With a title like "Bad Boys Break Hearts," last night's episode of "The Lying Game" was bound to be a tough one for the young loves of Phoenix, Arizona, but not even I was prepared for all the romantic turmoil. Let's break it down:
Thayer/Sutton/Ethan
The cat's out of the bag on Sutton's little dalliance. Or perhaps, more accurately, Thayer's out of his clothes. As Sutton video-chatted Emma to "congratulate" her on her Homecoming title, Thayer conveniently came into frame sporting nothing more than a towel and his six pack. Whoops! Would Emma squeal to Ethan?
Once Thayer finally got dressed, he and Emma headed out to continue the search for Annie Hobbes, which lead them to an art gallery. A closed art gallery. That wouldn't open again until November. But no worries! Thayer dug around in the gallery's garbage, finding several shipping receipts that he thought might lead them to birth mom.
But Sutton had a hard time focusing on the receipt-tracking task, what with Ethan breaking up with her and all. And he did so without even knowing about Sutton's cheating. Thayer was, of course, ecstatic...until he caught Sutton staring at the Emma/Ethan kissing photos online. He bolted from the apartment, telling Sutton she had to be gone when he came back in a few days.
Sutton continued the detective work on her own, tracking down Annie to a psychiatric facility. Except the doctor swore there wasn't anyone by that name there. Sutton didn't buy it and went snooping on her own, ending up smack dab in front of Annie's room. No sooner did she utter the word "Mom," then a mysterious figure grabbed her from behind, dragging her away while Annie could only look on screaming.
Emma/Ethan/Sutton
Emma and Ethan spent most of the episode in a laborious "should we or shouldn't we" state, until Ethan finally decided to end things with Sutton (see above). Which left him free to take Emma on their first date.
And by "take on a date," I mean "blindfold her and lead her to his porch." But he prepared a lovely candlelit dinner, so he recoups a few points for that. The romantic moment was short-lived, however, when guilty Emma confessed she knew about Sutton's cheating, and Ethan TOTALLY FLIPPED OUT, ending things with her on the spot.
Laurel/Justin
Mrs. Mercer's intuition was starting to kick in about Justin, namely, why hadn't they met his family yet? Laurel invited Justin and his parents over for a barbecue to prove he had nothing to hide, but Justin had to cancel last minute because of his parent's "real estate emergency." Things got even weirder when Laurel tried taking a plate of leftover BBQ to Justin's address...and it wasn't his home.
Apparently, it takes a street kid to recognize a street kid, and Emma very quickly surmised that Justin was likely homeless and perhaps living in his car near the faux address. Laurel followed the lead, finding herself in a foreclosed house Justin was living in. Turns out, his parents died in a car crash several years ago and he wasn't getting the attention (or golf scholarship opportunities) he needed with his foster parents, so he split. Laurel vowed to keep his secret.
Char/Derek
Finally! Char got the male attention she so desperately desired (albeit orchestrated by dastardly Alec). Decked out in her slinky black bathing suit, Char stumbled upon Derek (a.k.a. laptop thief) sunning in her pool. A litany of flirtatious banter ensued, until Derek worked up the nerve to ask Char out.
The two went out to the country club (apparently the only place in town to get a meal), where Char somehow got finagled into paying. (Does any dude in Phoenix ever pay for a date?) But the dollars debacle wasn't what ruffled Char's feathers: She stumbled into Ethan during his shift, and demanded to know why he broke up with Sutton. Ethan tried to tell her to butt out and let him figure things out with Emma, but you know, no one knows who Emma is, and Char immediately jumped to the conclusion that Ethan was cheating with some hussy named Emma. Which I guess he sort of was.
Mads/Eduardo
After last episode's cliffhanger, it was still unclear what actually transpired between Mads' dad and her ballet teacher. All we do know is, he's leaving town. (All this after dad said he'd butt out of Mads' love life!) When Mads finally tracked down Eduardo, he said he had feelings for her too, but he had to leave because this whole "thing" was bigger than the two of them. Is he onto Alec and Ted's schemes?
We may never know because shortly after, Eduardo got into a car accident! Mads blamed her dad, who seemed aghast at the accusation, but honestly, I wouldn't put it past him.
Somehow, nearly everyone from Arroyo High ended up in the E.R. waiting room: Mads, Char, Derek, Emma and Ethan. Which made for an uncomfortable confrontation between Char and Ethan. And it only got more awkward when Thayer showed up. Yes, Thayer! Who nearly spilled the beans about Emma but was stopped by a wallop from Ethan. Whoa.
What did you think about last night's "Lying Game"? Is Emma's cover going to be blown by Thayer? Should Ethan forgive Emma? What do you think Alec's plan is for Char and Derek? Sound off in the comments and on Twitter!
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