Unpacking the crazy twist ending of ‘We Were Liars': What really happened?
We Were Liars dropped on Prime Video June 18, and while it features gorgeous beach houses, family drama and romantic tension à la The Summer I Turned Pretty, it's the jaw-dropping twist ending that is the buzziest thing about the series. As the Season 1 ending revealed, something horrible happened to 'Liars' Gat (Shubham Maheshwari), Mirren (Esther McGregor) and Johnny (Joseph Zada) — which is why Cadence (Emily Alyn Lind), the show's narrator, had to suppress it. (Warning: Obviously, major spoilers for We Were Liars follow!)
The ending won't come as a surprise to anyone who read E. Lockhart's novel of the same name, which follows the wealthy Sinclair family as they spend yet another summer on the fictional Beechwood Island. But even if you've read the novel, the story is still as heartbreaking as ever: What starts out as a summer of fun turns into the ultimate tragedy … with a supernatural twist.
When the series begins, Cadence, the eldest grandchild of the Sinclair family, is crushing on family friend Gat — a relationship that finally blooms during her 16th summer on Beechwood. She, Gat and her cousins Johnny and Mirren — nicknamed the 'Liars' by their family — initially enjoy weeks of summer fun. However, when Cadence's grandmother Tipper (Wendy Crewson) dies, things shift, and tensions over inheritance emerge between the parents and the powerful, wealthy grandfather Harris (David Morse).
The following year, which the show toggles back and forth between, reveals that something mysterious and terrible happened to the family in the final weeks of the previous summer. Cadence was in a some sort of accident at the end of her 16th summer that she can't remember, and none of the other Liars, nor her other family members, will tell her what happened. In fact, they didn't even visit her in the hospital — something they apologize for when she comes to spend the summer on Beechwood again.
Cadence is desperate to learn what happened to her, despite everyone warning her that she doesn't want to know. Even Cadence's own mind seems to be hiding the truth: Every time Cadence gets close to finding out what happened, she's hit with a migraine or worse, which is why her mother Penny (Caitlin FitzGerald) forbids her from seeking answers.
But as the summer progresses, memories surface, and Cadence starts to recall events from the previously forgotten summer. After a season of red herrings and wrong turns, Cadence's memories finally patch together, revealing what happened to her — and why.
Over the course of her 16th summer, Cadence saw her mother, Penny, as well as her aunts Bess (Candice King) and Carrie (Mamie Gummer) fight for their father's affection — and, ultimately, money, as each woman had squandered their trust fund over the years and needed financial help.
Seeing how the women fought over the heirlooms Harris dangled over their heads, the Liars decided to do something to end the squabbling. Cadence, who spent the season checking her privilege after deepening her relationship with Gat, came up with a plan.
One night, while the Liars were alone on the island, they decided to burn down Harris's mansion, Clairmont. Their hope was that destroying Clairmont would force their mothers to see that family — not things —is what's most important. And since it was only the Liars on the island, they thought they could get away with arson without anyone getting hurt.
Cadence led the charge to burn down Clairmont. While the Liars had a plan, they didn't foresee the things that would keep them tied up in the house — like getting distracted by the very same objects that their mothers were fighting over. Cadence, for example, went back for her deceased grandmother's pearls — something she feels terribly guilty about and struggles to even explain.
While Cadence was able to get out of the house in time after the fire started, she didn't realize that the family's golden retrievers were stuck in the laundry room. Cadence desperately tried to get the dogs out, burning her hand in the process — but it was too late. Cadence ran out onto the beach towards the ocean. Then, an explosion: Clairmont's gas line caught fire, destroying the house in one boom. Tragically, Gat, Mirren and Johnny — as well as the dogs — were still inside.
In the season finale, Cadence realizes that Gat, Mirren and Johnny are dead. While she was having conversations with them over the summer, no one else in the family could see them, and via flashbacks, it's shown that they never truly interacted with anyone other than Cadence over the course of the summer.
Cadence gets to say goodbye to each of the Liars, who are regretful over the choice they made to destroy Clairmont — even as her grandfather used his power and privilege to ensure that she and the other Liars would never be blamed for the fire.
But while Cadence is sorry for the way she went about dismantling the toxic family structure, it's clear that burning down Clairmont achieve some of what the Liars hoped for: Their mothers are now on the same team again, and Cadence is able to stand up to her powerful grandfather for the first time ever.
The season finale initially leaves it open to interpretation if the Liars are ghosts or just figments of Cadence's mind until the last moments of the season, when Johnny appears in the kitchen with his mother, Carrie. Carrie, who isn't surprised to see Johnny, asks her son why he's still in the house, and Johnny admits that he's unable to leave — hinting that the Liars, or at the very least Johnny, are still haunting Beechwood Island.
We don't know yet if We Were Liars will be renewed. But if the source material is any indication, a Season 2 would likely follow Cadence's story in yet another direction: into the past.
Lockhart's 2022 novel, Family of Liars, is a prequel that explores the moms' backstory. Co-creator Julie Plec previously told Deadline that the Season 1 finale could 'set the stage for Season 2, which theoretically is going to take us deeper into the moms' lives as well and add another generation to the story.'
Season 1 already hinted at a well of secrets for the Sinclair women, including the fact that there was a fourth sister who died during their childhood. In the finale, Bess muses that what happened to Mirren and Johnny could be punishment for what happened all those years ago. It's entirely possible that this mystery will unfold next on We Were Liars — as the ghosts of the past, literal and figurative, come back to haunt Beechwood.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Countdown EP Derek Haas Welcomes ‘24 Meets Graceland' Comparison, Teases One Surprise He Has Planned
More than 13 years after co-creating Chicago Fire and thus helping sire the popular #OneChicago Universe, Derek Haas was looking to break free of the broadcast procedural formula, with Prime Video's Countdown. Created by Haas, Countdown is set in motion when an officer with the Department of Homeland Security is murdered in broad daylight. Special Agent in Charge Blythe (played by Euphoria's Eric Dane) in turn heads up task force 'Hurricane,' comprised of LAPD detective Mark Meachum (Supernatural's Jensen Ackles), DEA badass Amber Oliveras (All Rise's Jessica Camacho), LAPD gangs unit officer Lucas Finau (Young Rock's Uli Latukefu), and FBI agents Evan Shepherd (The Flash's Violett Beane) and Keyonte Bell (The Boys' Elliot Knight). More from TVLine We Were Liars Author Explains What That Chilling Finale Ending Means for Potential Season 2 Eric Dane: My Countdown Task Force Leader Is 'Unapologetic, Determined' - and Wears the Hell Out of a Suit We Were Liars EPs Talk Book-to-Show Changes, Including Which Sinclair Family Member Didn't Make the Cut The cast also includes Bogdan Yasinski (Boch: Legacy) and Jonathan von Mering (The Pitt) as the villainous Borys Volchek and his henchman Adrej; Jonatha Togo (The Chosen) as Blythe's righthand man Damon Drew; and Merrick McCartha (All American) as District Attorney Grayson Valwell. As opposed to broadcast dramas (such as FBI: International, which Haas also co-created) that seldom get more than, maybe, a two-hour finale to tackle a major, deadly threat, Countdown as a streaming series has the luxury of spending more time with good guys and bad guys alike. 'I'd written novels before, and I wanted this to be almost like chapters in a book,' Haas shares with TVLine. 'That way it could be a story that had an ever-evolving threat — and twists and turns within that threat — but you could spend time with the antagonists, which is something that we rarely did on those other shows, and then also get to know this team over a longer period of time as the case evolves.' Another deviation from the norm that Haas was all too happy to indulge in involves the pacing of this task force's pursuit of the enigmatic and highly dangerous Volcheck over the span of a 13-episode season. 'What I wanted to do differently than a lot of shows in this genre do is I wanted to surprise the audience with when this case is going to end,' Haas shares. 'A lot of times on shows like this, you think the end of the season will be the end of that case, but I don't want the audience thinking that they can take some time off and then catch up later. No, you've got to be along for the ride.' A mash-up of FBI, LAPD and DEA officers, chipping away at a series of leads in the name of neutralizing a global threat? Season 1 felt very much like '24 meets Graceland,' if you ask me. Haas himself embraces my comparison, but also adds to it. 'I love it. Those are great examples, and definitely were talked about before we started,' he says. 'But as much as it was 24 when I was initially talking to Amazon about this show, I was also talking about '80s movies that I love, like Die Hard and Lethal Weapon, and Raiders of the Lost Ark — movies that had these upbeat, 'Can't wait to get to the next day,' love-their-jobs, throwback action stars. 'That really was where the inspiration for casting Jensen Ackles came from,' he adds, 'and I was lucky that I got him.' Prime Video's Countdown premieres Wednesday, June 25, with its first three episodes, followed by weekly drops through Sept. 3. Want scoop on , or for any other TV show? Shoot an email to InsideLine@ and your question may be answered via Matt's Inside Line! Best of TVLine Summer TV Calendar: Your Guide to 85+ Season and Series Premieres Classic Christmas Movies Guide: Where to Watch It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, Elf, Die Hard and Others What's New on Netflix in June
UPI
2 hours ago
- UPI
'Summer I Turned Pretty' Season 3 to have two-episode premiere
"The Summer I Turned Pretty" returns for a final season July 16. Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios June 20 (UPI) -- Prime Video is announcing the release schedule for the third and final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty. The first pair of episodes are set to arrive on the streamer July 16, followed by weekly episodes through Sept. 17. The final chapter of the series, which follows an evolving love triangle between Belly (Lola Tung) and brothers Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), will feature 11 episodes. The new schedule is a slight deviation from the sophomore season, which kicked off with a three-episode premiere. All of the Season 1 episodes were released in one block. Both prior seasons contained 8 episodes. A recently released trailer shows Belly announcing her engagement to Jeremiah after his mother's (Rachel Blanchard) funeral service. Jenny Han's books serve as inspiration for the series, which also examines "the complexities of family and the strength of female friendships," according to an official synopsis. Han serves as one of the showrunners and an executive producer.
Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
‘The Chosen,' a celebration of Black life and motorcycle diaries for your weekend streaming
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who needs a break from politicians' interpretations of the Bible. The fifth season of 'The Chosen,' the faith-based TV series that has found success releasing select seasons in theaters, has begun its three-week rollout on Prime Video. George Xanthis, who plays John the Apostle, stopped by Guest Spot to discuss the show. Also in this week's Screen Gab, our streaming recommendations include a documentary that delves into the origin story of New Orleans' first Black Mardi Gras krewe, and the latest installment in the travelogue adventures of actors/BFFs Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, known for their motorcycle journeys in 'Long Way Round' and 'Long Way Down.' This time, the pair is riding from McGregor's home in Scotland to Boorman's in England. Must-read stories you might have missed Is it too late to reverse Hollywood's runaway production? Writers on the 'stark' reality: Writers from six of the year's most entertaining and acclaimed TV series open up about runaway production, the binge model and tuning out (or into) social media. In 'The Waterfront,' 'Dawson's Creek' creator Kevin Williamson returns to his gritty roots: The main characters in the new Netflix series are a multigenerational cast of adults whose lives are glossier and grittier than what audiences remember from the 'Dawson's' gang. Before social media, Barbara Walters said 'Tell Me Everything.' And many did: A new documentary coming to Hulu recounts Walters' groundbreaking TV career from the early days of 'Today' to 'The View.' A dream team reunites to bring zombie horror home again in '28 Years Later': Director Danny Boyle, screenwriter Alex Garland and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle return to the terrifying world they created for 2002's '28 Days Later.' Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times 'A King Like Me' (Netflix) Matthew O. Henderson has made a lively, lovely documentary about the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club of New Orleans, preeminent among the krewes that parade on Mardis Gras. (You will know them by the painted coconuts they toss, their makeup and grass skirts.) It's a history, a celebration and a disquisition, whose interests range from the benevolent societies that provided a form of neighborhood insurance, to the electioneering of men hoping to become that year's king — Louis Armstrong served in 1949 — to surviving racism, Katrina and COVID (or not). The question is raised of whether the Zulus, Black men who have paraded in a sort of altered blackface and 'African' dress for more than 100 years, should give up the long-controversial makeup or preserve it as a generations-old tradition; Henderson doesn't take a side, but lets his subjects have their nuanced say. And as any film about New Orleans must, it's full of music and food, hanging out and dancing in the streets. — Robert Lloyd 'Long Way Home' (AppleTV+) When 'Outlander' debuted on Starz in August 2014, many Americans were as dazzled by Scotland, with its looming fells, pristine lakes and lyrical accents as they were by the time traveling love story. Since then, Scotland has become the new England, at least on television. Streamers are bursting with all manner of Scottish series, from the classics ('Rebus,' the 2000s original available on BritBox and the remake, on ViaPlay) to the brand new ('Dept. Q' on Netflix). In between are shows too numerous and diverse to name but given my penchant for murder mysteries, it is not surprising that my favorites include: 'Case Histories' (Acorn TV, Tubi), 'Shetland' (BritBox), 'The Loch' (BritBox), 'Karen Pirie' (BritBox) and 'Annika' (PBS) — all of which offer breathtaking scenery, ancient stone edifices and, most important, a glowering, windswept alternative to Los Angeles, particularly in summer That's exactly what I was looking for when I tuned into 'Long Way Home' on Apple TV+. The fourth installment of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's motorcycle adventures around the world begins at McGregor's Scottish home, winds its way through Scandinavia into the Arctic, thence through the Baltic states and through continental Europe before finishing up back in Scotland. Having no European vacation plans of my own, it seemed a fine visual substitute; McGregor is always a charming screen presence, as is Boorman. It's been five years since they joined forces for 'Long Way Down,' 20 since their first trip in 'Long Way Round,' and watching two 50-somethings hitch themselves onto vintage bikes to embark on a 19,000-mile journey to the Arctic and back is pretty inspiring — even if one of them has a name and face that guarantees a certain starstruck quality from even citizens of rural Finland and both have a multiperson camera crew/backup team should anything go seriously wrong. Unlike other travelogues, this series does not linger over cuisine, haute or otherwise (there is a continual quest for coffee), aiming instead for a scattering of local crafts, traditions and events. The ever-shifting landscape is, in fact, amazingly beautiful, the people they meet along the way are often quite fascinating. The best parts, of course, are the unexpected bad weather, an unexpected road closure, an impromptu concertand mosquitoes. The bikes grumble and occasionally break down, as do the 50-somethings, which is reassuring to us ordinary folk who get to see the glory of all without having to straddle a motorcycle for two months. At 10 episodes that average 40 minutes, 'Long Way Home' covers a lot of ground in a way that is both slow and speedy. My only complaint? Not nearly enough Scotland. — Mary McNamara A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they're working on — and what they're watching Season 5 of 'The Chosen,' the TV series about the life of Jesus that became a surprise hit, already played in movie theaters earlier this year, but fans looking for ways to fill prime rest hours can now watch all eight episodes at home. Created by Dallas Jenkins, the faith-based drama has attracted a devoted audience since its premiere in 2017 with its look at Jesus' life and teachings — and has found success leaning into an unconventional distribution strategy, with theatrical releases of Seasons 3 through 5 that have made millions at the box office. The first two episodes of the fifth season, which is titled 'Last Supper' and chronicles the events of Holy Week, are available to stream on Prime Video, with the next three episodes dropping Sunday, before concluding with another three-episode release on June 29. Australian actor George Xanthis, who plays John the Apostle, stopped by Guest Spot via email to talk about the show's success and the Pixar film that's become scripture to him. — Yvonne Villarreal 'The Chosen' is striking a chord with an underserved audience often overlooked by major Hollywood studios. As an actor, did you feel any stigma about venturing into faith-based content? What has the experience of making it — and the response to it — illuminated for you? I'll start by saying that upon reading the first episode and finding out I was playing a 'fisherman' by the name of 'John,' I actually had no idea the project was faith-based! I think that tells you where this series has found success — it doesn't read or play like something that is strictly faith-based, or something that is attempting to convert you. It's a show about the real people that would have lived through first century Judea, how they battled against crippling Roman occupation and how they found refuge in a peaceful, love-preaching Rabbi. I guess I didn't have time to feel any stigma, and before I knew it, we were a megahit all around the globe! For the audience, there's often a blurring of lines between performer and role. That would seem to be an interesting dynamic when portraying a figure of faith — how do you grapple with that push and pull of serving as a conduit for someone's relationship to their faith while maintaining your grip on your function as an actor? The show's success has come from taking these 'saints' in the apostles and bringing them away from the paintings and iconography we recognize and telling an origin story that audiences can relate to. At the end of the day, I am not necessarily depicting a saint as a figure of faith, but rather, I am a fisherman from Capernaum with a hot temperament learning to control his impulses with the lessons of love and compassion his Rabbi is teaching him. It's important to respect people's identification with these figures in whatever way they want to, but for me the best feedback I've received from fans about my portrayal of John has been how they see parts of themselves in John, when he makes mistakes, when he learns from his mistakes, when he makes them AGAIN and so on. You've played real-life figures like George Stephanopoulos in 'Impeachment: American Crime Story' and John Travolta in an Olivia Newton-John TV biopic. How does your approach and your mission with those known figures compare to what you're striving to achieve with your portrayal of John the Apostle? I started out in this industry in comedy, both stand-up and sketch comedy. A large part of my comedic success has come from doing impressions and impersonating notable people. When I got the roles of John Travolta and George Stephanopoulos, my process was the same as any impression — find the voice, find the body, mold myself into the people based on what I could see of them and mimic them as well as I could. With John [the Apostle], I'm depicting a real person but I don't have the luxury of watching videos of him. So instead, the character arc helps govern my character building. An eager-to-please 'Son of Thunder' has a short temper, sometimes waning patience but at the center of him is a compassionate soul who always looks out for others he cares about. It means my palate to play with is quite broad, and John's temperament for any given moment usually exists somewhere between these extremes of 'thunder' and 'love.' What have you watched recently that you're recommending to everyone you know? The most recent series I finished was 'Peaky Blinders' (Netflix). Being an Australian and part of the Commonwealth, British-based television holds a special place in my heart, and I loved watching Birmingham come to life through the brutal eyes of Thomas Shelby. It's a bucket list item of mine to be in a British film or series watching so much of it growing up. Here's to hoping! What's your go-to comfort watch, the film or TV show you return to again and again? There are so many, but becoming a new father, I realized just how much I have watched 'Toy Story' (Disney+) and how much time I still have for that film. I'll still watch it on planes as I make the 14-hour commute between Australia and the U.S. when there's nothing else to watch. Fun fact: I can quote the movie word-for-word from beginning to end. Pick a moment, and I can carry on the movie verbatim — voices, music, sound effects and all!
