Liar recap: Where we left the main characters at the end of series one

Season one ended with a shocking twist that turned the plot on its head
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George Fenwick2 March 2020

Liar was ITV’s surprise hit back in 2017, lingering in the mind of viewers long after its shocking conclusion aired.

The series, which started as a drama about a rape accusation and the question of who was lying, soon became a gripping thriller as the truth was revealed; Andrew Earlham (Ioan Gruffudd) had not only sexually assaulted Laura Nielson (Joanne Froggatt), but 19 women in total.

With season two picking up again on Monday night, viewers may be in need of a refresher. Check back in with the characters of Liar to see where they left off…

(If you’re only catching up on the first season now, stop reading - spoilers follow!)

Andrew Earlham

ITV

There’s no elegant way to put it: Andrew is dead. The eerie conclusion to season one saw the camera pan over the brooding Essex marshes, only to hone in on a gruesome scene; Andrew’s lifeless body, throat slit, dumped in the shallow water.

Before his death, things were already going from bad to worse for Andrew, who was about to get his comeuppance as his despicable history of sexual assault was revealed.

Laura had discovered evidence to prove Andrew’s history of assault. Andrew himself had kept memory cards containing recordings of his assaults at his mother’s house, which Laura managed to break into.

She took the evidence to the police, and Andrew was as good as done for, but the surgeon fled and was seemingly on the run for three weeks before his body was found.

His death now turns the entire show on its head as season two begins. There was fan speculation that Andrew may have faked his death - but season two soon confirms it was murder, with Detective Inspector Karen Renton (Cheat’s Katherine Kelly) now in town to lead the investigation.

Gruffudd has been confirmed as returning for the new season, but he will only appear in flashbacks.

Liar - in pictures

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Laura Nielson

Laura (Froggatt), feeling betrayed and ignored by the police, took matters into her own hands when she broke into Andrew’s mother’s shed.

With the trauma of Andrew’s assault only worsened by the police’s refusal to not only convict Andrew, but even investigate him properly, Laura became increasingly desperate as the series developed.

Meanwhile, her personal life was blown apart by the revelation that her sister Katy had been having an affair with her ex-partner Tom.

Joanne Froggatt as Laura Nielson
ITV

Moving into season two, as she comes under suspicion for Andrew’s murder, Laura finds herself once again accused of lying. But once again, she’s no less determined to prove her innocence and be free of Andrew Earlham’s manipulation.

Katy Sutcliffe

Katy’s nuclear family life has been blown apart by the reveal she was having an affair with Tom, Laura’s ex partner.

Zoe Tapper (right) as Katy Sutcliffe (ITV)

Now estranged from her husband and sister, season one left Katy at her most alone. With Laura in danger again in season two, will Katy be able to help her this time?

DI Vanessa Harmon

DI Harmon was devastated in season one when she herself became one of Andrew’s victims.

Season one left Harmon focused on healing and the arrival of her new baby with her wife Jennifer.

But Andrew’s murder will likely throw Harmon’s professional life into question, after she went beyond the limits of her role as a cop to help Laura bring Andrew to justice.

Luke Earlham

Andrew’s son Luke was faced with the achingly painful realisation towards the end of season one that his father was the perpetrator of multiple crimes.

Jamie Flatters as Luke Earlham
ITV

Initially roped in to help his father cover his tracks, it seemed Luke began to realise Andrew was guilty of what he’d been accused of.

Andrew’s death will likely hit Luke the hardest, as it leaves the teenager an orphan. Who will take care of him as the murder investigation begins?

And introducing… DI Karen Renton

Liar’s second season marks the arrival of a new character - Detective Inspector Karen Renton.

Katherine Kelly (right) as DI Karen Renton
ITV

Played by Katherine Kelly, DI Renton is exactly the kind of ruthless detective this town needs - considering the relatively poor job the cops did in season one.

Renton’s tactics are brutal and fast, and will likely put her at odds with the local police force. Will her style work in this tight-knit community, or will it only seek to further inflict pain upon the fragile town?

Liar returns to ITV on Monday, March at 9pm.

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