This New Thriller Series Features 1 of the Best Twist Endings of All Time (& It’s Perfect For The Good Place Fans)

In terms of teen dramas, Prime Video is spearheading the movement to keep this genre vibrant. Their recent offering, titled “Gossip Girl (2021)”, debuted this month, inspired by E. Lockhart’s cherished Young Adult novel. By transforming the book into an eight-part series, the show focuses on Cadence Sinclair and her affluent family residing on their private island. The series unfolds across two storylines, with one leading up to Cadence’s enigmatic accident, and the other taking place during the following summer as she struggles to recall the events surrounding her predicament.

In this intriguing series, numerous side stories intertwine masterfully to unravel the central enigma of the show. As Cadence examines suspects and motives, she reconstructs her past memories. The final episode offers a breathtaking revelation that left many viewers reeling who hadn’t read the book ahead. Although crafting a compelling plot twist can be challenging, fans of shows with unexpected twists, such as “The Good Place,” should absolutely consider watching “We Were Liars.

What Is We Were Liars About?

The Prime Video Series Is Based on a YA Novel

Speaking as a film enthusiast, let me share my thoughts about Prime Video’s adaptation of “We Were Liars,” a novel penned by E. Lockhart that stormed the literary world in 2014. This captivating tale revolves around the Sinclair family, including myself (Cadence), my cousins Johnny and Mirren, and our childhood friend Gat Patil – collectively known as the enigmatic Liars. The novel’s success is evident, having debuted at the prestigious #6 spot on the New York Times Bestseller List, and even claiming the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fiction.

The story unfolds on Beechwood Island, where the Sinclair family spends their summer vacations. The novel delves into themes of social stratification and entitlement, as Penny, Cadence’s mother, often clashes with her sisters over their father’s estate inheritance. With the book gaining widespread acclaim, fans eagerly awaited news that Prime Video was developing an adaptation. Alongside Universal Television, TV (The Vampire Diaries) secured the rights to this anticipated production.

The Cast and Storytelling Delivers a Shocking Twist

Fans of The Good Place Will Love the Twist of We Were Liars

The Prime Video series was initially announced for release in December 2022, and it finally debuted on June 18 of this year. In the series, you’ll see Emily Tosta portraying Cadence, Joseph Zada (from ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’) as Johnny, Esther McGregor as Mirren, and Shubham Maheshwari as Gat. The secondary cast includes Candice King (‘The Vampire Diaries’), Mamie Gummer, Caitlin Fitzgerald, and Rahul Kohli (from ‘Midnight Mass’) as Bess Sinclair, Carrie Sinclair, Penny Sinclair, and Ed Patil respectively.

The narrative unfolds with Cadence, Harris Sinclair’s oldest grandchild, found unconscious on the beach at the start. The story then alternates between “Summer 16” and “Summer 17”, as Cadence recalls the incidents of Summer 16 that landed her in such a state, along with the head injury she sustained from this accident. This series could be an enjoyable choice for fans who appreciated the surprising twist in the final season finale of The Good Place, where it was revealed that the characters were actually in the Bad Place all along.

The Twist Ending of We Were Liars

The Series Gave Several Clues Leading up to the Reveal

The Amazon Prime Video series skillfully translates Lockhart’s enigma onto the screen. The flashbacks are managed effectively, using Cadence’s sudden change in hair color as a clear signal to viewers about the timeline they’re observing. Upon returning to Beechwood, Cadence reunites with her cousins and Gat, who had been instructed not to reveal what transpired on the night of her accident. As the story unfolds, Cadence eventually uncovers the truth. During the summer, she endures her mothers’ ongoing disputes over inheritance matters, as well as Harris’ prejudice towards Gat and Ed. Harris had given Carrie an ultimatum: either accept her inheritance or marry Ed, since he disapproved of their interracial relationship.

The Liars contemplate setting their family home, Claremont, ablaze, following their mothers’ departure to the hospital with Harris. They believe this act would provide a new beginning for everyone. With the Sinclair cousins poised to ignite the blaze at midnight and Gat waiting at the dock with an escape boat, things begin to unravel dramatically. However, Johnny and Mirren become preoccupied on the upper levels of the house while preparing for the fire, which means they are caught off guard when Cadence strikes a match.

At first, Cadence recalls dashing back inside to secure the family pets, only to remember later that her cousins hadn’t managed to escape too. Following this, Cadence sets fire to the house, and then remembers her deceased grandmother’s black pearls (a subject of contention among her mother and aunts throughout the summer) prompting her to rush upstairs to grab them, making her late for the dock. In his concern for Cadence, Gat rushes into the blazing mansion in an attempt to save her, tragically losing his life in the fire as Cadence flees towards the shore. The ensuing explosion then pushes Cadence into the lake, which accounts for her subsequent awakening on the beach.

The most startling revelation in this twist was that when Cadence arrived at Beechwood in Summer 17, all the other Liars were already there, leading her to plead with them for an explanation as to why they hadn’t reached out to her throughout the year. The bombshell that they had been deceased the entire time added a surprising twist at the end of the season finale. The final scene of the series shows the remaining members of the Sinclair family posing for Time Magazine during a photoshoot, after Harris gives Cadence the black pearls in exchange for pretending to be the surviving Sinclair grandchild. Suspecting that the fire wasn’t an accident, he tells her. When asked about her family by the Time magazine reporter, Cadence instead runs away from the island and discards the pearls into the lake, opting to abandon the Sinclair way of life.

The Series Never Confirms if the Liars are Ghosts or Hallucinations

The Novel and Series Seemingly Imply Different Interpretations

After this surprising revelation, one major question remains unanswered – were the Summer 17 Liars ghosts or mere hallucinations? In the books, it seems clear that they were indeed ghosts, hinted at by one of the younger Sinclair cousins (a character not included in the series) stating that the island was haunted. The show, on the other hand, suggests a different explanation: the Liars being hallucinations brought about by Cadence’s head injury and excessive use of medication.

After the secret is unveiled, it’s astonishing how clear it was all along, considering that the Liars were only interacting with Cadence during Summer 17, while the rest of the family seemed to overlook their presence. This suggests that they weren’t really there at all. This element adds to the series’ appeal, as numerous viewers go back and watch the first season again, hoping to spot hints that indicate The Good Place was actually The Bad Place instead.

The series offers a plausible reason as to why Cadence was never informed about the deaths of the other Liaisons: her mother claimed that whenever she attempted to disclose this information, Cadence would experience panic attacks (or ‘episodes’ in the show), causing her to faint and forget the conversation all over again. Towards the end of the finale, it appears that Ed and Carrie are departing from their house at the end of Summer 17, with Carrie going back into the house to take a Percocet (as she has battled addiction before), which seems to cause her to hallucinate and see her son, Johnny. This scene concludes on a suspenseful note, hinting at the possibility of another season.

The First Season Manages to Set Up a Potential Season 2 Mystery

The Cliffhanger Ending References the Plot of the Prequel Novel

In the suspenseful finale, Johnny inquires from his mother if she had ever committed any wrongs in her past. This query aligns with the plot of the potential prequel novel, “Family of Liars”, which could potentially be adapted if the series gets renewed for another season. The series effectively set up this cliffhanger, particularly through Carrie and Bess’s conversation on the dock. In this scene, Bess ponders whether their children’s loss in the fire was divine retribution (a theme frequently explored in “The Good Place”) and questions why Penny was spared, as her daughter, Cadence, was the only survivor.

The novel titled “Family of Liars” delves into the past experiences of the three sisters during their teenage years. Notably, Carrie’s romantic involvement with a boy named Pfeff stirs up some family drama, a narrative thread that helps us understand the “no boyfriends on Beechwood” rule frequently mentioned in the first season. Additionally, it sheds light on the tragic incident involving the fourth sister, Rosemary, who was revealed to have drowned as a child, a fact that the series unveiled. The story is narrated by Carrie, addressing the spirit of Johnny, a setup cleverly established in the final episode of “We Were Liars“.

Although no official confirmation has been made about a renewal, it’s said that discussions have taken place between Julie Plec, Carina Adly Mackenzie, and Amazon Prime Video concerning the possibility of a second season. If green-lit, this new season might introduce a whole new cast portraying younger members of the Sinclair family. Fortunately, the first season’s plotline was largely resolved, providing a satisfying conclusion for viewers, thus minimizing concerns about unanswered questions if the series isn’t renewed.

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2025-07-06 03:52