We Were Liars episode 5 recap: can the teens survive the storm?

As we learn in We Were Liars episode 5, summer on Beechwood is far from the sun-dappled paradise of Cady (Emily Alyn Lind) and the rest of The Liars' youth. But a literal storm in Summer 16 and a near-death experience for Johnny (Joseph Zada) and Gat (Shubham Maheshwari) leads to the teens burying the hatchet. If only the adult Sinclairs would follow in their footsteps, as Penny (Caitlin FitzGerald) is thrilled when she discovers Bess (Candiace King) has been unfaithful.

The past is full of painful memories coming to light for Cady. Still, it isn’t all bad when she recalls a romantic encounter with Gat during Summer 16. This passion boils over in the present as it becomes clear that these feelings remain despite Cady’s anger that none of the Liars came to visit her in the hospital. Perhaps they can begin to move forward with their lives.

The approaching storm

In the present, Cady is still in bed after having a seizure during the Fourth of July fireworks. Penny and Gat watch over her, but can do little about the nightmares. Back in Summer 16, the teens are being used as pawns by their parents to regain Harris’ (David Morse) approval.

Johnny is angry that Ed (Rahul Koli) left after Carrie (Mamie Gummer) rejected Ed’s proposal; he wants to make it right. However, Carrie forbids him from telling anyone what she paid to cover up. They must make it right with Harris, as he is their only chance of weathering the scandal. Johnny sucks up to his grandfather at lunch when Cady objects to the ivory elephants in the collection and Harris’ racist language.

Afterward, Johnny tells his cousin that their grandfather isn’t racist, just old. Tension remains, yet Johnny and Gat cannot refuse to work together when Harris asks them to secure the boats before the storm hits.

Mirren (Esther McGregor) is absent as she has been painting at the lighthouse. She runs into new beau Ebon (Dempsey Bryk), who is sheltering in place, giving the pair another chance to hook up away from the prying eyes of the Sinclairs. Mirren shows Ebon what she has been working on, mentioning not to touch as the canvas takes weeks to dry. Ebon calls her “technically skilled,” which she takes to mean they lack creative flair. In her anger, she hits one of the pieces, smudging the paint and unlocking how to make them stand out. Mirren does this to all her work, but hesitates regarding her “masterpiece.” It is a beautiful painting of The Liars on the beach. But when she smudges the colors, it creates a more evocative image.

Sister secrets

Johnny thinks they would not become friends if he met Gat now because they have nothing in common. This argument ceases to be important when they realize a boat is missing and that his younger brother, Will (Brady Droulis), must’ve taken it out after Johnny blew him off that morning. The storm is now raging, and they have to act fast.

A different furor is brewing inside the main house when Penny confronts Cady for calling out Harris in front of everyone. Penny then brings up what Bess said about seeing Cady and Gat flirting on the beach, saying that Cady needs more discretion. “She’s one to talk about discretion,” Cady responds. Penny won’t let this comment go and gets her daughter to spill the tea.

It doesn’t take long for Penny to find Bess and tell her that Mirren saw her mother having sex with Salty Dan (Tim Rozon). Bess is already smarting from the dressing down her father gave about her husband’s failure. When Bess finds Mirren at the lighthouse with Ebon, she orders Ebon to leave and unleashes her anger at her daughter by punching a hole through Mirren’s favorite painting.

Looking for Will

Harris realizes Will must have gone out on the water when the twins say they cannot find him anywhere, and that Gat and Johnny are missing too. When Carrie is alerted to her sons’ disappearance, she asks someone to call Ed.

Gat and Johnny find Will but cannot get close to him, so Johnny dives into the choppy water to reach him. He gives his little brother a life vest, but as they approach their boat, Johnny becomes overwhelmed with tiredness and goes under. Gat dives in, getting both Will and Johnny to safety.

There is a tearful reunion when Ed brings the boys back. Johnny tells Gat he “would’ve been f***ed without you.” In the present, Johnny still won’t tell Cady exactly what he did (other than it having nothing to do with her), but he admits to Gat in Summer 16 that a revenge plan against the opposing tennis team turned violent.

Carrie paid off everyone who knew about him beating up the teen who walked in on the prank. Blake has a video of this and is using it as blackmail. Johnny says he saw red when it happened, a phrase Carrie uses about Johnny’s birth dad. Johnny admits to being privileged in all the wrong ways.

Later during Summer 16, when Harris praises Johnny for being a hero, Johnny tells his grandfather that it was his fault, as he forgot all the vital rules about storms, and that Gat and Ed saved the day.

Triggering memories

Cady remembers arguing with Mirren because Cady told her mother about Bess sleeping with Salty Dan. But in the present, the rupture is not an issue. However, Cady is annoyed that the other Liars jumped off Sunset Bluffs without her. They think it is too dangerous for her (Johnny doesn’t), but Cady leaps into the water anyway.

But it isn’t FOMO that Cady was feeling. Instead, she tells Gat she thought this might trigger memories of why she was in the water the night of her accident. Gat is angry that she took that risk, while Cady is still furious they didn’t visit her in the hospital.

Anger turns into passion, revealing that Gat and Cady previously slept together during Summer 16. They recreate this moment in the present timeline. Will this heightened emotion unlock more secrets?

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