(L-R) Cooper van Grootel, Chibuikem Uche, Mark McKenna, Annalisa Cochrane, Marianly Tejada

“One of Us Is​ Lying” is the Streaming Event of the Season

Sara Salamat

This review is spoiler free.

My Chemical Romance wrote a song about teenagers once, and boy oh boy were they right.

NBC’s streaming platform Peacock released the first three episodes to the eight-episode streaming event for the adaptation of Karen M. McManus’ best-selling novel, One of Us Is Lying, and it’s already a favorite in my book (pun intended).

From the first three episodes, the series follows very closely to the story; and it’s incredible to see these characters from the book come to life on screen. The show has a blend of semi-new actors in Hollywood, such as Cruel Summer alum Barrett Carnahan, Cobra Kai’s Annalisa Cochrane, and Mark McKenna from Wayne. There are many up-and-coming faces to the Hollywood scene, such as Chibuikem Uche, Cooper van Grootel, and Melissa Collazo. It makes me wonder where some of these cast members have been hiding out this entire time? 

(L-R) Annalisa Cochrane, Chibuikem Uche, Marianly Tejada, and Cooper van Grootel. (Photo by: Nicola Dove/Peacock)

The show had a refreshing feel while bringing back the typical high school tropes we all know and love. The Pretty One, The Smart One, The Troublemaker, The Athlete, and then… The Simon. Things took a modern twist of the classic movie The Breakfast Club, and I am not complaining. 

But don’t be fooled by the typical character stereotypes—more than what meets the eyes on the Bayview Four. That’s the general gist of the show: secrets. Everyone has them, and what better way than to blast those secrets to your entire high school? Bayview High School might have an idea of how that feels. 

What shocked me the most was getting chills during some parts of the show, despite reading the book earlier this year. I genuinely feel like the actors brought so much more depth to the characters that the readers have come to love. 

(L-R) Annalisa Cochrane, Chibuikem Uche, Cooper van Grootel, Marianly Tejada, and Mark McKenna.
(Photo by: Nicola Dove/Peacock)

The show is in good hands with director Jennifer Morrison as director. You might recognize Morrison as Once Upon a Time‘s Emma Swan. Still, she is not new to the directing scene—she directed Euphoria’s 2020 EMMY nominated episode “Bonnie and Clyde,” and two episodes of Dr. Death on Peacock. 

For those who haven’t read the book (and don’t plan to), don’t worry. If you love a good murder mystery, a dash of Riverdale aesthetic, and Pretty Little Liars drama: this is the show for you. The exhibition places you like a fly on the wall throughout every second, keeping you on the edge of your seat to see what secret will be revealed next.

The episodes for One of Us Is Lying will be released in groups, with the first set today, episodes 4-6 on October 14th, and the final two episodes on October 21st. You can stream exclusively on Peacock.