Episode 8 of "We Were Liars" kicks off in the scorching Summer of '16, with Cady contemplating a drastic solution: if they torch Clairmont, the very heart of their familial turmoil, perhaps the adults will finally cease their endless squabbles and reclaim their unity as a family. Even if the aftermath yields no miracles, the Liars concur that their circumstances could scarcely deteriorate further. Oh, how fervently one hopes they are mistaken...
Mirren adopts the role of protector, embracing her mother's spirit. Cady stakes her claim on the ground floor, while Johnny prepares to douse the attic with flammable liquid. Gat, torn between fear and loyalty, argues against their reckless plan. Yet, Cady's persuasive charm swings him into agreeing to pilot the getaway boat, casting him as the hero who "rescues" them. In Harris's eyes, this act of bravery might just secure Gat's welcome back and, who knows, perhaps even Ed's return. At the stroke of midnight, they all converge, bound by a silent pact to ignite the flames and flee without hesitation.
As for how Cady unravels the truth, it unfolds in the following summer. Desperate to reignite her faltering memories, she implores the Liars to aid her in a poignant game of Scrabble, where each word becomes a fragmented clue, piecing together her shattered past. It is amidst this wordplay that she recalls the tragic demise of the dogs in the inferno.
Her heartfelt apology to Harris brings a glimmer of relief to his eyes, though his joy is tempered when she suggests a reunion dinner among the Liars, revealing a hint of melancholy beneath his smile. For her birthday, he presents her with a black pearl necklace, a gesture that acts as a catalyst, unlocking the floodgates of her suppressed recollections. The harrowing truth dawns upon her: the Liars are no more, and she collapses in despair. A chilling revelation emerges—throughout Summer '17, Cady's companionship with the Liars was but a grim figment of her imagination, a poignant reminder of a lost camaraderie.
On the fateful night of August 16th during that summer, the Liars embarked on a perilous endeavor, crafting Molotov cocktails and utilizing Sinclair newspapers as the igniting spark material. At precisely 11:56 pm, Gat meticulously prepared the boat and stood vigilantly awaiting their signal, poised outside. Meanwhile, Cady drenched the ground floor in gasoline, its scent mingling with the anticipation in the air. Johnny followed suit, targeting the attic, but His mission was momentarily derailed by nostalgia triggered by old photographs, leading him to vandalize Harris's trophies in a fit of distraction. Mirren, on the other hand, discovered to her astonishment that Bess had mended her torn painting, a gesture that deeply moved her. In a bid to preserve it, she hurled it out the window, her heart aching yet resolute.
As midnight stroke, Cady ignited the ground floor, flames dancing and crackling with ferocity. In her haste to depart, a fleeting memory of Tipper's black pearl necklace tugged at her heartstrings. Securing it, she dashed out only to be confronted by the ominous barking of dogs, trapping her in the laundry room. Desperation driving her, she rushed back inside but to no avail; the dogs remained beyond her reach, and in her frenzy, she struck her head. Her dress caught fire, flames licking at her hems.
Outside, Gat's anxiety mounted as minutes ticked by without sight of his companions. His heart ached as he and Cady missed each other by mere inches—she escaping through the front door while he ventured in through a side entrance, drawn into the inferno. Johnny and Mirren eventually emerged, too, but the world around them was engulfed in fire and smoke, visibility reduced to mere inches. Gat, Johnny, and Mirren found themselves lost and searching for one another amidst the chaos.
Outside, Cady's eyes widened in disbelief as she realized none of them had made it out safely. Before she could muster the courage to re-enter and attempt a rescue, the gas line erupted in a catastrophic explosion, claiming the lives of the trapped Liars and hurling Cady into the water below. Harris, having returned to the island in haste, summoned the authorities and rescued Cady from the clutches of the ocean. He recounted to all a tale of a faulty gas line as the culprit behind the tragic demise of three youths, with Cady sustaining injuries in a valiant, albeit unsuccessful, attempt to save them.
Do the Sinclairs attain the closure they seek? In the summer of '17, Cady stumbles upon the birthday gift Gat had left for her – his beaded necklace, a poignant reminder of their shared past. She finally confesses to Penny her struggle with addiction, prompting her mother to vow to seek help for her, emphasizing that the Sinclair family's tradition of burying problems under a rug no longer serves them. A shocking revelation unfolds: it was Penny, not her ex, who had the affair. Penny warns Cady that being a Sinclair entails great hardship and that she must make a pivotal choice.
Cady attempts to return the pearls to Harris, but he sternly advises her that unveiling the truth about the arson would devastate everyone. He mandates her to wear the pearls, branding her as his heir and appointing her as the spokesperson for an interview with The Times. As she checks in on her younger siblings, who seem to be faring well but missing Johnny and Mirren dearly, Bess has organized an exhibition showcasing Mirren's painting, finding solace in Carrie's comfort amidst her regret for not doing more for Mirren when she was alive. They ponder if they are being punished for their actions from sixteen years ago, baffled by Penny's seemingly unjustified exemption from their collective guilt. Could this be a teaser for Season 2?
Brody has returned, along with Ed, whom Harris has bailed out alongside Bess but only on the condition that they remain together. Penny and Carrie, unusually sympathetic, recognize Bess's plight, trapped in an unfulfilling marriage for the sake of presenting a united front. Harris appears to have accepted Ed and Carrie's relationship, yet he seems visibly relieved when Ed declines to participate in the interview. Cady notices that despite these changes, much remains the same. She confides in Gat's ghost that she cannot don the mask Harris expects of her. He urges her to tell her own story with authenticity.
When asked about the strength of her family during the interview, Cady refuses to answer, leaving the Sinclair sisters watching with sorrowful expressions. Taking to the helm of a boat, Cady casts the pearl necklace into the ocean, symbolizing her detachment from her Sinclair heritage. She embraces her identity as a Liar, forever rejecting the constraints of her birthright.
Are the Liars mere apparitions haunting the realm of the living? Cady finds herself convinced that the deceased Liars are mere figments of her imagination, yet Johnny and Mirren affirm with certainty that they are, in fact, spectral beings. Throughout the summer of '17, Johnny endeavored to erase Cady's memories, as her insatiable curiosity was the anchor keeping his wandering spirit tethered to the mortal world. He trembles at the prospect of eternal damnation, but Cady assures him that such a fate awaits him not.
Mirren, on the other hand, wishes she had cherished every moment with her sisters, overwhelmed by a cacophony of regrets and sorrow that no one had ever seen her for who she truly was. Cady vows that the Liars saw her, and she will forever hold Mirren in her heart. During her visit to the art gallery, Mirren's face lights up with a gentle smile as Ebon casts an admiring glance at her painting.
Gat, too, reassures Cady that despite his fading form, his love for her remains steadfast. She blames herself for his untimely demise, but he soothes her with words of comfort. The rest of the Liars soon join them, and they embark on one final swim together. When Cady surfaces for air, she finds herself alone, as the Liars have embarked on their journey to the afterlife.
As Episode 8 of "We Were Liars" draws to a close, Carrie, Ed, and Will are busy packing their belongings, preparing to bid Beechwood farewell. Carrie sneaks away to ingest a pill, seeking solace in its numbing embrace. Johnny catches her in the act, and she registers no surprise at his presence. She had assumed he had already departed, but he reveals that he is bound to this world, unable to let go.
