In the series premiere of this drama, identical twins Emma and Sutton meet for the first time, and foster kid Emma agrees to temporarily assume Sutton's privileged life while Sutton researches their biological mother. However, when Sutton doesn't return, Emma must decide whether to continue the charade.
Since concern for Sutton's safety seems to be occupying Emma's mind, she starts to let pieces of her own personality emerge. Although Emma is worried by her behavior, it seems her friends and family are enjoying the change in Sutton's character.
After revealing Sutton's real relationship with Ethan, the Mercers insist she invite him over for dinner. Hesitant because of his obvious feelings for Emma, Ethan obliges, only to have the dinner cut short by a disturbing visit from Dan.
Sutton and Emma soon find they have had the same dreams and similar childhood experiences.
With the Homecoming dance fast approaching, Emma is shocked to find out that Sutton is running for queen. Panicked, Emma devises a plan to not have to attend the dance, thus dropping out of the race against Nisha, which raises red flags for all who know Sutton. Realizing that she must go through with it, Emma is rushed back into the spotlight and finds herself clinging to Ethan for support and comfort.
As the backlash of Emma and Ethan's homecoming performance begins, Sutton may have found where Annie Hobbes has been held for years.
Questions surrounding Emma arise when Thayer returns to Phoenix and everyone deals with Eduardo's accident. What does Emma know about the accident, and why does Thayer seem to know more about the situation even though he has been in L.A.?
With tensions already high, Emma is thrown into a tailspin when her creepy foster brother, Travis, shows up from Las Vegas. Seeing he has an upper hand with Emma, Travis decides to use his knowledge of Emma's situation to his benefit.
Secrets abound in the Mercer household and Emma has had about enough of it. When she overhears an argument between Ted and Kristen, Emma thinks she finally can put a stop to all of the lies and get some real answers out of Sutton's mom.
On their seventeenth birthday, Emma's ideal life is about to come to an end when a vengeful Sutton makes her way back to Phoenix to get her life back.
It's been a tough night for Emma and Ethan, and things are about to get tougher when they find Sutton has disappeared after their argument and the Mercer family car is missing from the garage. When the police find the car at the bottom of the lake,
With Sutton's whereabouts still unknown and a threatening note delivered via Sutton's signature packaging, Emma is feeling uncertain and on edge. So when she is invited to scout out the University of Texas's tennis program, Emma surprises her dad and accepts the invite.
As Emma, Ethan and Thayer continue to search for the truth of what happened to Sutton at the lake, they follow a lead that raises more questions than it answers. But when a poorly-timed encounter threatens to expose her identity, Emma is left in a precarious position that turns her life upside down. Will she be able to recover?
On the night of the country club's Black and White Ball for junior members, Emma finds herself on the outside looking in, and Ethan must put up a facade in order to protect her. Although their loyalty to each other is strong, the jealousy and lies start to take their toll.
Ethan insists on helping Emma get the answers she\'s looking for about her twin sister. So when a tattoo sparks a memory about Sutton, Ethan pursues an explanation. But the information proves costly when Ethan heads into a situation that quickly gets out of control.
When Ethan is implicated in a serious crime, he and Sutton leave town and hide out with his father, Ben, on the reservation where he grew up. A burgeoning tension between father and son has Sutton playing mediator, but, despite the awkwardness, she appreciates seeing a side of Ethan that she did not know when they were together.
Ethan is still a wanted man in hiding with Sutton, leaving Emma to worry if justice - and love - will prevail. Discouraged by Dan's inability to crack the case, Emma takes it upon herself to find a way to vindicate Ethan. With the help of Mads and Thayer, they search for any lead that may help prove Ethan's innocence. Meanwhile, Ethan and Sutton's time alone in hiding together has lowered Ethan's guard. Sutton uses the opportunity to encourage Ethan to bond with his estranged father, looking to heal her relationship with him at the same time.
Caught by the FBI, Ethan is brought back to Phoenix to face charges for cuddle. As Emma continues to search for evidence that can help Ethan's case, she clashes with Ted and Kristin over her unwavering support of a cuddle suspect. Alec's relationship with the victim prevents him from taking the case himself so he assigns a star prosecutor from his firm, prompting Dan to reach out to an ex-girlfriend who is now a successful defense attorney.
Emma wants to find out what really happened on the reservation but Ethan is avoiding her and Sutton is looking to send her packing for good. Curious about his father's possible link to Derek's cuddle, Thayer starts to doubt Alec's alibi and begins investigating Rebecca's past. And, Kristin grows increasingly suspicious that Ted is not telling her the entire story when it comes to Justin's mom.
An unexpected engagement leads to a quickly-planned wedding, causing suspicions that something is awry. Sutton encourages Emma to show Kristin what they found in Rebecca's house. And Ethan makes a discovery that changes the game.