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“Tell Me Lies” is streaming on Hulu and gaining popularity by the minute. If you’re on the fence about watching this show, I will give an overview without giving away the main plot twists. I want to start with a disclaimer because the show is based around a toxic relationship, as well as substance abuse, ending in death. There are a lot of scenarios in this show that shine light on bad things that can happen, so proceed accordingly.
“Tell Me Lies” starts with the main character, Lucy (Grace Van Patten), who is in her freshman year of college. She has a normal college move-in process, and she starts to meet new friends. Lucy meets Pipa (Sonia Mena) and Bree (Catherine Missal), and they become her best friends. Without spoiling too much, Lucy meets a guy, and they start dating — well, maybe not dating, more friends with benefits. This guy’s name is Stephen (Jackson White), and he is a junior at this college. Stephen has two really good friends, Wrigley (Spencer House) and Evan (Branden Cook). The rest of the story follows these main characters and their drama.
If you haven’t watched “Tell Me Lies,” don’t continue reading. There will be spoilers!
Characters
Because this show is mainly about relationships in college, I’m going to go on a rant about each one. Of course, I need to start with Lucy and Stephen, buckle up, because this is an insane relationship.
I really like the future timeline, but it does lead to many different questions. We know, based on a flashforward, that something big happened sophomore year with Lucy and Stephen. I want to know more about how Stephen and Lucy’s childhood best friend, Lyla, started dating. Like, how does that even happen? Hopefully, we find out more in the next few episodes about where this starts.
On top of this, the love triangle between Stephen, Lucy and Diana (Alicia Crowder) was crazy. Why does Stephen feel like he has so much power over his romantic partners? He is a very controlling and manipulative person. I don’t know how accurate this show is for the average college student, because it doesn’t come close to my experience. But I do feel like it’s good to bring awareness to these situations, especially in college. You never know when someone is in a bad relationship, and this show is shining a light on an overlooked topic.
There is definitely a lot of trauma bonding in this show, and Stephen seems to be the center of most of it. Lucy keeps trying to move on with other guys, but always finds herself circling back to Stephen. I’m not hating on Lucy because I love her; I just hope that she is able to heal after all of the trauma.
I have to talk about Bree. First, she was with Evan, and it seemed okay. Though it obviously didn’t work out, so she ends up with a professor. I honestly hated this storyline! I felt very grossed out by it.
On a better note, there was a big development between Wrigley and Bree in the most recent season. I honestly didn’t see this coming, but it is now my favorite couple. I also think that this is one of the main reasons why the show has gained popularity this season. Wrigley is just so wholesome, and Bree is the same way. They work perfectly together.
Then, there’s Wrigley and Pipa, who are together because they are trauma-bonded. They would be the perfect couple if Pipa wasn’t into Diana — what a plot twist. This was a crazy twist, but Pippa and Diana are together in the future, so we know this relationship is serious.
While there are some happy moments, there are some heartwrenching ones, too. When Wrigley’s brother, Drew (Benjamin Wadsworth), died due to an overdose, I cried. Wrigley was giving his brother pain meds, not knowing this would lead to his death. This loss is hard, but I think it does shine a light on how drugs can affect college students, and I hope it helps prevent some people from experimenting unsafely.
What I think Will Happen Next
I think that something definitely happens between Bree and Wrigley, but I don’t know what. They might get together, but I don’t think they ever date. Wrigley is still in love with her at her wedding to Evan, so I think that she is the one to break it off with Wrigley. They might have had a secret relationship for the years between graduating college and her 2015 wedding. He definitely was also calling her before she walked down the aisle. I really wanted them to end up together. I also don’t understand why Bree would be marrying someone else when she and Wrigley have so much chemistry together.
I’m stumped when it comes to Stephen and Lucy’s childhood friend, Lydia (Natalee Linez). They met once on campus when Lydia came to visit Lucy. The storyline is definitely messy, and I’m excited to see how this ends up playing out.
Wrigley and Pipa definitely break up before college is over. Wrigley knows that he is in love with Bree, and he enjoys spending time with her. At the same time, Pipa is making out and more with Diana. They are definitely in love. I think that Wrigley and Pipa will have a good break-up, because they have always been able to be friends. I also think that they haven’t been romantic in their relationship for a while. This will be a mutual decision, and I definitely think they will stay friends over the years.
Final Thoughts
I hope that the show ties up before it ends. I want there to be more of the 2015 storyline, because we are mostly in the past while they are at college. I don’t think there will be any information about the time gap to Bree’s wedding. I think it’ll be left to the viewer’s imagination. I just hope that there will be more closure in the future.