“The Lying Game”: Prince and the Pauper Meets “90210”

Truth be told, I’m not usually of a fan of teenage television dramas. The hormone driven angst of high school friendships and romance hasn’t interested me since middle school; so I wasn’t expecting much when I started watching ABC Family’s “The Lying Game”. Now, three episodes in, I find myself awake at night theorizing about how all the intricate plot lines fit together and wishing that I could relive high school as my wealthy twin sister.

Based on a novel by Sara Shepard, “The Lying Game” follows twin sisters separated at birth who switch lives in a quest to find their birth mother. Emma was raised in foster homes but easily slips into the life of her wealthy socialite twin, Sutton Mercer. With perfect parents, two hot boyfriends and a BMW convertible, Emma assumes the life she always dreamed of. But when Sutton doesn’t return to take her rightful place in society, things get complicated. The lines become blurred even for Sutton’s secret boyfriend, Ethan, who finds himself drawn to the new, sweeter version of Sutton. Meanwhile, Sutton continues the search for the twins’ birth mother, uncovering a shady adoption that raises questions about everything the two girls have come to believe.

The unique plot is a refreshing change from the predictable crime dramas that so many of us “adults” have watched over the last decade where every episode ends with a successful pat on the back. Why not experience high school in the 21st century where phone numbers are exchanged digitally but where love triangles, secrecy and crime still exist?

While I was worried that one actress playing the role of twins would be too painful to watch as she struggles to make eye contact with her invisible self, the twins are rarely in the same room and Alexandra Chando is both beautiful and charming. The show combines a Prince and the Pauper storyline with the proven hit potential of high school dramas like “90210” that drew large family audiences in the 90s. I highly, and somewhat surprisingly, recommend “The Lying Game”. Check it out even if you are so over high school. You might find yourself hooked.


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