Warning: contains spoilers and sensitive subjects
I haven’t binge-watched a show like this in so long, and suddenly I am distraught that it is over. Tell Me Lies is a Hulu drama that, on the surface, is about relationships, sex, partying, and college. However, the show is so much more than that. It covers numerous sensitive topics, such as abuse, drunk-driving, affairs, drug and alcohol abuse, and sexual assault that leave you loving and hating Every. Single. Character.Â
The plot follows Lucy, a freshman at Baird College, and Stephen, a problematic junior. It is apparent from the start that Lucy has baggage. She is outright rude to her mother and refuses to call her mom. She is emotionless after breaking up with her boyfriend of two years. She is closed off to her new friends and never truly opens up to them. Lucy’s apparent issues do not improve when her roommate of two days tragically dies in a car accident, involving drunk driving. I often found myself staring at the screen as if it were a horror film, watching Lucy repeatedly tell tremendous lies and act impulsively, I would be screaming at the screen, “don’t do it Lucy!”
Lucy and Stephen’s relationship is toxic, but somehow, she is completely infatuated with him. At a glance, you would think that he is infatuated with her as well, but really, Stephen is manipulative and a pathological liar. It is apparent that Stephen wants Lucy to want him, and he is not used to being rejected; he acts in ways that only benefit him. He seems like a tall, attractive, older guy that every girl would be obsessed with, but as his and Lucy’s relationship moves forward, he starts to show his true colors. Stephen goes from yelling to pained staring, and it always ends in sex, and suddenly all is forgiven. Though Lucy is closed off, makes terrible decisions, and hurts those around her, a part of me feels awful for her. She is a young, impressionable girl who fell in love with the wrong guy, throwing off the course of her life.Â
The most frustrating aspect of this show is that even though Stephen is the root of all problems, he always ends up on top. Stephen exposed Drew by telling Lucy, who impulsively sent the letter, but Wrigley is the one who gets hurt and cannot play football again, while Drew ends up dead. Stephen was in the car with Macy when she died, but the only consequence he faces is a slightly injured rib. Stephen cheated on Diana, but still gets into a relationship with her again as soon as Diana’s connections conveniently benefit him. Stephen hurts Lucy repeatedly, but she gets back together with him every time. Stephen is engaged to Lucy’s ex-best friend, but still has sex with Lucy anyway. The audience can all see what a pathological and manipulative liar he is, but somehow, he always wiggles his way out and ends up on top.
Bree and Pippa both have quirks, but I think they perfectly complement Lucy’s character to form the ideal trio. They are all so different, which inevitably leads to self-destruction within the trio. Bree, a girl with a tortured past, is sweet and caring while only seeking attention. She clearly receives the least male attention of the trio, and getting cheated on by Evan and Lucy is the cherry on top. This makes her affair with Oliver almost make sense (I could talk about how twisted this plotline was all day), so I feel the most empathetic for Bree out of the trio. Pippa is an icon: she is meant to seem mature, confident, and a socialite, making her the pack’s leader. Before we learned about her lonely and humiliating backstory, I thought Pippa was obnoxious and self-centered. After we learn that her confidence is a façade and how she avoids going back to her lonely lifestyle, I started to fall in love with her. Pippa’s exploration of her sexuality while helping Wrigley cope started an upturn in Pippa’s character arc. She grows softer, sweeter, and her confidence begins to become real.Â
Our opposite trio, Stephen, Evan, and Wrigley, is a little bit less likable. I have made my thoughts on this trio’s leader clear, while Evan and Wrigley are more complex. Evan is set up to be the nice guy, especially during his birthday weekend, when he is the group’s punching bag and used for his money. I think Evan is anything but the nice guy. He is manipulative in his own way, acting like his kindness makes up for his dishonesty. Letting his friends peer pressure him into dating Bree when he clearly was interested in Lucy is not called being the nice guy; it is being fake and a pushover. I felt awful about his Bree-rebound since he just used her as a way to get over his ex. The irresponsible party-animal Wrigley is somewhere between obnoxious and a golden retriever type of loveable. Though self-destructive, his overprotective demeanor towards Drew showed how much he cares about the people he loves. His avoidance of getting help for his mental disorder was painful to watch, but his reconciliation with Pippa was wholesome, and I found myself applauding for their friendship in the end.Â
As much as we are set up to hate her, I love Diana. I think her character goes through immense growth. In the beginning, at the very first party scene, she just seems like a stuck-up sorority girl who cannot forget about her ex. However, it is clear that she is intelligent, driven, and learns her self-worth. She shouldn’t have ever forgiven Stephen, we all know that. But at the very end of the second season, she plays every card in her hand correctly. Faking failing the LSAT, pretending that her dad is mad at her and cut her off, and acting like she has zero resources for Stephen to see where his loyalties lie was absolutely genius. Before her plot was exposed to the audience, I felt awful for the girl who seemed like she lost everything, but after, I wanted to give Diana a standing ovation.Â
Tell Me Lies contains too many twists and turns to count, and I wish I could re-watch this show again for the first time.