Twisted, ABC Family. TV Series.

The Plot: Danny Desai, sixteen, is returning to his home town after being away for five years. All he wants is for things to be like they were before: live with his Mom, go to high school, reconnect with his two best friends, Lacey and Jo.

The problem is, time has passed. Things have changed. His father is now dead. Jo and Lacey have their own groups of friends. And people won’t forget his past. Won’t forgive the reason he has been gone for five years.

See, five years ago, Danny Desai killed his Aunt Tara.

When a fellow student is found dead, everyone suspects Danny — after all, he is a confessed murderer.

Did Danny kill Regina?

The Good: I love summer series. I remember when summers were just reruns, sometimes out of order.

Anyway, on to Twisted: So many things are good! Twisted is twisted: I have no idea what is going on, in a good way.

Danny seems like a great kid, and all he wants is to be a regular teen with friends. Instead, he’s shunned. And just when I start feeling sorry for him, something happens, and I am reminded that as an eleven year old he killed his Aunt. One of the mysteries of the show is why: Danny has always refused to explain what he did. Without knowing why, it leaves questions about Danny and his personality. And Regina, well, who knows? Before she died, she called Danny, saying she knew his secret. Oh, and the necklace she was wearing? Was the same one his aunt wore. And it is now somehow in Danny’s possession.

And that is just episode 1!

And yet — and yet, I can’t help thinking that Danny didn’t kill Regina despite some clues that point to him. Because, well, he seems nice! And there seems to be a secret, a true motive, to why he killed his aunt. Which somehow excuses it?

Twisted, right?

Danny’s father died a short while before he returns home, so I’m not quite sure what he thought about his son killing his sister, but his mother is a tigress about protecting her son. Yes, her sister-in-law is dead, but this is her son and she will do what is necessary to give him back his home and his childhood. (Denise Richards plays his mother and she is terrific.)

One of Danny’s old friends, Lacey, reacted to the murder by becoming Miss Popular; she was good friends with the dead girl, Regina. Another, Jo, has become a bit of a loner. To make it that much more complicated, Jo’s father is the Chief of Police who both arrested Danny back in the day but also is now convinced that Danny is guilty of murder, again.

I love that this is dual murder mysteries, that everyone has secrets, the teens trying to solve things, that I can’t quite trust Danny. I love the diverse cast. I also like how many twists and turns there have been so far in only four episodes and I wonder what they’ll introduce next.

Past episodes are available to watch online at ABC Family, if you want to start watching. And if you are watching: what do you think about Danny?