Diksha Sundriyal
Following the complicated romance of Lucy Albright and Stephen DeMarco, the second season of Hulu’s ‘Tell Me Lies’ pulls the couple back into each other’s orbits. After the sour breakup from last season, Lucy tried to stay away from Stephen despite his many efforts to mess with her life in and out of college. She almost succeeds in keeping him out of her head and even enjoys a great relationship with her new boyfriend, Leo. However, all of that comes undone in the sixth episode when they inadvertently find themselves celebrating Thanksgiving together. The beginning and the end of the episode show just how deep this rift of romance goes between them. SPOILERS AHEAD
Lucy and Stephen’s Mind Games Continue
Before going back to the past, we get a glimpse into the future, where Bree’s wedding day is inching closer. At the same time, she also seems to be unsure about things, and it is hinted, through a cryptic phone call, that there might be someone else for her. It remains to be seen whether it is Oliver, but whoever is on the other end of the line is someone Bree still harbors feelings for. The other shocking romance (though not for the audience) to be revealed is that of Pippa and Diana.
Everyone is shocked to see them together, but it is still not as awkward as having Lucy, Diana, and Stephen in the room, with him talking about how his relationship with Lydia has changed him into a better man. His remarks make Lucy text him to meet him by the pool, and it seems that Stephen had been expecting it. What he hadn’t been expecting was Lucy at the pool, having sex with Max. It is a statement Lucy is making, but why does she need to make it at all? Why is she still bothered by Stephen’s actions? To know that, we flow back into the past.
A Very Slapping Thanksgiving
It is Thanksgiving, and Evan and Wrigley decide to call their friends over for dinner. Evan basically wants to get back into Bree’s good books as he is still in love with her. Wrigley gets Pippa to invite Bree, Lucy, and Leo, assuring them that Stephen will not be coming with them. Evan’s new girlfriend shows up as a surprise, which makes Evan very concerned about having her and Bree in the same room. What makes matters really worse is when Diana reveals her father doesn’t want her home for Thanksgiving, which irritates Stephen, because he thinks that Diana’s bad relationship with her father is affecting his chance of getting a job in the future. With nowhere else to go, they go to Evan and Wrigley’s party.
Despite the surprise arrivals and the tensions, everyone keeps their cool. Lucy is a bit concerned about Pippa being too chummy with Diana, which leads Pippa to hold back a little bit. Things go rather well until Wrigley decides that they should play a game. In it, a person has to choose another person who they will give a shot of alcohol and a slap. While almost everyone takes it in good spirits, Stephen uses it to stir trouble. The two times he has to choose someone, he chooses Leo, whom he slaps pretty hard. Aware of Leo’s violent streak, Stephen tries to bait him into doing something untoward, but Leo knows better. In the end, he chooses Stephen, but instead of retaliating and slapping him harder, he gives Stephen a pretty pat and calls him cute. (Respect for Leo rises tenfold in this scene. Also, Pippa slapping Stephen is extremely satisfactory.)
While Stephen reflects on failing to bait Leo, Evan is unable to hold his emotions with Bree, which leads his new girlfriend to storm out. He is also concerned by the fact that Bree is seeing someone new, so he asks her about it. She lets it slip that the person she is seeing is much older, which makes Evan even more worried about her. He believes that this person (who he doesn’t know is Oliver) is taking advantage of Bree, who seems to have fallen for the man due to her childhood issues and the lack of a parental figure in her formative years. This is quite a jab, and Bree refuses to stay in the room with Evan after hearing it. In the end, only Wrigley, Pippa, Diana, and Stephen are left. They make their beds on the sofa, but Pippa and Diana stay up talking to each other on texts.
Why Do Leo and Lucy Break Up?
When his efforts to rile up Leo fail, Stephen makes one last move. It turns out that Leo’s ex, Becca, cheated on him with Stephen. Leo knew about this but he didn’t tell it to Lucy because it happened two years ago, it seemed completely irrelevant to him, and he didn’t want to have to talk about Stephen anymore. While he continues to keep his calm, Lucy loses it when she finds out about Becca and wonders if Leo started dating her to get back at Stephen, who keeps stoking the fire, and it ends with Lucy slapping Diana. While Lucy is immediately shocked and regretful of her actions, it snaps whatever Leo had been holding on to. He and Lucy take their fight outside, where he talks about how much Lucy still seems to be influenced by Stephen and how he has come too far ahead to be drawn back into that drama now. He cannot be with Lucy while Stephen still has a hold on her, and this brings their relationship to an end.
The next morning, a very sad Lucy goes back to college, still nursing her broken heart. When Stephen sees her, he uses it as an opportunity to gloat, but Lucy has no patience for it. She tells him that he has won and that this war between them must end now. What takes Stephen by surprise is when Lucy tells him that she loved him despite knowing about all the bad things he had done. She wonders why he is punishing her for it. Stephen has no answer for this, and as Lucy walks away, it’s clear that her words have left a mark on him. One would think that this is the time when Stephen finally decides to leave her alone, but we know that this only means that he will start pursuing her all over again.
Read More: Tell Me Lies: Is Stephen DeMarco a Narcissist or a Sociopath?
