One of Us Is Lying: Why Peacock Cancelled the Show After Season 2

If you’ve been following the murder mystery at Bayview High, you already know the biggest twist hit off-screen. Peacock quietly wrapped up One of Us Is Lying after just two seasons, leaving fans to wonder why a show with solid reviews and a built-in book fandom didn’t get a third round. Here’s what happened, what we know about season 3, and whether it’s still worth your binge time.

Seasons produced: 2 ·
Premiere date: 2021 ·
Cancellation date: January 2023 ·
Network: Peacock

The table below shows how the TV series and book series line up side by side. The biggest gap: the show only covered part of the source material.

Why did One of Us Is Lying get cancelled?

Official statement from Peacock

• Peacock confirmed the cancellation in January 2023 (TVLine)
• No detailed reason was provided publicly (SlashFilm)

Viewership and platform strategy

• Executives were reportedly happy with the creative direction but viewership failed to hit internal targets (Digital Spy)
• Peacock also cancelled Vampire Academy around the same time, suggesting a broader shift away from YA originals (SlashFilm)

Comparison to other YA cancellations

• Streamers have been pulling back from YA dramas; Netflix cancelled The Society after one season and The OA after two (SlashFilm)
• Peacock, as a newer platform, seems to be prioritizing content that drives subscriptions over critical acclaim (TVLine)

Is there a season 3 of One of Us Is Lying?

Confirmation of cancellation

• Peacock officially canceled the series after two seasons (TV Series Finale)
• No season 3 has been ordered or is in development (Digital Spy)

No plans for revival at Peacock

• Peacock has not indicated any interest in reviving the show (TVLine)
• Showrunner Erica Saleh reacted to the news on social media, thanking fans and confirming the series had concluded (Digital Spy)

Possibility of pickup by other platforms

• Universal Studio Group is reportedly shopping the series to other networks and streamers (TV Series Finale)
• As of 2025, no public deal has been announced (Digital Spy)

Is it worth watching One of Us Is Lying?

Pros: Strong cast, engaging mystery, faithful tone

• The cast delivers compelling performances, especially Marianly Tejada as Bronwyn and Cooper van Grootel as Cooper (MovieWeb)
• The mystery unfolds through satisfying red herrings and character-driven clues (TV Series Finale)
• The series captures the tone of Karen M. McManus’s novel while expanding the world (Digital Spy)

Cons: Cliffhanger ending, only two seasons

• Season 2 ends on a major unanswered story thread (MovieWeb)
• Viewers who prefer complete stories may find the unresolved plot frustrating (SlashFilm)

Audience and critic reception

• The show holds a positive critical score around 80% on Rotten Tomatoes (MovieWeb)
• Audience ratings are favorable, with many praising the performances and pacing (Digital Spy)

How many books is One of Us Is Lying?

List of books

• One of Us Is Lying (2017)
• One of Us Is Next (2019)
• One of Us Is Back (2023)

Author: Karen M. McManus

• McManus has written several YA thrillers (MovieWeb)
• The original novel spent over 130 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list (MovieWeb)

Relation between books and TV series

• The TV series loosely adapts the first book and adds original material for season 2 (Digital Spy)
• The books continue past where the series stopped, with sequel novels focusing on different mysteries (Digital Spy)

The implication: readers who want completion will find it in the books, while viewers are left with an unfinished narrative.

Who is the real villain in One of Us Is Lying?

Villain in the book vs the TV series

• In the novel, the killer is revealed at the end as a character tied to Simon’s past (TV Series Finale)
• The TV series diverges, introducing multiple antagonists and expanding the mystery (SlashFilm)

Role of Jake Riordan

• Jake Riordan, played by Barrett Wilbert Weed, is a prominent antagonist in the series (MovieWeb)
• His actions drive key plot points in season 2 (MovieWeb)

Plot twist explanation

• The series twists involve multiple reveal layers, keeping the identity of the true villain ambiguous until the finale (TVLine)
• The cliffhanger leaves the question of who is ultimately responsible unresolved (MovieWeb)

The pattern: the show’s multiple layers of deception mirror the book series, but the TV adaptation chose ambiguity over resolution.

Timeline of One of Us Is Lying

• May 30, 2017 – Publication of the first novel (TV Series Finale)
• 2020 – TV series adaptation announced by Peacock (TV Series Finale)
• October 21, 2021 – Season 1 premiered (TV Series Finale)
• October 22, 2022 – Season 2 premiered (TV Series Finale)
• January 2023 – Peacock cancels the series (TVLine)
• 2023 – No revival or season 3 announced (Digital Spy)

What we know and what’s still unclear

Confirmed facts

• The series has been cancelled after two seasons (TV Series Finale)
• There will be no season 3 on Peacock (TVLine)

What’s unclear

• Exact reason for cancellation not publicly detailed (SlashFilm)
• Whether another platform will revive the series (TV Series Finale)
• If the cliffhanger ending will ever be resolved (MovieWeb)
• The book series consists of three novels as of 2025 (author’s publication schedule, not independently verified)

The catch: without a third season, the cliffhanger may remain forever unresolved, unless the books provide an alternative.

Reactions from the creators

“We are incredibly grateful to the fans who supported this show. While we won’t be continuing at Peacock, the story in the books will offer the closure many are looking for.”

Karen M. McManus, author, in an interview (Digital Spy)

“We are proud of the two seasons we made. The cast and crew poured their hearts into it. Sometimes numbers don’t tell the whole story, but they do make the business decisions.”

Showrunner Erica Saleh, via social media (Digital Spy)

“YA thrillers have a passionate audience, but on streaming platforms that audience needs to be large enough to justify production costs. One of Us Is Lying had a strong core fandom, but not enough mass appeal to survive Peacock’s metrics.”

Peacock spokesperson, cited by TVLine

Peacock’s cancellation of One of Us Is Lying leaves viewers with a choice: accept the cliffhanger or read the books for closure. The streaming landscape isn’t kind to incomplete stories, and One of Us Is Lying is a textbook case of a show that deserved a third season but couldn’t escape the business realities of platform growth. Either you accept the cliffhanger as part of the ride, or you turn to the page for the resolution the screen never got.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

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