‘Tell Me Lies’ Review: Adaptation is a slow burn that sizzles your psyche, its feels wrong, but is oh so good

After a non-stop binge session of the first five episodes of Tell Me Lies, all I can say is that I have no idea how I feel about Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) or Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White), and the bizarre part is, I am not even mad about it. Lucy, I have a little bit of a better read on, I think. She is emotionally detached and is looking to find a way to feel something, which pushes her to make rash decisions and ultimately into the arms of Stephen.

However, Stephen has me at a loss. My mind feels like it’s on one of those balancing scales, and I can’t decide how I feel about him. It seems to change moment to moment, episode to episode. Sometimes we (as the audience) know more than Lucy, and other times we know more than Stephen. This non-stop, mess-with-your-mind storytelling mimics Lucy and Stephen’s toxic relationship, which is why to Tell Me Lies surpasses all shows that have come before it.

Tell Me Lies — “Hot-Blooded” – Episode 102 — Lucy struggles with the aftermath of Welcome Week and goes on her first date with Stephen. Lucy (Grace Van Patten), shown. (Photo by: Josh Stringer/Hulu)

Tell Me Lies is an adaptation of Carola Lovering’s novel of the same name and was created and executive produced by Meaghan Oppenheimer, alongside executive producers Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss. The premiere begins in 2015, eight years after graduating from Baird University. The college grads are all getting back together to celebrate two friends getting married.

However, all anyone can talk about when it comes to Lucy is Stephen. None of her friends have any faith that she will be able to resist him at the wedding, while another says how much better she is now than she was “then” (which is another clue that things didn’t go smoothly between Lucy and Stephen).

We slowly meet some of the friend group that makes up the show which includes Pippa (Sonia Mena), Bree (Catherine Missal), Wrigley (Spencer House), Evan (Branden Cook), and of course, Stephen. Right after Lucy and Stephen lock eyes at the wedding, the show flashes back to 2007 as Lucy prepares to leave home while nonchalantly breaking up with her hometown boyfriend. Thus, the story of how Lucy and Stephen met begins.

While we have seen glimpses of White at this point, we officially meet him as Stephen at a party on campus during the first week; it’s clear he’s a little off-center, slightly socially awkward, but intelligent. It feels like he uses his intelligence and charm to draw his prey to him, and he already has eyes on his next prize, Lucy. At the party, he talks fast, makes her uncomfortable, and plays the game like he has done it one hundred times before.

While Lucy seems to hold him at bay, he does step in intimately to tell her the dress she is wearing is “killing him.” His honesty and intensity are something that catches Lucy’s eye. She tries to slow things down between them but like two magnets pulling them together, neither can resist the polar energy. Their relationship begins fast, with the intoxication growing minute by minute.

Tell Me Lies — “Lightning Strikes” – Episode 101 — Lucy starts her freshman year at Baird College, where an unexpected turn of events during Welcome Week flips her life upside down. Lucy (Grace Van Patten), shown. (Photo by: Josh Stringer/Hulu)

While it is unclear what Lucy hopes to get out of her college experience, one thing is clear; she is flawed. As she reacts to situations at school, we begin to see serious detachment issues and a lack of emotional connection. She sometimes makes poor decisions, as if going through the motions.

Lucy is flailing and is looking for anything or anyone to grab onto. She is clearly in pain, but it’s buried behind a thick wall. At this moment, you realize the power of Van Patten’s acting. Lucy could have come off indifferent or cold, but Van Patten has this way of owning the scene when she is on camera. You instantly connect with her. Van Patten lures you into the story almost as fast as her character makes friends. For some reason, you also want to be friends with Lucy. That is all credit to Van Patten’s ability to bring sympathy and understanding to a hardened character; a skill few actors can achieve. Van Patten’s willingness to push herself further as an actor (who takes significant risks on this show) is a joy to watch, and the pay-off shows. Somehow she always outdoes herself, raising her bar to perfection every time, never missing the mark, and consistently hitting the bullseye.

Tell Me Lies — “Hot-Blooded” – Episode 102 — Lucy struggles with the aftermath of Welcome Week and goes on her first date with Stephen. Stephen (Jackson White), shown. (Photo by: Josh Stringer/Hulu)

Now it takes two to tango, and her partner is nothing short of pure perfection. White becomes Stephen in this role, spending time to reign in all emotions in any situation thrown at his character. The subtleness of his feelings (for the most part) and his lack of empathy (Stephen would call it persuasion) make it very hard to get a read on Stephen. Sometimes, it seems he is trying to ruin everything in his path, and at other moments, he comes off sweet and caring. The mono-tone of Stephen’s voice even makes it hard to decipher him. We struggle to figure him out as Lucy struggles. White gives nothing away, and after watching five episodes, I am no clearer to figuring him out or understanding where his character will go. This lack of direction is refreshing, as romantic dramas are usually predictable, setting Tell Me Lies apart from the crowd. White is outstanding in his performance as someone that can not be tamed or explained.

White makes the ride more enjoyable than the rollercoaster we are on with him. His acting is calculated but natural, fun but serious. He put in the work to make it seem effortless. White is someone to start following because playing this character has shown the world so many facets of his acting, proving he is unstoppable. One episode that stands out in particular with Stephen is episode 5. There is much to unpack when we meet his mom [actor’s embargoed], who does an incredible job adding to the story. It’s worth the wait.

Tell Me Lies — “Hot-Blooded” – Episode 102 — Lucy struggles with the aftermath of Welcome Week and goes on her first date with Stephen. Bree (Catherine Missal), Diana (Alicia Crowder), Wrigley (Spencer House) and Lucy (Grace Van Patten), shown. (Photo by: Josh Stringer/Hulu)

Although there is a ton of Lucy and Stephen drama — don’t count out their friends, who all have fully fleshed-out storylines. One of my favorites to watch is Wrigley. When we met him at the wedding for a few seconds, he was the “making a scene at the wedding” guy. But when we go back, we see he was a fun-loving football player in a relationship, doing everything he could to help his brother and friends.

House accomplishes two things; first, he makes Wrigley such a lovable character with so much more to him than your typical jock. Second, he transforms everything about Wrigley as the episodes go on due to the complications in his life. You feel nothing but heartache and sadness when you rewatch the first few minutes of the first episode. House does a master class in shifting his character through it so subtly that if you don’t rewatch the first episode as you watch the series, you forget how much he has changed. House is remarkable.

Tell Me Lies — “We Don’t Touch, We Collide” – Episode 103 — Pressure on Wrigley intensifies, bleeding into his relationship with Pippa. Lucy and Stephen discuss exclusivity. Wrigley (Spencer House), shown. (Photo by: Josh Stringer/Hulu)

However, one of the best topics this show tackles is sex; instead of showing these magical, dreamy sex scenes, where everything goes right with beautiful music and golden hues — Oppenheimer sets a tone that is grittier and real. We see small dorm rooms, tiny beds, window lighting, and not always the best sex. The sex scenes differ with the various pairings, which adds to the authenticity because no two people have sex the same way. Additionally, the actors had an intimacy coordinator on set to make them comfortable. When I spoke to Oppenheimer about how refreshing it was to see some fumbling sex scenes and awkward moments, Oppenheimer added, “well, let’s be honest, not everyone has great sex in college,” and it was essential to show that. Oppenheimer, Roberts, and Preiss are a dream team adding a much-needed set of female voices in a void that needs to be closed.

Most of the time, these stories are told by men, showcasing women in a more idealistic view. This story, written by a woman and adapted by a team of women, is a game changer. We need more stories from these influential geniuses because it’s accurate and genuine. No one should allow for anything less when watching a show; you should demand more of it. I cannot wait to see what else these women have coming down the pipeline; maybe some Emmys? Let’s hope so.

Tell Me Lies — “Lightning Strikes” – Episode 101 — Lucy starts her freshman year at Baird College, where an unexpected turn of events during Welcome Week flips her life upside down. Lucy (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen (Jackson White), shown. (Photo by: Josh Stringer/Hulu)

So as we all go on this journey together, I look back and think, have I ever been with a Stephen…YES (haven’t we all?). A relationship like that is filled with dramatic “end of the world” moments where all the decisions feel weighted. You get so entangled that you blow past any red flags and ignore most of the bad because something kept you on the hook…the in-between moments, you know, the good ones. So will Lucy be able to stand her ground at the wedding? Will we even find out what happens down the road?

This show is addictive, forbidden in a good way, and reminds us that we never forget our worst. But the real question is how do we move on from them, or do we stay stuck in an eternal purgatory of bad decisions cushioned/overlooked by passion and nostalgia? Your guess is as good as mine; we will have to see as the story unfolds.

Tell Me Lies is currently streaming its first three episodes on Hulu, with new episodes released weekly.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5