Double Dibs
Season 1, Episode 3
Double Dibs
Air date August 29, 2011
Written by Stacy Rukeyser
Directed by Michael Grossman
Episode Guide

"Being Sutton"

"Twinsense and Sensibility"

"Double Dibs" is the 3rd episode in Season One of The Lying Game, airing August 29, 2011 - and the 3rd episode overall.


Ethan gets a wake up call from Sutton and she calls him "sexy". Sutton becomes angry when she finds out that not only does Ethan's brother Dan know about their relationship, but now Laurel, Ted, and Kristin do too.

Sutton finds out Ethan kissed Emma and that's how he figured out she wasn't Sutton. Sutton tells Ethan to stay away from Emma, and then tells him she loves him.

Meanwhile, Emma comes clean about Ethan being Sutton's secret boyfriend and suggests they should have a family dinner with him. When Ethan finds out about a potential Mercer family dinner, with him as the invited guest, he gets upset and tells Emma to get him out of it. Emma tries to silence Laurel about Sutton and Ethan. Laurel agrees to if Sutton helps her with this new guy, Justin, that she likes.

Justin is new to the school and bumps into Char and Mads in the school hallway. Char calls "dibs" on Justin and that means none of the other girls can date him, including Laurel. Laurel doesn't want to face off against Char and doesn't think Sutton would have her back. Justin is clueless as to what's going on between the girls, and grabs Laurel’s cell and puts in his number. Clearly, he has eyes only for Laurel.

Emma is forced to have the family dinner, and Ethan comes over. Laurel puts him on the spot by asking how jail was. He explains it was only juvie. Ethan's brother, Dan, interrupts dinner and gets Ethan out of the Mercer household. Emma runs after them, and Dan explains that Ethan stole Sutton's laptop, as it was found in his jeep. Ted thinks Ethan did it. Emma's not sure and doesn't know who she can trust.

Ethan hides in Sutton's room so he can talk with Emma. Ethan seems to think everything that is happening is related – the break-in, the stolen laptop and it turning up in his jeep.

Char throws a pool party so she can invite Justin over because she thinks if he sees her in a bikini he’ll fall for her. Char offers herself up on a platter, and Justin goes to get a drink. He sees Emma at the bar. Emma explains that Char has called dibs on him and that he's now Char's. He explains that he's into her sister Laurel. Emma writes the Mercer's address on his hand.

Justin goes to the Mercer house and speaks with Laurel. Justin asks Laurel out on a date. Laurel is really happy.

Emma goes to see Ethan and kinda has a mini breakdown. Ethan comforts her, and they have a moment where they almost kiss, but then he remembers that he loves Sutton.

Meanwhile, Sutton has been finding out the truth about their adoption in LA. Ruth Peterson is the name of the mother on both twins' birth certificates, but now she's shut down her profile page. Thayer finds out that Ruth probably works at the library. They go to the library and they find her there. Ruth tries to run off, but Sutton stops her. Ruth comes clean that she isn't their mother. Turns out Ruth was paid a lot of money to put her name down as the birth mother by a Baby Broker. He told her the real mother was in bad shape and wanted to keep her identity a secret. Ruth really needed the money. According to Ruth, Emma was adopted by The Websters in Beverly Hills. This makes Sutton wonder how she ended up in the foster care system in Las Vegas.

Sutton goes to the Webster house and talks with Randall Webster. It turns out they did adopt a baby, but the birth mother came and took her back. When the Websters checked up, they found out that the birth mother wasn't Ruth. The birth mother had faked being Ruth to get Emma back and even had a fake driver's license in the name of Ruth Peterson. She disappeared after that and they have never seen her again. Randall explains Sutton’s parent must have known it was a back channel adoption. Basically, not everything was above board and legal. Thayer leaves his details in case Randall can remember anything else.

Sutton doesn't understand why their birth mother wanted Emma and not her. Something must have gone wrong for Emma to end up in foster care. Sutton asks to stay at Thayer's place.

When they go to Thayer's place, the door is open and the laptop is warm. Someone else knows that they are investigating about Sutton's birth mother. Randall knocks on the door and gives Sutton a picture of her birth mother. Sutton video calls Emma and shows her the picture of their birth mother and Emma as a baby. Alec is outside Thayer's window looking in and can see Sutton, Emma, Thayer and the picture.

Also see

Gallery:Double Dibs




Main Cast

Recurring Cast

Guest Cast

Memorable Quotes

Kristin: When you love someone you have to trust them.

Laurel about Char: I haven't got my official invitation to the wolf pack and if I go after her new crush I probably never will.

Laurel when Justin takes her phone: How did you learn how to do that?
Justin: My dad was in the mob... [Laurel looks at him with shock] I'm kidding.

Featured Music

  • "Only You" by Michael McGregor Band (Sutton and Thayer talk about Sutton’s birth mother)
  • "Matter of Time" by Shannon Hurley (Emma tells Ethan he has to come to the family dinner)
  • "Swan Lake No. 5 Pas De Deux” by Tchaikovsky (Alec watches his daughter dancing alone with the instructor)
  • "Find You Out” by Film School (Emma is trying to get her homework done and then ignores Ethan when she walks past him)
  • "For One Night” by Miss Mercury (Char’s pool party where she plans to get Justin)
  • "Something More” by tête-à-tête (Emma apologizes to Ethan and they almost kiss)
  • "I Will Remind You” by Tiffany Randol by (Emma looks at pictures of Sutton and Ethan on the laptop whole Ethan sits alone on his motorcycle looking at the moon)