Tell Me Liesis an original Hulu series based on the book of the same name by Carola Lovering. The show premiered in early September 2022 and follows Lucy (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen (Jackson White) through their extremelytoxic college relationship. He’s clearly a manipulative upperclassman, while she’s a naive freshman when it comes to the dynamics of casually hooking up in a post-high school environment. There are other interesting subplots along the way, but overall it’s a fairly steamy show that explores the interworking of relationships in college as the characters navigate school, social obligations, their futures, and contentious families.
In episode one, the show introduces viewers to what’s left of Lucy’s group of college friends, Bree (Catherine Missal), Pippa (Sonia Mena), Evan (Branden Cook), and Wrigley (Spencer House), as they all attendBree and Evan’s weddingfour years after graduation. It’s a de facto college reunion of sorts. As with any television show set up, the audience is given a crash course in the relationships of each character at the onset of their introduction. Thankfully, the show does this well without the situations and conversations seeming too contrived.
As with most old friends, the conversations are comfortable and reminiscent of the past after being apart for an extended amount of time. The dialogue feels natural while giving the audience just enough information before viewers are taken back eight years prior to Lucy’s Welcome Week as a college freshman in the fall of 2007, which then begins the premise of the show.
On its surface,Tell Me Liesmay seem like a simple, gratuitouslysteamy show for young adults. Thankfully, however, it’s more than that. Its characters feel like real people struggling with the same situations most of its viewers have or are currently experiencing, which is why it’s a show worth watching.
The Show’s Female Characters Are Refreshingly Complex People
Tell Me Liesis surprisingly nuanced. The female characters have richer and more complex relationships with one another than most shows about the interworking of college relationships. Although most of their discussions with each other involve that of men, the women in the show don’t put one another down in order to build themselves up. They aren’t pitted against one another as a cheap way to move the story forward. Rather, they have real discussions and maintain agency in the space they inhabit on screen.
Related:Young Royals: Why It’s One of the Best Teen Series on Netflix
It’s refreshing to see female characters who don’t inherently blame other women for the transgressions of men. In a show where shaming could be a regular trope for the sake of drama, none of the women even hint at such thoughts. Make no mistake, the show isn’t a groundbreakingfeminist drama, but considering the context, it’s refreshing to see women interact with one another in genuinely supportive ways.
The Storytelling is Surprisingly Character Driven
True to its name,Tell Me Liesis rife with characters who continue tolie to one anotheras well as themselves, but they mostly do so in ways that are understandable as well as relatable. They’re young and dumb, but they’re not malicious. As the episodes progress, viewers learn more about previously unknown relationships between pivotal characters in ways that are gripping and generally interesting to watch. Such engagement is only possible because the show manages to utilize its characters well as the story unfolds.
Related:If You Liked Before Sunrise, You’ll Love These Movies
It’s easy to care about what happens to Lucy and her friends because viewers are shown the struggle many of them face following the decisions they make. Whether the audience agrees with those decisions or not, there’s no denying that everyone in the show has layers worth exploring.
Even Lucy’s toxic paramour Stephen, arguably the most dislikable character in the entire show, possesses complexities regarding his abhorrent behavior. He’s more than a simple antagonist, but the show never makes excuses for his actions. Instead, it pulls back the curtain on his life at home and dives into how that upbringing has clearly shaped his worldview and his so-called college friendships. It allows the viewer to decide for themselves. Spoiler alert: He’s still terrible. Nonetheless, he’s a captivating character.
Similar to other Hulu shows likeNormal PeopleandConversations With Friends,Tell Me Lieshighlights the complexitiesof human relationshipsand how messy they can be. People are notorious for making poor decisions when it comes to love and relationships, especially young college students. Rather than romanticizing the situation as so many movies and television shows tend to do,Tell Me Liesstays true to its name and displays that most young adults in throws of new “love” ignore red flags and only listen to what it is they want to hear. At the end of the day, the show is an entertaining and compelling one to watch.
Tell Me Liesis currently streaming on Hulu, and new episodes of the series air every Wednesday.
