Common Sense Media Review
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Scintillating mystery thriller is OK for sturdy teens.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 6 parent reviews
Based on 15 kid reviews
Kids say the show is suspenseful and highly engaging, drawing comparisons to another popular series but being less sexual in nature, making it more suitable for younger teens. While some viewers felt it deviated from the original book, the overall consensus is positive, highlighting its addictive qualities and moderate mature content.
- addictive
- mature content
- suspenseful
- teen-friendly
- book deviation
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
THE LYING GAME centers on Emma (Alexandra Chando), a well-meaning teen who's been bounced around the foster system her whole life and is overjoyed to discover that she has a long-lost twin sister, Sutton (Chando again). Despite having an idyllic life with her wealthy adoptive family, Sutton's angry with her parents for what she sees as their deception over the details of her adoption, and she sets out to locate the girls' birth mother. At her sister's urging, Emma agrees to swap identities for a few days while Sutton tracks a lead, but when she doesn't turn up at their arranged meeting place, Emma's stuck keeping up the charade. She's unsure how long she can fool Sutton's parents and friends, and she fears that doing so will keep her from discovering the truth about her biological family.
Is It Any Good?
Dramatic and suspenseful, The Lying Game is based on a series of novels of by Sara Shepard, who also penned the best-selling books that inspired another ABC Family teen drama, Pretty Little Liars. Once again, Shepard's multi-dimensional characters translate well to the small screen, enticing viewers with their scintillating secrets and unpredictable motives. If you look a little deeper, you'll even find a few examples of warm relationships, like those of Sutton's parents and the one that her sister, Laurel (Allie Gonino), strives to have with Sutton's stand-in, Emma.
Because the show is geared toward teens, you can expect the requisite romance, betrayal, and cattiness of a "normal" TV teen's life. But the content feels a little exaggerated (and thus its silliness is exposed), since down-to-earth Emma usually observes, rather than partakes in, the unbecoming behavior. And the good news is that the content is fairly mild for the teen set, with minimal violence and marginal language ("hell" and "ass," mostly), and only kissing and some physical contact within relationships. That said, the chilling suspense and pending sense of danger require a certain sturdiness from viewers.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about relationships. Are there any admirable relationships in this show? What qualities make them so? What qualities are important in your friends? How do you tell the difference between honest relationships and superficial ones?
Teens: What defines a family? How important is biology in family bonds? If you were adopted, would you want to find your biological parents? Why or why not?
Have you ever faced a difficult decision that involved deceiving someone you cared about? What factors affected your choice? Were you happy with the result? Is dishonesty ever OK?
TV Details
- Premiere date : August 15, 2011
- Cast : Alexandra Chando , Helen Slater
- Network : Freeform
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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