One of Us Is Lying Season 2 is a significant step up from its predecessor.

Armed with a compelling mystery, excellent characters, and just enough darkness, it is one of the year's best shows.

TV Fanatic got the chance to chat with showrunner Erica Saleh and cast members Annalisa Cochrane (Addy), Chibuikem Uche (Cooper), Marianly Tejada (Bronwyn), Cooper Van Grootel (Nate), and Jessica McLeod (Janae).

Saleh teases that One of Us Is Lying Season 2 picks up in the immediate aftermath of the message from Simon Says.

The teenagers vowing to go their separate ways after Jake's (Barrett Carnahan) death is now impossible because they've been forced back together to find out who is texting them.

The showrunner cautions that they also need to find out how much this person knows, but through all of that, the teenagers have to asses just how much they trust each other.

Erica couldn't give away the identity of the person who pulled the trigger but promised we would get a resolution early into the second season.

"I think for all of them in the woods that night, it truly felt like a matter of life and death," Saleh tells TV Fanatic.

"They still killed someone, and nobody is taking that lightly in the second season. We're definitely not trying to sweep that under the rug or pretend they didn't do something that will scar them for the rest of their lives."

"They're all haunted by it in different ways coming into the second season."

Undoubtedly, all eyes are on the teenagers when the series picks back up because many people don't believe Jake skipped town.

Saleh says there was strong evidence against Jake, so going on the run is feasible, but she cautions that many people believe the story doesn't add up.

The showrunner says viewers should be prepared for Vanessa (Sarah Thompson) this season because she doesn't believe Jake left town.

"As we know, It's not true, and she's very suspicious and is pretty sure it's not true," Saleh shares with a grin.

As for how Addy's feelings after that fateful night, Annalisa says her character is processing a lot, and she's also struggling to suppress how everything played out.

Cochran says that Addy has another tough road ahead this season but promises there will be ups and downs.

"It's hugely emotional, a rollercoaster, but I think you do see Addy start to get to know herself towards the end of it, and you really see kind of a boldness and, forgive my language, but like kind of a badassness to her as she of faces and processes her part in last year," Cochran explains.

Janae spent much of the first season on the periphery of the group, but thanks to Simon Says, she's now the fifth member, whether she likes it or not.

Jess doesn't think Janae would have chosen to be a part of the group because there wasn't exactly a friendly dynamic between everyone.

The star says that Janae is only interested in spending time with these people because Addy is a part of the group.

"Janae is so invested in Addy's well-being. The group just becomes a part of Janae's life, and Janae has a lot to learn from these people," Jess explained.

Jess said fans should be prepared for a bond between Bronwyn and Janae in Season 2.

Chibuikem says that all of the characters are walking on eggshells because of the nature of the mystery this season.

"Any day could be the day they get caught because they were a part of something that happened."

The star promises a "lot of anxiety and tension" due to it.

When I got the chance to speak with Marianly and Cooper, I had to point out that every time Bronwyn and Nate vow to stay apart, they are always pulled back together.

Cooper credits the writers for crafting such a believable bond between them.

"The writers do such a great job at pulling them together and then pulling them apart and pulling them together and pulling apart," the actor shared, adding that they're dealing with a lot on Season 2.

"The relationship definitely strengthens and deepens through adversity and what they're dealing with, and it makes them stronger as individuals,"

"It makes them face their demons when you put them under a lot of stress."

Marianly believes that their relationship is strong, and their circumstances change the relationship's trajectory.

"We start season two at a very, very chaotic place where they all have to do something they're not proud of," Marianly teases. 

"There's a lot of misunderstanding about what each of them had to do," the star adds, saying that Nate was surprised about how Bronwyn acted in a way that he never thought she could.

The actress says that it leads to a lot of miscommunication, making Brownwyn feel misunderstood.

"They're forced to kind of face that stuff and talk about it. And from a very mature place, communicate. Communicating works wonders in relationships."

"When people say, like, communication is the key to everything, that's literally what brings them closer as the season unfolds," the star teases.

Return to TV Fanatic for more One of Us Is Lying interviews next week.

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.