We Were Liars episode 2 recap: a Father’s Day tragedy

It has been nearly a whole year since Cady’s (Emily Alyn Lind) accident, which she still has zero recollection of, when We Were Liars episode 2 begins. Given how close she is to her cousins, Johnny (Joseph Zada) and Mirren (Esther McGregor), and family friend Gat (Shubham Maheshwari), it’s a surprise that none of them have spoken to her since the mysterious incident.

Cady is determined to return to Beechwood to start remembering what everyone else wants her to forget. The last thing she recalls is the perfect kiss with Gat. The next thing she remembers is waking up in the hospital in August, meaning there is a lot to fill in.

On the island in the present, Cady has an emotional reunion with the rest of The Liars (Johnny, Mirren and Gat) and begins to remember, including the events from the Father’s Day festivities that end with a devastating loss.

Back on Beechwood

The Cady of Summer 17 looks nothing like the previous year. She has dyed her blonde hair black, and her infectious enthusiasm is replaced by amnesia and migraines. Cady and her mother, Penny (Caitlin FitzGerald), are greeted upon their arrival by Penny’s sister Carrie (Mamie Gummer). Cady is aghast that Clairmont (the main house) has undergone significant renovation.

Regardless, Cady is hopeful she will unlock the secrets of Summer 16. Cady recalls getting a letter from Gat the day after their passionate first kiss. Inside is a candy, not the flower she was expecting. During this flashback to Summer 16, Cady tells Mirren about having a moment with Gat the night before. Mirren, like Johnny, is concerned that The Liars' dynamic will change.

Mirren is also distracted because she saw her mother, Bess (Candice King), sleeping with Salty Dan (Tim Rozon) the night before. Guilt continues to eat at Mirren when her father, Brody (Dylan Bruce) makes his late arrival, and she tells the Liars about her mother’s infidelity. The secrets of the past keep piling up.

Reuniting with The Liars

Cady nervously approaches The Liars in Summer 17. Johnny and Mirren immediately embrace her while Gat hangs back. Cady says she can’t remember what she did wrong to warrant them giving her the cold shoulder. Even if they had texted, Cady wouldn’t know, as Cady’s parents took away her phone because screens worsen her migraines. The Liars claim they weren’t with Cady the night of her accident and don’t know how she ended up in the water. The waking nightmare continues.

Another flashback to Summer 16 shows Gat avoiding being alone with Cady. Tensions flare when Johnny tells Gat he is bored of hearing his friend discuss the “evils of colonization.” Later, when looking for books in the attic, Cady confronts Gat about not knowing how to act around each other. It’s awkward at first, but then they kiss again. However, they are interrupted when Harris (David Morse) comes to collect his golf clubs. Harris clocks the tension between the teens and disapproves of this development.

The thinly veiled hostility from the Sinclair patriarch is also on display when Ed (Rahl Koli) approaches Harris about proposing to Carrie. Harris reluctantly admits that Ed is an improvement on the junkie Carrie eloped with (and then abandoned with two kids). Still, Carrie’s mother, Tipper (Wendy Crewson), is excited by this development and even offers a family heirloom as the engagement ring.

Gat’s secret

In the present, Cady tells Gat she replays the memory of their kiss whenever she is scared or feels sick, but worries she has warped the reality of what happened. Gat says it was also perfect for him. But if this is the case, then why didn’t he call her?

Gat tells Cady that Penny told everyone they can’t talk to her about Summer 16 as it could trigger her migraines. Gat wants her to let it go because he says, “that night f***ed me up as well.” He won’t elaborate but tells her the kiss was his favorite moment, too. The issue? Cady doesn’t remember if she can trust Gat.

Another flashback to Summer 16 on the eve of the Father’s Day celebrations offers some clarity when Johnny and Gat fight about Johnny’s privilege and lack of consideration for the Beechwood staff. Johnny suggests Gat is a hypocrite, but doesn’t explain why. On Father’s Day, Cady discovers that Gat has a girlfriend at home in Brooklyn. Johnny knew and was trying to protect her.

Cady drowns her sorrows on Father’s Day, and her grandmother Tipper reminds Cady that the Sinclairs don’t show their emotions. Meanwhile, Harris’s three daughters are vying for his approval with their choice of gifts. Whoever is deemed the best will wear their mother’s black pearl necklace (the same necklace Cady holds in her hand when she washes up on the beach).

More memories return, including Gat apologizing for not letting her know he had a girlfriend. Gat says he met Raquel in India, and she lives in Brooklyn. He finally felt seen, bringing up how much discomfort he experiences at Beechwood. Everyone is white and rich except for him, Ed and the staff. Cady says that none of that matters to her, which is the issue because she has no idea that their antics have led to staff losing their jobs.

Father’s Day tragedy

In the present, Cady asks her mother if she tried to kill herself? Penny definitively tells her this isn’t the cause of her trauma. Cady then wonders if her amnesia is because someone attacked her.

There are no answers in the flashback to Summer 16, but Johnny does tell Cady not to let Gat’s dishonesty ruin her summer. Meanwhile, Penny, Carrie and Bess gather by an outdoor fire with Tipper to reflect on the day, including who has been deemed the favorite daughter. Bess notes that none of them stand a chance against their sister Rosemary, who died when they were kids.

When they call it a night, Penny tries to wake up her mother, who has drifted off. Except Tipper isn’t asleep, she’s passed away. There is no pretending this pain away, and as the Sinclairs suffered a colossal loss before Cady’s accident. How did Tipper’s death impact the rest of the summer?

All episodes of We Were Liars are streaming exclusively on Prime Video.