The Lying Game Pilot Recap and Review

Posted by Lauren 2 Comments

So the first episode of The Lying Game aired last night and I have to say they explained a lot of the storyline in quite a short time. For those that haven’t seen last nights episode, this post does contain spoilers.

emma the lying gameThe Lying Game began with Emma jogging. She returns home and her perv foster brother, Travis, is taunting her while she changes. It’s clear Travis is bad news from the word go.

Emma receives a video call on her laptop and it’s her twin sister Sutton. Sutton found Emma about 3 months ago when she started her search for her birth mother. She didn’t know she had a twin and now knows her adoptive parents lied to her. The call is interrupted when Travis comes in for further perv duties.

Emma goes outside and hits a tennis ball around when she is called inside by her foster mum Clarice, as her Bruce Willis signed dollar has gone missing. Travis planted it in Emma’s backpack and Clarice calls the cops when she finds it. Travis tries to make a deal with Emma that if she gives him a little “something something” he’ll get the cops off her back. She whacks him with the tennis racket and runs off. She calls Sutton, explains the situation and says she’s coming to see her on an all night bus.

Emma Sutton The Lying GameEmma arrives in Sutton’s hometown Phoenix, Arizona and Sutton grabs her and takes her into the restroom. Sutton has a lead on where their birth mother might be and has to go to LA to find out more. She wants Emma to pretend to be her for 2 days so she can follow the lead without her adoptive parents knowing anything. They plan to meet at the cabin in 2 days. They change clothes and Sutton gives Emma a few tips about her such as a hair flick she does and that it’s important no one knows she’s gone. Before Sutton get’s on the bus to LA she tells Emma her boyfriend situation is complicated.

sutton and car the lying gameEmma finds Sutton’s car in the parking lot, which is a BMW. She uses the sat nav to find Sutton’s home. When she enters the house she acts differently from Sutton and her family are wondering what’s going on, especially her sister Laurel. Laurel notices Sutton isn’t wearing the necklace her grandmother gave her. Emma finds messages from Sutton’s friends inviting her to a pool party. Emma practices being Sutton in the mirror. Laurel thinks somethings up with Sutton. She and Laurel head over there and Emma gets Laurel to drive. (This was a good way for Emma to cover being Sutton as Sutton would know how to get there but of course Emma doesn’t). Laurel is stoked because Sutton would never even let her in the car let alone drive.

Sutton’s friends notice she’s different and Sutton’s boyfriend Luke is there. Emma is feeling the pressure and dives into the pool. While she’s under she releases her stress by screaming where no one can hear her. Nisha crashes the party and challenges Sutton to a tennis match. Emma takes up the challenge. Nisha invites the girls to a party she is having in 2 days time.

Laurel The Lying GameBack in Sutton’s room, Emma asks Laurel if their parents have ever discussed her adoption. Emma thinks they aren’t telling them everything, which Laurel agrees with. Emma’s phone rings and it’s her step brother Travis who has left a message. Emma’s in big trouble and is being charged with assault. Emma notices someone spying on her. When she runs out her room to confront the person no-ones there but Sutton’s Dad sees her. She goes to speak with him. They have a short talk and then he hugs her. Emma has never had this kind of relationship before, being a foster kid.

The next morning is the first day of school. Everyone at school loves Sutton. She’s the IT girl. Emma had the best time ever that morning so far trying to pick something to wear from Sutton’s massive walk in closet. We find out that Char’s mum was talking about Sutton and that all their parents went to school together but none of them get along anymore. Sounds like this might be something we’ll find out about as the series goes on. At lunch Luke kisses Sutton.

Emma beats Nisha at the tennis game. I found this really unbelievable as Sutton probably had tennis lessons her whole life and I am betting foster kid Emma has never had lessons. Mr and Mrs Mercer should get a refund on all that tennis coaching they paid for Sutton. Either that or Emma should enter the tennis championships. I would really love to have seen her try to serve. There’s no way you can serve without having had some kind of lessons or regular practice.

Emma forgets her tennis bag and when she goes back, she sees Nisha and Luke kissing but they don’t see her. Emma tells Sutton’s mum about what she saw and what she should do. Later when Emma, Mads, Char and Laurel go to Nisha’s party, Emma confronts Luke. Nisha turns bitchy again and tries to put Sutton in her place by saying she was abandoned and that even her real mother never wanted her. Emma slaps her and leaves the party.

Emma gets into Sutton’s car and so does the strange guy Ethan. He kisses Sutton and then realizes it’s not Sutton, which explains her weird behavior towards him previously. Ethan tells Emma that he’s Sutton’s boyfriend and that they’ve been seeing each other for about a year. They texted and talked on Skype the whole time Sutton was on summer vacation in Paris. Emma drives away from him and goes to meet Sutton at the cabin, as they previously arranged. When she gets there she finds a necklace but no Sutton. Ethan follows her to the cabin and confronts her again and wants to know where Sutton is. Emma tells him the truth and that she fooled everyone except him. They agree Emma has to continue being Sutton.

When Emma returns home she finds out someone broke into the house. Her bedroom window is broken and her laptop is gone.

At the end of the episode, you see Sutton sitting in a car at a fairground in LA and someone opens the passenger door and gets in.

Some Thoughts

Good thing Emma is fit and works out otherwise she could never pretend to be Sutton. Although how she’s a tennis pro is beyond belief.

I loved the twin moment that we had at the bus depot when they were switching clothes and the security guard came in to check why the door was blocked. Sutton and Emma both said, “Dude, a little privacy!” at the same time. It was funny for twins that have never met in person before.

Why does Sutton have Luke as a boyfriend if she’s clearly with Ethan? Why can’t they just have a relationship out in the open. This is one storyline that totally confused me. Why would Ethan put up with that?

How long will it take Laurel to figure out that Sutton isn’t Sutton? She must be happy it’s Emma because from her reaction to Emma’s niceness clearly Sutton is a bitch to her.

sutton and father the lying gameIt was really sad to me to see how Emma craves that unconditional love that she has never got, since she’s a foster kid, whereas Sutton takes it for granted. The moment with Sutton’s dad was really heartfelt and you could totally understand how Emma felt. It also made me see how selfish Sutton is and how unappreciative she is of having such wonderful adoptive parents and how much worse her life could have been without them.

I loved the clothes and fashion in this first episode. I really liked what Sutton wore to the first day of school and I really liked that black dress she wore to Nisha’s party. Allie Gonino was ultra cute too. Mads was a bit freakily dressed at Nisha’s party. A bit Gothic perhaps?

Sutton’s mum seems guilty at times like she’s keeping something back from Sutton. There was a scene between Sutton’s parents where they talk about how they did the best they could. Wonder what that was all about. Sounds like there’s a secret in the closet here. Could this be linked to why the parents aren’t as close with each other anymore?

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  • Darci

    The pilot was very promising, I can’t wait to see how the season unfolds. I was especially impressed by Alexandra Chando’s ability to handle the dual-roles, she does a great job of capturing the subtleties between the two characters.

    One great example was when Emma (as Sutton) challenges Nisha by the pool. Knowing what the audience knows, just by looking at her facial expressions during the whole scene (and right after, when she talks w/ Laurel about why Sutton was adopted and what her parents might be keeping from her) I’m really impressed at how she conveyed emotion there.

    Also, so glad to hear “Only In Dreams” by Letters play in the background, that’s such a nice summertime song

  • Willie Mccuin

    love the show