that it isn't their business. Later Aria makes dinner for the both of them and they watch TV together.
Mike deals with his parents separation badly and gets into a fist fight with another guy in the school hallways. Aria and Sean break up the fight, and Mike responds angrily to Aria, pushing her away.
At breakfast, Byron reveals that he and Ella have decided to see other people. Mike is angered by this and storms off.
To Aria's dismay, Mike starts hanging out with Noel after Aria has broken it off with Noel. Mike innocently reports that Noel is planning to out Mr. Fitz's relationship with a student—at the dinner table in front of a horrified Aria and her father, who reacts by scolding his son for making unsupported allegations that could ruin a man's career. Mike assures them that it is true as Noel said he saw them and was going to the principal's office the next day.
When Byron finds out that Aria has a secret relationship with a boy, he pries in Aria's room, looking for clues. He almost discovers the truth, but Ella stops him in an argument, overheard by Mike. When Aria returns home, Mike scolds her for keeping a secret from her parents that is causing them to fight again; he blames her for their fight. Things were starting to improve between their parents' relationship.
Even though Mike was the one who wanted his parents to get back together the most (and for Ella to come home), he is not contented with the situation and upset by how much has changed. Ironically, Aria is the one enjoying the return, not Mike.
Aria goes to find and pick up Mike at the basketball courts, as per her mother's request, but only finds Mike's "old" friends and even, Jason. His friends let her know that Mike hasn't been around in awhile, and Jason theorizes that Mike is doing things his family obviously wouldn't approve of.
When Mike comes home, he scares her by not speaking up when she asks who's there. She also confronts him about his lies, but he brushes her off, as he is not dealing with his transitioning family situation very well. Aria's dad picks up on Mike's abnormal behavior at home, but Aria denies what she knows, having been threatened by Mike that he would tell their parents that she has been hanging out with her friends which her parents temporarily forbid her to do because of the attention the town gives to the girls. Jason watches Mike trying to break into his house and brings him home, without calling the police, saying that there have been enough police around that house (it was the DiLaurentis' old home). When Aria begins lecturing Mike about breaking into people's house, he says he will return all the stuff he stole from Emily's garage if it makes her happy. Aria pauses, and then begins to figure it out, asking him if he's the one who body-checked her in the Hastings's house. He admits that he was, saying he felt really bad about it.
Officer Barry comes to the Montgomery residence to reveal that Mike had been arrested for breaking and entering. When his parents pick him up, Mike avoids his parents questions by walking away silently. Byron tries to force explanations out of his son, but Ella stops him, letting Mike go into the car so that she can talk to her husband. She argues that talking to him while being angry won't help their cause. Obviously, Mike's behavior is indicative of a bigger problem, which they need to discover, and they won't be any closer at finding out what it is if they lash out at him.
When Mike comes home, Aria accuses him of stealing from Jenna, but she is thrown for a loop when he tells her it was stolen from Garrett Reynolds' (or as Mike calls him "Officer McFriendly") place; he claims to have actually stolen from a cop because he was looking for a gun. Aria is skeptical, but Mike assures her that he vividly remembers stealing the piece from Garrett's place, not Jenna's.
Mike's behavior closely mirrors that of someone who is clinically depressed. He sleeps in his room in the middle of the day and is barely communicative with his parents when they speak to him (or to anyone in general). He has fallen out of touch with his friends and no longer engages in the activities that he used to, having abandoned lacrosse and basketball altogether. Ella finds out from Mike's school teachers that Mike does not seem to "be there" when in class, that he's completely checked out, probably because he is no longer able to concentrate. Ella's approach is to give Mike time and space until he is ready to communicate with them, but Byron wants a hardline approach and wants to force Mike to attend school sooner and behave properly again. When he visits Mike's room, he is shocked to find him in bed with the door locked. He scolds his son for breaking the rules by locking the door, but doesn't mention Mike's attending school the way he had planned. Later, Byron reveals to Ella his concern that Mike is behaving the way that his brother Scott did...Did Scott commit suicide? Scott's fate is left vague, but Ella firmly denies the comparison, and the parents are left troubled by their son's confusing behavior.
It is revealed that Mike has been diagnosed with teen depression. His father believes that medication is the correct form of treatment, but Ella insists on him speaking to a psychologist. While Byron is at Hollis, Aria goes into Mike's room to tell him to go downstairs. Mike gets annoyed and tries to shoo her away, but she refuses to leave, trying to reason with Mike to open up to his family. Then Ella comes in to insist that Mike turn off his computer and make dinner. She firmly shuts the computer, but Mike gets violent, tries to get the computer back, and leaves his mother with a bruise from the quarrel before angrily walking away. Ella insists that Aria keep the shocking incident a secret from her father.
Later, Mike is again alone in his room. Aria passes and sees that her brother is teary-eyed. He confesses to being worried about his mother and later goes downstairs to face the family, outwardly apologetic for the first time in a while. Aria has also informed her parents that Mike's break in that led to his arrest was not the first isolated incident.
After Ezra and Aria come clean about their relationship to her parents, Mike punches him in the jaw causing him to bleed and leave immediately. Later, he apologizes to Aria for punching him. He tells her that he did it only because he was scared Byron might do it first. He also shows her an escape route so that she can go to the greenhouse to meet the other Liars.
Although Mike didn't physically appear during season 3, he was mentioned by Byron, Ella and Aria during several episodes.
A photo of Mike was seen in this episode.
Ella wants to go to Europe, but tells Aria that she has decided not to go to Austria with Zack, and reveals that Mike is not comfortable with Ella leaving. Aria talks to Mike at her house about Ella going to Europe. They begin to fight and Mike says that Aria only wants her gone so that she can get back with Ezra. Aria pushes Mike in response and runs off.Byron tells Ella that he’s spoken to Mike and that it is time for Ella to enjoy herself. Since they have always wanted to go to Europe and Ella has always done things for everyone else, Byron tells her to take the opportunity and go and that he will be fine with Aria and Mike.
A new guy that works at the Brew breaks something, and Aria goes over to help him. He is Connor, who is friends with Mike. Connor asks Aria to help him with his English paper, to which Aria hesitantly agrees. Aria helps Connor with his paper but is interrupted by Mike, who seems mad. He leaves the house. Next day, in the school, Mike tells Aria that Connor is telling everyone that she and Connor hooked up and Mike believes him. Later that day Aria lies in bed crying. She has been getting text messages from boys at her school about the incident. Mike approaches her and says that he should have known that Connor was lying and apologizes. He tells her that he'll make it up to her and they hug.
After Connor's car is whacked like a Pinta. He's the main suspect and is almost expelled from school until point is brought up by Ezra that nobody has proof that Mike 'did it'
Mike gets back on lacrosse team good graces which worries Aria.Appearances (21/120)
Season 1 (6/22)
- Pilot
- The Jenna Thing
- Reality Bites Me
- The Homecoming Hangover
- Know Your Frenemies
- Someone to Watch Over Me
Season 2 (8/25)
- Blind Dates
- The Devil You Know
- Surface Tension
- Save The Date
- Picture This
- I Must Confess
- Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares
- Father Knows Best
Season 4 (7/24)
- Gamma Zeta Die!
- Under The Gun
- Crash and Burn, Girl!
- The Guilty Girl's Handbook
- Bite Your Tongue
- Free Fall
- Cover For Me
Book Comparisons
- In the show, Mike acts out due to his parents' problems. In the books, this never happens.
- In the books, Mike dates Hanna. In the show, they only had a short fling.
- In the books, Mike is known as popularity-obsessed and dirty-minded younger brother of Aria. In the show, Mike has completely different personality and was never seen trying to become popular.
- In the books, Mike and Noel are really good friends, but in the show they are only seen talking to each other once.
Quotes
Mike: Is mom gonna be okay? Aria: Yes. Mike: Am I? |
Mike: This is so you, dad. You lie and you cheat, but you draw the line at hypocrisy. |
Mike: Aria, I know what I stole and I know where I stole it from. |
Jake [about Mike]: Mike's a great guy. He's got his struggles, but he's working on 'em. I think he can take care of himself. |
Notes
- Originally, Igor Hudacek was cast as Mike Montgomery, but after a trial version of "Pilot" was filmed, Mike was re-casted as Cody Allen Christian. A promo picture had even been released with Igor posing as Mike before the recasting decision was made.