We Were Liars is Prime Video's newest teen series, but it's not your typical teen show in that there's a mystery at the center of it all. After a teen girl named Cadence Sinclair Eastman (Emily Alyn Lind) suffers a traumatic accident during one summer on her family's private island, she returns the following year with fragmented memories and a nagging feeling that something is terribly wrong.
As she tries to piece together the truth, long-buried secrets begin to unravel, and nothing, not even her closest friendships, is as it seems.
All eight episodes of this teen thriller series are now available to stream on Prime Video. In this article, we will break down everything that happened in episode 1. If you're just getting started or need a refresher, here’s what went down in the premiere episode of We Were Liars.
Major spoilers are ahead from We Were Liars episode 1!
Summer 16 (past)
The first episode opens with a flashback to summer 16 (summer 2016), to the night when Cadence suffers a terrible, mysterious accident that leaves her struggling to remember what happened. She’s shown lying unconscious on the beach until suddenly, her eyes snap open.
We're then taken back to the earlier part of that summer. Cadence's mom, Penny, finds Cadence swimming in the lake. She tells her to go get ready for their family photoshoot. We're then introduced to the rest of the Sinclair family members: Johnny, Mirren, Carrie, Bess, Harris, and Tipper.
Harris and Tipper are the family's patriarch and matriarch. Penny, Carrie, and Bess are their children, and their offspring are Johnny, Mirren, Cadence, and "the littles." Then, there's Ed Patil, who is dating Carrie. Gat Patil is Ed's nephew and Cadence's friend. We learn through a flashback to summer 8 that Gat became friends with Cadence, Johnny, and Mirren at that time. They would become known as the "Liars." Every summer, the Sinclair family, Ed, and Gat would spend time at Harris and Tipper's private island, Beechwood. But summer 16 is when everything changes.
After the photoshoot wraps up, Gat and Ed show up and everyone sits down to have lunch. Later on, the Liars spend time at the beach. Cadence makes a comment to Mirren that Gat looks different that summer. Based on how she looks at him, it's obvious that she's now seeing him as more than just a friend. After Johnny and Mirren leave them alone, Gat opens up about his recent trip to India. Cadence just stares at him, completely drawn in by his words and the way he talks. It’s clear that her feelings are shifting.
They almost kiss while washing off after the beach. Cadence shows up at Gat's house later that night and sees him writing a letter before putting it in an envelope along with a beach flower. Since Gat usually writes her letters, she assumes it's for her. The next day, she and Gat are chatting when they decide to meet up later that night to watch the meteor shower.
Mirren and Johnny walk up to them, and Johnny notices that Cadence and Gat seem more friendly than usual. He knows something more than friendship is brewing between them, and he doesn't want that to ruin their friendship. So, he spooks Gat by sharing a story with him and Cadence about a friend he once hooked up with, only for their friendship to fall apart afterward.
Later that night, Cadence lies on a blanket outside, waiting for Gat to show up. He eventually arrives, but he’s not alone. Mirren and Johnny are with him, and they all invite her to join them on a party boat. Disappointed that their alone time has been interrupted and feeling like Gat is brushing her off, Cadence decides to leave the group behind and head back home. Once Gat realizes she’s gone, he swims back to shore and finds her. Just as he begins to pour his heart out, Johnny and Mirren dive into the lake in front of them, cutting the moment short and leaving his confession hanging in the air.
However, Gat finally gets the chance to confess his feelings to Cadence later while it's just the two of them on the beach. They then share a passionate kiss. The episode ends with a flash forward to two months later, to the night of Cadence's accident. As Cadence lies on the ground, someone turns her over, and black beads are shown in one of her hands. The episode then shows a close-up of her face before it cuts to the credits.
Here are some more important things that happened in We Were Liars episode 1:
- Mirren tells the rest of the Liars that she's been sexting a senior.
- Penny informs Tipper of her financial struggles due to her divorce from Cadence's father. She also tells her that Cadence's dad has hired a private investigator, and Tipper looks at her in shock.
- Bess hooks up with the island delivery guy, aka Salty Dan, and Mirren catches them in the act.
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