We Were Liars had foreshadowed that twist ending from the very beginning – Here’s how

Amazon Prime Video's We Were Liars adaptation does not dawdle in immersing the audience in the idyllic, eerie universe of Cadence Sinclair and her family's secluded island, Beechwood. Through its eight meticulously crafted episodes, the show echoes the novel's format—unfolding details in fragments, flashbacks, and emotional enigmas. And similar to the book, it plants small hints in the initial episode regarding the catastrophic turn that unravels every thread by the finale.

While most viewers will be surprised by what happens to the Liars in episode eight, the clues were always hidden under poetic language, fragmented memories, and charged silence. The show doesn't create surprise from thin air; it leads to it in plain view.

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Here's how We Were Liars had foreshadowed that twist ending from the very beginning

1. Cadance's unreliable memory and amnesia are the red flags in We Were Liars

From the very first episode, Cadance is established as a narrator who can't be entirely believed. She speaks of an "accident" in Summer Fifteen but can't remember the specifics. Her migraines and mood swings—particularly when precipitated by mundane conversation—immediately spark suspicion.

The program enacts her forgetting in jarring cuts and dream sequences. Scenes flash in and out for no reason. These aren’t just stylistic flourishes—they’re early signs that her mind is suppressing something traumatic. And the fact that her entire family dances around the issue makes it even more clear that something tragic is being kept from her, and us.

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2. The liars only make an appearance in her world, not the real world of We Were Liars

Starting from the third episode, there's a peculiar trend: Johnny, Mirren, and Gat only appear to engage with Cadence. They are nowhere to be found during group scenes, such as meals or family gatherings. Their appearances are isolated, almost ghostly.

The show quietly highlights this in framing and lighting. When Cadence is with the Liars, the scenes are warmer, brighter. But the rest of Beechwood is colder, more isolated. The lack of other characters noticing the Liars isn't a scripting error—it's deliberate. By midseason, their absence from the "real" family lives is a quiet indicator.

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3. We Were Liars episode four's fairytale sequences aren't just artistic flourishes

Halfway through the series, fable-style voiceovers from Cadence are offered to the audience—fairytales that mirror her family's actions. The segments are visually stylized, narrated in a bedtime story format, and laced with metaphors regarding kings, queens, and sacrifices.

In one installment, a king sets fire to his castle to resolve a succession dispute. Abstract-sounding at first, the story relates directly to the Sinclair family's poisonous heritage and portends the fire that destroyed the Liars. Applying metaphor isn't mere creative suggestion; it's an intrinsic hint at Cadence's suppressed guilt attempting to rise up through allegory.

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4. The tonal contrast between past and present summers in We Were Liars

Those previous episodes with Summers Thirteen and Fourteen are light-hearted, fast-cut, and cheerful. The Liars exchange inside jokes, swim in the ocean, and sneak around the island at night. These scenes are presented with saturated color, music, and energy.

But when Cadence does come back in Summer Seventeen, the atmosphere is altogether different. The island is empty, subdued, and effectively desolate. The cinematography mirrors it, employing colder color schemes and faraway framing. The distinction is not merely environmental—it's psychological. The transformation emphasizes the reality: she's not reconnecting with her cousins. She’s projecting them into a space where they no longer exist.

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5. Cadence's overwhelming guilt comes without context in We Were Liars

As early as episode two, Cadence is consumed with self-loathing. Her journaling and inner dialogue consist of such statements as "I don't deserve to be here" and "I ruined everything." There isn't really any narrative reason for her guilt at this point. Her disagreements with her mother or her estrangement from Gat aren't sufficient to justify this degree of emotional collapse.

This unearned guilt is only understandable when the twist is revealed. Cadence lit the fire—accidentally, yes, but with disastrous results. Her subconscious has been aware all along. The show uses tone and language perfectly to convey her self-loathing long before she (or audiences) realizes its actual source.

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6. The disappearance of the dogs is quiet but crucial in We Were Liars

There's a little but significant detail in episode five. Cadence inquires about her dogs, Fatima and Prince Philip, but nobody answers directly. They're just gone. The family drops the subject. Viewers who notice this scene might be confused, but it's not merely a throwaway line.

In the novel, the dogs died in the fire. Their disappearance isn't explained on the show either, because it is a manifestation of the same denial that exists for the Liars' deaths. It's another silence speaking louder than words—and another breadcrumb leading to the truth.

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7. Nobody speaks about summer fifteen for a reason

Summer Fifteen is given short shrift throughout the series. Other members of the family refer to it obliquely or not at all. Even the beach house has been reconstructed, removing any tangible evidence of what occurred.

That avoidance isn't simply a story choice—it's cultural among the Sinclair family. Their habit of faking things being okay all the time figures into why the fire, and the loss of three teens, was able to be buried so very deeply underneath forced smiles and clean houses. This silent culture isn't merely atmospheric—it's an enormous story clue.

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8. The title "We Were Liars" was a confession from the start

The series clings closely to the title of the novel, We Were Liars. In hindsight, it's almost cripplingly literal. The Liars existed once. Now, though, only Cadence is left, holding on to the narrative she can stomach.

The series employs the title as a theme. The term "liars" is not used loosely—it's connected to denial, repression, and image in the family. Even when Cadence begins to realize something is amiss, she continues to believe her cousins are alive. This belief in itself is the last lie—and the one that shatters her when the truth does finally come back.

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The Prime Video adaptation of We Were Liars does not present a twist of fate. It builds toward its conclusion gradually and deliberately, through visual design, fractured memories, symbolic storytelling, and emotional resonance. Sure, the last episode is perhaps the biggest bombshell since Up North, but clues were dropped in each episode—quiet, patient, and heartbreaking in retrospect.

For those who are looking back, the indications were never concealed. They were smoldering just beneath the surface, just waiting to be noticed.

Also read: We Were Liars soundtrack guide: A complete list of the music in Prime Video's latest psychological thriller adaptation