Tell Me Lies is everything that television has been missing lately. It checks nearly all the boxes of what a TV show should be. Weekly episode drops? Check. Amazing soundtrack? Check. Pretty Little Liars-level plot twists? Check. Episodes that aren’t only 30 minutes long? Check. The finale aired this past week, and viewers are begging the showrunners for more of our favorite friend group (if you can even call them that) from Baird College.
Originally released two years ago, Tell Me Lies is a Hulu original series based on the book by Carla Lovering. Set at the fictional Baird College in 2008, this drama will have your jaw on the floor and leave your head spinning from all the plot twists. Remember all the crazy things that happened to you during your freshman year of college? Take that and multiply it by ten, then you’ve got the craziness that the Baird crew gets themselves into.
We first meet Lucy Albright as she is going into her freshman year. She and her roommate, Macy, meet their neighbors, Bree and Pippa, and the four become close friends. Shortly after, the girls meet junior Stephen DeMarco and his friends, Evan and Wrigley. Shortly after their arrival on campus, tragedy strikes. Macy is found dead post-car accident. However, there seems to be more to Macy’s death than meets the eye, and as the semester progresses, Lucy and Stephen fall into a sexually charged situationship that is further complicated by the fact that Stephen is still on-and-off with his ex, Diana.
Season 1 spans the girls’ freshman year, while season 2 marks their return for sophomore year and the boys’ senior year. Each season is full of romance, betrayal, infidelity, and manipulation. The show tackles some other pretty heavy topics too, like mental health and sexual assault. When you frame it like that, Tell Me Lies sounds pretty similar to Euphoria, the hit HBO drama starring Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, and Jacob Elordi.
One of my favorite things about Tell Me Lies is that the characters are in college. Euphoria is often criticized for its unrealistic portrayal of teenage life. I can definitely say that my high school experience was nothing like Euphoria. While Tell Me Lies is not all that relatable to my life in college, Stephen and Lucy’s toxic relationship is relatable to far too many women. While it’s great that Euphoria addresses important topics, the characters’ experiences often don’t align realistically with their portrayed ages. Viewers find these situations more relatable to life as a twentysomething rather than a high schooler if they even find them relatable at all (Euphoria’s plotlines are pretty unrealistic sometimes).
The show rivals Euphoria not only in content but also in the watching experience. Every Wednesday, I meet up with my friends and have a watch party, similar to what fans call Euphoria Sundays. After watching, we discuss our theories and the craziest parts of the episode. A watch party is a great excuse to hang out with your friends.
Shows like Tell Me Lies and Euphoria are important because they have built a community and bring people together. Weekly episodes encourage viewers to host watch parties: invite all your friends over, have a wine night, and make memories while watching the newest episode. Fans have taken to social media to post their theories or even just to talk with others about the latest episode. This creates a massive buzz around the show, encouraging others to catch up and join in on the weekly rituals. These shows are getting us to talk, and that is important. We are having conversations about stigmatized issues like emotional abuse, mental health, and addiction. Tell Me Lies explores female sexuality in a way I find beautiful, and that should be talked about more.
Which one is my favorite though? I think I have to say Tell Me Lies. After watching season 1 in June, I read the book (which I highly recommend) and became borderline obsessed for a bit. The book is a dual POV, switching between Lucy and Stephen. This really allows readers to get more of an insight into Stephen’s mind. His thoughts were truly chilling to me at times. The college setting is really the cherry on top for me. I’m a college senior, and I enjoy college-set media but don’t see much of it. At the time of writing, Tell Me Lies has yet to be renewed for a third season, but hopes are high. With many unfinished storylines, fervent viewers are eager for answers. Season 1 came out in September 2022, and season 2 began in September 2024. If this schedule is kept, we can expect a third season in the fall of 2026 (but I’m hoping for sooner). If you haven’t seen the show yet and find yourself intrigued, you can stream it on Hulu.