One of Us Is Lying Season 2: Erica Saleh talks adapting the story

Erica Saleh already brought us one excellent season. It’s almost time for One of Us Is Lying Season 2, and this season isn’t based on the book.

The first season of One of Us Is Lying was based on the first book in the series. The second book follows a different set of characters at Bayview High. It was clear from the trailer that things would change with the TV series.

Instead of moving onto new characters, Saleh and her team of writers chose to continue the story of Addy, Bronwyn, Cooper, and Nate. We even have Janae and Maeve thrown in there after their involvement in the first season, and we can’t overlook Vanessa’s important role this season. There are some new characters to look out for, though. Just what does Jake’s brother know?

Why develop the characters instead of moving onto the second book? Will there be any part of the second book in the story? We talked to Erica Saleh about the choices and what to expect.

Developing the known characters in One of Us Is Lying Season 2

There were a couple of reasons not to move onto the second book.

“Our cast is so great. I love our cast. We would have been crazy not to keep them on screen. And then, second, it really takes until the end of the first season for them to all sort of be honest about who they are…and to me that’s really the beginning of their story.”

It certainly is. There is more to tell for these characters. Things don’t just go back to normal for them, as we saw at the end of the first season. One of Us Is Lying Season 2 picks up with Simon Says, who is making the teens do things that could get them in a lot of trouble or this person (or these people?) will share the truth to the world.

The book gave us a brief look at things for the future of the teens, but Saleh wanted to give us more time for that on screen. What does life look like for Murder Club now?

YA mysteries tend to have a lot of red herrings and drawn out storylines. One of Us Is Lying Season 2 manages to avoid that, and it was something we talked to Saleh about. Part of this was all thanks to only having eight episodes.

“We’re not having to create red herrings just to tread water and wait for the big reveal. And I think the other thing is we have a few mysteries, and I hope the audience is coming into this season with more than one question.”

There are certainly some big questions fans have. Will Natewyn be end game? What actually happened to Jake? Will Cooper go on to play baseball? Will Cooper and Kris get back together? There are a lot of things going on, helping to avoid the need for red herrings along the way.

Take a look at the full interview below and get ready for One of Us Is Lying Season 2.

One of Us Is Lying Season 2 is coming to Peacock on Thursday, Oct. 20.