Lying Game's Allie Gonino Offers a Surprising Take on Who's Likely to Win Laurel's Loyalty

Allie Gonino has shocking news for Lying Game fans who assume a now (tw)in-the-know Laurel will automatically side with the likeable Emma over her scheming sister Sutton: “Not necessarily.”

The scorned little sis, however, will hear Emma out in this Tuesday’s episode (ABC Family, 9/8c), in a moment the actress calls “very intense.”

Here, Gonino also chats with TVLine about Laurel’s struggle to process the news about the twins, to whom she’ll turn in her moment of need and why her quest to fix her parents’ marriage may be kaput.

TVLINE | Laurel is finally in the loop!
When [showrunner] Chuck [Pratt Jr.] told me that Laurel was going to find out, I was like, ‘Finally!’ [Laughs] She’s deserved to know so bad. Now she does, thank goodness, and in the next episode you’ll see she and Emma have this big discussion about how everything came to be. Laurel will have to decide where her allegiance lies and then what she’s going to do.

TVLINE | How much will Emma disclose to her “sister” at this point?
She does hold back a few of the details, but Laurel can tell that she’s dancing around the truth. They have a conversation where Laurel lets her know that in order for her to decide who she’s going to help or what course of action she’s going to take, she needs to have all the facts. Then Emma’s left to decide whether or not she wants to let Laurel in completely.

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TVLINE | There’s been this natural closeness between Laurel and Emma from the beginning that’s just not there with Laurel and Sutton. Isn’t it a given as to where her loyalties lie?
You know, not necessarily, because this whole time Emma’s been lying to Laurel as much as Sutton has. Even though to her face she’s been more supportive and more encouraging than Sutton ever was, they both have their own agenda — Emma and Sutton — and Laurel feels hurt that both of them were keeping a giant secret like this from her. In the meantime, she’s completely laid her heart out on the line and been vulnerable with both of them and allowed them to be there for her. I think that’s where her inner struggle comes from.

TVLINE | How did you decide to play Laurel’s initial reaction?
In that moment, my intention was to be confused that Laurel’s ["there are two of them"] hunch was right… I also didn’t want to give too much away in that final moment [last week] because the first scene that I’m in in the next episode is very intense.

TVLINE | Will anyone else learn that your character is now in the know?
Ethan finds out. Laurel actually goes to talk to him about it. She almost poses it as: If he can’t even decide between the two of them, how is she supposed to? [Laughs]

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TVLINE | Sister stuff aside, Laurel is also really invested in what’s going on with her estranged parents.
The Ted-and-Kristin thing definitely still matters to Laurel; she wants her parents to be together. But at the same time, she also understands that both of her parents have kept secrets — especially Ted — and Laurel would rather her mom be strong for herself and be happy than continue to stay around with someone who’s just lying to her all the time.

TVLINE | There’s been a really nice dynamic between Mads and Laurel this season. Will that continue?
Mads does continue to be there for Laurel, especially with the Ted-and-Kristin stuff. They have a conversation during the rehearsal dinner for Teresa and Dan, and Laurel’s just breaking down. They’re actually becoming friends… real friends.

TVLINE | Last but certainly not least, when will we hear more of Laurel’s music?
I get to play once more, but by myself this time. It’s at the rehearsal dinner. It’s a song that one of my [The Good Mad] bandmates wrote called “Don’t Stay Low.” It’s a simple guitar-voice thing — they’re probably not going to show a lot of it, but it’s a sweet little song. [Laughs]

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