Hulu’s tell me lies does a good job of showing which relationships are a big red flag, but which ones are definitely more toxic than others?
based on Carola Loveringthe novel of the same name, tell me lies follow the disordered relationship between university students Lucy (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen (Jackson White). Their troubled on-and-off romance ends up lasting eight years, and everyone around them is affected by Lucy and Stephen’s ups and downs.
Showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer previously explained as the show tries not to judge about Lucy and Stephen.
“(It’s) about trying to be as honest as possible with them and let the characters speak organically as you create the scenes,” she exclusively told Us Weekly in August 2024. “I generally have a lot of empathy for flawed people. I never want to write a character that I’m completely judging just because I think they’re boring.”
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It’s been more difficult for the writers’ room show Stephen’s perspective.
“I think it’s harder to empathize with Stephen, obviously, because it’s not just that he’s young. He’s very dangerous. But when you look at how he was raised and if you’re not given the right kind of love as a child, it just creates disastrous results,” Oppenheimer continued. “So as long as you remember that, you can empathize a little bit. But it’s hard. I hope people empathize with them sometimes.”
Despite the fictional couple’s shortcomings, they’re not the only ones wreaking havoc on the show. Evan (Brandon Cook) and Bree (Catalina Missal) they are involved in the current timelinebut his past is full of infidelity and breakups.
Keep scrolling for the ranking of Us de la tell me lies pairs, from least to most toxic:
13. Wrigley and Bree
After that subtle reveal in Season 3, Wrigley and Bree’s yearning earns them a spot as one of the least toxic on-screen romances.
12. Pippa and Diana
tell me lies has not given we a lot of time with Pippa (Sonia Mena) and Diana (Alicia Crowder), but it’s obvious they’re the couple to root for. After not interacting at the beginning of the show, Pippa and Diana became attracted to each other during Season 2.
It is also important to note that Pippa and Diana they are rare examples tell me lies characters which are free from most of the toxicity that surrounds them. In some ways, they seem to be the perfect couple and the scenes in the current timeline confirm that they are taking their relationship to the next level.
11. Drew and Bree
Although their hookup didn’t last long, Bree and Drew (Benjamin Wadsworth) had potential. But the timing wasn’t right because Drew was battling some personal demons that prevented him from treating Bree the way she deserved.
10. Wrigley and Pippa
is it fair we or does Pippa seem to be the character with the healthiest relationships on the show? The bar is not very high tell me lies but Pippa and Wrigley (Spencer House) are definitely up there.
What started as a casual relationship later became one of the few couples on the show that felt genuine. (There’s also the fact that Wrigley is one of the least problematic men on the show, which probably has something to do with him ranking so low on this list.)
Pippa and Wrigley couldn’t make it make your relationship work for the long term — partly due to outside factors like his brother Drew. But their scenes in the present day hinted that at least their friendship remained intact.
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9. Bree and Evan
Bree and Evan are engaged in the future, but their past cannot be ignored. Initially, Evan didn’t even seem that interested in Bree as he was in love with her friend Lucy. Then he chose to sleep with Lucy while he was dating Bree and still hasn’t told her.
Based on their scenes in the future, Bree and Evan have come to a better place. That doesn’t mean fans shouldn’t keep an eye on them this season.
8. Lucy and Leo
Season 2 has not given we there is still a long way to go for these two. But Lucy is still hanging on to Stephen and Leo (Thomas Doherty) might have an anger issue based on the trailer for Season 2. Lucy and Leo are a giant red flag right now.
7. Stephen and Diana
None of Stephen’s relationships are healthy because he is there. As the first season began, viewers, and Lucy, discovered that Stephen wasn’t as single as he thought. Stephen actually had a committed relationship with Diana based on how much he thought she could help with his social standing.
Stephen left Diana briefly to pursue a romance with Lucy, but it didn’t take him long to do so. do exactly the same to his new girlfriend. The season 1 finale ended with Stephen reuniting with Diana at a party he originally showed up to with Lucy.
The unfortunate thing about Stephen and Diana’s relationship is how much more fans want for it. It’s surprising that Diana hasn’t realized how bad Stephen is for her and her future.
6. Evan and Lucy
This brief connection doesn’t even count as a relationship, but it makes it onto this list because of the chaos it continues to cause. Evan’s feelings for Lucy were never reciprocated until Stephen left her and she decided to sleep with her friend’s boyfriend.
No one wants to forget this moment more than Evan, Lucy and we. Not only did it hurt Bree, who doesn’t know who Evan cheated on her with, but she put the entire group of friends at risk.
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5. Lucy and Max
This is the perfect example of why someone who isn’t over their ex shouldn’t be dating new people. Lucy met Max (Edmund Donovan) during her first year of college when she was trying to figure out her status with Stephen. So imagine we‘ surprise when Max appeared in scenes eight years in the future when Lucy supposedly it would have happened between the two of them.
Instead, she’s been very hot and cold with Max while still going to Stephen. There’s too much to unpack, but the bottom line is that Max probably shouldn’t get too invested when it comes to a future with Lucy.
4. Stephen and Macy
A relationship that ends with the death of one of the people is not really a good example of a healthy romance. Not much is known about Stephen and Macy, except that they dated, kept their hookup a secret, and then died in a car accident that he lied about. Stephen’s actions after the accident never showed that he cared about Macy, so unfortunately (or fortunately?) this whole relationship is a pass. we.
3. Bree and Oliver
This new couple is so high because a 19 year old having feelings for a 45 year old is never going to end well. While Bree has undeniable chemistry with her professor husband Oliver (Tom Ellis), is still her teacher’s husband. Nothing between these two has made sense on paper, despite their charged moments in Season 2.
Bree may not see the power imbalance yet, but the audience does and it’s very uncomfortable.
2. Esteve and Lídia
In what world does someone go from hating their best friend’s toxic ex-boyfriend to committing to him? In the Tell Me Lies universe, everything seems possiblewho is like Lucy’s childhood friend Lydia (Natalee Linez) ended up in a serious relationship with Stephen in the future.
Not much to say except no thanks.
1. Lucy and Stephen
Probably no surprise to anyone but Lucy and Stephen they are the definition of more toxic. They lie to each other, and to each other, while hurting those around them. They are extremely selfish when they are together and can never seem to stop hurting each other.
tell me lies makes it very obvious that Lucy and Stephen shouldn’t have a future together and yet they can’t help but get back together. Lucy and Stephen are frankly a perfect couple if you only look at their dark sides. But in the spirit of wanting better for themselves, the only chance Lucy and Stephen have of not being completely horrible people is if they stay far away from each other.