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Tell Me Lies (TV series)

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Tell Me Lies
GenreDrama
Created byMeaghan Oppenheimer
Based onTell Me Lies
by Carola Lovering
Starring
ComposerJay Wadley
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes18
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
NetworkHulu
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]

Premise

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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.

Cast and characters

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Main

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  • Grace Van Patten as Lucy Albright
  • Jackson White as Stephen DeMarco
  • Catherine Missal as Bree
  • Spencer House as Wrigley
  • Sonia Mena as Pippa
  • Branden Cook as Evan
  • Benjamin Wadsworth as Drew (season 1; guest season 2)
  • Alicia Crowder as Diana
  • Tom Ellis as Oliver (season 2),[5] Marianne's husband who is also a professor at Baird and is having an affair with Bree

Recurring

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Production

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Development

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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.[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

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Alicia Crowder (bottom left), Catherine Missal (top left), Sonia Mena (top right), interviewed in 2022

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

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Series overview

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SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
110September 7, 2022 (2022-09-07)October 26, 2022 (2022-10-26)
28September 4, 2024 (2024-09-04)October 16, 2024 (2024-10-16)

Season 1 (2022)

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No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date [15]Prod.
code
11"Lightning Strikes"Jonathan LevineMeaghan OppenheimerSeptember 7, 2022 (2022-09-07)1HMK01
Flashbacks show Lucy has started at a new college. Flash forward it is her friends engagement party. She meets with her ex Stephen who she has a complicated past with during college. Lucy's roommate dies and he comforts her.
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 BoydChisa HutchinsonSeptember 21, 2022 (2022-09-21)1HMK05
66"And I'm Sorry If I Dissed You"Isabel SandovalMeaghan 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 WrightMeaghan OppenheimerOctober 26, 2022 (2022-10-26)1HMK10

Season 2 (2024)

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No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date [15]Prod.
code
111"You Got a Reaction, Didn't You?"Dan AttiasMeaghan OppenheimerSeptember 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 RafaeliMatthew-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 VivesBill 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?"Ed LillyAllison P. DavisOctober 2, 2024 (2024-10-02)2HMK06
177"I'm Not Drowning Fast Enough"Ed LillyVictoria BataOctober 9, 2024 (2024-10-09)2HMK07
188"Don't Struggle Like That, Or I Will Only Love You More"Dan AttiasMeaghan OppenheimerOctober 16, 2024 (2024-10-16)2HMK08
In 2015, Max realizes Lucy told Stephen to watch them have sex and breaks up with her. In 2008, Lucy is back with Stephen, but freaks out the morning after and later confesses her love to Leo and they have sex and reunite. 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. Evan confesses to Steven that he slept with Lucy, which Stephen records. In 2015, at Bree and Evan's wedding, Stephen sends Bree the recording.

Release

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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

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Viewership

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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.[16] 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.[17]

Critical response

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The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 75% approval rating with an average rating of 5.4/10, based on 12 critic reviews.[18] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 65 out of 100 based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[19]

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.[20] 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.[21]

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.[22] 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.[23]

Accolades

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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.[24][25]

References

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  1. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (August 3, 2021). "'Tell Me Lies' Drama Series Starring Grace Van Patten Ordered By Hulu With Emma Roberts Exec Producing". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Betancourt, Bianca (August 8, 2022). "Consider 'Tell Me Lies' Your Next Ultra-Sexy Binge Watch". Harper's Bazaar. Archived from the original on September 7, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Rice, Lynette (November 29, 2022). "'Tell Me Lies' Renewed For Season 2 By Hulu". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Swift, Andy (July 19, 2024). "Tell Me Lies Season 2 Gets September Premiere Date on Hulu — First Look at Tom Ellis and More New Cast Members". TVLine. Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Rice, Lynette (January 24, 2024). "'Tell Me Lies': Tom Ellis Joins Season 2 Of Hulu Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Rice, Lynette (February 14, 2024). "'Tell Me Lies' Casts 'Gossip Girl's Thomas Doherty In Recurring Role". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 14, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Rice, Lynette (March 5, 2024). "'Tell Me Lies' Casts Jacob Rodriguez, Katherine Hughes In Recurring Roles". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  8. ^ White, Peter (September 1, 2020). "Emma Roberts Inks First-Look Deal At Hulu & Sets 'Tell Me Lies' Adaptation As First Project". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Petski, Denise (April 14, 2022). "'Tell Me Lies': Jonathan Levine To Direct Pilot & EP; Gabriella Pession, Edmund Donovan & Natalee Linez Join Cast Of Hulu Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  10. ^ Hatchett, Keisha (January 17, 2024). "Tell Me Lies Finally Starts Season 2 Production — See the Cast Photos!". TVLine. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  11. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (August 3, 2021). "Emma Roberts Drama Starring Grace Van Patten Nabs Hulu Series Pickup". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  12. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 19, 2021). "'Tell Me Lies': Jackson White To Star In Hulu Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 19, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  13. ^ Petski, Denise (December 9, 2021). "'Tell Me Lies': Sonia Mena, Catherine Missal & Alicia Crowder To Co-Star In Hulu Drama Seriess". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  14. ^ Petski, Denise (February 4, 2022). "'Tell Me Lies': Branden Cook, Spencer House & Benjamin Wadsworth Join Hulu Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 4, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Shows A-Z - tell me lies on hulu". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  16. ^
  17. ^
  18. ^ "Tell Me Lies: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  19. ^ "Tell Me Lies: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  20. ^ Han, Angie (September 6, 2022). "'Tell Me Lies' Review: Hulu's Bad Romance Is Very Good". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  21. ^ Greene, Steve (September 7, 2022). "A College Romance Goes Bad in 'Tell Me Lies.' It May Be Hulu's Next Big Hit". IndieWire. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  22. ^ Logan, Elizabeth (September 15, 2022). "'Tell Me Lies' Is 'Big Little Lies: College Edition,' For Better and Worse". Glamour. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  23. ^ Smith, Katherine (September 7, 2022). "Hulu's Tell Me Lies Regrettably Conflates a Toxic Relationship with Eroticism". Paste. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  24. ^ "ReFrame and IMDbPro Award the ReFrame Stamp for Gender-Balanced Hiring to 94 of the 200 Most Popular TV and Streaming Series of 2022-23, including Emmy Nominees Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Yellowjackets, and Wednesday - sundance.org". Sundance Institute. August 16, 2023. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  25. ^ "ReFrame and IMDbPro Award the ReFrame Stamp for Gender-Balanced Hiring to 94 of the 200 Most Popular TV and Streaming Series of 2022-23, including Emmy Nominees Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Yellowjackets, and Wednesday". Business Wire. August 16, 2023. Archived from the original on August 16, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
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