Diksha Sundriyal
Reaching its mid-mark, the second season of Hulu’s ‘Tell Me Lies’ puts a couple of its characters in morally treacherous waters. For some, things go easy this time around and the future looks a bit better, even if the sailing is not as smooth to begin with. For others, however, some very difficult choices are posed, the outcome of which has the power to influence their future as well as that of those around them. Once again, the series takes us into the hearts of its subjects, revealing that things are never as simple as they seem. At least not for the students of Baird College. SPOILERS AHEAD
Pippa and Bree Reconsider Their Relationships
In the previous episode, Bree embarked on a relationship with Oliver despite him being married and a professor at the college. After spending the night together, Oliver tells Bree how much power she has over their relationship and makes her promise that she will tell no one about it because if the word gets out, his whole life will be in ruin. Their conversation also makes Bree realize that the foundation of her relationship with Evan had been forced by her friends, which further proves that they should never have been together to begin with.
Bree has a similar epiphany in her new relationship when Oliver appears in the middle of his wife’s class, not knowing that Bree is going to be there. Seeing them together pulls Bree out of the delusion she had created for herself, a bubble in which she doesn’t have to imagine that being with Oliver is okay. What makes matters worse is when she tries to find some flaw in his wife so she can justify their affair but ends up realizing that she is actually very nice and what Bree is doing is completely out of bounds.
Meanwhile, Pippa’s father visits her in college, and it turns out that she hasn’t told him about her breakup with Wrigley. Fortunately, Wrigley is a much better guy than Stephen DeMarco, and instead of embarrassing her in front of her father, he plays along with the lie. His reaction is also encouraged by the fact that he still has feelings for Pippa and misses her, even if just as a friend. Later that day, he texts her, and they hang out together. When he asks her to clarify what happened with the letter, she stands by her statement and says she didn’t send it. She questions Stephen’s intentions, but for Wrigley, his best friend can do no wrong.
Lucy and Leo’s Romance Hits Turbulence
Having done everything she possibly can to keep out of Stephen’s way and live peacefully, Lucy finally embarks on a romance with Leo. She decides not to jump into the relationship immediately and decides to take some time before sleeping with Leo. The last time she hastened, she ended up in a toxic relationship with Stephen, and she doesn’t want to do that anymore. Leo completely understands and doesn’t seem to be in any rush, considering that he, too, has a few issues of his own to figure out.
With time, things get more comfortable with Leo. They hang out at a bar where things get a little awkward when Leo meets his ex. It is barely a ten-second interaction, but Lucy notes it as a weird thing that Leo didn’t introduce her to his ex. Then, Evan walks into the bar with Wrigley, and things get even more uncomfortable for Lucy, so she decides to leave with Leo for his room. Meanwhile, Evan meets a girl who has had a crush on him for a long time. He spends the night with her, hoping that this rebound will help him get over Bree, who seems to be doing too well without him.
When Lucy and Leo reach his room and start making out, Lucy says she is ready to have sex. Leo gets a condom, which is when something from the past kicks in for Lucy. It reminds her of the deal she and Stephen made when they first started going out. Even though she was on the pill, he used a condom while they had sex, as it meant that he was also sleeping with other people at the time. She feels that Leo has the same mindset and she asks him if he is sleeping with other people, which she clarifies she doesn’t mind because they have not had this conversation yet.
Leo says it would be weird for him to sleep with other people when he is going out with her, and this back-and-forth leads to them fighting. When Lucy tries to make up to him by kissing him, he starts to wonder if she is turned on by drama. He makes it clear that he doesn’t want any unnecessary drama between them and would rather have sex with her for the first time with a clear mindset. This is when Lucy decides to leave, but this interaction shows how much her relationship with Stephen has impacted her idea of a relationship. Being with him ended up normalizing all the toxic things in their relationship, and she has carried the same mindset into her new relationship. When she realises this, she goes back to Leo, they make up, and have sex, without any drama.
Diana Makes a Significant Choice Regarding Stephen
In the previous episode, when Lucy told Diana about Stephen’s involvement in Macy’s death, Diana refused to believe her. In this episode, she starts to see some signs that make her doubt her belief in Stephen. With the LSATs looming, Stephen gets more and more anxious. In the class, when the professor asks if the students know the worst thing they’ve ever done, Stephe is one of the few who doesn’t raise his hand, which seems weird to Diana. Later, after their LSAT, Stephen has a panic attack, and they go to the hospital, where it is revealed there is a minor fracture in his lower rib cage. The doctor notes that this could have happened from a fall or by hitting the steering wheel of the car in an accident. With a clear sign in front of her eyes, Diana can’t help but wonder if Lucy was telling the truth.
When they go back home, Stephen takes a shower, which is when Diana takes a quick peek through his laptop, where she eventually discovers the pictures he took of Macy. The pictures are intimate enough to show that she and Stephen slept together, which is enough to prove that Lucy wasn’t lying. Stephen really was with Macy the night she died, and sure enough, if she asks around, she will find more evidence to prove this. But now that she knows, what should she do? In an ideal situation, she would have confronted Stephen, he would have tried to explain by making up more lies, and he probably would have succeeded in manipulating Diana, like he did Lucy. It would have been bad, what happen next is worse. Instead of asking Stephen what the photos are doing on his laptop, she decides to delete them altogether. It is a new low for Diana, and hopefully, she doesn’t fall further the next time.
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