We Were Liars confirmed the bitter truth about what truly happened to Cadence Sinclair Eastman (Emily Alyn Lind) during a traumatic accident that happened last summer. Based on the novel of the same name by E. Lockhart, the latest eight-episode series on Amazon Prime Video revolves around the story of Cadence as she tries to remember what transpired during her 16th summer at her grandfather's private island, Beechwood. As she tries to piece together the truth while recovering from a traumatic brain injury, Cadence uncovers a heartbreaking revelation that changes her life forever.
What Happened to Cadence in We Were Liars TV Show Ending
After suffering from her brain injury during her 16th summer in Beechwood, Cadence investigated the aftermath of what happened because she doesn't really remember due to gaps in her memory. It also didn't help that her own family, the Sinclairs, didn't want to tell her the truth, with her mother preventing the others from revealing anything during the fateful night of her accident as a way to "protect" her.
Still, a defiant Cadence worked with the other Liars (Gat, Mirren, and Johnny) to learn everything that happened that night, but she didn't expect the heartbreaking discovery.
By slowly connecting the puzzle pieces, We Were Liars revealed that Cadence, Gat, Mirren, and Johnny started a fire that burned down Cadence's grandfather's mansion (the old Clairmont house) to the ground. This was the Liars' way of sending a message to the older generation of Sinclairs that the family is being torn apart by the members' relentless pursuit of inheritance (through their grandfather's will).
Seeing the Clairmont mansion as the literal symbol of dysfunction within the family, Cadence spearheaded the plan to burn the house by using fuel from the boathouse. However, her plan backfired because We Were Liars confirmed the tragic truth that all three of her fellow Liars died during the fire, and the ones helping her in the present day are ghosts of themselves.
Johnny and Mirren died inside the mansion after the fire caught up with them. Meanwhile, Gat tried to save Cadence after she went inside to get her grandmother's black pearls (a symbol of wealth that everyone from the Sinclair family seemingly wanted to retrieve), but he also succumbed to the flames. As to how Cadence survived, she managed to escape, but the explosion of the mansion's gas line threw her into the ocean.
As the only one who survived, Cadence was haunted by guilt, but We Were Liars' ending showed that she was strong enough to decide to leave her family behind despite the threat of Harris Sinclair (the head of the family and the owner of the Clairmont mansion) to expose the truth about her involvement in the fire (read more about the complex family tree of the Sinclairs in We Were Liars).
What's Next for Cadence in We Were Liars?
By the end of We Were Liars, there was no denying that Cadence grew as a person, and it was pretty unfortunate that all it took was a tragic accident to change her completely.
Although Harris offered Cadence the position of heir to the family (alongside the generational wealth that came along with it), she chose to forge her own path and leave the Sinclair family name behind. This was her way of telling the family that she was done with the lies and manipulation the Sinclairs are known for.
Speaking with TV Insider, Emily Alyn Lind explained Cadence's decision to leave her family behind, noting that it's her character's way of saying that she won't take Harris' side of lies:
"It’s just her step to sort of be able to say I know that I’m not going to show up for [her grandfather] Harris, I’m not going to take his side. I’m going to walk away from all of it."
Lind also addressed Harris' threat of exposing Cadence's involvement in the fire by saying, "She’s probably going to have to at some point face that."
Given that Cadence escaped from everything in the finale, a potential Season 2 of We Were Liars could further explore the ramifications of her actions. With Cadence now being on the run and out of the family, she may find new allies to continue her growth, but she could eventually face the consequences.
Despite that, given that Cadence knows some, if not all, of the dirty family secrets of the Sinclairs, she could use that to her advantage to finally end Harris' manipulative nature and firm grip on the family.
Read more about the best Amazon Prime Video shows of 2025 here.
Developed by Julie Plec and Carina Adly Mackenzie for a streaming adaptation, We Were Liars boasts a star-studded cast headlined by Emily Alyn Lind, Joseph Zada, Candice King, Mamie Gummer, Rahul Kohli, Wendy Crewson, and Esther McGregor. We Were Liars premiered on Prime Video on June 18, 2025.
