Telling another mystery after the original is dead and buried is tough.
Many mystery series struggle to follow up that first big hook, but One of Us Is Lying Season 2 manages to elevate the mystery and the stakes to leave viewers with a sense of dread.
TV Fanatic got the chance to screen the entire season ahead of launch, and you’ll be glad to know that the series takes things in a drastically different direction.
That’s not to say there were any significant flaws with the first season. It’s just that taking things in a different direction as opposed to reinventing what made the first season successful is a sign that the creatives are confident in their storytelling.
We pick back up with Addy (Annalisa Cochrane), Cooper (Chibuikem Uche), Bronwyn (Marianly Tejada), Nate (Cooper van Grootel), and Janae (Jessica McLeod) in the immediate aftermath of that text.
Someone knows that Jake is dead, despite the group wanting everyone to believe he skipped town.
The first season finale was impactful and shocking without revealing which of our core five pulled the trigger.
The text at the end from Simon Says was the catalyst for the drama on One of Us Is Lying Season 2.
Understandably, the teenagers feel the heat when we pick back up because they’d only unmasked Simon’s killer before they were propelled into another mystery.
Making things harder, however, is that no matter what they do, they’re under surveillance by someone we may or may not have seen before, which helps elevate the feeling of dread.
You can tell the teenagers are struggling with what it’s like to exist in today’s world, in addition to the feeling that the cops could show up at any time and arrest them for Jake’s murder.
Not helping matters is that plenty of naysayers believe something more went down the night Jake supposedly skipped town.
A significant positive for One of Us Is Lying is that the series employs short episode orders, which is perfect for dropping clues and allowing viewers to gather theories.
A big tonal shift for the fifth episode of the season sets the stage for the drama to come.
There’s also plenty of romance, thanks to Bronwyn and Nate, who continue to be one of those couples that stick together like magnets, even though they try to stay apart.
One of the best characters this season is Janae, who has effectively become the fifth member of the Murder Club, whether she likes it or not.
When all is said and done, One of Us Is Lying Season 2 is considerably better than the first season.
Peacock is switching things up this season by releasing the entire season on day one.
That takes away the week-to-week debate about who the villain is, but One of Us Is Lying Season 2 will leave you wanting to watch the next episode because it doesn’t skip a beat.
The pressure is on from the first moment to the last, and you’ll probably wind up watching it all on day one.
Check out the official trailer below and return to TV Fanatic on Thursday, October 20, for interviews with the cast and creatives.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
