We Were Liars Episode 1 and 2 Recap: An Island of Romance and Lies

Prime Video’s ‘We Were Liars’ follows the Sinclairs, a wealthy family that has a summer retreat every year on a private island in Massachusetts owned by the family patriarch, Harris. The story is told through the eyes of Cadence, Harris’ oldest grandchild, whose life is changed when she becomes involved in a mysterious incident during one of the summers, leaving her with amnesia. Subsequently, she revisits the island once more in hopes that she remembers what actually transpired on that fateful day with the help of her teenage loved ones, Johnny, Mirren, and Gat, who are termed the “Liars.” To that end, the first two episodes of the show, titled ‘Tell Me Sweet Little Lies’ and ‘Wrap Her Up in a Package of Lies,’ set the stakes for the mystery to follow while also showcasing the cracks lurking underneath the seemingly perfect Sinclair household. SPOILERS AHEAD.

A Summertime Retreat of Teenage Euphoria and Secret Begins

The story begins with a series of flashing memories experienced by Cadence, the narrator and protagonist. Every summer, she and her three friends, Johnny, Mirren, and Gat, get together for a vacation at the Beechwood Island family home owned by Harris, their grandfather. Gat is the only one not related to the Sinclair family, as he is Ed’s nephew. While Cadence has a good rapport with everyone, including her mother, Penny, and her two aunts, Carrie and Bess, the person she looks most forward to meeting every summer is Gat, her best friend. However, in the summer of 16, which is the seminal vacation where the “incident” takes place, Carrie notices a big change in Gat, who exudes confidence and aura she has never seen before.

After reuniting with her three loved ones (Johnny, Mirren, and Gat), Cadence spends some time on the beach catching up with everything they have been up to over the past year. Mirren reveals that she has been sexting someone much older than her, even though she is insecure about the fact that she is actually sexually inexperienced. Cadence and Gat also reveal what they have been up to, but Johnny refuses to speak up, telling them they won’t be able to handle his exploits. As they are left together, Gat reveals that he read Cadence’s published short story, which he describes as beautiful. The more Cadence listens to him talk, including his recent trip to India, the more she starts to see him in a different light, one more intimate and fueled by attraction, making her question her true feelings for her bestie.

Cadence and Gat Find Their Attraction Deepening

Through a conversation between Penny, Bess, and Carrie, we learn that the three sisters have a petty, squabbling attitude towards one another. We also learn that Penny has recently divorced her husband, Sam, Cadence’s father. In the meantime, Harris and Tipper try to get the kids interested in building sand castles on the beach for a competition. However, the main quadruple is less interested in impressing their grandad and more intrigued by a party boat bobbing in the distant sea, specifically in the case of Johnny, who loves having a good time. They spend the rest of their day playing tennis on the massive courts installed on the island’s premises and then washing themselves under the outdoor shower. During the bath, Cadence and Gat have yet another tender moment predicated by an intense and meaningful look.

Later, Cadence invites Gat on a boat ride, where they have a cold swim in the lake. Subsequently, the former tells Gat that she has noticed a huge change in him than the previous summers. That night, Cadence walks by Gat’s home on the island (Red Gate), where she sees him writing a letter, which she believes is intended for her because of his regular habit of leaving her short but sweet letters. She also observes a flattened beech flower next to his writing, which she thinks he will likely gift her with the letter. Seeing him be so thoughtful makes it evident to her that her true feelings for Gat go well beyond friendship. So the next day, while sitting on the hammock reading by his side, Cadence invites Gat to watch the meteor shower with her – an invitation that only extends to the two of them.

Gat Makes Up For His Error Big Time

While Gat is happy to accept Cadence’s invite, his newfound closeness with her seems to irk Johnny. On the day of the meteor shower, he takes Gat on a trip of his own, intending to foil his plans of spending some time alone with Cadence. Meanwhile, Cadence shows up for the meteor shower in her best attire and full makeup, only to be surprised by Johnny, Mirren, and Gat crashing the event as a group. Subsequently, Cadence is forced to accompany them on a clandestine trip to the party boat. Things get increasingly fraught and cold between Cadence and Gat as the former feels betrayed by the fact that he did not show up to the meteor shower by himself as promised. She ends up leaving the party boat on the family boat, jealous at the fact that Gat is happily fraternizing with other girls, and Johnny and Mirren also seem to be having a good time.

On Beechwood, Cadence is invited to watch the meteor shower with her aunt Carrie and their kids. Although she accepts, she is pleasantly surprised when Gat also shows up, having swum back from the boat just so that he can be with her. Moments later, Johnny and Mirren also return on another boat. They watch the meteor shower as a group, and apologies are shared between each member for the mistakes they have made. Elsewhere, Bess ends up hooking up with the harbor service guy, Salty Dan, after she is disappointed by her husband, Brodie, for not showing up. Mirren catches them both mid-act, sending ripples down her spine. At the same time, Cadence and Gat finally kiss on the beach, a special moment for the two. However, two months later, we see the former sprawled on the beach in her undies, unable to recall what happened that led to her being found in such a state.

Cadence’s Newfound Amnesia Propels a Search For Truth

As the second episode opens, we learn that an unknown incident during the latter part of Summer 16 wiped out most of Cadence’s memories of what took place that vacation beyond her kiss with Gat. For the next year or so, Cadence spent her days recuperating in isolation while none of the “Liars” got in touch with her. Their secrecy and her mother’s dotting care and attention towards her make her curious about what took place that summer. Desperate to get some answers, she heads back to Beechwood Island for Summer 17, hoping the familiar sight of the place might trigger the return of her memories. However, upon landing, she is astonished to see that her grandfather’s Clairmont mansion, a classical structure, has been renovated into a modern architectural piece with no resemblance to the past.

At night, Cadence heads out to Taft Beach, hoping that it might serve as a catalyst for her forgotten memories, especially because the beach was where she was found after the “incident.” Fortunately, it works as she goes back to Summer 16, the day after her kiss with Gat. Mirren stops by her room, allowing Cadence to tell her about Gat. The two end up discussing Gat’s feelings for her and whether they might be genuine or not, mainly because the protagonist is concerned about why he did not gift her the Beech flower as expected in his recent letter. Cadence gets a weird vibe from Gat at breakfast, who seems slightly aloof and unwilling to meet her eye. Mirren’s dad, Brodie, announces his arrival, surprising everyone, especially Bess, who begins to regret her fling with Salty Dan. Subsequently, he and Ed take the kids to town for some shopping.

Cadence Grows Confused With Gat’s On-and-Off Attitude

On the mainland, Mirren tells the quartet the truth about her mother’s tryst with Salty Dan. They are shocked to learn the truth but advise her to speak with her mother first before telling her dad. Meanwhile, Gat continues to be strangely distant towards Cadence. The mixed messages get even more confusing when he graciously takes her hand and sits beside her on the boat, acting like a lover would. We jump to Summer 17, where Cadence meets up with the “Liars” gang after a year of not speaking with them. They are hesitant about getting into the specifics of the “incident” because of orders from Penny not to overburden Cadence. However, they do apologize for not contacting her more often. Back in Summer 16, Gat gets hurt when Cadence tells him to “shut up,” seeing it as his cue to leave. Johnny tells the protagonist that Gat has been this way since his visit to India.

The drama continues to mount on Beechwood as we learn about Tipper’s plan to sell a priceless family art to fund her daughter Penny’s expensive cash flow, especially after her recent divorce. Ed also decides to take a monumental step in his relationship with Carrie by asking Harris for his daughter’s hand in marriage. The traditional approach amuses the family patriarch, and he gives Ed the go-ahead in a seemingly cryptic manner. In the meantime, Cadence stops by Gat’s house, apologizing to him for her hurtful words earlier. After they reconcile, they end up kissing once more, only to stop when Harris disrupts the peace. In Summer 17, the protagonist gets the chance to talk with Gat one-on-one for the first time since her “incident,” questioning him about why he did not talk with her for so long. He explains his position, stating that things were tough for him as well.

Gat and Cadence Hit a Huge Snag in Their Relationship

In Summer 16, things take a rough turn when Gat and Johnny end up having a disagreement that boils into a full-on physical altercation. Brodie shows up at the right time to break the duo apart, although it startles Cadence to see Gat that way. The following day, she confronts Gat about this “other side” to his nature and why Johnny calls him a “hypocrite.” Gat claims that he is not the good person Cadence thinks of him as. As Father’s Day celebrations kick off on the island, the Sinclair family and their guests serenade Harris as the King of the Hill. During the party, the tension between Cadence and Gat remains finely poised. However, it all goes awry when, during a clandestine sweep of Gat’s room, Cadence discovers an envelope addressed to a girl named Raquel Diaz. Johnny enters the room and tells the protagonist that Raquel is Gat’s girlfriend.

After learning that Gat has been two-timing her, Cadence refuses to speak with him until he comes clean about his actions. Sensing no other choice, he reveals the truth behind his relationship with Raquel while also confessing that he has loved Cadence for the longest time but was never noticed by her. As such, he thought it would be better if he moved on. However, his feelings for Cadence have never been extinguished and have come to the fore now that she is reciprocating his feelings. He also states that he feels like he does not belong at Beechwood because, as a brown boy, he is an outsider amongst an otherwise “privileged” family. Despite his justification, Cadence remains hurt by his betrayal. The episode concludes on a startling note, with Tipper seemingly unresponsive after laying down for some rest beside her daughters, suggesting a fatal end to the matriarch’s life.