We Were Liars – Real Time Reactions

This show is literally my entire personality and I’m not sorry.

I think I made it abundantly clear in my last post how excited I was (and still am!) for Julie Plec and Carina MacKenzie’s new series We Were Liars on Prime and when it came out yesterday, I sat down and watched the entire series in one sitting.

Crazy behavior, I know. But I couldn’t resist. It was amazing. I feel like I was ripped apart, put back together, ripped apart again, and now I’m still trying to figure out how to put my pieces back together again. Something about this story altered my brain chemistry.

I’m a little sad I didn’t savor the moment a little bit more, but I was SO excited for this show and I needed to see how everything came together in the end.

We Were Liars is such a beautiful story with such gut wrenching twists and I was so curious to see how that would translate from the page to the screen. I don’t think the emotions in this book are something that are easy to bring to the screen, but Julie and Carina did such an amazing job.

E. Lockhart’s book captures beautiful and scary emotions, innocent love and the harsh realities of society, and to take on a project like that, to adapt something with the bar set so high, must have been daunting.

As a fan, it was a little nerve wracking wondering if the series would be able to do all these elements of the novel justice, but as I’ve said before, I knew, deep in my bones, that if there were two people who could do it, it was Julie Plec and Carina MacKenzie.

And they did it.

Here Are Some General Comments About the Series

Be warned: If you haven’t watched the show, this WILL spoil the entire season.

• This has to be one of the best page to screen adaptations I’ve ever seen, if not The Best one. Genuinely. No biases here, truly one of the best.
• It was weird seeing Candice King play a MOM. I’m used to seeing her play Caroline Forbes, a teenager, but she played this role so. incredibly. well. It just took some time for me to transition into her being one of the adults, not one of the kids.
• Julie and Carina made this world so much bigger than the book and it WORKS.
  • It’s normal for things to change between books and visual mediums, yet I often get angry when that happens (even though I know it’s impossible for things to be 100% identical). I think the world that was created in this show though worked. Nothing felt far fetched and the things that happened in the show that weren’t in the book felt like blanks that were filled in, not completely new worlds that were concocted.
  • I think it helps that both Julie and Carina had been genuine fans/readers of the book before adapting it. To me, it felt like they understood what it meant to be in the shoes of a viewer/fan as much as they understood what it meant to be in the shoes of a showrunner.
• I think the writers did so well creating characters we both love AND hate.
  • The sisters, for example. They have such lovable and hatable qualities, but we really get to SEE each of them and I don’t think that’s the case with every show.
• A Few Differences I noticed / Things I Missed in the Show
  • Because the timelines are a little different and screens trigger Cady’s headaches in the show, she doesn’t try to contact the Liars in the show after Summer 16 like she did in the book and that makes sense. What I did miss though is the scene between Mirren and Cadence where Mirren admits she didn’t read the emails Cady sent. That scene made me really emotional when I read the book and I loved it.
  • I really like Johnny’s lines in the book (chapter 84) where he says, ““We can’t stay much longer, it’s getting harder and harder…Mirren’s got it the worst, but Gat and I are feeling it, too…Cady, I love you, but I’m fucking tired. I just want to lie down and be done. All this happened a very long time ago, for me.”
    • I felt very broken when I read this part of the book (in a satisfying kind of way, like E. Lockhart did her job) and I missed this in the show.
    • That is not to say I didn’t feel the same kind of brokenness though when I watched the show because I did. The scenes where Cadence said goodbye to the Liars literally tore me apart inside and for that reason, I think the adaption held up to this scene from the book. It was portrayed differently, but the essence was still there, and to me, that’s what matters.
      • Moreover, while I didn’t love the way Cadence found out the truth about the accident, the Scrabble scene made me cry (a lot) and I think the emotions from the book were done justice in the show with the way each goodbye between the Liars was portrayed (aka, completely gutting)

• The music enhanced the viewing experience SO MUCH.
  • I’m not sure how much say Carina had in the music, but all of it feels so Carina-coded. But beyond that, Chris Mollere (the show’s music supervisor) has never once let me down. The music that he curates for television is incredible, his skill is admirable.
• Emily’s narration/voiceovers were amazing.
• The set up for a potential second season is BRILLIANT
  • Comments like: the daughter who never grew up, Bess talking about her Summer 17, and Johnny not being able to leave.
• It hurt to see Carrie wearing Johnny’s sweatshirt in the present day and then we flash back to Johnny wearing that exact sweatshirt 😦

Because it’s me, I couldn’t JUST give general comments…

I am long winded… So I feel like I need to breakdown each episode and get into the nitty gritty.

I really want to sit with the series, to watch again but more slowly this time, to take in the things I might have missed, but I also knew I wanted to capture my emotions in the moment during my first full watch through. I kept my phone on do not disturb while I watched last night, but I had my notes app open to jot down what I was thinking and feeling while watching.

What I’m going to share below is everything I wrote down while I watched. I’m sure that this probably won’t be the last post I share about We Were Liars, but I think this one is special because aside from grammar and making my bullet points into actual sentences, there’s nothing I’m adding or omitting, this is exactly what I felt in the moment when I watched.

*If I quote something from the show, I tried to get the quote as accurate as possible, but I was trying to type fast. They might not be exactly word for word.

Episode 1

• Quote: “Filled with kings and queens and castles.”
  • I love the connection to the book and how these pieces of narration and storytelling were incorporated into the show. These stories were so prevalent in Cadence’s narration in the book and I like that it’s still included in the show, but in a different capacity.
• I love the presentation of the island and the map. I didn’t physically the read the book, I’ve only listened to it, but I do have a physical copy of the book and I noticed the map at the beginning of the book and I like this connection. I also think it’s helpful for viewers because for most, if not all of us, this is a foreign world to us. Not many of us have our own private islands and this helped to make things more clear.
• I love the camera work – the closeups WORK
• This show makes me so nostalgic. It’s like a feeling in my body I can’t describe, a longing that it makes me feel.
  • Not many pieces of art make me feel the way this does, but it reminds me of how I felt watching Dawson’s Creek and The Summer I Turned Pretty or reading books like Every Summer After and Love and Other Words.
• The scene where Gat asks Cadence if he’s forgiven during the meteor shower… I literally just want to cry.
  • It’s so teenage love and it’s captured SO PERFECTLY. Even down to Cadence’s expressions… This feeling of young love is captured perfectly.
• The inflection when Cadence narrates and says “we were liars” at the end of the episode is WILD. The way Emily Alyn Lind does voiceovers is incredible, she has the perfect voice for it.

Episode 2

• The way the scenes transition between the shots of the eye at the beginning of the episode… SO GOOD
• When Cady is talking to the Liars when she returns to Beechwood in Summer 17 and Penny comes to get her and she only talks to/acknowledges Cady is GENIUS
• The writing and the double meanings are brilliant, especially quotes from Harris.
  • Two quotes that stuck out to me: “Never let a dog forget his place…think he’s human.” & “Watch yourself. Or you could get hurt.”
• I liked Cadence and Gat’s conversation about memories and warping them if you think on them too much (like playing a record too much)
  • It’s a quote like this I WISH I could write. My brain doesn’t even conceptualize something like that when I’m brainstorming, but this writing… it’s incredible.
• “We just made out, right?” / “Yeah.”
  • UGH THE LOOKS THEY SHARE. Literally just tear me apart
• Harris is such an ass with the painting
• When giving Harris presents on Father’s Day you hear “My King” from Bess and “Princess Penny” and I think this is a BRILLIANT way to incorporate Cadence’s stories and fairytales from the book without having to narrate each of them in the show.
• Two other things that stuck out to me:
  • “They [Sinclair rules] work if you follow them” – Penny to Cady
  • Harris’ favorite will be the one (Rosemary) who didn’t grow up 

Episode 3

• “Dwelling on the past is a dull man’s pursuit” – Harris is such a hypocrite for this quote
• To me, Harris calling Cadence Mirren hit harder in the book
• Penny to Cady – “If you follow the rules, eventually nothing can hurt you.”
• The funeral is just so uncomfortable and the lack of ability to show grief is insane to me.
  • It makes me so grateful that I don’t come from a family like that.
• I love way that we see how dogs/animals can humanize people (i.e. Penny with the Goldens) 
• The juxtaposition between Cady’s parents speaks volumes: Her dad letting her let her emotions out vs. Penny (and all of the Sinclairs) forcing her to keep them in.
• The HURT I feel watching her lie to Gat… With the cover of Collide in the background… Enough to DESTROY me

Episode 4

• The comments about vampires made me giggle because of Julie and Carina’s roles in the tvdu
• The Alanis Morissette song… Reminds me of Roswell (Where’s Rosa Ortecho?!)
• Mirren says “Weird cancels out hot” and it reminded me of the line from Vampire Diaries “Hot trumps weird” and it made me giggle again
• I don’t like Ebon’s accent. As someone who was born and raised on the South Shore in Massachusetts, his accent felt very exaggerated to me and not realistic. It also kind of came and went and wasn’t consistent. I know I’m biased for this one though.

Episode 5

• I love the shot of the boat from above
• Gat saying “I’m on the fucking swim team” made me LOL
• Quotes that stuck out to me:
  • “Cheating on him is not open air.”
  • “That money was your only ticket.”
• Esther absolutely KILLED the scene in the lighthouse with Candice

• The underwater scenes on this show really speak to me. They feel so powerful and important.
• The parallel I Love You scenes with Cadence and Gat – ABSOLUTE GOLD

Episode 6

• A quote that really spoke to me: “Even the most important rulers tend to be afraid of tiny mice.” / “The mouse stayed for so long he forgot he was a knight once. Somewhere else.”
• The scene where Penny tells Cady she already told her about what really happened the night of the accident… OUCH, just RIP ME OPEN. I didn’t expect to cry the way I did during this scene.
• It was interesting to meet Gat’s mom, I wasn’t expecting that.
• Gat says, “Harris only cares people are miserable under his power.” and that speaks VOLUMES
• Harris is a such a douche
  • Getting Gat away from the island for the last few days and for the following summer too… Then inviting his mother to the island… that motherfucker.
• The fact that as a viewer, we can’t tell what’s real and what’s fake is incredible. I didn’t notice a change in lighting or anything, so I felt like everything we saw happening between Cadence and Gat in Summer 17 was real
  • Parts I’m referencing: Cady having an episode in the bookstore, then kissing Gat as he consoles her. Then, they get ice cream and watch the sunset and talk about Wuthering Heights and it turns out, Penny needed to rescue her.
• Gat… My Gat… Making me TEAR UP – “I don’t care where you are I’ll follow you and that’s it.” 😭

Episode 7

• In the book, Cadence is an unreliable narrator and that can be really hard to bring from page to screen, but I love the way that it’s portrayed in the show.
  • Example: Cadence telling Mirren she doesn’t think she can trust her memory anymore.
• I got a bit frustrated with Mirren when she was telling Cadence to leave Gat alone AND that she can’t feel bad for her. Knowing Mirren’s fate, I understand this, but also like … be nice to my girl Cady.
  • But we see this in the book, where Mirren admits she’s been full of rage and jealous of Cadence and mad at the rest of the family (chapter 84)
• The scene where Bonnie asked Cadence for a ghost story and she responds saying “Ask Mirren.” and Bonnie says, “Hilarious.” – I thought this scene was absolutely brilliant.
• She didn’t tell the actual story, but I love the quote starting with “King with three beautiful princesses!” – I looooove including this from the book. (referencing the repetition of the stories of the “king who had three beautiful daughters”
  • Also in this episode, Cady tells the story about the daughters facing the dragon and they all they all die and the question of who killed the daughters – the dragon or the king – is posed. This story is told in the book in chapter 20.
• Harris is gross, like when he says to Cady: “I know you can’t resist a charitable cause.”
• This family genuinely always looks (on the outside) like there isn’t a piece out of place. Even the taffy bag that Harris buys Cadence looks like a Tiffany bag.
• The transition in this episode between the pearls breaking from Penny’s neck to the white tennis balls on the ground was SO GOOD
• The plating of the food at dinner and the synchrony of the sisters taking a bite was so satisfying.
• “If you’re going crazy, it’s your own damn choice” – Harris. Goddamn.
  • Crazy that Harris is deciding what each child DESERVES inheritance wise.
• “I have high standards, Cadence, I will not apologize for them” – Harris (on Gat and Ed, really)
  • Followed by the quote: “For Christ sakes, Cadence, I’m a democrat.” LOL, as if you can say you’re not racist because you’re a democrat. Racist behavior would prevail in Harris’ character no matter the party he claims he identifies with.
• This episode is the first time Johnny seemed mature to me, particularly when he was talking to Carrie about her addiction.
• This observation/prediction I’m actually very proud of–
  • I wrote: “Waaaaaaait episode 1…. They’re talking about her asking if he’s real…. Is she going to ask him that again in episode 8…. When she realizes they are [Gat, Johnny, and Mirren] not real….?”
• I love Johnny dancing to Old Time Rock & Roll. The 80s movies references are minimal but noticeable and I like it (i.e. during Two Truths and a Lie when Gat references The Breakfast Club)

Episode 8

• “See you in a better world” 🥺
  • This type of [iconic] quote reminds me of “I Remember Everything” from Dawson’s Creek.
• I love the irony of the thing that built the Sinclair empire being the thing that also burnt it down.
• The shot of Cadence running away with her dress burning blended with a flashback of the dogs … omg
• I loved the quote Mirren said: “The family noise of love.” [about the pearls]
• I don’t think I love the how everything about That Night was revealed to us… I don’t hate it, I just don’t think I love it either.
• I loved seeing Penny’s development, especially when she said to Cady, ““Normal. Sadness is always seeping.” I don’t think the Penny from episode 1 or even episode 3 [the funeral episode] could have said this.
• Ok but Cady’s goodbye with Johnny – just fucking kill me. I’m sobbing over here.
• Seeing the littles by the hammock… It’s so sad/emotional to me. It’s the new generation.
• Sweet Mirren… ‘I don’t think anyone ever saw me’
  • I liked Mirren throughout the series, but she had her moments where she irritated me. THIS scene between her and Cady though really broke me and made me LOVE her.
• Holy fucking shitballs. Harris is just fucking awful STILL
• The parallel between Bess and Mirren hit SO HARD: Bess wants people to SEE HER [Mirren] when they see Mirren’s art and when they see her piece in the gallery.
  • Then, when Ebon walks by the gallery, it felt like he really did see her ghost standing there. Also, in general, it felt like he really was the one who saw her.
• Bess had her moments where I wanted to just knock her on the side of the head, but when she said “I forgot to just love them.” that broke something inside of me
• YOOOOO the back door to a potential season 2 when Bess says summer 16 (HER summer 16)???
• Cadence and Gat: “I knew you’d chase me.” “Always.” / “Are you real?” / “I don’t know.”
  • I KNEW IT! I LOVE IT!
• The family pictures:
  • I love that Ed came back and I’m SHOCKED Harris was willing to include him in the picture??
  • I’m also shocked Penny said it’s Cady’s choice to be in the picture or not
• “In a better world.” – This quote wrecked me
  • I think at this point in the episode, I was just so crazy emotional, but this quote really just got me good.
  • It reminds me of the quote in Waitress the Musical where Dr. Pomatter says “Another Lifetime.” and that quote breaks me every single time.
• One Last Time – The Liars jumping in the water
  • What stood out to me: Gat, Mirren, and Johnny in white, while Cady is the only one in blue.
  • Under the water, it’s the Liars when they’re kids, in a world where they never grow up
  • Above the water, it’s just Cady, alone. The one who did grow up, who is going to grow up.
• I feel so proud of Cady: She doesn’t wear the pearls for the picture and she doesn’t help with the article
• THE TRANSITION FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END: Now, Cadence says, “My name is Cadence Eastman.” vs. “My name is Cadence Sinclair Eastman.” AND she gets rid of the pearls!
• “Liars are Forever.”
• I’m so sad that Carrie relapsed
  • But the “OH” I let out at the end… That was a twist I wasn’t expecting [her seeing Johnny too]
    • So my question is: Did she see him the whole time? Like when she was looking at his phone?
      • Is this a setup for content to come?

What I Want to Do Now

• Rewatch the series and allow myself to take it all in again. I know I missed things and I really want to absorb all of it.
  • I also really want to pay attention to the episode titles. I didn’t do that when I watched this time.

After waiting years for this show and building it up so much in my head, I am SO impressed with the final product. It made me laugh, smile, cry, think about the society we live in… I really can’t recommend it enough (I’ve recommended it to literally EVERYONE I know) and I’m so happy seeing such positive response to the series on social media.

I’m not sure if it will happen, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed for some sort of We Were Liars panel or event at San Diego Comic Con next month! I want this show to get all the exposure it deserves!!

So happy for Carina, Julie, E. Lockhart and all of the cast and crew involved!