Preview: Five Reasons to Watch Secrets and Lies

ABC’s new series, Secrets & Lies (based on an Australian series of the same name), begins this Sunday with a two-hour, double episode series premiere. Check out this list of five reasons why you should watch (mild spoilers ahead!):

1. Immediate action – Most shows take a few episodes to set things up before diving into the plot twists and turns. Not Secrets & Lies. Episode one (“The Trail”) opens on average dad/nice guy Ben Crawford (Ryan Phillippe) frantically calling for help after making a gruesome discovery while out on a morning run. Ben has stumbled upon the body of his young neighbor. The boy is dead, and it quickly becomes clear that he was murdered. It also quickly becomes clear that the police have chosen Ben as their number one suspect. Viewers aren’t let in on any insider info, so we follow Ben as he navigates the investigation without knowing if he is guilty or innocent.

The neighborhood quickly becomes divided as a few people side with Ben, but most suspect him as well. With friends turning on him, the police zeroing in on him, and the press swarming, it’s only a matter of time before Ben breaks down. And these aren’t even the most dramatic plot twists episodes one and two pack! Major bombshells are dropped throughout both episodes as we realize that pretty much every character has some, well, secrets and lies to hide. And we’re not just talking about murder. The investigation reveals hidden relationships, illegal activity, and so much more.

2. Juliette Lewis – If the plot twists aren’t enough to get you hooked, maybe Juliette Lewis will. Lewis plays Detective Cornell and she is seriously intense. Cornell has it out for Crawford, and I’m not sure there’s anything he can do about it, even if he is innocent.

3. Sebastian – Speaking of characters to tune in for, did I mention that this show stars Ryan Phillippe? If you weren’t a teen girl in the 90s, you won’t know why I named this section Sebastian.

If you were, you know that Phillippe’s role as Sebastian in Cruel Intentions solidified him as a heartthrob, and I’ve got to say, he’s still got it. And there are shirtless scenes. Plural.

4. Set – This show was actually filmed right where it is set. The Crawford family lives in Charlotte and the show was filmed in various North Carolina cities. Maybe this is only interesting to me because I live in one of those cities (Wilmington), but do think you’ll enjoy how realistic (and sometimes beautiful) the show is visually. Moody dark colors and eerie bodies of water definitely add to the suspense.

5. Mystery – Fine, the last two were basically about me. Yes, I think Phillippe is hot, and yes, I think it’s cool that part of the show was filmed where I live, but, more importantly, this is a seriously interesting mystery.

If you are anything like me, you’ll find yourself going back and forth on if you think Ben is guilty several times in each episode. One minute he seems totally blameless, and another, Detective Crawford brings up pretty legitimate reasons to suspect him. When Ben discovers a different suspect (who the police know about, but don’t seem to be focusing on) in episode two, he takes matters into his own hands to try to track the guy down. It’s going to drive you crazy to not know who to believe.

After Sunday’s premiere only one thing will be certain: nothing is as it seems. Oh, and that I’ll be tuning in each week to learn more!

 

Secrets and Lies premieres Sunday, March 1st at 9/8c on ABC.