The We Were Liars season 1 finale finally brought Cadence all the answers she needed. However, it’s soon clear that there were reasons her brain was hiding the truth from her.
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for the We Were Liars season 1 finale.
After figuring out that she and the Liars set fire to Clairmont, Cady realized that there was still something she was missing. Why did she end up in the water that night? What are the Liars still not telling her? This story ends up far more heartbreaking than it originally seems.
Cady figures out two innocent beings died in the fire in We Were Liars
As Cady starts to think about the fire, she suddenly remembers something that she heard when she got outside. The dogs barking.
During dinner, Cady and Penny had gone to give the dogs sleeping pills so that they would be quiet during dinner, and they were still in that room when the clock struck midnight. The Liars went through with their plan. Cady was in the Great Room, Mirren was upstairs in Bess’s old room, and Johnny was in the attic. Gat remained outside with the boat as the getaway driver — which is a change from the original story in the books.
Cady tried to get to the dogs as she realized they were trapped in there. However, something had fallen over in front of the door, and she couldn’t get in. She had no choice but to leave them behind, and it was absolutely heartbreaking. Cady remembers running to the water, with her dress partly on fire.
There was more tragedy that night in the We Were Liars season 1 finale
However, it soon turns out that there is a lot more for Cady to remember. Suddenly, Cady realizes that she was the only one to get out of the house.
Mirren shares that she got sidetracked in the house, realizing that her mom had worked on repairing the damage to one of her paintings. She wanted to save that piece of artwork as the fire spread fast. Meanwhile, Johnny was in the attic and saw a photo of his grandfather holding a trophy, and overcome with anger, he decided to smash it before getting out of the room.
The fire had spread a lot faster than any of them thought it would. Maybe there was too much accelerant or newspaper. They weren’t sure, but Johnny and Mirren were trapped, turned around in the house that they had set fire to.
Meanwhile, Gat decided that it was taking too long for any of them to get out of the house. So, he ran in to help them, and that’s how he ended up trapped in the burning building.
Cady now remembers a newspaper and some search terms that she read — she did get off the island that day, but was on her own — and she read about Johnny, Mirren, and Gat perishing in the fire with the dogs. Cady was the only one to get out alive, but it still didn’t explain how she ended up in the water.
Johnny shared that it was the gas line that they forgot about. It exploded, and the blast forced Cadence into the water.
Cady blames herself for the deaths of the Liars
And now we see why nobody seemed to acknowledge any of the other Liars on the island. They were just ghosts for Cady, and they didn’t want to tell Cady the truth because they feared that they would end up disappearing.
Each of the Liars comes to Cadence in a beautifully written finale, first Johnny, then Mirren, and then Gat. They all share their regrets in life, such as not being nicer to the Littles or not being someone to be remembered. However, they all also make it clear to Cady that it wasn’t her fault. They all chose to burn down Clairmont. Cady tries to say to Gat that he came in because she had taken too long setting the first in the first place. She looked at a picture of Tipper with the black pearls and realized she needed to get them as another F U to Harris. Gat doesn’t blame her, though, as Cady wasn’t the only one delayed in that house, and Gat says that he chose to go in there.
With Cady now remembering it all herself, she’s able to hold onto those memories. Penny comforts her, allowing her to grief and cry. Sure, it’s not the Sinclair way, but Penny shares that she knows what it’s like to lose someone you love, and there is no handbook for how to handle that. Penny isn’t talking about her ex-husband, Cady’s dad.
Who is she talking about? Could this be linked to something that Carrie and Bess later talk about, during Bess’s Summer Sixteen? There’s clearly a story there for We Were Liars season 2 to go into if it happens.
One thing Cady does say is that she thinks she’s addicted to the pain medication, and she needs help. Penny is happy that her daughter is being honest about this now, and says that she and Cady’s dad will get Cady all the help she needs.
Harris always knew the truth in We Were Liars
The end of the season reveals that Harris always knew about the truth. He had just been waiting for Cady to remember it all, and now that she does, he can use it against her. Harris has covered it up for now, but if she wants it keep it that way, she will need to play by his rules.
Harris has decided to allow a publication to come to the island to talk about New Clairmont, and everyone is expected to be there and play a specific part. Bess has been forced to reconcile with her husband, with Harris paying their way out of the fraud. Carrie and Penny seem to be getting off a little easier, but that’s likely because Harris is focused on Cady.
He makes it clear that Cady is to wear the black pearls and be the dutiful First Grandchild. Cady struggles with this, uncertain about whether she can go against everything the Liars tried to do during Summer Sixteen. She also finds a gift from Gat for her 18th birthday, which is his necklace.
Cady realizes that she can’t go through with Harris’s plan after all. She wears Gat’s necklace and walks away, taking one of the boats to get back to the mainland. Penny, Carrie, and Bess just watch, likely realizing that Cady is doing the one thing that they have all always wanted. Of course, we know that this will have a knock-on effect for the moms, but it’s also clear that Harris is struggling mentally.
Harris has to see a doctor as Cady is figuring everything out, and we’ve seen signs that he’s not remembering everything all that clearly. During the We Were Liars season 1 finale, he goes to throw a ball, only to realize that his two dogs aren’t there — he does have two new dogs! — so it looks like he’s suffering from dementia, and this could see everything change at Clairmont soon.
Carrie is now seeing Johnny in We Were Liars
At the very end of the episode, we learn that Ed has been welcomed back to Beechwood Island. Harris even calls him by his name, which suggests that he has realized that something in him needs to change. However, this is Harris, and there’s likely some sort of manipulation going on there.
Whatever the reason, Ed is there and he’s with Carrie. As Ed and Will pack up and get ready to leave at the very end, Carrie quickly heads back into the house and grabs a tub. She has a secret stash of pills, and Ghost Johnny shows up. He isn’t going anywhere while his mom needs him, but will Carrie beat her addiction if she thinks it’s the reason she’s seeing her late son?
We Were Liars is available to stream on Prime Video.
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