Tell Me Lies,” is a Hulu series that should be the right to passage for every young person, aged 15-30. The show opens with the wedding of Bree (Catherine Missal), a member of a girl trio –a “tight” trio. A marriage to Evan (Braden Cook) who is also a participant in an all-boy trio. Is this the cliche foreshadowing? Not really. This scene segues to their meeting as freshmen at a small Eastern college called Baird. The series takes place in two different timelines: one in 2008, where all the major characters are in college, and the other in 2015, where the group reunites at the wedding. The meandering between these two timelines creates all the tension needed to keep the audience on their feet; it makes them more invested in seeing how the characters change over time.
Themes:
The movie has its biggest flashlight on mental health, but this theme barely exists in solitary. Other heavy themes include family, friendship, love, trust, lies, break-ups, deaths, and a lot of sex. The cinematography of this movie is very impressive because they pay keen attention to details with the way they effortlessly transition between two timelines. The costume department also has a big role to play in the success of this thrilling drama. The fashion transition as 2008 slowly walks to meet 2015 is chef kiss. My friend handed me her phone to see if “Tell me lies” is something I would fancy because I'm a very picky consumer of visual art. I found myself enthralled by the story, the drama, and the chemistry. Meaghan Oppenheimer, the screenwriter mentions that the thematic backbone of the series is “redemption and revenge”.
Plot
Their first few weeks in college are very momentous. Nobody forgets the friends they made on the first day of school, and how we slowly outgrow them. A major concern with these characters is that they never learn to adjust and outgrow friends, instead, they cling and rub off badly on each other. This Hulu gem is also a realistic portrayal of a toxic relationship. It's not just about the drama, but it actually dives deep into the psychological reason why they are all caught up in chaotic situations. You see the characters' weaknesses and how those vulnerabilities make them easy targets for manipulation. If you're looking for a show that is authentic, captivating, and thought-provoking, then "Tell Me Lies" is definitely worth checking out.
Henceforth, Beware of spoilers!
Character Analysis:
Lucy (Grace Van Patten): Lucy is the type of protagonist you cannot help but hate, even when viewing her through the lens of a victim. The show opens with the dynamics between Lucy and her mother. Her mother describes her as a mean person and she displays this trait when she tells Macy ( Lily McInerny), her roomate ,off. Her ability to always tell lies, but pose as a good person is deeply impressive. Like everybody in the movie, she has the backstory of “Oh my god my mother is such a terrible person”. Now, a lot of people believe that she is not in love with Stephen , but Diana. Because she doesn't pick a keen interest in Stephen until she learns who his girlfriend is. But I beg to differ, I don't think she loves anybody. How can she love anybody when all she knows about herself is her name? I like to say she is obsessed with Stephen; She is obsessed with what he sees in her; She is obsessed with protecting him; She is obsessed with sleeping with him; And she’s obsessed with taking what belongs to Diana(Stephen’s ex-girlfriend).
Lucy is also a very impulsive person. She doesn't think anything through. All her decisions are always poorly thought out or not thought out at all. The decision to hook up with Stephen - impulsive, the decision to out Drew- impulsive, the decision to take more classes to improve her grades just to demonstrate she too deserves Stephen- impulsive. Even the way she handles outing Lydia's brother as a predator is not thought through at all. This waters down every effort she makes to redeem herself . An insecure, hot headed girl who swims in uncertainty and subtly yearns for self-identity. Isn't this all of us in year one?
Additionally, she is a depiction of how much male-centered women can harm their friends. She helps Stephen cover up Macy’s death while happily ruining Pippa’s life. She sleeps with Evan and turns around to judge Bree when she starts engaging with an older man. The worst part is we all see how quickly her psychopathic lover rubs off on her as she now always manages to shift blame whenever her wrongs are put in the spotlight. Something the costume designers mention is that Lucy's style changes with time. She morphs into a sexy babe, but who doesn't? Everybody needs a sexy phase to feel truly powerful. Nonetheless, what I find truly interesting is the dialogue between her and Stephen at the frat party where she wears a coconut bra. Everybody is telling her how good she looks, but she's uncomfortable. She mentions this to Stephen and instead of assuring her, he calls her an insecure babe and warns her to desist from it if she wants to stay his girlfriend. Now you see why she is a victim. But a victim who makes it difficult to empathize with her because she keeps roping in different partners into her messy life with Sl
Stephen(Jackson White): When Stephen first appeared on my screen he elicited the feeling of disappointment. I know this may directly speak on the looks of the Jackson White, but don't blame me, blame Hollywood. They have built a structure where protagonists, no matter how insane, just have to be pretty, for the plot. So when he comes on your screen and doesn't meet that criterion, you hiss and you are disappointed. But as the story unravels you realise why all the characters are latched onto him like glue. The show uses him to portray how manipulators aren’t always obviously evil or charming in the way we expect. They’re just average people who use subtle, calculated moves to get what they want. Stephen is great at spinning situations in his favour, and Lucy, damaged from her upbringing, becomes easy prey. He is the classic manipulator who will go to lengths to get his lick back, and sometimes, I respect the hate.
His biggest flaw is low self-esteem. You see this when he goes for the intimidating interview and lies that he has been to Europe (meanwhile he hasn't seen the interiors of a plane before), then tries to manipulate the interviewer into picking him as the poor boy with no connection. But she sees through his bullshit and dismisses him immediately. Shockingly, He is the bond that holds the trio. Even when Evan hangs out with Wrigely, it’s because Stephen suggests. Stephen being the proper manipulator and narcissistic sociopath convinces them that he loves them. But we see Stephen care for only one person in this movie—his sister. His mother is depicted as the manure that nurtured his inane personality. In fact, this entire show is dedicated to Stephen manipulating different people and getting away with it.
Wrigley (Spencer House): Wrigley suffered more than Jesus. A classic example of a good person in a hostile environment. He is a neurodivergent extrovert which makes it hard for him to navigate his studies. As mentioned above, this show is set in 2008 and this influences why Wrigley is hesitant to take the neurodivergent test. Being a special student in 2008 would earn you more mockery before sympathy, so he keeps this to himself and navigates school with a heavy heart. Unlike everybody in the show, Wrigely is the only one who doesn't clock Stephen’s behemoth nature. He truly loves him, cherishes their relationship and never calls Stephen's loyalty to question.
As the captain of the football team he participates in all kinds of debauchery: sexism, drugs, parties, sex, etc. Wrigley shows us why the relationship between the three boys—him, Stephen, and Evan—is indeed fucked up. Nobody cares about Wrigley when he dies slowly in season 2. Nobody even takes him seriously when he communicates about his desire to study. His love for Pippa is the purest thing to see on the show , even though it’s a tad bit stained by his gullibility. It is also of good note that when she confesses about never experiencing an orgasm from the sex they had in the past, it impressively doesn't bruise his ego. His first instinct is that they have to get it right. His biggest flaw is his loudness, his ability to cause a raucous wherever he is, and his determination to always stay unclad when he is comfortable.
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Diana (Alicia Crowder): She starts as a random popular IT girl: Rich, smart, popular boyfriend, beautiful, and stylish, but grows into a strong character. She does something “interesting” at the end of season 1 that had me questioning if Stephen is really worth the hassle. Then I realised, it was not about Stephen. There was a war drawn between her and Lucy–An ego war. A random 100-level babe coming into school and taking your man is… insulting. So to save her face, she successfully wins Stephen back by throwing her worth to his face and begging to be used. When you are watching this show you cannot help but start to compare and contrast Diana and Lucy, and how they navigate their relationship with Stephen. Diana’s understanding of herself makes her a difficult prey for Stephen. Diana doesn't only have self-identity, she also has a good support system. When Stephen shows up at her door she mentions that her friends will kill her. We also see her relationship with her father and how it feeds her self-confidence. Lucy, on the other hand, lacking these qualities Diana possesses, is a very easy prey for Stephen. When Diana uncovers Stephen's true nature upon Lucy’s revelation about the circumstances surrounding Macy’s death, she pulls a breakup stunt that easily makes her a fan favourite. I cannot wait to see what’s installed for her in season 3 stun
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Pippa(Sonia Mena): Pippa is the only character that receives true character development. She starts out annoying and slowly becomes the bane of Stephen’s existence. The true hatred she harbours for Stephen lasts for 8 years and for this sole reason, I have to stan. Plus, she's bisexual, you know how I feel about bisexuals. She comes into college with a know-it-all dawn personality; Always parroting about how good her life is; She never gives her friends space to speak. The trauma of being bullied in high school molds her into an insufferable person who actively wants to be viewed as cool , but comes off aggravating. She is also very dismissive and this just widens the distance between her and her friends. Nonetheless, I'm happy she finds her feet as the series proceed.
Bree (Cathrine Missal): Initially, Bree comes off as pretty rational and mature fresh man, however, her desire to belong gets the best of her. She’s pretty straightforward and compassionate. She also doesn’t tell until she’s asked, and from my experience, relationships are never nurtured in that manner. She drastically changes when she falls in love with a man old enough to be her father. Everything about a perfectly painted character falls apart. Once again, “Tell me lies” reminds us that the price we pay for wrong association is way too high to be forming bonds with just anyone. Ironically, after being very hurt that Evan cheats on her, she goes ahead to have an affair with a married man—Oliver; an affair that strips her of all her senses and makes her just as impulsive as Lucy. Obviously, she keeps this relationship a secret, because she doesn't want anyone judging. Eventually, she tells Evan, who rightly points out that she must be dating him for some fatherly love as a foster child.
Where she really pisses me off is on discovering that Oliver (her Lover) and Marianne(his wife) are in an open relationship (technically he is not cheating on his wife), she gets really upset instead of grateful, just weird. Bree holds a lot of mystery for season 3 , and I’m excited at what the writers will bring forth. Season 2 ends with her listening to a voice recording sent by Stephen outing Evan and Lucy's cheating scandal that happened seven years ago. When the camera zooms into Bree’s face, she’s not surprised, but disgusted. It makes me wonder if that phone call on her wedding day was to Stephen. Did she get involved with Stephen? Or Is her old boyfriend still disturbing her?
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Evan(Braden Cook): Evan doesn't seem to really like anybody. He just floats around the world worrying about how he is perceived. He holds his nice guy persona close to him and buries all his emotions. The outburst on his birthday shows how much he tolerates until he breaks. Evan treats Stephen with “niceness” even when it’s obvious he doesn't like him. Stephen says on multiple occasions that Evan is his best friend, but we never see Evan say it back. In fact, I believe that Evan is jealous of Stephen. He sees Stephen ain't shit, but cannot understand how people still gravitate towards him. On the other hand, he has to put up an Oscar performance to be loved. He discourages Lucy from engaging with Stephen several times , allow me reach and say it's because he fancys her. However, that attraction quickly dies when they lie together, and guilt forces him to hate Lucy.
The beauty of “Tell Me Lies” is that you’re not necessarily rooting for any particular character—you don’t even know how terrible or good they will get. However, you’re watching them make mistakes, attempt to redeem themselves, make more mistakes, and everything leads to the story’s eventual conclusion. A true—using the term loosely—coming of age story with a strong dialogue that causes the viewer to reflect on themselves.