The painfully toxic relationship between Lucy (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White) has left me with five crucial words: please don’t tell me lies! Hulu’s latest romance series has resulted in me yelling the short phrase “what is wrong with you” at my TV multiple times throughout each episode. Tell Me Lies is based on the novel by Carola Lovering. The ten-episode series features a group of college friends that reunite at the character Bree’s (Catherine Missal) and Evan’s (Branden Cook) wedding.
At the wedding, Lucy is about to be reunited with Stephen. Then the audience is left with a variety of questions about each character as the show flashes back eight years in the past when the gang is in college at the fictional Baird University set in New York. In the first episode, Lucy meets her hallmates Bree and Pippa (Sonia Mena) who eventually become her best friends. Lucy also meets Stephen at a party which sets the foundation for their anxiety-inducing relationship. Although their physical chemistry is undeniable, their relationship is filled with a web of lies that sets the groundwork for consequences that will last for years to come.
The show smoothly transports the audience back to 2008 through fashion, music, and Blackberry phones. In one scene, Stephen goes out to New York City for a job interview and Lucy meets him out there. Once there, she questions him on why he doesn’t want to be seen in public or at parties with her. Stephen gaslights Lucy by explaining that he takes her out to dinner all the time and he doesn’t have that much money.
Although each episode practically gives me an ulcer from stress, I keep coming back every Tuesday at 10 pm MST because Tell Me Lies hits close to home. As a girl in college, the show actually nails hookup culture on the head. I have experienced men similar to Stephen vicariously through my friends. Then all the added drama elements of the show leaves me wanting more each week. However, at times the episodes can be long and reveal little to no information. In the ninth episode, all hell broke loose and the web of lies began to slowly unravel.
The characters are all narcissistic and unlikeable, yet the producers have done something right for me to keep watching each week. Sex Lives of College Girls is another college-based series. It’s the more wholesome version of Tell Me Lies. However, the main difference between the two shows is that Tell Me Lies horrifyingly felt a little more realistic in terms of the college lifestyle. For example, in one episode of Sex Lives of College Girls, they attend a naked-themed party. Which just felt a tiny bit unrealistic. It’s more entertaining to watch what you know. Tell Me Lies may not be the best choice of entertainment for a middle-aged dad, but for a college girl, it’s entertaining enough to keep you hooked through each episode.