It’s been over a decade since we first watched Emma Becker take on the identity of her long-lost twin sister Sutton Mercer, and honestly, the cliffhanger ending still feels like a personal betrayal. ABC Family—before it morphed into Freeform—had a specific kind of magic back in 2011. They gave us Pretty Little Liars, sure, but the cast of The Lying Game brought a darker, more grounded tension that felt like The Parent Trap met a Hitchcock noir.
The show was abruptly canceled in 2013, leaving a dozen plot threads dangling in the Arizona desert air. We never got to see the fallout of that massive Season 2 finale. But while the characters are frozen in time, the actors definitely aren't. They’ve moved on to everything from superhero blockbusters to indie darlings.
Alexandra Chando: The Woman Who Played Two People (And Disappeared?)
Playing a lead role is hard. Playing two leads who are pretending to be each other is an Olympic-level feat of acting. Alexandra Chando was the heart and soul of the show as both Emma and Sutton.
You’d think after carrying a hit series for two seasons, Chando would be everywhere. For a while, it looked like she would be. She did some work on The Vampire Diaries—a show that basically shared the same DNA as The Lying Game—playing a doctor named Tara. She also showed up in Sneaky Pete and directed some short films.
But Chando hasn’t been as visible on screen lately, which is a shame because her ability to switch between Emma’s vulnerability and Sutton’s cold, calculated elitism was incredible. She’s leaned more into lifestyle and advocacy, occasionally popping up at reunions. Fans still flood her Instagram comments asking for a reboot. It’s a testament to how much she anchored that show. Without her specific chemistry with the rest of the cast of The Lying Game, the premise would have fallen apart in three episodes.
The Realism of the "Twin" Dynamic
Most shows use a "good twin/bad twin" trope. Chando didn't do that. She made Sutton a person who was terrified of losing her status, while Emma was terrified of losing her soul. That nuance is why the show is still bingeable on streaming platforms today.
👉 See also: The Real Story Behind I Can Do Bad All by Myself: From Stage to Screen
Blair Redford: From Ethan Whitehorse to Cult Favorite
If you weren’t at least a little bit in love with Ethan Whitehorse, were you even watching? Blair Redford played the brooding "wrong side of the tracks" guy with a sincerity that made the love triangle actually work.
Redford didn’t slow down after the show ended. He’s had a really solid career trajectory that most actors would envy. He landed a major role in the Marvel universe—well, the X-Men adjacent one—playing Thunderbird in The Gifted. It was a huge departure from the dusty outskirts of Phoenix. He also appeared in Switched at Birth and Satisfaction.
Redford brings a heavy, grounded energy to his roles. He’s one of those actors who feels "real" even when he’s in a show about people with superpowers or secret twins. Honestly, he was probably the most naturally talented member of the cast of The Lying Game in terms of raw screen presence.
The Parents Who Kept the Secrets
We have to talk about the adults. In teen dramas, the parents are usually either invisible or incredibly annoying. In this show, they were the villains. Or the victims. Sometimes both.
- Helen Slater (Kristin Mercer): Before she was Sutton’s adoptive mom, she was the original Supergirl. She brought a quiet elegance to the show that made the reveal of the Mercer family secrets even more painful. Since then, she’s stayed busy in the DC universe, playing Eliza Danvers on the Supergirl TV series.
- Adrian Pasdar (Alec Rybak): Alec was the ultimate puppet master. Pasdar is a veteran actor who knows how to chew scenery without making it look cheesy. You probably recognize him from Heroes or his voice work as Iron Man in various Marvel animated projects. He’s the guy you hire when you need a character who is charming but could also ruin your life with a single phone call.
Allie Gonino and the Laurel Mercer Legacy
Allie Gonino played Laurel, the younger sister who was often the only moral compass in the room. Gonino is a musician in real life—she was part of the girl group The Stunners—and the show actually let her perform a few times.
✨ Don't miss: Love Island UK Who Is Still Together: The Reality of Romance After the Villa
After the show was axed, she didn't just sit around. She starred in The Red Road alongside Jason Momoa. That was a gritty, intense show that proved she had range beyond the "spunky sister" archetype. She’s also a big advocate for independent music and has released her own folk-inspired tracks.
Why the Cast Chemistry Mattered
There was a specific scene in the first season where the whole group is at a party, and the tension is just... thick. You could feel that these actors actually liked each other. They didn't feel like strangers reading lines. That’s rare in teen TV. Usually, you can tell who hates their co-stars by how far apart they stand in wide shots. Not this group.
Charisma Carpenter: The Queen of Cult TV
Including Charisma Carpenter in the cast of The Lying Game was a stroke of genius. She already had a massive following from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. She played Rebecca Sewell, the biological mother of the twins, and she brought every bit of that Cordelia Chase sass with her.
Carpenter has remained a staple of the "con" circuit and guest-starred in everything from Lucifer to 9-1-1. She’s also become a powerful voice in the industry, speaking out about her experiences on past sets and advocating for better working conditions for actors. She was the "secret weapon" of the show’s second season.
Alice Greczyn and the "It Girl" Energy
Alice Greczyn played Mads Rybak. She had that effortless, cool-girl vibe that made her the perfect foil for Sutton. Greczyn is an interesting case because she’s not just an actress; she’s an author and a traveler. She wrote a book called Wayward about her experiences growing up and leaving a religious cult, which is a far more intense story than anything the writers of The Lying Game could have dreamt up.
🔗 Read more: Gwendoline Butler Dead in a Row: Why This 1957 Mystery Still Packs a Punch
What Really Happened to the Show?
People always ask why it was canceled. It wasn't just ratings. It was a perfect storm of bad timing. ABC Family was rebranding. Pretty Little Liars was the golden child, and The Lying Game felt like a sibling that was a little too similar.
The network waited months to make a decision. By the time they officially pulled the plug, most of the cast of The Lying Game had already started looking for other work. Contractually, they couldn't wait forever. It’s one of those "what if" scenarios in TV history. If it had been on Netflix today, it probably would have had five seasons and a spin-off.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Rewatchers
If you’re feeling nostalgic and want to dive back into the mystery, here is how to get the most out of the experience without getting frustrated by the cliffhanger:
- Read the Books: The series is based on books by Sara Shepard (who also wrote Pretty Little Liars). The ending in the books is completely different from the show. If you need closure, that’s where you’ll find it.
- Check Streaming Status: As of 2026, the show moves around between platforms like Hulu, CW Seed, and sometimes Max. Check a "where to watch" app before you commit to a subscription.
- Follow the Cast on Socials: Many of them, like Allie Gonino and Alexandra Chando, are still active and often share "throwback Thursday" posts that give behind-the-scenes glimpses into the production.
- Support Their Current Projects: Instead of just wishing for a reboot, check out Blair Redford’s recent work or Alice Greczyn’s writing. They are all doing incredible things that deserve as much attention as their roles in Phoenix did.
The mystery of who killed Derek or what the "Lying Game" actually was might never be solved on screen, but the talent of the actors involved is undeniable. They took a soap-opera premise and made it feel like a high-stakes thriller. That’s why we’re still talking about them today.