Warning: This article includes SPOILERS for We Were Liars and Family of Liars by E. Lockhart!
Prime Video’sWe Were Liarssubtly introduces a fourth Sinclair sister named Rosemary, but fans have to look to the E. Lockhart books to find out the truth about what happened to her. Based on theWe Were Liarstrilogy,the teen mystery-drama quickly took over the number one spoton the streaming giant’s global and US charts. The show tells a compelling mystery with a lot of heart, making vital commentary on wealth, class, and race.
WhileWe Were Liarsdropped many clues about its devastating twist ending, the reveal that Johnny, Gat, and Mirren have been dead all of Summer 17 still feels like a gut punch. It’s hard to see the most likable characters’ stories come to an end. That being said, the show also leaves many storylines and questions open-ended, laying the foundation for a possible second season. The primary focus will be on the older generation of Sinclair sisters, including the lost sister, Rosemary.
Rosemary Was The Youngest Sinclair Daughter Before Her Untimely Death
Rosemary Sinclair Used To Be The Baby Of The Family
AlthoughWe Were Liarsfocuses primarily on the teenage generation of the Sinclairs, the dysfunctional relationship between Carrie, Penny, and Bess plays a major role in the story. Because Harris makes them compete for love and approval, these sisters are downright hostile to each other. They frequently throw each other under the bus to get ahead in the family. However, all three of them realize they’ll never win because they’re competing against a secret fourth sister, Rosemary Sinclair.The order of the sisters, from oldest to youngest, is Carrie, Penny, Bess, and Rosemary.
However, the dynamic changes after Rosemary dies at the age of 10 in the book (possibly 11 in the show, based on the dialogue). Bess suddenly took on the role of the idealized youngest daughter. She did everything that she was “supposed to do” to maintain her title as Tipper and Harris’s little angel. Meanwhile, Penny became the invisible middle child for the most part. The only praise and attention she received came from 1. Giving birth to the oldest granddaughter, and 2. Having a cheating ex-husband. Finally, Carrie continued to bear the burden of being the oldest daughter.
Had Rosemary survived into adulthood, the dynamic among the Sinclair sisters might have been different. However, it’s also possible that Rosemary would have just been sucked into the same dysfunctional family system. Regardless, the fact that she died means that she is forever seen as this innocent, angelic-like being who did no wrong.
Rosemary Sinclair Drowned In A Tragic Accident
Rosemary Got Caught In Stormy Waters While Swimming
By theend ofWe Were Liarsseason 1, the question about Rosemary’s death still isn’t answered, allowing the topic to be explored in a potential (hasn’t been renewed yet) season 2. However, for those who can’t wait to find out the truth, Part Two, Chapter Four of E. Lockhart’sFamily of Liarsanswers the question of what happened to Rosemary Sinclair. At the end of August 1986, Rosemary Sinclair died in a tragic drowning accident. Rosemary loved to swim more than the rest of her family and would stay in the water longer than the rest of her family.
They don’t have a memorial for the lost Sinclair daughter because that would ruin their image as the perfect fairytale family.
When she was just 10 years old, Rosemary went swimming under the supervision of Agata, the 20-year-old Sinclair family au pair from Poland. Everyone else in the family had already gone in for the night. Because a storm was rolling in, Agata went inside to get sweaters, knowing that Rosemary was a strong enough swimmer to be fine while she was gone. Unfortunately, Rosemary was swept out to sea by a wave and then pulled into the undertow. Because Agata wasn’t a strong or fast enough swimmer and didn’t know CPR, she couldn’t save Rosemary Sinclair.
The Sinclairs Never Grieved Rosemary’s Passing
The Sinclair Family Buries Their Problems As Always
As hinted inWe Were Liarsseason 1, the Sinclairs never actually grieve the loss of Rosemary Sinclair, pushing their grief deep down. They don’t have a memorial for the lost Sinclair daughter because that would ruin their image as the perfect fairytale family. Only two weeks after the death, the sisters are sent back to boarding school, pretending like nothing terrible happened. In chapter five, Carrie explains the line of thinking when it came to avoiding their emotions:
“I was there for my sisters, but we dealt with our feelings about Rosemary alone. Here in the Sinclair family, we keep a stiff upper lip. We make the best of things. We look to the future. These are Harris’s mottoes, and they are Tippers, as well.
We girls have never been taught to grieve, to rage, or even to share our thoughts. Instead, we have become excellent at silence; at small, kind gestures; at sailing; at sandwich-making. We eagerly talk about literature and make every guest feel welcome. We never speak about medical issues. We show our love not with honesty or affection, but with loyalty.”
After her death, Tipper and Harris completely throw out Rosemary’s stuffed animals, books, toys, and anything to remind the family of her. They won’t mention her name. Bess and Penny push her out of their minds. Despite this, Carrie really struggles to cope with the death of Rosemary, even though she has to keep this to herself. She cries on what would be Rosemary’s eleventh birthday, creating a tear-jerking message in honor of her late younger sister.
The Sinclairs’ inability to cope still manifests in many ways throughoutWe Were Liars. They almost never mention the name of Rosemary Sinclair, pretending like Carrie, Penny, and Bess are the only ones who ever existed. The Sinclair women never feel like they will be good enough, but they attempt to become the best daughter, even if that means putting the others down. Harris watches a video of 8-year-old Rosemary in memory of her and keeps a photo of his daughter to look at.
Could Rosemary Appear In We Were Liars Season 2?
The Ghostly Twist In We Were Liars Season 1 Could Have Consequences For Season 2
One of thebiggest changes to theWe Were Liarsbookis whether Gat, Mirren, and Johnny are really present in Summer 17. In the books, Gat, Mirren, and Johnny are hallucinations created by Cadence’s mind, but the show changes them to make them ghosts. The new supernatural element could lend itself well toWe Were Liarsseason 2. At the very end ofWe Were Liars, Carrie realizes that the ghost of Johnny is haunting her as she consumes a Percocet pill.
SinceWe Were Liarsseason 2 (if it gets renewed) will follow the storyline ofFamily of Liars, the truth about Rosemary will be answered onscreen. However, she could also have more of a presence than just flashbacks. The ghostly twist means thatWe Were Liarscould plausibly include Rosemary as a ghost, haunting her older sisters. It would be interesting to see how the preteen youngest Sinclair sister has to say about the state of her family.
