Tell Me Lies moves beyond its main toxic pair in a strong, less steamy season 3

There has never been a single act of deception at the center of Hulu’s Tell Me Lies. The characters in the college-set drama lie to one another—and themselves—regularly and without remorse, creating a toxic stew of untruths and gossip that threatens to boil over at any moment. Season three is no different. Creator Meaghan Oppenheimer continues to ratchet up the tension as the show works toward connecting its late-2000s and 2015 timelines. But in between the emotional warfare and surprise hookups lies a newfound sense of introspection, making this run of Tell Me Lies its most interesting yet.

Season three picks up in the 2015 timeline, in the immediate aftermath of Stephen’s (Jackson White) Machiavellian attempt to derail Bree (Catherine Missal) and Evan’s (Branden Cook) wedding. Stephen’s decision to send the recording—in which Evan admitted to cheating on Bree with her best friend Lucy (Grace Van Patten) in 2008—as Bree prepared to walk down the aisle made for quite the finale cliffhanger. But fans looking for a speedy resolution will have to wait. The premiere adds a new wrinkle to this conflict, and the group dynamic only gets messier as the season progresses. However, it’s easy to forgive the lack of answers, as the college timeline is as vibrant as ever. The new round continues many of the storylines from season two, including Pippa (Sonia Mena) and Diana’s (Alicia Crowder) burgeoning relationship, the fallout from Bree’s affair with married professor Oliver (Tom Ellis, Oppenheimer’s husband), and Lucy’s misguided attempt to conceal the truth of Pippa’s assault by claiming she was the one raped by Chris Montgomery (Jacob Rodriguez). (Chris is the younger brother of Lucy’s former best friend Lydia, who’s revealed to be engaged to Stephen in the 2015 timeline. Again, it’s a twisted web). 

Of course, Lucy and Stephen renew their infuriating mind games. But this time, their friends, acting as a conduit for the audience, loudly voice their displeasure of their on-again/off-again romance. After an early interaction that can best be described as an elaborate humiliation ritual, the show wisely shifts the black hole that is Lucy and Stephen away from its center, instead giving Lucy space to explore who she’s become over the course of their relationship and what kind of person she could be without him. As she grows closer to series newcomer Alex (Costa D’Angelo), a grad student who lived with Bree in foster care, Lucy begins to face the uglier parts of herself head-on, though it remains an open question whether this darkness is innate or learned like some kind of trauma response. The storyline gives Van Patten something meaty to chew on, and she’s particularly good opposite D’Angelo. Like many of the show’s sex scenes, their intimate moments are graphic and raw. And thanks to the impressive emotional work by both actors, they carry lasting resonance.

If Lucy spends much of the season soul-searching, Stephen takes the opposite tack, lashing out at everyone in his orbit so as to avoid acknowledging his overwhelming loneliness. Tell Me Lies continues to innovate when it comes to Stephen. From executing meaningless power plays over dish duty to lobbing reputation-shattering hand grenades, there seems to be no depth to his depravity. This is the typical Stephen DeMarco Experience, but in season three, he operates without the charm (however slimy it may have been) that made him more compelling, or at the very least more complex, in the first two seasons. As a result, he comes across as almost cartoonishly villainous, leaving White to retread familiar territory as his co-stars explore new opportunities for vulnerability and growth. 

And luckily, they take full advantage of their additional screen time. Mena and Crowder’s natural chemistry shines as Pippa and Diana explore new facets of their relationship. Although viewers don’t get a ton of quality “Puswa” time, the central trio’s silly banter and commitment to themed parties remains a delight. But without a doubt, the season’s biggest selling point is the friendship that develops between Bree and Wrigley (Spencer House), who struggles to cope with his grief in the wake of his brother’s overdose. Initially, Bree and Wrigley seem like a mismatched pair, but they bond over their respective trauma and their inability to have open conversations with their privileged friends, who they believe don’t understand what it’s like to shoulder real pain. Missal and House deliver series-best performances here, particularly as their characters begin sharing parts of themselves that they keep private from the rest of the world.

Not content to focus solely on the interior lives of these characters, the show also attempts to tackle larger issues that impact everyday college students such as sexual assault. Season three does so to varying degrees of success, but whether the series is turning its lens inward or zooming out, it remains committed to wading into gray areas and creating a space free of judgment or moralizing. There are no easy answers here, but like a good student, Tell Me Lies is willing to put in the work to search for them.  

Claire Lustig is a contributor to The A.V. Club. Tell Me Lies season three premieres January 13 on Hulu.   

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