Spoiler alert: The twist ending in We Were Liars is about fire, and the fire is about power. After being subjected to Harris's whims their whole lives, the Liars are hungry for revenge. Carrie, Penny, and Bess might not see through their father, but Cadence, Johnny, Mirren, and Gat—especially Gat—certainly do, and in taking down Clairmont, they decide, they'll be taking down the patriarchy.
Here's the catch, though: Thirst for power inevitably leads to ruin. Harris's power trip costs him his house, sure, but he just rebuilds it. The Liars' power trip, however, costs them their lives, and, in Cadence's case, her best friends and her sanity. Yeah… we'd rather lose the real estate.
Questions About Power
- Whose heroes do the Liars think they'll be after they burn down Clairmont?
- Why don't the aunts ever mention Mirren, Johnny, and Gat after their deaths? Do you think they talk about them when Cadence isn't present, or are they obliterating the Liars' memories like they obliterated Tipper's?
- Does Gat's intelligence actually make him the most powerful person on Beechwood?
Chew on This
Tipper was the person who kept Harris's power in check, so after she died, it was free to run rampant.
The more powerless the sisters act, the more power Harris gains. He's like a boss in a video game that feeds off the player's energy.