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The Review Geek
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
We Were Liars Season 1 Review – A faithful adaptation with flaws and all
Season 1 Episode Guide Episode 1 -| Review Score – 3/5 Episode 2 -| Review Score – 3/5 Episode 3 -| Review Score – 3/5 Episode 4 -| Review Score – 3/5 Episode 5 -| Review Score – 2.5/5 Episode 6 -| Review Score – 2.5/5 Episode 7 -| Review Score – 2.5/5 Episode 8 -| Review Score – 2.5/5 It doesn't seem like Hollywood's era of reboots, adaptations and remakes is going to be ending anytime soon. Not with that perfect shot-by-shot live adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon. And now, say hello to the TV adaptation of the iconic novel, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. While we were mostly obsessed with dystopian books or John Green romances in the 2010s, E. Lockhart snuck onto us out of nowhere with her jaw-dropping thriller. And while it may have taken a decade to get an adaptation, the wait seems to have been worth it. Adapted by Amazon Prime, this psychological thriller has everything from family drama and betrayals to teen angst and memory loss. We Were Liars Season 1 first dropped in June 2025 and has complex themes of manipulation, privilege, memory loss and burying weaknesses, perfect for those who are fans of thriller dramas. The 8-episode show stars Emily Alyn Lind, Shubham Maheshwari, Esther McGregor, Joseph Zada and more. Additionally, it is helmed by CW regulars, Julie Plec and Carina Adly Mackenzie, while Lockhart herself worked closely on it. Season 1 begins in Summer 17 with an amnesiac Cadence Sinclair trying to recall why she washed up on the beach of her summer house on Beechwood Island, injured and naked, a year ago. The Liars, comprising Gat and her cousins, Johnny and Mirren, were her best friends but haven't spoken to her all year. Desperate to figure out what went down and who is responsible, Cadence heads back to Beechwood for answers. Summer 16 is happy, carefree and perfect, that is till Cady starts noticing all that is wrong with her rich and privileged family, the Sinclairs. Her mom and her aunts' sibling rivalry gets worse as they vie for the biggest slice of the inheritance. The racist and classist patriarch, Harris pits his children against each other to prove themselves. Gat seems to have gotten hot but also conscious of the Sinclairs' prejudice. And Johnny is hiding something that is more than just a kiss gone wrong. We Were Liars Season 1 starts off strong with just enough exposition to keep viewers intrigued but not too much to bore them. All of the characters are fleshed out, including the supporting cast, so that there is enough suspense. One never knows if it is a Liar or a Sinclair adult that is responsible for Cady's incident. But it is the main cast that are the heart of the show. Alyn Lind keeps the attention on the mystery as her Cady investigates Summer 16. Maheshwari and McGregor tug at heartstrings with their pitiable Gat and Mirren who only love and want to be loved. Zada steals the attention as the temperamental Johnny that you just can't hate. The show goes all out on the aesthetics to bring to life the extravagant life of the Sinclairs. From themed events where everyone wears yellow, the food is yellow and the flowers are yellow, to illegal ivory elephant busts, Beechwood Island oozes luxury. The two varying colour palettes of the two different summers continue to highlight their status, even though it is supposed to represent Cady's mind. Summer 16 is bright and vibrant which complements the classic Clairmont mansion. Summer 17 is cold, grey and clinical for Cady's emo phase and the new Clairmont's urban complex. The show's budget for the music is wild because if one thing they did right, it was the soundtrack album. It's got a whole lot of Hozier, Khalid, HAIM, Conan Gray and alt-J among others. And we are bringing up the music because one of the highlights, without a doubt, is Johnny dancing to 'Old Time Rock and Roll'. If you weren't pumped for Zada as young Haymitch in the new Hunger Games prequel, you will be now with the range he shows as Johnny. Hozier's 'Eat Your Young' is a nice touch when the kids are taking a stand against the adults. But it is a little disappointing given that this poignant anti-capitalist song is used for an actually shallow and performative storyline. To put it simply, We Were Liars Season 1 is a bit of a mixed bag. Thriller-wise, it is definitely entertaining, keeping us on our toes every step of the way. The moment Cady figures something out, another shocking plot twist arrives and throws our predictions out the window. The final big plot twist is like a punch you see coming but still fail to avoid. But while the mystery and its resolution are all well and good, the show fails thematically. The big plan that leads to the whole mystery is terrible and its execution is equally terrible. In a show about complex and morally grey characters, no one gets the justice or closure they deserve. And you may say that one can't change so quickly and it is not realistic, but this is a fictional show for teenagers with a really warped message. While most 'rich perfect family' stories have the rich but likeable characters still coming out on top, there is usually a lower-class underdog who wins as well as seen in some recent shows like Sirens, The Perfect Couple and The Better Sister. However, We Were Liars ruins its underdogs and also doesn't redeem the snobby, rich, privileged brats that the Sinclairs are. Let's be honest, the racism angle was pretty iffy in the book and is what prevented it from being a terrific story. We had hoped that in the show, the adults' bigotry would head somewhere different from the book. But by being a faithful adaptation, the book's weakness becomes the show's weakness.
The Review Geek
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Has We Were Liars been renewed for Season 2? Here's what we know:
Summary We Were Liars is the latest Amazon Prime Video Original. This psychological thriller has everything from family drama and betrayals to teen angst and memory loss. Amazon Prime Video determines whether to renew a show based on various factors such as completion rate, viewership numbers, production costs, and more. As of now, there's no news regarding the renewal of We Were Liars, but we look at the possibility of a Season 2. We Were Liars is another exciting Amazon Prime Video Original that graced our screens in May 2025. With complex themes of manipulation, privilege, memory loss and burying weaknesses, it's for those who are fans of thriller dramas. The 8-episode show stars Emily Alyn Lind, Shubham Maheshwari, Esther McGregor, Joseph Zada and more. Based on the book of the same name by E. Lockhart, it is helmed by CW regulars, Julie Plec and Carina Adly Mackenzie. With bittersweet moments and plot twists, the season finale will have viewers on the edge of their seats. If you've watched the first season and want to know if there will be a second, this article has all the details you're looking for. Here's everything we know: What is We Were Liars Season 1 about? We Were Liars begins in Summer 17 with an amnesiac Cadence Sinclair trying to recall why she washed up on the beach of her summer house on Beechwood Island, injured and naked, a year ago. The Liars, comprising Gat and her cousins, Johnny and Mirren, were her best friends but haven't spoken to her all year. Desperate to figure out what went down and who is responsible, Cady heads back to Beechwood for answers. Summer 16 is happy, carefree and perfect, that is till Cady starts noticing all that is wrong with her rich and privileged family, the Sinclairs. Her mom and her aunts' sibling rivalry gets worse as they vie for the biggest slice of the inheritance. Her grandparents pit their children against each other to prove themselves. Gat seems to have gotten hot but also conscious of the Sinclairs' prejudice. And Johnny is hiding something that is more than just a kiss gone wrong. We have extensive coverage of We Were Liars Season 1 on the site, including recaps for all episodes. You can find those HERE! Has We Were Liars Been Renewed for Season 2? At the time of writing, Amazon Prime Video hasn't renewed We Were Liars for a Season 2. Amazon tends to look at views and the drop-off rates before renewing or cancelling the show, along with the critical success. Some shows are instantly renewed like Reacher or Fallout while others take years such as THEM and Upload. Popular Amazon Prime Originals do get renewals most of the time but only time will tell if We Were Liars will get a Season 2. But with the novel's prequel, 'Family of Liars' being acquired by Amazon as well, it seems like the studio is interested in renewing the show. What do we know about We Were Liars Season 2? Not much is known about We Were Liars Season 2 at the moment, given that it has not been greenlit. There are two ways it can go. If it is a prequel, it will follow 'Family of Liars'. Some of the novel's premise has already been set up in Season 1 with the mention of Rosemary, the dead fourth Sinclair sister, Carrie's addiction and plastic surgery, her friend, Yardley, Bess' apathy at Rosemary's death and Penny's sinister participation in whatever happened when they were 16. If it is a sequel, there is ample scope for that as well as Season 1 ends with Johnny getting stuck on Beechwood. If the show does return, you can expect a season with approximately 8 episodes, each lasting around an hour. Nothing is confirmed yet, but we'll be sure to update this page as soon as any new information comes in. Would you like to see We Were Liars return for a second season? Or do you think the story has run its course? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
We Were Liars EPs Talk Book-to-Show Changes, Including Which Sinclair Family Member Didn't Make the Cut
Summer has officially begun on Prime Video with the premiere of We Were Liars, a series adaptation of E. Lockhart's best-selling tale of romance, revenge and Ralph Lauren. Just like its 2014 source material, We Were Liars tells the story of Cadence Sinclair (played by Gossip Girl's Emily Alyn Lind), a 17-year-old trust fund princess haunted by the fractured memories of a tragedy no one in her uber-wealthy family wants to discuss. Over the course of one fateful summer on Beechwood, the Sinclairs' private island just off of Martha's Vineyard, the horrifying truth about what happened to Cadence — along with a slew of other family secrets — is finally brought to light. More from TVLine Eric Dane: My Countdown Task Force Leader Is 'Unapologetic, Determined' - and Wears the Hell Out of a Suit Does Jensen Ackles' Countdown Hero Have BDE - Big Dean (Winchester) Energy? 'There Are Familiar Aspects,' Says Supernatural Vet For First Time, Streaming Viewing Topped Broadcast and Cable Combined in May But while the basic premise remains fully intact, 'there were a lot of difficult changes made' in bringing the book to life, showrunner Carina Adly Mackenzie tells TVLine. 'Every time we made a change, I was clinging to the original kicking and screaming, sometimes to my own detriment, because I really didn't want to f–k this up.' Fellow showrunner Julie Plec considers the eight-episode finished product to be a 'very faithful adaptation' of the 2014 novel, except for one key distinction: 'It also involves a lot of elements that we borrowed from the prequel, Family of Liars, that we now get to take into future seasons because we've done all the foundational work with the adult characters.' Released in 2022, Family of Liars turns back the clock even further via flashbacks to Beechwood in the late 1980s, as the Sinclair sisters — Carrie, Penny and Bess, played on screen by Mamie Gummer, Caitlin Fitzgerald and Candice King — rattle yet another skeleton in their family's walk-in closet of tragedies. A third installment in the book series, We Fell Apart, is due out in November. Having already adapted several books for TV, most famously The Vampire Diaries, Plec isn't too concerned about fans getting upset about major changes. 'The things that are gone are very much up for debate, and I think the audience will have a good time debating why they're not there,' she says. 'And then there are things in the show that are not in the book, and I think the readers will have a good time debating why they're there too.' One relatively significant change readers will probably notice is the absence of Mirren's youngest sibling Taft, who was dropped in an effort to service the central characters; on the show, Bess' brood consists solely of Mirren and the twins. 'We would like to apologize to Taft Sinclair Sheffield,' Mackenzie tells TVLine, while Plec isn't quite as remorseful, explaining that 'Taft hit the cutting room floor before there was any footage to cut.' How much of We Were Liars have you already binged? Have you noticed any significant book-to-screen changes yet? If so, did they bother you? Grade the Prime Video adaptation in our poll below, then drop a comment with more of your thoughts. Best of TVLine Yellowjackets' Tawny Cypress Talks Episode 4's Tai/Van Reunion: 'We're All Worried About Taissa' Vampire Diaries Turns 10: How Real-Life Plot Twists Shaped Everything From the Love Triangle to the Final Death Vampire Diaries' Biggest Twists Revisited (and Explained)
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Julie Plec on twisty teen thriller ‘We Were Liars' — and why she hopes Meryl Streep likes it
Liar, liar. Prime Video's new teen drama 'We Were Liars' (premiering Wednesday, June 18) is a twisty summertime thriller. Based on a wildly popular novel of the same name, the show is helmed by 'The Vampire Diaries' mastermind Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie. 'What drew me to it is the deep emotional roller coaster that this story takes you on, starting from what seems just like a very simple, sweet, nostalgic coming-of-age story about first love and best friends and summer, and takes you from basically all those vibes on a very twisty-turny, surprising journey into a big tone shift,' Plec exclusively told The Post. 'We Were Liars' follows Cadence Sinclair Eastman (Emily Alyn Lind) and her circle of cousins and friends – including Johnny (Joseph Zada), Mirren (Esther McGregor), and Gat (Shubham Maheshwari) – who have adventures over the course of several summers on her affluent family's private island. But, things take a darker turn as Cadence must figure out what's happening after she loses her memory, and everyone seems to have secrets. Rounding out the cast is Candice King, Mamie Gummer, Rahul Kohli, and David Morse. 'Casting a big ensemble like this, where everybody is supposed to be related to each other and blonde, as in the books, is never easy,' said Plec. She added, 'Blonde, you can usually fake, and, which we did pretty well in a couple situations, but you really need to be able to believe that they're all of one piece.' For Gat, an Indian boy who is Cadence's love interest, she said, 'We looked high and low. We were able to cast the role of Gat from a beautiful young actor who had never acted for a living before at all. His audition tape was done in his dorm room on campus just before he graduated [from] university.' Plec continued, 'We got to discover the incredible. Mamie Gummer, who's worked for years, but is stepping into her own as a leading lady.' Gummer, 41, is Meryl Streep's daughter. When asked about the probability that Streep, 75, will tune in, Plec said, 'I have alternate [thoughts] of like, 'Meh, that fine, she won't watch it, that's okay,' to 'Oh my god, Meryl Streep is probably gonna watch the show.'' She quipped, 'I just hope she likes it, to be honest.' 'We Were Liars' is also America's introduction to Aussie actor Zada, who is poised to have his career take off, as he's been cast as the star of the next 'Hunger Games' movie, 'Sunrise on the Reaping.' 'I feel very proud. I know he's worked before in Australia, so somebody else gets to take credit for discovering him off the street, but Carina and I are gladly gonna take credit for discovering [him] in the United States of America,' Plec said. She recalled how during filming, Gummer even set him up for his next major role – the Netflix adaptation of 'East of Eden' starring Florence Pugh – 'because Mamie called her very good friend, Zoe Kazan, who was directing it and said, 'You gotta meet this kid. He's extraordinary.'' Plec added, 'I think we knew it on set. When we were in the sound stage, the sound engineers would be like, 'God, that kid is so good.' I think we're just at the beginning of a very long, very cool road for him.' Meanwhile, Plec has done three shows to date in 'The Vampire Diaries' universe, including 'The Originals' and 'Legacies.' About whether there could be more coming, Plec said that she's not working on anything specific at the moment. However, she added, 'I have had ideas in my head for more stories in Mystic Falls for pretty much since I started telling stories in Mystic Falls,' referring to the town where 'The Vampire Diaries' took place. 'So all anybody has to do is ask, and I will be there with bells on.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What to Watch This Week: 40+ Premieres, Finales and More
To help you anticipate and navigate all that television has to offer across broadcast, cable and streaming, TVLine offers daily, weekly and monthly What to Watch digests, as well as an overview of every new TV show premiering in 2025. This week, you'll find a nine series debuts (including Julie Plec's We Were Liars and Kevin Williamson's The Waterfront), a dozen returning shows (including The Buccaneers, Grantchester and Somebody Feed Phil) and 10 finales (including Adults and Love Hotel). More from TVLine Every New Scripted Show Confirmed to Premiere in 2025 — Save the Dates! What to Watch in May: Your Guide to 130+ Premieres Across Broadcast, Cable and Streaming Hell Motel: Eric McCormack's Sinister Chef Serves Verbal Beatdown to 'Washed Up' Scream Queen - Watch Exclusive Sneak Peek Want scoop on any of the following shows? Email us and your question may be answered in Matt's Inside Line. 📺 The Chosen Season 5 (Prime Video, two-episode premiere)📺 8 pm America's Funniest People (ABC special) 📺 8 pm (PBS)A detective (Laura Fraser) takes a neurodivergent woman (Ella Maisy Purvis) under her wing to assist with complex criminal investigations. 📺 9 pm Grantchester Season 10 (PBS)📺 9 pm Bravo's Love Hotel Season 1 finale (Bravo)📺 9 pm The Mortician docuseries finale (HBO) 📺 9 pm (NatGeo)Ryan Reynolds narrates this five-part nature docuseries celebrating the unique behaviors of the animals who don't usually get to be the stars of the show. 📺 10 pm (History)Each episode tells stories of pastimes, practices and products that were once allowed — even encouraged — which you will never see again in modern America. 📺 10 pm Sister Wives Season 19 finale (TLC) 📺 8 am Marvel's Spidey and His Amazing Friends Season 4 (Disney Jr.)📺 8 pm Walking With Dinosaurs Season 2 (PBS)📺 9 pm The Playboy Murders Season 3 finale (Investigation Discovery) 📺 9 pm Super Mega Cakes (Food Network)Team Duff Goldman goes up against six teams of the country's best cake artists over the course of four days — all at once. 📺 10 pm Love It or List It Season 20 finale (HGTV)📺 10 pm Toxic Season 1 finale (Investigation Discovery) 🎥 9 pm (NatGeo documentary, next day on Disney+ and Hulu)The film honors the life of Sally Ride, the first American woman to travel to space. 🎥 Love Me (Paramount+ With Showtime) 📺 Chopper Cops Season 2 (Paramount+, 10-episode binge) 📺 (Shudder, two-episode premiere)True-crime obsessives (including Eric McCormick) are invited to the site of an unsolved, satanic mass murder where history repeats itself and a killing spree ensues. 📺 9 pm Castle Impossible Season 1 finale (HGTV) 🤣 Justin Willman: Magic Lover (Netflix comedy special) 🎥 9 pm (HBO documentary)The film tells the story of the male victims of Dr. Richard Strauss, a sports medicine physician and serial sex abuser employed by The Ohio State University (OSU) from 1978 to 1998. 📺 America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Season 2 (Netflix, seven-episode binge)📺 The Buccaneers Season 2 (Apple TV+) 📺 (BritBox, two-episode premiere)The six-part drama is inspired by the lives of the aristocratic Mitford sisters – six headstrong women who frequently made headlines around the world. 📺 Somebody Feed Phil Season 8 (Netflix, eight-episode binge) 📺 (Prime Video, eight-episode binge)A teenager (Emily Alyn Lind) and her tight-knit inner circle — nicknamed the Liars — spend the summer on her grandfather's private island. 📺 9 pm Adults Season 1 finale (FX, two episodes)📺 9 pm Children Ruin Everything Season 4B (The CW, two-episode premiere)📺 9 pm Expedition Unknown Season 15 (Discovery Channel)📺 10 pm AFI Lifetime Achievement Award: A Tribute to Francis Ford Coppola (TNT special)📺 10 pm Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch Season 5 (Discovery Channel) 📺 10 pm Sports Gone Wrong (Vice)The docuseries delves into unexpected and bizarre moments in sports — from misbehaving athletes to streaking fans and headline-making brawls. 📺 Scrublands Season 2 finale (AMC+) 📺 (Netflix, eight-episode binge)Melissa Benoist stars in this Kevin Williamson drama about a family's efforts to retain control of their crumbling fishing empire. 📺 The Bravest Knight Season 2B (Hulu, six-episode binge)📺 Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical (Disney+ special)📺 10 pm Missing Presumed Dead Season 1 finale (NatGeo) 🎥 A Minecraft Movie (Max) 🎥 (Paramount+ With Showtime movie)Noah (Darryl Stephens) and Wade (Jensen Atwood) are expecting twins and must shift gears when each is offered their dream job. 📺 8 pm Kids' Choice Awards (Nickelodeon) What are you watching this week? Take stock of everything above, then drop a comment with your lists below. Best Streaming Deals This Month View List Best of TVLine Young Sheldon Easter Eggs: Every Nod to The Big Bang Theory (and Every Future Reveal) Across 7 Seasons Weirdest TV Crossovers: Always Sunny Meets Abbott, Family Guy vs. Simpsons, Nine-Nine Recruits New Girl and More ER Turns 30: See the Original County General Crew, Then and Now
