Tell Me Lies | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Genre | Drama |
Created by | Meaghan Oppenheimer |
Based on | Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering |
Starring |
|
Composer | Jay Wadley |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 18 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Producers |
|
Cinematography |
|
Editors |
|
Running time | 45–55 minutes |
Production companies |
|
Original release | |
Network | Hulu |
Release | September 7, 2022 – 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] In December 2024, the series was renewed for a third season. [5]
Set in the late 2000s 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.
On September 1, 2020, it was announced that Emma Roberts had 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. [12] 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, who 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. [13] On November 29, 2022, Hulu renewed the series for a second season. [3] Filming for the second season began on January 17, 2024. [14] On December 19, 2024, Hulu renewed the series for a third season. [5] Filming for the third season took place from May 29, 2025 until August 29, 2025. [15]
Alongside the initial series announcement, it was reported that Grace Van Patten was cast in a lead role. [16] On November 19, 2021, it was announced that Jackson White joined the main cast. [17] On December 9, 2021, it was reported that Sonia Mena, Catherine Missal, and Alicia Crowder were cast as series regulars. [18] On February 4, 2022, it was announced that Branden Cook, Spencer House, and Benjamin Wadsworth joined the cast in starring roles. [19] On April 14, 2022, Gabriella Pession, Edmund Donovan, and Natalee Linez joined the series in recurring capacities. [13] On January 24, 2024, Tom Ellis was cast as a new series regular for the second season. [6] On February 14, 2024, Thomas Doherty joined the cast in a recurring role for the second season. [9] On March 5, 2024, Jacob Rodriguez and Katherine Hughes were cast in recurring capacities for the second season. [10] On May 9, 2025, Costa D'Angelo joined the cast as a new series regular for the third season. [8] On June 9, 2025, Iris Apatow was cast in a recurring role for the third season. [11]
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [20] | Prod. code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "Lightning Strikes" | Jonathan Levine | Meaghan Oppenheimer | September 7, 2022 | 1HMK01 |
In 2015, Lucy attends a college friend’s wedding and braces herself for seeing Steven again, sparking memories of how they first met eight years earlier. Flashbacks reveal Lucy’s rocky start at college—strained family ties, meeting her new friends, and her complicated first encounters with Steven. Tragedy soon strikes when her roommate Macy dies in a car accident after a party, leaving the group shaken and Lucy reeling. | ||||||
2 | 2 | "Hot-Blooded" | Erin Feeley | Samir Mehta | September 7, 2022 | 1HMK02 |
The fallout from Macy’s death weighs heavily on the friend group, with secrets and guilt starting to surface. Lucy struggles with grief and her uneasy role in comforting Macy’s parents, while Steven juggles complicated ties to both Lucy and Diana. Attraction, jealousy, and hidden truths collide, leading Lucy and Steven into a passionate turning point in their relationship. | ||||||
3 | 3 | "We Don't Touch, We Collide" | Erin Feeley | Mona Mira | September 7, 2022 | 1HMK03 |
Wrigley battles a knee injury and academic struggles, reluctantly seeking help for both while trying to support a withdrawn Drew. Steven and Diana impress academically, but only Diana secures a research assistant spot, fueling tension between them that erupts into a toxic sexual encounter. Meanwhile, Lucy’s trust in Steven falters after finding another girl’s hair tie, and her jealousy deepens when she sees Diana’s video. At parties, relationships fray—Drew spirals into drunken self-destruction, Wrigley reveals secrets, and Lucy escapes with new acquaintance Max. As Diana privately reopens the door to Steven, he’s left conflicted, haunted by past loves and memories of Macy. | ||||||
4 | 4 | "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket" | Sam Boyd | Sinead Daly | September 14, 2022 | 1HMK04 |
This episode shifts focus to Bree, who navigates her first sexual experiences with Tim—leaving her uncertain and disappointed—while also exploring her curiosity through posing in art class and watching porn. Her friendship with Lucy remains supportive but tinged with self-doubt as Lucy gushes about her electric bond with Stephen. Meanwhile, Stephen lies about his whereabouts to Lucy while secretly staying with Diana, and his arrogance costs him a prestigious law firm internship after bombing the interview. Drew attempts to reconcile with Bree, but she harshly dismisses him. The girls attend one of Diana’s parties as tensions and insecurities deepen across the group. | ||||||
5 | 5 | "Merry F*cking Christmas" | Sam Boyd | Chisa Hutchinson | September 21, 2022 | 1HMK05 |
Lucy goes home for the holidays, clashing with her mother CJ over old wounds, James’s unwanted appearance, and buried family secrets. She learns CJ had been having an affair, while her relationship with Max unravels after a fight about her dishonesty and emotional baggage. Meanwhile, Stephen returns to his tense family dynamic with his manipulative mother Nora and caring sister Sadie, who considers leaving for boarding school. At Macy’s memorial, Lucy discovers a drawing in Macy’s room that proves Stephen once saw Macy—something he never told her. Diana, high with Stephen, admits to sleeping with Wrigley, sparking his anger, while Stephen’s fraught bond with Nora worsens. | ||||||
6 | 6 | "And I'm Sorry If I Dissed You" | Isabel Sandoval | Meaghan Oppenheimer | September 28, 2022 | 1HMK06 |
Back at Baird after the holidays, both Stephen and Lucy wrestle with secrets—Stephen over Diana and Wrigley, and Lucy after learning of his past with Macy. Their tension peaks when Lucy confronts him, prompting Stephen to spin a false confession about being with Macy the night she died. Though manipulative, it wins back Lucy’s trust, straining her friendships when Pippa warns her about Stephen’s lies. Meanwhile, Evan quietly vies for Lucy’s attention, while Stephen grows increasingly controlling—publicly claiming Lucy, cutting ties with Diana, and pressuring Wrigley for leverage. By the end, Stephen reveals to Pippa that he lied to Lucy about Macy, cementing his darker, manipulative side. | ||||||
7 | 7 | "Castle on a Cloud" | Isabel Sandoval | Bill Kennedy | October 5, 2022 | 1HMK07 |
The group heads to Evan’s lake house for his birthday, though he’s left to do all the planning himself. Tensions run high—Wrigley’s drug-fueled antics cause chaos, Lucy pressures Stephen about going to the police over Macy, and Stephen manipulates both Drew and Wrigley to cover his tracks. During the “Canoe Olympics,” Stephen betrays Wrigley’s trust by exposing secrets, deepening rifts between the brothers. Evan finally explodes, furious at his so-called friends, and bonds with Bree in the aftermath, leading to their first hookup. Meanwhile, Stephen cruelly sabotages Bree’s camera, signaling he still won’t openly acknowledge Lucy, pulling their relationship back into uncertainty. | ||||||
8 | 8 | "Don't Go Wasting Your Emotion" | Ed Lilly | Samir Mehta | October 12, 2022 | 1HMK08 |
This chapter spotlights Pippa’s backstory and insecurities. Once seemingly confident, she reveals her history of bullying, loneliness, and fabricating a “cool” persona to fit in. Her growing bond with Charlie exposes her vulnerability, though she still clings to Wrigley for validation. Meanwhile, Lucy continues to feel manipulated by Stephen but flips the power dynamic, pushing him for honesty while secretly protecting him by not exposing his role in Macy’s death. Stephen juggles family issues, Diana’s advances, and his manipulation of Drew—pitting him against both Wrigley and Pippa. As tensions explode at Wrigley’s captainship party, Lucy sides with Stephen over Pippa, blind to his deceit. By episode’s end, Lucy anonymously tips the Dean to investigate Drew and Wrigley about Macy’s accident, signaling a dangerous escalation. | ||||||
9 | 9 | "Sugar, We're Going Down Swinging" | Ed Lilly | Sinead Daly | October 19, 2022 | 1HMK09 |
Lucy’s anonymous letter triggers an investigation into Drew, pushing him further into anxiety and conflict. Meanwhile, Stephen and Lucy’s relationship reaches new intimacy and trust, though Lucy faces exposure for plagiarizing her seminar story. With Stephen’s encouragement, she leans on her mother, CJ, for proof, leading to an uneasy reconciliation. At a party, Drew drunkenly accuses Wrigley of betrayal, sparking a fight that leaves Wrigley seriously injured and his football future uncertain. Pippa is unfairly blamed, straining her romance with Wrigley. Wracked with guilt, Stephen revisits the site of Macy’s crash and shares a vulnerable moment with Lucy. In a major turning point, the two finally confess their love for each other. | ||||||
10 | 10 | "The Bedrooms of Our Friends" | Robin Wright | Meaghan Oppenheimer | October 26, 2022 | 1HMK10 |
On move-in day, Macy hooks up with Stephen but soon feels discarded when he openly flirts with Lucy. After a tense night out, an intoxicated Stephen drives Macy home, where she confronts him about his dishonesty, and the vehicle crashes. Macy is immediately killed in the crash, though Stephen appears to be unharmed. Stephen abandons her, staging the scene to make her look responsible. In the present, finals are over, Wrigley’s football career ends due to injury, and Bree deepens her relationship with Evan. Pippa and Lucy remain strained, while Stephen feels increasingly insecure about his future and resentful of Lucy’s support. At a Hawaiian party, Diana subtly manipulates Stephen into believing Lucy is holding him back. In a shocking betrayal, Stephen leaves hand-in-hand with Diana, breaking Lucy’s heart without a word. That night, a devastated Lucy drinks with Evan, and they wake up in bed together. The story flashes forward to the wedding scene teased in episode one: Lucy reunites with Stephen, who is now engaged—not to Diana, but to Lydia, Lucy’s best friend. |
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [20] | Prod. code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11 | 1 | "You Got a Reaction, Didn't You?" | Dan Attias | Meaghan Oppenheimer | September 4, 2024 | 2HMK01 |
At Bree and Evan’s engagement party, where tensions surface between Lucy, Stephen, and Lydia (now Stephen’s fiancée and Lucy’s former best friend). Lydia makes it clear she still resents Lucy for a betrayal of some kind. Flashback to 2008, Lucy returns to campus after a summer with Lydia and meets Lydia’s brother, Chris, who is also starting at Baird. Bree, Lucy, and Pippa reconnect, while Stephen flaunts a new iPhone gifted by Diana’s father, sparking jealousy and unease. At a party, Lucy struggles with Stephen’s presence, secretly reconnects with Evan about their hookup, and has awkward encounters with both Stephen and Diana. Meanwhile, Bree begins pushing boundaries, manipulating the administration for her classes and forming a connection with Professor Oliver. Lucy later suffers an emotional breakdown in class but finds comfort when Professor Marianne offers her a transcription project for extra credit. Meanwhile, Stephen grows jealous when Lucy talks to Leo, and their rivalry resurfaces. Their confrontation ends with Lucy smashing Stephen’s phone and warning him not to bring up Macy’s death or the anonymous letter again. Lucy leaves Bree’s engagement party alone, while Pippa departs to meet her girlfriend—revealed to be Diana. | ||||||
12 | 2 | "I Shall Now Perform a 180 Flip-Flop" | Tyne Rafaeli | Matthew-Lee Erlbach | September 4, 2024 | 2HMK02 |
At Bree's birthday dinner Evan gifts her expensive earrings, sparking tension between them, while Lucy and Pippa meet Leo and exchange numbers. Bree later confides in Professor Oliver, sharing a moment of connection. Evan admits to Stephen that he cheated on Bree, and Stephen urges him to confess. Meanwhile, Lucy begins dating Leo and shares her first kiss with him. Evan eventually tells Bree about the cheating, but hides that it was with Lucy. Bree is furious, feeling manipulated, and leans further toward Oliver for comfort, though their connection doesn’t fully cross the line—yet. At a party, Pippa drinks heavily and ends up in a questionable situation with Chris. Diana intervenes and later warns Lucy, who confronts Pippa the next day. Pippa has no memory of the night and angrily asks Lucy not to tell Bree. This secret begins to strain their friendship. Elsewhere, Wrigley struggles with losing football due to injury, while Stephen quietly manipulates his friends. Bree, conflicted but still tied to Evan, sleeps with him after nearly kissing Oliver. The episode ends with several turning points: Lucy discovering Stephen is now a TA in her class. Bree giving in to her attraction and kissing Oliver in private. Pippa secretly washing her party clothes, disturbed by what happened with Chris. | ||||||
13 | 3 | "I Can See Right Through Myself" | Tyne Rafaeli | Mona Mira | September 11, 2024 | 2HMK03 |
Present day: Lucy tries to appear unaffected by Stephen but grows tense when her boyfriend Max interacts with him. Pippa avoids Wrigley, later confiding in Diana that she wished Diana had been there for her. Flashback to 2008: Lucy & Stephen – Stephen toys with Lucy in class, pointing out flaws in her essay to unsettle her. Later, he corners her in her dorm, insisting she still has feelings for him. Lucy resists, then shocks Diana by revealing Stephen let Macy die in the crash. Diana refuses to believe her. Lucy distances herself, and drops his class. Bree & Oliver – Bree deepens her secret relationship with Professor Oliver, even agreeing to an affair. Though Oliver hesitates, they ultimately hook up at a friend’s apartment. Pippa – Struggling after Chris and the party incident, she clashes with Wrigley and defends herself against his teammates’ taunts. Wrigley later apologizes. Lucy presses Pippa about Chris, but Pippa refuses to talk. Evan & Bree – Evan admits their breakup to friends, while Bree keeps her Oliver connection private. Lucy & Leo – Their relationship grows, with Lucy cautiously opening up about Stephen’s effect on her. Leo promises to treat her well, despite concerns about his temper. Diana, shaken after Lucy’s accusations, seeks comfort by initiating sex with Stephen—desperate to cling to him despite her doubts. | ||||||
14 | 4 | "Just Stable Children" | Eva Vives | Bill Kennedy | September 18, 2024 | 2HMK04 |
Stephen, Wrigley, and Evan nearly crash while driving, rattling Stephen just before his LSATs. Diana comforts him, though he brushes it off, later confessing that cheating on her was his “biggest mistake.” Meanwhile, Lucy deepens her relationship with Leo, while Bree continues her affair with Professor Oliver, who plants doubts about her relationship with Evan by suggesting her friends pushed him into it. Elsewhere, Pippa lies to her father about still dating Wrigley, and Wrigley plays along. Afterward, the exes have an awkward but open conversation about their breakup. At a party, Lucy and Leo’s budding romance hits turbulence when her jealousy surfaces, tied to her unresolved trauma with Stephen. They argue, but reconcile the next day and sleep together for the first time. Evan struggles with Bree ignoring him, drowns his guilt in a one-night stand, and begins spiraling. Bree confesses her affair with Oliver to Lucy, who reluctantly agrees to keep her secret. During the LSAT, Stephen has a panic attack. At the hospital, Diana learns he has a fractured rib consistent with hitting a steering wheel—fueling suspicions about Macy’s crash. Later, snooping through Stephen’s laptop, she discovers compromising photos with Macy and realizes Lucy’s story may be true. Diana quietly deletes the evidence but says nothing. The episode closes with Stephen unraveling under pressure, Bree sinking deeper into a dangerous affair, Pippa navigating complicated ties with Wrigley, and Lucy cautiously finding stability with Leo. | ||||||
15 | 5 | "Evil, Ornery, Scandalous, and Evil" | Eva Vives | Nicki Renna | September 25, 2024 | 2HMK05 |
Diana struggles to keep her emotions in check on Halloween, briefly bonding with Pippa, who feels a surprising attraction toward her. Lucy tries to repair her GPA with Marianne’s help while also growing suspicious of Bree, who secretly goes on a hotel getaway with Oliver. Their date turns messy when Oliver kisses Bree in front of a bartender to prove a point, leaving her embarrassed. At the Halloween party, multiple tensions surface: Diana feels out of place with Stephen and his sister Sadie, Pippa is uneasy around Chris, and Lydia confronts Stephen on Lucy’s behalf. Lucy later defends herself against Sadie’s accusations of stalking Stephen, impressing Lydia. Meanwhile, Pippa and Wrigley reconnect platonically, sharing brutally honest confessions and choosing to spend the night as friends. The next day, shocking news spreads: Chris is accused of raping one of Diana's sorority sisters. Lydia instinctively defends him, while Lucy sides with the alleged victim, creating friction between the two friends. Stephen and Diana clash over her poor LSAT performance, and Wrigley warns Stephen to back off when he gets possessive. Stephen spirals—sending Lucy a menacing voicemail, which terrifies her and horrifies Sadie, who ultimately leaves after witnessing his darker side. Elsewhere, Bree deepens her entanglement with Oliver despite mounting red flags, and Lucy finds comfort in Leo. Diana visits Pippa, helping her bleach her hair, and delicately shifting focus when the subject of Chris’ victim arises—hinting at Pippa’s inner turmoil. | ||||||
16 | 6 | "Do Your Dirty Words Come Out to Play?" | Ed Lilly | Allison P. Davis | October 2, 2024 | 2HMK06 |
At Evan and Bree’s rehearsal dinner in the present day, tensions swirl beneath the celebrations. Lucy sneaks off to hook up with Max, deliberately luring Stephen to catch her, while flashbacks reveal messy Thanksgiving drama. In the past, Bree pursues her secret romance with Oliver, even as Evan tries to win her back with a “Friendsgiving” gathering. Lucy reluctantly attends with Leo, only to be ambushed by Stephen’s presence. Awkward games and pointed confrontations escalate until Stephen exposes that Lucy’s boyfriend Leo was cheated on by his ex—with Stephen himself. The revelation shatters Lucy’s trust, and her attempt to confront Leo about his anger issues backfires when he confesses his abusive family past. Leo ends things, accusing Lucy of using his trauma against him. Meanwhile, Bree confirms to Evan that she’s dating an older man, sparking a painful fight, while Pippa grows closer to Diana even as Wrigley lingers in her orbit. The night ends in fractures: Lucy sobbing to Bree over her breakup, Diana still entangled with Stephen, and Pippa caught between two relationships. The next morning, Stephen rationalizes his behavior to Evan, Oliver charms Bree over the phone, and Lucy, drained, begs Stephen to stop their toxic war—though it’s clear he still has a hold on her. | ||||||
17 | 7 | "I'm Not Drowning Fast Enough" | Ed Lilly | Victoria Bata | October 9, 2024 | 2HMK07 |
Stephen struggles with nightmares and growing tension with Diana, while Pippa secretly reconnects with Wrigley and opens up about her sexuality. Bree deepens her dangerous affair with Oliver, leaving incriminating evidence at Marianne’s Christmas party, which Lucy witnesses in disgust. Lucy clashes with Bree over Oliver and later shocks everyone by publicly lying that Chris also assaulted her, using Pippa’s buried trauma to push accountability. This devastates Pippa, straining their friendship and drawing Lydia’s fury. Wrigley breaks down over his mistakes, leaning on Pippa for comfort. Diana tries to salvage her relationship with Stephen, but he lashes out, unnerving her. Ultimately, Stephen declares his enduring love to Lucy, while Marianne is shown wearing Bree’s earring, raising the stakes of the affair. | ||||||
18 | 8 | "Don't Struggle Like That, Or I Will Only Love You More" | Dan Attias | Meaghan Oppenheimer | October 16, 2024 | 2HMK08 |
In 2015, Max realizes Lucy told Stephen to watch them have sex and breaks up with her. Stephen and Lucy have sex the next morning. In 2008, Lucy spends the night with Stephen, but freaks out the morning after and later confesses her love to Leo and they have sex and reunite. Stephen breaks up with Diana, who calls him out on his sociopathic tendencies. It is also revealed that Diana aced her LSATs, and that her wanting to take time off was a ruse to prove that Stephen was only ever interested in Diana when she was of use to him. Drew comes to visit Wrigley and they make up and spend the night out drinking. At the bar, Wrigley calls Pippa and confesses his love for her while apologizing. Bree tells Oliver she wants a relationship with him and he ends things with her, feeling she is getting too attached. At a Christmas Party, Stephen is upset to see Lucy with Leo, so he insights Leo by bragging that they had sex that same day. Leo beats Stephen repeatedly, while Stephen refuses to fight back to manipulate Lucy. The next morning, Wrigley wakes up to find Drew dead, having taken too many of Wrigley's pills. Bree goes to Oliver's house and tells him she really just wants a physical relationship now and they have sex. After, Bree is horrified when Marianne finds them. Marianne is not surprised, revealing she and Oliver have an open relationship and she has known about her the entire semester and that she and Oliver planned the affair. Bree, Lucy, and Pippa retaliate by destroying Oliver's car. Evan confesses to Steven that he slept with Lucy, which Stephen records. In 2015, at Bree and Evan's wedding, right before Bree walks down the aisle, Stephen sends her the recording. |
The titles of the episodes, out of order, include "You Fucked It, Friend", "We Took Out All Her Teeth", "We Can't Help it if we are a Problem", "I'd Like to Hold Her Head Underwater", "I Don't Cry When I'm Sad Anymore", "Fix Me Up, Girl", "As I Climb Onto Your Back, I Will Promise Not to Sting", and "Are You Happy Now, That I'm on My Knees?". [21]
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]
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. It subsequently climbed to ninth place during the week of September 15 before moving to eighth place in the week of October 20. [22] TVision, which utilizes its TVision Power Score to evaluate CTV programming performance by factoring in viewership and engagement across over 1,000 apps and incorporating four key metrics—viewer attention time, total program time available for the season, program reach, and app reach—calculated that Tell Me Lies was the twelfth most-streamed series from September 2—8, 2024. It later moved to twentieth place from September 23 to October 6 before advancing to fifteenth place from October 14—20, 2024. [23] Tell Me Lies remained in Hulu's "Top 15 Today"—a daily updated list of the platform's most-watched titles—for over 50 consecutive days throughout and following its season two run. [24]
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 75% approval rating with an average rating of 5.4/10, based on 12 critic reviews. [25] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 65 out of 100 based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [26]
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. [27] 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. [28]
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. [29] 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. [30]
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. [31] [32]
Search for Tell Me Lies, and sort the date in descending order.