Tell Me Lies Season 3: The Toxic Cycle of Stephen and Lucy's Relationship
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Tell Me Lies season 3's first three episodes.Tell Me Lies season 3 has debuted with its first three episodes, and already the chaos is never-ending, with the entire ensemble facing increasingly difficult challenges and lies they must avoid uncovering. A couple of shocking moments during season 2’s finale were Stephen (played by Jackson White) and Lucy (played by Grace Van Patten) reconciling despite all the reasons they shouldn’t, and Bree (played by Catherine Missal) hearing a voicemail sent to her by Stephen about her future husband Evan (played by Branden Cook) revealing he slept with Lucy while they were in college. Stephen is constantly attempting to destroy the lives of everyone around him, even if it costs him everything, and no one knows that more than his on-again, off-again college girlfriend, Lucy, who also has the same tendencies for sabotage. In an interview with ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan, Van Patten and White reveal exactly why both of their damaged characters keep coming back together despite the never-ending toxicity:
Grace Van Patten: They’re addicted to one another. Whether it’s justified or there are reasons or not, they’re pulled back to one another because they’re in a vicious cycle.
And every time there’s distance between one another, I think it makes them realize who else is going to put up with their s**t. So, any opening or moment to maybe figure it out again, they take it.
Jackson White: Yeah. Physically attracted — just a chemical, physical attraction. I don’t know, I think that’s important. It’s very simple too. It’s very primal.
Stephen And Lucy's Relationship Impacts Everyone
It’s not just Stephen and Lucy who are impacted by their tumultuous relationship, but also their group of friends, who have to deal with the fallout and get spun into the web of deceit and betrayal. During the first three episodes, Bree is blissfully unaware during college that her best friend Lucy and ex-boyfriend Evan have slept together; it’s only revealed on her wedding day years later. Lucy is doing everything in her power to stop Stephen from revealing the truth, but it leaves the audience frustrated with both of them for not owning their mistakes and admitting defeat. When asked how their reconciliation has impacted the group of friends during season 3, White and Van Patten break it down:
Jackson White: I think everyone’s experiencing the consequences now. Everyone has to deal with the repercussions. It’s cool. It’s a full ensemble. We’re seeing the chaos with everyone now.
Grace Van Patten: Yeah, you really see how this relationship affects everyone around them, not just them.
Stephen's True Intentions In Tell Me Lies
Stephen looking at something outside in Tell Me Lies.
Stephen has been a hellraiser since episode 1 of Tell Me Lies, and his charm has managed to seduce and destroy a few unfortunate girls in his path. When asked about Stephen’s true intentions, White revealed exactly what his character’s motivations are:
Jackson White: No, he’s not [a chaos maker]. He’s a lot sadder than that. He’s a lot sicker than that. He’s trying to feel better. Everyone’s trying to feel better. His method is hurting others. He has that thing where he wants others to feel pain so he can feel better.
That’s how he moves. I think he intends to hurt people, but it almost becomes subconscious. It’s the way he was raised. It’s what he was taught. It’s just that’s how he feels better.
His relationship with his family is disheveled and has been for some time, with his mother, but now his sister is also facing the consequences of Stephen’s actions, as revealed in season 3, when it’s revealed she could end up losing her place at boarding school to escape home life. Stephen tends to lash out at those he loves the most, but it never works in his favor, and the only person who ever really sticks around, regardless of the mess, is Lucy.
Stephen And Lucy's Toxic Relationship Is Self-Destructive
The show’s creator and writer, Meaghan Oppenheimer, reflected on Stephen and Lucy’s relationship for the audience, who are so confused by the dynamic between them as they keep reuniting:
Meaghan Oppenheimer: I think that when you are digmatized, it is hard to walk away. I think what draws them to each other is different for both of them. I think Steven is at a place cynically where he wants to win, and he wants a sense of control, and he hasn’t yet felt that with Lucy.
So, he’s going to keep coming back until he has the final word. And I think with Lucy, she’s just coming from such a place of trauma — she came into the show depressed and numb, and Steven was the first thing to get her out of that numbness. And so she mistakes it for love and for chemistry when it’s really just anxiety.
While it may remain unclear why Stephen and Lucy are still messing with each other years later, the next few episodes of season 3 are guaranteed to be shocking and mildly infuriating.
Tell Me Lies is available to stream on Hulu, with the rest of the episodes of season 3 airing weekly.
Release Date
September 7, 2022
Network
Hulu
Showrunner
Meaghan Oppenheimer
Directors
Isabel Sandoval, Jonathan Levine
Writers
Meaghan Oppenheimer, Carola Lovering, Allison P. Davis, Bill Kennedy
Grace Van Patten
Lucy Albright
Jackson White
Stephen DeMarco
