Prime Video’s latest psychological thrillerWe Were Liarsbrought E. Lockhart’s novel to television screens, but the series does make several changes to the original story as part of its adaptation.The series is based on Lockhart’s 2014 young-adult novel, which explores the tale of one family’s ordeal as they are forced to reckon with an incident that happened two years prior, when the past catches up to them. When the entirety of the show was released on the service,We Were Liarsreviewsresulted in a 75% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
We Were Liarshoned in on the Sinclairs, a wealthy family who reunite and spend each summer on Beechwood Island. Despite their idyllic lifestyles, not everything is as peaceful as it seems, as one member of the group begins to recollect what happened during her sixteenth visit to the island. As she learns more about her past,Cady (Emily Alyn Lind) begins to look back and investigate the events. While the premises are the same between the novel and the television series, there are several notable differences between the two.
7The Sinclair Family Timeline
The Series Truncates The Plot
One immediately obvious major change from the novel to the series is the time of the enigmatic summer that Cady cannot recall.Within the original novel, there are two years between the events of the past and present timeline,as Cady’s memory loss happened when she was 15 during her fifteenth visit to Beechwood Island. In comparison, there is a single year between the events of Cady’s incident in the present-day storyline, with the former occurring on her 16th visit.
As a result, the events of the 15th and 16th years are truncated into a single year for Cady, condensing many major events into a single year. Cady’s incident, her blossoming relationship with Gat (Shubham Maheshwari), and the death of family matriarch Tipper Sinclair (Wendy Crewson) happen within a shorter period. Arguably, this change was likely chosen in order to condense the series into the eight-episode format.
6Johnny’s Sexuality
The Series Clarifies A Detail Only Alluded To
Another major change focuses on the character of Johnny Sinclair Dennis (Joseph Zada), one of the four “Liars” that form the titular group. Eldest child of Carrie (Mamy Gummer) and Cady’s cousin, Johnny is seen as lively and mischievous, with a storied history of his own that involves having a violent incident at school being covered up by his family. While the series expanded on each of the core members, one element of Johnny’s character receives a far more definitive answer.
Within the television series,Johnny is confirmed to be gay, opening up to his cousins about his sexuality. He is revealed to be harboring feelings for his tennis partner Blake (Cale Ambrozic), despite Blake wanting to blackmail the family with a video of his private school altercation. While the clarification of Johnny’s sexuality helps give him a developed story of his own, the series' ending could also suggest that the expansion of his character could factor into the show’s future.
5Mirren’s Romance
Ebon’s Presence Adds New Layers To The Sinclairs' Elitism
Alongside the expansion of Johnny’s character, Mirren (Esther McGregor) also receives an expansion from her book counterpart through her love life. Rather than simply alluding to an off-screen romance with an older student, the series gives her a new love interest through Ebon (Dempsy Bryk).Mirren’s romance with Ebon highlights the story’s themes of classicism, while providing additional characterization to help her stand out as more than just a supporting player in Cady’s story.
4The Sinclair Mothers Have A Greater Role
The Family’s Struggles Began Long Before The Liars Were Born
Another area of expansion is the involvement of Carrie, Penny (Caitlin FitzGerald), and Bess (Candice King), the mothers of Johnny, Cady, and Mirren, respectively. The three siblings do not receive much exploration within the original novel, instead having their tale explored further in the 2022 novelFamily of Liars, which details their own tragic losses that shaped them into who they are. However, the television adaptation chooses to show how each of their lives is fracturing.
While all three siblings are divorcees in the novel, Bess is established to be married, though she and Mirren’s father, Brody (Dylan Bruce), are simply lying to one another, hiding their own infidelities. Bess also alludes to Rosemary, a fourth sibling who is no longer with them, having died at a young age.Like how Johnny’s expansion plays into his final moments in the season finale,the Sinclair siblings' greater roles set up a second seasonwhere they will take focus now that Cady has found closure.
3Gat’s Family
Ed’s Inclusion Shows The Twisted Cycle Harris Traps The Family In
As part of his expanded role in the story, Gat and his family are given a greater presence inWe Were Liars' television adaptation. While he is established in the original novel, Gat’s father Ed (Rahul Kohli) is given a greater role in the series,where he is a consistent presence on Beechwood, doing whatever he can to earn the approval of Harris (David Morse). Gat’s mother, Maya (Karen David), also makes a physical appearance in the series.
This also helps emphasize why the Liars took the drastic actions they did to break the chain.
Much like how Gat was forced to play a persona to fit in with the Sinclairs, Ed is also shown to have been through similar hardship to win the approval of a prejudiced and bigoted individual who would never give them a chance.This repetition across generations is another way the series highlights the long-held traumasthat the Sinclairs' lifestyle enforces. This not only adds additional depth to Gat’s character, but this also helps emphasize why the Liars took the drastic actions they did to break the chain.
2Harris' Showdown
Cady’s Callout Of Harris Is Made More Powerful & Direct
InWe Were Liars, Harris Sinclair is the patriarch of the family, and is responsible for keeping the Sinclairs trapped in a toxic cycle. Alongside placing his children into an impossible competition for his approval, he is also shown to be racist towards Ed and Gat, disapproving of their having a romance with any of his family. Furthermore, Harris is entirely aware of what happened in summer 16, having remained silent to preserve their public image rather than being implied to be willfully ignorant of the truth, and attempts to use the tragedy to bring Cady under his thrall.
This greater villainy also leads to a much more pointed and cathartic confrontation between him and Cady. While he attempts to refute any sort of racism on his part, Caty is much more direct in calling him out while also refusing to cooperate with a reporter who would create a shining profile piece on the family to cover up emerging rumors. When paired with Cady casting her grandmother’s pearl, the series' handling of her refusal of Harris' priorities feels like a more powerful note to end her struggle on.
1We Were Liars' Ending
Carrie and Johnny’s Reunion Sets Up A New Season That Dives Deeper Into The Family
Finally,We Were Liars’ending marks a major departure from the original novel, but is in line with the overall book series. While it is revealed thatJohnny, Gat, and Mirren are ghostswho died in the fire of summer 17 once Cady had pieced together the truth and set out to finally turn the page on their family’s painful story, the series also features an additional moment whereCarrie returns home to retrieve some pills, only to be greeted by Johnny. Carrie states that she expected Johnny to pass on, only for him to state he didn’t know whether he could.
Though a second season has yet to be confirmed, it can be implied that Carrie’s final moments with Johnny will set the groundwork for it to build upon.Carrie’s own troubled past was explored inFamily of Liars, which could mean season 2 handles those memories, while also resolving her lingering unfinished business with her son regarding how she responded to his sexuality. As such, while Cady may have found peace with her family legacy inWe Were Liarsseason 1, there is still plenty of darkness within the Sinclair family history to shine a light on.
We Were Liars
Cast
We Were Liars follows 17-year-old Cadence as she returns to Beechwood Island, seeking answers about a mysterious accident that left her with amnesia. The series explores her journey amid the private summer gathering of the Sinclair family, where secrets are guarded by friends and past love.
