ITV’s thriller Liar is finally back on our screens in March as the second series opens the next chapter in Laura Nielson’s story.
The show – which focussed on school teacher Laura’s fight to prove she had been raped by surgeon Andrew Earlham – was a huge hit when it aired in 2017, becoming ITV’s highest-rated new drama of the year, with the final episode drawing over nine million viewers.
As the new series has been over two years in the making, you might need a little refresher as to what’s happened so far and pointer of what to expect from the new episodes. And as luck would have it, we can help with that...
How did series one of Liar end?
Series one of Liar ended with the discovery that rapist Andrew Earlham had been murdered.
Laura Nielson was able to prove he had raped her and 19 other women after finding recordings of his attacks that he had been storing in his mother’s garage.
After a warrant was issued for his arrest, the action then flash-forward three weeks, where it was revealed he had escaped arrest by going on the run. Or so we thought...
Andrew’s body was then seen lying lifeless and bloodied in the Kent marshes, setting up the second series with a ‘whodunnit?’.
Remind yourself of the full story so far with this handy series recap ITV has put together below...
Where does series two pick up?
As mentioned, the very end of series one jumped forward three weeks to reveal that Andrew had been murdered and the new series picks up with the discovery of his body.
Out of town officer DI Karen Renton is put in charge of the case, and together with DS Rory Maxwell, they begin to unpack the events of the three crucial weeks leading up to his death.
But while she has tried to move on with her life, Laura is thrown back into Andrew’s destructive path when she becomes one of the prime suspects in the murder case, and once again must fight to be believed.
Meanwhile, as the hunt for the killer gains momentum, other members of the seaside community are hoping some secrets stay buried...
Who killed Andrew? The early theories...
After the second series was announced back in 2017, theories immediately began swirling online as to who was behind Andrew’s murder.
Twitter user @kvtiehawke made a convincing argument that Laura’s ex-boyfriend PC Tom Bailey killed Andrew, suggesting the two could have been part of a ring of rapists.
We’d been saying all along that there was something dodgy about Tom and thought Andrew may not have been working alone, so this would certainly make sense.
However, actor Warren Brown’s name does not seem to appear in the cast list for series two, suggesting the character does not return – as Warren hinted to HuffPost UK back in October 2017.
Andrew’s son Luke also came under suspicion from some viewers, with some noting a guilty look he had in the final episode.
During a scene in Luke’s bedroom, he seemed to realise Andrew had raped Laura, and having become implicated in his father’s lies after providing him with an alibi, he may have decided to stop Andrew before he could hurt anyone else.
However, many fingers also pointed in the direction of Jennifer, the wife of DI Vanessa Harmon.
Having been in the military, Jennifer would’ve had the strength to take on Andrew, and certainly had the motive for wanting him dead after he also raped Vanessa.
And while bosses have confirmed Andrew was murdered, some also believed he killed himself in a bid to fit up Laura.
Who is in the Liar series two cast?
Returning to the cast are lead stars Joanne Froggatt (Coronation Street, Downton Abbey) as Laura Nielson and Ioan Gruffudd (Hornblower, King Arthur) as Andrew Earlham. While Andrew is obviously dead, he will still feature in flashbacks and dreams that will eventually piece together to reveal his killer. Jamie Flatters (So Awkward) is also back as his son Luke Earlham, who was in Laura’s class at school.
Also among the returning cast are Shelley Conn (Merseybeat, Mistresses, Terra Nova) as DI Vanessa Harmon, the detective who investigated Laura’s allegation of rape and was later attacked by Andrew herself; Danny Webb (Alien 3, Henry VIII, Doctor Who) as DS Rory Maxwell, Harmon’s second in command; and Jill Halfpenny (EastEnders, Waterloo Road, Strictly Come Dancing) as Harmon’s wife Jennifer Robertson.
Also back are Zoë Tapper (Stage Beauty, Survivors, Demons) as Katy Sutcliffe, Laura’s older sister who worked with Andrew at the local hospital; and Richie Campbell (Waterloo Road, Eve, The Frankenstein Chronicles) as Liam Sutcliffe, Katy’s husband.
Kieran Bew (Rellik, Warrior) also plays Ian, Laura’s new boyfriend.
Joining them for series two are Katherine Kelly (Coronation Street, Mr Selfridge, Cheat) as DI Karen Renton who leads the investigation into Andrew’s murder; Sam Spruell (Snow White & the Huntsman, Taken 3) as Oliver Graham, an enigmatic figure who arrives in town and has a connection to Andrew’s past; Amy Nuttall (Emmerdale, Downton Abbey) as Winnie Peterson, a nurse who worked with Andrew before he died and whose marriage has been disturbed by the discovery of the tapes; and Howard Charles (The Musketeers, The Widow) as her husband Carl Peterson, who is an army veteran whose life is spiralling out of control.
When is Liar series two on?
Liar begins on Monday 2 March at 9pm on ITV and then continues for the following five weeks.