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The Review Geek
4 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
We Were Liars – Season 1 Episode 7 'Everybody Knows That The Captain Lied' Recap & Review
Episode 7 Episode 7 of We Were Liars begins in Summer 17. Instead of being happy for our couple, Mirren tries to tell Cady to leave Gat alone. Before Cady can ask why, Bonnie shows up and asks for a horror story. Cady tells her to ask Mirren and she finds it funny. Harris calls Cady away for a visit in town. He accepts that he has made mistakes with his daughters and declares Cady as Sinclair's hope. In Summer 16, he is drafting his will. Bess sends the little ones to Brody while the rest get ready to sway Harris. Penny baits Cady that if she wants to save the world, she needs Harris' money so she needs to be on her best behaviour. Carrie is flustered as she reminds Johnny to be good. He tries to come out to her, hinting that he is not Sinclair good. She tells him to put a pin on it till the next day. Will assures Johnny that he is good and he is touched. Mirren notices the tell-tale signs of Bess' adulterous activities and is annoyed. However, Bess compliments her hair. The Liars miss Gat and smoke up before facing the family. Lunch begins. Harris is glad that Ed and Gat are gone, so it can just be the Sinclairs now. But he gets upset on learning the little ones are with Brody and calls him a criminal. He unwittingly targets Mirren and Bess decides to take the rest down. She mentions Carrie's drug addiction, Johnny's assault and even Penny's divorce. Angry, Carrie reveals Bess' affair with Dan. To grab back control, Harris forces Penny to have a lemon tart and an upset Cady starts provoking him. She comments that lemons are a sign of colonisation and keeps mentioning Gat. Johnny joins in, mentioning Ed. The sisters judge Carrie for dumping Ed for no reason. Overwhelmed, she lets it slip that she didn't have a choice. Cady figures out that Harris gave Carrie an ultimatum – the inheritance or Ed. Having had enough, Harris reveals that the will is final and they won't be getting their inheritance. He storms out and Cady goes after him, calling him a racist. He tries to defend himself but he falls and hits his head. The ambulance helicopter is for him. Penny tells Cady to find the will and burn it if it doesn't favour them. There is only one spot in the helicopter and Penny grabs it. Annoyed, Bess packs his things. Mirren doesn't understand why she is mean to her sisters. Bess rants that she was the good daughter while her sisters constantly messed up. She did everything her family wanted and never put herself first. Turns out she hates Boston yet she stayed close for Harris' sake after all. But he only notices when she messes up. (Sounds familiar.) Johnny is upset about Harris' treatment of Ed and wants solace in Carrie but she keeps searching for something. Conceding, he gives her pills back. He knows she has relapsed as it is how she dealt with his abusive father. He wishes she would talk to him and she insists on putting a pin on it till the next day. With Bess and Carrie leaving for the hospital, the Liars send the staff home and get drunk. Gat finally arrives and they all hug. They have fun as they drink and clean up. Mirren is tired of being a people pleaser like her mom and cuts her hair. Gat doesn't want to leave Cady. When he lost his dad, he would hide in a nook to get away from reality. He thanks her for saving him. She feels that Beechwood is a nook for her family and he writes down the devil motto on her hand. Johnny does the Tom Cruise-Risky Business dance and accidentally breaks an illegal ivory statue. Mirren breaks the second one and they laugh. The sisters call to update that Harris is fine. But since he never got himself checked up, his scans show early dementia. They hang up as Harris has run off. The dishwasher overflows and ruins the expensive rugs. The Liars laugh and reminisce about the good times. The mood dampens as they accept that Harris is racist and their family is a mess. In retaliation, Cady burns Harris' will. We also learn the contents – Bess gets the Boston house and they wonder if Harris knows she hates Boston. Carrie and Penny get a stipend as long as they stay single. And Cady gets the Beechwood Island. They want to cause more trouble to flout the Sinclair motto of burying their issues. Cady suggests doing something so big that it is difficult to cover up. She looks at Clairmont and declares that it is the source of their problems, built on a foundation of hate. At the end of We Were Liars Episode 7, Summer 17 Cady realises that they burned down the house. Johnny and Mirren comfort her. The Episode Review The show's budget for the music must be wild because if one thing they did right, it is 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 this episode's highlight, 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 Liars make a mess of Clairmont. But it is a little disappointing given that this poignant anti-capitalist song is used for such a shallow and performative storyline. Despite burning the will and the house and ruining expensive carpets, the Liars don't actually change anything. Clairmont stands even uglier and stronger. Harris can just rewrite his old will. The sisters will continue to bicker. And the only one who will most likely get in trouble is Gat. Just like he pointed out how the ethnic help was often fired for the kids' mistakes. We had hoped the racist and classist storyline would head somewhere different from the books. But by being a faithful adaptation, the book's weakness becomes the show's weakness. Previous Episode Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
