We Were Liars season 1: stream it or skip it?

We Were Liars season 1 dropped all eight episodes on June 18, 2025, on Prime Video. The new teen thriller is based on E. Lockhart's YA book of the same name, which gained renewed popularity nearly a decade after its original release. It follows the wealthy Sinclair family, a group of friends, and an accident that leaves Cadence Sinclair (Emily Alyn Lind) with amnesia.

Set against the idyllic backdrop of Beechwood Island, the show draws audiences into a twisty mystery as Cadence tries to piece together the tragedy in her Beechwood family home that caused her post-traumatic amnesia. With no one to help her find the truth, everyone in her family and all her best friends and cousins, aka The Liars, are all suspects.

However, as Cadence and anyone who watches the show would later find out, the accident from the previous summer not only cost Cadence her memory. We Were Liars season 1 ends with a twisty revelation and an even bigger question. With that said, find out what the show has to offer and whether you should stream it or not.

Disclaimer: This article may contain spoilers for We Were Liars season 1. Reader's discretion is advised.

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Does We Were Liars season 1 live up to its promises, or does it end in disappointment?

The plot of We Were Liars season 1 is fairly simple. There's Candence, the eldest granddaughter of the Sinclair family, headed by multimillionaire Harris Sinclair. In Summer 16, she washed up on the beach with no memory of what happened that night, and in the past two months.

Now, it's Summer 17, and Cadence is back at the family's Beechwood house with the rest of the Sinclairs, including her cousins Mirren and Johnny, and her love interest, Gat, who isn't exactly a fan of the wealthy. She still doesn't remember what happened last summer, and her family won't help her find out either. She's left on her own to figure out the tragedy that erased her memories.

With that said, We Were Liars season 1 promises a twisty tale as Cadence embarks on her quest for the truth. One of the ways the show has delivered twistiness is by constantly switching its storytelling from Summer 17 to Summer 16 and back again.

For those who haven't read the book, this show could feel like a slow burn, as it's told at the same pace as Cadence remembering pieces of what happened in Summer 16. One thing to remember about the show, however, is that the story gets better over time, although it might sometimes not come off that way at first.

Anyone who's read the book would know that We Were Liars season 1's finale is where the story packs a punch. The first few episodes may feel a bit tedious and generic as the story centers around Cadence and her family's life of luxury and privilege, making it look like any other beachside family drama. But it ties to an explosive twist.

It's all about the final reveal, which is enough to dismiss any initial disappointment, if there was any, when Cadence finally finds out what happened during Summer 16. It's a major reveal that questions everything that has been happening throughout the series in the Summer 17 timeline, specifically about Mirren, Johnny, and Gat.

The finale delivers what the show promises: a twisty mystery. While it took a bit long to get there, We Were Liars season 1 still delivers its intention at the end. Moreover, in terms of suspense and mystery at the end, the show delivers more than what its source material has, which makes the series still exciting even for those who have read the books.

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We Were Liars season 1: Show vs. book differences

E. Lockhart is an executive producer in We Were Liars season 1, which is great news for fans of her book. It means that it's less likely that the essence of the book will be lost in translation in the show. That said, there are a few things about the show that are different compared to Lockhart's book.

For one, in the book, Cadence's accident happens during Summer 15, and she doesn't return to the island until two years later, during Summer 17. In the series, the accident happens during Summer 16, and she returns to Beechwood the following summer.

Other creative changes in the show add to its list of shocking twists and drama. There's Tipper's death on Beechwood Island during Summer 16, which, in the books, happened months before Summer 15. In the show, her sudden death adds to the family drama of the Sinclairs, showing their unhealthy dynamic and the distraction it has caused.

There is also more spotlight on Ed's story in the show. While his proposal was a failed one in the book, he gets a yes from Carrie in the show and also asks Harris and Tipper for their blessing before popping the question. Johnny's story, specifically his manic energy, gets more detail in the series, like how he supposedly brutally beat a kid from a rival school.

Also, in the book, while implied, the family never mentions knowing the fire was arson. However, in the series, Harris reveals to Cadence that he knows how the house burned down and that it wasn't an accident. He uses it to manipulate her into falling in line. Harris' reveal is the secondary twist in the show's already shocking ending.

Another twist that only exists in the show is Carrie seeing Johnny's ghost. It turns out that he wasn't able to cross over, providing an intriguing cliffhanger to the series and a storyline to be explored for a potential We Were Liars season 2. It would be in line with what showrunner Julie Plec said, that a second season could center on Carrie's perspective, based on the prequel book, per Deadline.

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Catch We Were Liars season 1 streaming on Prime Video.