One of Us Is Lying (TV series)

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One of Us Is Lying
One of Us Is Lying.jpeg
Genre
Based onOne of Us Is Lying
by Karen M. McManus
Developed byErica Saleh
Starring
  • Annalisa Cochrane
  • Chibuikem Uche
  • Marianly Tejada
  • Cooper van Grootel
  • Barrett Carnahan
  • Jessica McLeod
  • Mark McKenna
  • Melissa Collazo
ComposerIan Hultquist
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
  • Jennifer Morrison
  • Erica Saleh
  • John Sacchi
  • Matt Groesch
  • Darío Madrona
ProducerBrian Leslie Parker
Cinematography
  • Sharone Meir
  • Cameron Duncan
  • D.J. Stipsen
  • David A. Makin
Editors
  • Scott Draper
  • James Kilton
  • Gaston Jaren Lopez
  • Nancy Morrison
  • Nick Towle
  • Kelly Soll
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time44–52 minutes
Production companyUniversal Content Productions
Release
Original networkPeacock
Original releaseOctober 7, 2021 (2021-10-07) –
present
External links
Official website

One of Us Is Lying is an American young adult mystery drama television series developed by Erica Saleh. The series is based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Karen M. McManus and follows five high school students who enter detention, where one of them dies under suspicious circumstances and an investigation ensues. It stars Mark McKenna as Simon, the deceased student, and Annalisa Cochrane, Chibuikem Uche, Marianly Tejada, and Cooper van Grootel as the main suspects, with Barrett Carnahan, Jessica McLeod, and Melissa Collazo in supporting roles. Darío Madrona serves as showrunner for the series.

The series premiered on Peacock on October 7, 2021, and was met with generally positive reviews from critics.

Premise[]

At Bayview High, five students—Simon (Mark McKenna), Addy (Annalisa Cochrane), Cooper (Chibuikem Uche), Bronwyn (Marianly Tejada), and Nate (Cooper van Grootel)—are given detention. Simon, known for starting an online gossip group with his friend Janae (Jessica McLeod) to snitch on his classmates, suffers a sudden and fatal allergic reaction. The other four students had individual motives and reasons to kill Simon, and after it is determined his death was not an accident, an investigation ensues.

Cast[]

Main[]

  • Annalisa Cochrane as Addy, a popular cheerleader
  • Chibuikem Uche as Cooper, a baseball pitcher with a promising career
  • Marianly Tejada as Bronwyn, an overachiever focused on her future
  • Cooper van Grootel as Nate, a student and drug dealer on probation
  • Barrett Carnahan as Jake, the captain of the football team and Addy's boyfriend
  • Jessica McLeod as Janae, Simon's best friend
  • Mark McKenna as Simon, the creator of an online gossip group who dies during detention
  • Melissa Collazo as Maeve, Bronwyn's younger sister

Recurring[]

  • George Ferrier as TJ Forrester, Jake's best friend who has a crush on Addy
  • Martin Bobb-Semple as Evan, Bronwyn's boyfriend
  • Karim Diane as Kris, Cooper's secret boyfriend
  • Miles J. Harvey as Lucas, Cooper's younger brother
  • Zenia Marshall as Keely, Cooper's girlfriend
  • Sara Thompson as Vanessa, Addy's best friend and TJ's girlfriend
  • Alimi Ballard as Kevin Clay, Cooper's father and coach
  • Andi Crown as Ms. Avery, an AP Physics teacher at Bayview High

Episodes[]

No.TitleDirected byTeleplay byOriginal release date [1]
1"Pilot"Jennifer MorrisonErica SalehOctober 7, 2021 (2021-10-07)
Simon is a high school student known for creating About That, an online gossip group where he releases personal and revealing information about his classmates. At the beginning of a new school year, five students—Simon, Addy, Cooper, Bronwyn, and Nate—are given detention. After drinking a cup of water, Simon suffers a sudden and fatal allergic reaction. Nate notices that Bronwyn has stolen Simon's laptop. The following morning, the four students are introduced to Officer Miller, who has initiated an investigation on Simon's death, which was a result of a peanut allergy that spawned when traces of peanut oil were inserted into the cup he was drinking from. Nate encourages Bronwyn to return the laptop. Cooper talks with his brother Lucas and expresses his struggles with coming out. Nate, who is on probation, continues to sell drugs. The next day, Addy begins taking medication to deal with the stress she has as a result of Simon's death. At night, a memorial service is held for Simon where his best friend Janae sings "Fuck You" by Lily Allen. On About That, an anonymous user confesses to murdering Simon. Later, Bronwyn discovers that Simon's laptop is missing.
2"One of Us Is Grieving"John S. ScottMolly NussbaumOctober 7, 2021 (2021-10-07)
Addy's secret is that she is cheating on her boyfriend Jake with his best friend TJ Forrester, who is also her best friend Vanessa's boyfriend. While Cooper's girlfriend Keely knows he is a homosexual, his secret is that he has a confidential relationship with Kris, a college freshman. At school, Detective Wheeler is permitted to search the lockers belonging to Addy, Cooper, Bronwyn, and Nate. After finding a substance containing peanut oil in Addy's locker, Wheeler confirms that the four students are now suspects in a murder investigation. At night, Kris learns that Cooper is still in high school and confronts him for lying about being in college; they continue seeing each other after a discussion. The following day, the four students conclude that someone set them up and attend an event at Simon's house. There, Jake steals Simon's diary and Addy tells the rest of the group that she overheard Wheeler mention the possibility that all four of them worked together to murder Simon. On About That, the anonymous user reveals Addy cheated on Jake, and it is revealed Bronwyn's younger sister Maeve took Simon's laptop.
3"One of Us Is Not Like the Others"John S. ScottDayna Lynne North & Harrison David RiversOctober 7, 2021 (2021-10-07)
Jake breaks up with Addy and starts a fight with TJ. On About That, the anonymous user reveals Nate once sold drugs to an intoxicated student who almost died from an overdose. At home, Bronwyn discovers that Maeve was friends with Simon. On About That, the anonymous user incorrectly says Cooper has been doping. At school, TJ is suspended after Addy lies that he started the fight. Bronwyn confronts Maeve, who says she was trying to stop her secret from coming out. Failing to do so, the anonymous user on About That reveals Bronwyn cheated on her chemistry exam. The following morning, Addy tells Bronwyn that she stole Janae's phone and discovered text messages in which Janae encouraged Simon to delete About That. Later, Jake confirms to Addy that their relationship is over. At home, Maeve tells Bronwyn that Simon broke her heart when he began ghosting her. After spraining his shoulder, Cooper purchases illicit painkillers from Nate. In a flashback, Simon tells Cooper his plans on outing him; Cooper replies by calling Simon a "sad, pathetic bully." At a baseball game, Kris breaks up with Cooper after seeing him kiss Keely.
4"One of Us Is Famous"Sophia TakalErica SalehOctober 14, 2021 (2021-10-14)
The murder investigation becomes national news in part due to Simon being the mayor's son. Bronwyn's boyfriend Evan tells her not to worry. Cooper takes a drug test and is confronted by his father Kevin Clay when the results show he has been taking painkillers. Together, the four students decide to make Janae a suspect but fail to do. At home, Maeve shows Bronwyn that someone changed Cooper's secret on About That before it was released. In a flashback, it is revealed Janae was the intoxicated student Nate sold drugs to. Finding her unconscious, Nate was able to save her from overdosing. In the present, Kevin suffers a heart attack, Cooper comes out as gay to the group, and the anonymous user on About That reveals the group has been holding private meetings. As a result, Evan and Bronwyn break up and the police obtain warrants to search the homes of the four students but find nothing. At night, Bronwyn and Nate destroy Simon's laptop and Maeve sends a hard drive to the police department. In a flashback, Simon threatens Nate with ruining his life. Back home, Nate is met with the unexpected return of his mother.
5"One of Us Is Cracking"Sophia TakalDaniel PearleOctober 14, 2021 (2021-10-14)
Detective Wheeler shows Bronwyn a video from Simon's hard drive where they appear to be fighting. Addy and Cooper grow suspicious of Bronwyn and Nate for not telling them they had Simon's laptop. Kevin tells Cooper that he is proud of him for keeping his sexuality a secret. Later, Kris and Cooper begin talking again. Nate is advised to move in with his mother because of his arrest history. On About That, the anonymous user releases the video of the fight between Bronwyn and Simon. Meanwhile, Addy connects several pieces of evidence and holds Janae at knifepoint, accusing her of being the anonymous user; Janae admits to revealing the group's secrets while also changing Cooper's secret to avoid outing him but says she did not post the videos of the group meeting or Bronwyn's fight with Simon. A flashback reveals Bronwyn threatened to murder Simon after she discovered he was receiving sexually explicit pictures from Maeve. In the present, Cooper reveals to Kris that he moved out of his home state after he was arrested for a fight he did not start. At night, Addy is chased down by an unseen stranger before running into Nate.
6"One of Us Is Dancing!"Benjamin SemanoffRick Montano & Vincent IngraoOctober 14, 2021 (2021-10-14)
At the school's homecoming, Janae and Addy express their belief that TJ murdered Simon. Bronwyn and Nate discover that TJ and Simon had an altercation on the day of the latter's death but only Simon received detention. Meanwhile, Keely reveals she is the one who leaked Addy's cheating to Simon, and she and Cooper break up. After TJ catches Addy trying to steal his phone, Maeve investigates Addy's locker and finds an EpiPen which the group destroys. They conclude TJ is not the murderer. Several flashbacks reveal Janae and Simon both had feelings for Maeve. When Simon made the first move, an intoxicated Janae bought drugs from Nate. Simon later ghosted Maeve and apologized to Janae. In the present, Janae confesses her feelings to Maeve, and the pair kiss. The rest of the group catches Vanessa taking pictures of them. Instead of leaving, they decide to celebrate their last homecoming. TJ tells Addy that he gave Simon revealing information about their teacher Ms. Avery, someone who the group had previously suspected. Detective Wheeler enters the school and arrests Nate for Simon's murder. Outside, a police officer finds several EpiPens hidden in Nate's motorcycle.
7"One of Us Is Not Giving Up"Ben SemanoffMolly Nussbaum & Anthony JohnstonOctober 21, 2021 (2021-10-21)
Nate is encouraged to take a plea deal convicting him of involuntary manslaughter to avoid a possible life sentence. The rest of the group catches Ms. Avery secretly meeting with Vanessa, who reveals she had an abortion. Ms. Avery admits her secret was breaking school policy to help Vanessa have the abortion without her parents' consent. In a flashback, Simon tells Ms. Avery that he will not reveal her secret if she gives Addy, Cooper, Bronwyn, and Nate detention. In the present, the group remembers Ms. Avery left them alone with Simon on the first day of school to confront several pranksters who were streaking, giving her an alibi. The group learns the streakers were anonymously paid to perform the prank and concludes Simon committed suicide. The group tells their theory to Detective Wheeler, who says the investigators already ruled out suicide as a cause of Simon's death. At night, Bronwyn submits a personal statement to Yale University admitting she cheated on her chemistry exam. She tells her parents she is in love with Nate and wants to help him. Meanwhile, Addy gets back together with Jake and discovers he was chatting with Simon before he died.
8"One of Us Is Dead"John S. ScottDarío MadronaOctober 21, 2021 (2021-10-21)
Bronwyn uses the money she was saving for college to help Nate post bail. Together, the group confronts Jake about his text messages with Simon. Jake claims he was chatting with a random user looking for information about his classmates. Several flashbacks reveal Jake knew Addy was cheating on him and that Jake helped Simon plan a suicide attempt in which Jake would rescue him. In the present, the group attends a Halloween party held at Jake's house to investigate. Addy betrays Jake and makes a copy of his text messages. Jakes pulls out a gun and chases her into the woods. Cooper arrives but is spotted by Jake, who holds him and Addy at gunpoint. Jake reveals he wanted to frame Addy by foiling Simon's suicide attempt because he wanted to kill the "genius who really believed he could play me." Janae shows up and hits Jake with a bat. The four of them battle for the gun. Bronwyn and Nate arrive after a gunshot is heard. Jake is seen to be shot and dies. Two weeks later, the news is reporting Jake ran away but Vanessa and many others remain skeptical. At school, Addy, Cooper, Bronwyn, Nate, and Janae receive text messages from a user named "Simon Says" who knows they killed Jake.

Production[]

Jennifer Morrison at the 2012 Comic-Con in San Diego.
Jennifer Morrison directed the pilot of One of Us Is Lying

One of Us Is Lying is the 2017 debut novel of Karen M. McManus. In September 2017, Universal Content Productions announced it had acquired the rights to the novel and would produce a television series adaptation to be released on E!.[2][3] In August 2019, the project was moved to NBCUniversal, who gave the then-unreleased streaming service Peacock its first pilot order with the series.[4]

In September 2019, it was reported that Jennifer Morrison would direct the pilot episode.[5] Auditions began that same month,[6] and in October, Marianly Tejada, Cooper van Grootel, Annalisa Cochrane, Chibuikem Uche, Jessica McLeod, Barrett Carnahan, and Melissa Collazo were announced as part of the cast.[7] In joining the series, van Grootel, Cochrane, and Uche all said they had not heard about the novel before they auditioned.[6][8] Filming for the first episode took place in Vancouver, starting on November 2, 2019,[9] and concluded on November 20.[10]

On August 12, 2020, the project became the first from Peacock to receive a series order.[11] The remaining seven episodes started shooting in New Zealand on May 10, 2021,[12] with filming scheduled to conclude on September 24, 2021.[9] That same year, Mark McKenna was confirmed as a series regular in July;[13] Martin Bobb-Semple, Karim Diane, George Ferrier, Miles J. Harvey, Zenia Marshall, and Sara Thompson were announced as part of the recurring cast in August;[14] and Alimi Ballard was confirmed in October.[15] In an interview, series showrunner Darío Madrona was asked if the series would stay faithful to its source material; he responded by saying, "We've been faithful to the spirit of the story and the themes and the characters, but also trying to add some little twists and turns here and there so we can surprise readers of the book."[16]

Reception[]

The first three episodes premiered on Peacock on October 7, 2021, and was followed by three episodes on October 14, and the final two episodes on October 21.[1] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 8 reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.0/10.[17]

Before its premiere, critics were given the first three episodes to review. From The Wall Street Journal, John Anderson said the series was difficult to categorize and wrote, "what distinguishes the series as storytelling, is the way it careens its way through its various plot points, unencumbered by the need for explanations or narrative development. We don't need all that. The conclusion will be a surprise, one assumes. But the getting there is, as they might say in French class, déjà vu."[18] Brad Newsome, writing for The Sydney Morning Herald, said the story "deftly tweaks its balance of suspicions to keep things interesting, but it's McKenna and Van Grootel who really pull focus."[19] The Hollywood Reporter's Angie Han said the series was missing a spark to set it apart from similar programming, with characters that feel like "archetypes," a "sour, dour mood, with few moments of either levity or raw pain," and dull colors that "keep the show's emotions at arm's length. The story moves forward at a painless pace, and the characters are easy enough to like, if not really interesting enough to love. But without any notable quirks or deep insights, it's also a show that seems likely to disappear from memory as soon as that binge is over."[20]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Del Roaserio, Alexandra (September 13, 2021). "'One Of Us Is Lying': Peacock YA Drama Unveils Full Trailer, Sets Premiere Date – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  2. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (August 15, 2019). "NBCU Streamer Orders 'One Of Us Is Lying' YA Mystery Drama Pilot Based On Book". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  3. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (September 17, 2019). "Ed Helms Comedy From Mike Schur, 'Punky Brewster' Among Scripted Slate at NBCU Streamer". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  4. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (August 15, 2019). "'Queer as Folk' Reboot, 'One of Us Is Lying' Move to NBCUniversal's Streaming Service". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  5. ^ Otterson, Joe (September 25, 2019). "Jennifer Morrison to Direct 'One of Us Is Lying' Pilot for Peacock (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Thompson, Avery (October 5, 2021). "'One Of Us Is Lying's Cooper Van Grootel Teases Nate & Bronwyn's 'Bond' & Their 'Great Chemistry'". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  7. ^ Petski, Denise (October 30, 2019). "'One Of Us Is Lying': Peacock's YA Mystery Drama Pilot Based On Book Sets Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  8. ^ Thompson, Avery (October 6, 2021). "'One Of Us Is Lying' Cast & Author Tease 'Integral' Book Scenes & 'New Directions' In Series". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Film and TV Projects Going Into Production – One of Us Is Lying". Variety Insight. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  10. ^ Groesch, Matt (November 20, 2019). That's a wrap on the #oneofusislying pilot!. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021 – via Instagram.
  11. ^ White, Peter (August 12, 2020). "'One Of Us Is Lying': Peacock Orders Young-Adult Mystery Drama To Series; Darío Madrona To Showrun". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  12. ^ Groesch, Matt (May 10, 2021). It's great to be back in Bayview. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021 – via Instagram.
  13. ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (July 16, 2021). "'One Of Us Is Lying': Mark McKenna Joins Peacock YA Mystery Drama As Series Regular". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  14. ^ Jacob, Meredith (August 5, 2021). "'One of Us Is Lying' Rounds Out the Recurring Cast Around the Murder Suspects". TV Insider. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  15. ^ Petski, Denise (October 5, 2021). "'One Of Us Is Lying': Alimi Ballard Joins Peacock YA Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  16. ^ Bucksbaum, Sydney (October 6, 2021). "One of Us Is Lying showrunner Darío Madrona explains why this isn't just another Elite". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  17. ^ "One of Us Is Lying: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  18. ^ Anderson, John (October 5, 2021). "'One of Us Is Lying' Review: The Young and the Remorseless". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on October 11, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  19. ^ Newsome, Brad (October 5, 2021). "Isaac Asimov's Foundation is worth the 80-year wait for a TV series". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  20. ^ Han, Angie (October 5, 2021). "Peacock's 'One of Us Is Lying': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.

External links[]

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