Prime Video’s new series We Were Liars is already making waves, after it launched on the streaming platform on 18 June. Fans have been binging all eight episodes of the show in droves, leading it to rise in Amazon’s Top 10. The family secrets and betrayal drama, starring Emily Alyn Lind and Shubham Maheshwari, is based on Emily Lockhart’s YA novel of the same name, which was originally published in 2014 before it became popular after its BookTok resurgence six years later.
However, the small-screen adaptation has a different ending to the novel, leading viewers hopeful for a second series.
Warning: there are spoilers ahead…
What is the story of We Were Liars?
We Were Liars follows Cadence Sinclair Eastman, her close circle The Liars (made up of her cousins Mirren and Johnny, and best friend Gat) and the Sinclairs, a wealthy American family who are known for their good looks, old money and enviable bond, who spend their summers holidaying on their private island of Beechwood in New England, across two summers. When she was 16, a mysterious accident changes Cadence’s life forever, leaving her with amnesia, and she returns to the Beechwood a year on, seeking answers and in search of the truth.
What is the twist in We Were Liars?
In the finale, Cadence discovers the truth – in fits and starts – but while the weight of the family secret is released from her shoulders, the ghost of her late cousin Johnny struggles to move on, with his fate seems to be tied to his mother Carrie. And the last moments of the eighth episode set up a second season of We Were Liars, opening the door for an earlier generation of the Sinclair family to become the main focus of the show.
Will there be a second series of We Were Liars?
Not yet – but there are talks happening. Showrunners Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie dropped a big hint in recent interviews, although they admit they’ve yet to get the official green light. ‘They are very supportive and just waiting on whatever data it is these algorithmic creators need to have before they write big check, so we’re looking forward to the data working in our favour,’ Julie told The Wrap, adding they have had ‘endless conversations’. Carina remarked, ‘We are, as usual, at the mercy of the robots.’
While they’re keeping schtum over the rumours that a potential second series could centre on a different generation of the family, Julie said, ‘The best gift that Emily Lockhart gave us as we were sitting down to write We Were Liars was she published Family Of Liars, which was a prequel about the Sinclair sisters when they were teenagers. The book opens with Carrie telling the story of a very dark time and a very bad summer to her dead son.’ She added, ‘We just wanted the audience to know that there’s still more story to tell, and we’re really looking forward to the opportunity to be able to do it.’
Whether or not a second series gets the green light, the showrunners are proud of the show. Carina told Variety that they’re hopeful for another season – and possibly a third. ‘The great thing about this show is that the first season has a satisfying, powerful ending. So I want people who generally don’t tune in to the first season because they’re afraid it’s going to get cancelled, to know that they’re safe to watch this show, and if it doesn’t get a second season, you’ve still got a whole story,’ she said. ‘But also, Emily wrote three books and we love this world. We love our cast. We’d love the opportunity that exists for more story, so we’re hopeful that we’ll get to come back and do more. But also, should this be a limited series, I think it’s a beautiful story.’
Who would star in season two of We Were Liars?
Asked if Cadence and Johnny would be the only Liars returning to the potential season two, creators Julie and Carine said it was ‘too soon to tell’. If a second series is commissioned, fans can also expect to see Mamie Gummer, who plays Johnny’s mother Carrie Sinclair.
Who is in the cast of We Were Liars?
Emily Alyn Lind stars in We Were Liars as Cadence, with Shubham Maheshwari as her best friend Gat and Esther McGregor and Joseph Zada as her cousins Mirren and Johnny. The show also features Caitlin FitzGerald as Carrie’s sister Penny Sinclair and Candice King as the youngest Sinclair sister Bess. David Morse plays proud patriarch Harris with Wendy Crewson as his on-screen wife Tipper, while Rahul Kohli portrays Carrie’s partner Ed.
We Were Liars is now streaming on Prime Video.
Shereen Low is a senior news and entertainment writer for Grazia UK, who has covered some of the biggest showbiz news from the past decade.