Tell Me Lies (TV series)

Last updated

Tell Me Lies
Tell Me Lies (TV series).jpg
Genre Drama
Created by Meaghan Oppenheimer
Based onTell Me Lies
by Carola Lovering
Starring
ComposerJay Wadley
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes15
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Mathew Hart
  • Jessica Badenoch
  • Gillian Bohrer
  • Victoria Bata
Cinematography
Editors
  • Julie Cohen
  • Joe Leonard
  • Jeff Israel
  • Bradley Cheyne
  • Bridget Case
  • Genevieve Butler
  • Rebekah Fridman
Running time45–55 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network Hulu
ReleaseSeptember 7, 2022 (2022-09-07) 
present (present)

Tell Me Lies is an American drama television series created by Meaghan Oppenheimer, based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Carola Lovering. [1] The series was released on Hulu on September 7, 2022. [2] It stars Grace Van Patten, Jackson White, Catherine Missal, Spencer House, Sonia Mena, Branden Cook, Benjamin Wadsworth, Alicia Crowder, and Tom Ellis. The series follows a relationship between Lucy Albright and Stephen DeMarco as it unfolds over the course of eight years after meeting at college. In November 2022, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on September 4, 2024. [3] [4]

Contents

Premise

Set in 2007 at a fictional Upstate New York school called Baird College, it chronicles the turbulent romance between college freshman Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and college junior Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White) over the course of eight years.

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Production

Development

On September 1, 2020, it was announced that Emma Roberts has signed a first-look deal at Hulu via her production company, Belletrist TV, and her first project was adapting Carola Lovering's Tell Me Lies for television. [8] On August 3, 2021, it was reported that Hulu had given the production a straight-to-series order. The series is created by Meaghan Oppenheimer is also expected to executive produce alongside Roberts, Karah Preiss, Laura Lewis, and Shannon Gibson. Production companies involved with the series are Belletrist Productions, Rebelle Media, and Vice Studios. [1] On April 14, 2022, Jonathan Levine joined the series to direct the pilot and executive produce the series. [9] On November 29, 2022, Hulu renewed the series for a second season. [3] Filming for the second season began on January 17, 2024. [10]

Casting

Alongside the initial series announcement, it was reported that Grace Van Patten was cast in a lead role. [11] On November 19, 2021, it was announced that Jackson White joined the main cast. [12] On December 9, 2021, it was reported that Sonia Mena, Catherine Missal, and Alicia Crowder were cast as series regulars. [13] On February 4, 2022, it was announced that Branden Cook, Spencer House, and Benjamin Wadsworth joined the cast in starring roles. [14] On April 14, 2022, Gabriella Pession, Edmund Donovan, and Natalee Linez joined the series in recurring capacities. [9] On January 24, 2024, Tom Ellis was cast as a new series regular for the second season. [5] On February 14, 2024, Thomas Doherty joined the cast in a recurring role for the second season. [6] On March 5, 2024, Jacob Rodriguez and Katherine Hughes were cast in recurring capacities for the second season. [7]

Episodes

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
1 10September 7, 2022 (2022-09-07)October 26, 2022 (2022-10-26)
2 [15] 8September 4, 2024 (2024-09-04)October 16, 2024 (2024-10-16)

Season 1 (2022)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date [15] Prod.
code
11"Lightning Strikes" Jonathan Levine Meaghan Oppenheimer September 7, 2022 (2022-09-07)1HMK01
22"Hot-Blooded"Erin FeeleySamir MehtaSeptember 7, 2022 (2022-09-07)1HMK02
33"We Don't Touch, We Collide"Erin FeeleyMona MiraSeptember 7, 2022 (2022-09-07)1HMK03
44"Take Off Your Pants and Jacket"Sam BoydSinead DalySeptember 14, 2022 (2022-09-14)1HMK04
55"Merry F*cking Christmas"Sam Boyd Chisa Hutchinson September 21, 2022 (2022-09-21)1HMK05
66"And I'm Sorry If I Dissed You" Isabel Sandoval Meaghan OppenheimerSeptember 28, 2022 (2022-09-28)1HMK06
77"Castle on a Cloud"Isabel SandovalBill KennedyOctober 5, 2022 (2022-10-05)1HMK07
88"Don't Go Wasting Your Emotion"Ed LillySamir MehtaOctober 12, 2022 (2022-10-12)1HMK08
99"Sugar, We're Going Down Swinging"Ed LillySinead DalyOctober 19, 2022 (2022-10-19)1HMK09
1010"The Bedrooms of Our Friends" Robin Wright Meaghan OppenheimerOctober 26, 2022 (2022-10-26)1HMK10

Season 2 (2024)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title [16] [17] Directed byWritten by [18] Original release date [15] Prod.
code
111"You Got a Reaction, Didn't You?" Dan Attias Meaghan Oppenheimer September 4, 2024 (2024-09-04)2HMK01
Returning to Baird for her sophomore year, Lucy tries to avoid drama, while also harboring a troubling secret from Bree. Adopting a new look, Pippa tries to reinvent herself but is getting hate from Wrigley's football team. Stephen and Diana become Barid's new it couple.
122"I Shall Now Perform a 180 Flip-Flop" Tyne Rafaeli Matthew-Lee ErlbachSeptember 4, 2024 (2024-09-04)2HMK02
133"I Can See Right Through Myself"Tyne RafaeliMona MiraSeptember 11, 2024 (2024-09-11)2HMK03
144"Just Stable Children" Eva Vives Bill KennedySeptember 18, 2024 (2024-09-18)2HMK04
As the LSATS loom, Stephen's anxiety begins to boil over, and Diana makes a shocking discovery. Newly single, Wrigley and Evan decide to go out for a guys night. Bree begins to set rules for her new relationship with Oliver.
155"Evil, Ornery, Scandalous, and Evil"Eva VivesNicki RennaSeptember 25, 2024 (2024-09-25)2HMK05
Stephen and Lucy both have weekend guests who visit Barid for Halloween. Evan begins to have seconds thoughts with Bree. Bree and Oliver decide to have a weekend getaway. Meanwhile, an unsettling school wide email is sent that scares Pippa and Diana.
166"Do Your Dirty Words Come Out to Play?"TBAAllison P. DavisOctober 2, 2024 (2024-10-02)TBA
177"I'm Not Drowning Fast Enough"TBAVictoria BataOctober 9, 2024 (2024-10-09)TBA
188TBATBAMeaghan OppenheimerOctober 16, 2024 (2024-10-16)TBA

Release

Tell Me Lies was released on September 7, 2022. [2] The second season premiered on September 4, 2024, with two new episodes and the rest debuting on a weekly basis. [4]

Reception

Viewership

Whip Media's viewership tracking app, TV Time, which tracks viewership data for the more than 25 million worldwide users of its TV Time app, reported that Tell Me Lies was the tenth most-streamed original series in the U.S. for the week ending September 8, 2024. [19] It subsequently advanced to ninth place during the week of September 15, 2024. [20]

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 73% approval rating with an average rating of 5.4/10, based on 11 critic reviews. [21] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 65 out of 100 based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [22]

Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter said Tell Me Lies works effectively through its nuanced portrayal of the toxic relationship between Lucy and Stephen. Han found that the show’s deliberate ambiguity about Stephen’s character enhances the psychological depth, setting it apart from typical romance dramas. Han stated that the series captures the era's hookup culture with insight and nostalgia. Despite some slow-moving subplots, she noted that the performances and sharp realism create a compelling blend of guilty pleasure and reflective drama. [23] Steve Greene of IndieWire gave Tell Me Lies a B grade, noting that the series straddles a middle ground between idealizing and mortifying college life. Greene found the series’ portrayal of the characters' passionate yet toxic relationship compelling but felt that its focus on a tight-knit friend group sometimes limited its broader depiction of college life. Greene praised the performances, especially the nuanced portrayal of Stephen as an enigmatic figure, and appreciated the show’s slow-burn approach to developing its central drama. However, he noted that the show’s contained narrative and tidy presentation somewhat hinder its potential for greatness. [24]

Elizabeth Logan of Glamour described Tell Me Lies as a drama with appealing visuals and a complex web of secrets, reminiscent of Big Little Lies but with a slower, more frustrating pace. While the show offers intriguing subplots and strong performances, particularly from Jackson White and Katey Sagal, Logan said it struggles with drawn-out revelations and a disconnect between its dramatic elements and realistic portrayal of college life. Logan found the show engaging yet uneven, hoping it will improve in a potential second season with better pacing and sharper dialogue. [25] Katherine Smith of Paste rated Tell Me Lies seven out of ten and said that the show features some positive elements, such as Catherine Missal's nuanced performance, which adds emotional depth and authenticity. Smith also found that the melodramatic subplots offer moments of engagement. However, she stated that the show falls short of transcending typical college romance and melodrama tropes, with its focus on the destructive and eroticized relationship between Lucy and Stephan lacking meaningful insight into toxic relationships. [26]

Accolades

The series was one of 200 television series that received the ReFrame Stamp for the years 2022 to 2023. The stamp is awarded by the gender equity coalition ReFrame and industry database IMDbPro for film and television projects that are proven to have gender-balanced hiring, with stamps being awarded to projects that hire female-identifying people, especially women of color, in four out of eight key roles for their production. [27] [28]

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References

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