Why Tells Me Lies Is Ending With Season 3 Revealed By Creator

by

Tell Me Lies creator Meaghan Oppenheimer reveals why the season 3 finale is also the series finale.

The Hulu series Tell Me Lies centers on the complicated and often destructive relationship between Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White), and the impact it has on those around them. The third season continues to explore their unhealthy dynamic, with the actors describing it as an inescapable addiction and a raw, fundamental connection.

In a recent interview with Deadline, showrunner Meredith Oppenheimer explained that she believes three seasons was the right length for the show. She said that with Lucy no longer in school, and most of the other characters nearing college graduation and moving on to different careers and locations, continuing the story felt forced. Oppenheimer felt another season wouldn’t make sense unless the show underwent a major overhaul. You can read her full comments below.

We genuinely enjoy making the show and appreciate our audience, but we started realizing the natural progression of the story meant things were changing. Lucy’s no longer in school, and most of the cast members are about to graduate college and move on to different paths and careers. They’re all drifting apart, and it felt like there wasn’t much holding them together anymore. I believe it’s a gift to be able to end a show on your own terms, while it’s still good, but it was a tough decision. I kept asking myself if we could create another season that would be as strong and true to the show as what came before, or if it would feel forced and different. It felt like we’d reached the end of this particular story. Ultimately, I didn’t want to deliver something I wasn’t proud of. Knowing how much the cast, who had lived with these characters for so long, loved the ending really helped me feel confident in our decision.

She explained that she let the Tell Me Lies cast know before season three that the show wouldn’t continue beyond that point. Season three was specifically written to wrap up the story, and she felt the wedding storyline provided a natural conclusion.

I’d spoken with them before the season started and let them know I’d written the story as if it could be the end. We didn’t know for sure what would happen, but we all understood this season might be our last. We generally agreed that the wedding and everything leading up to it would provide a sense of closure.

Although the Hulu series is concluding, Van Patten is thankful for the opportunity and how long it ran, feeling the show achieved a complete and satisfying narrative. He described the ending as ‘bittersweet,’ adding, ‘It’s so rare to get three seasons. We were fortunate that people loved the show, allowing us to tell a full story with a clear beginning, middle, and end.’

Since its release in 2022, Tell Me Lies has been a popular show. The first season earned positive reviews, with a 75% score from critics and a 69% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Viewers really loved the second season, giving it a 90% score, and the show’s popularity led to it being renewed for a third season. Currently, and before the final episode airs, Tell Me Lies is the fifth most-watched show on both Disney+ and Hulu, following Love Story, The Beauty, The Artful Dodger, and Wonder Man.

The series stars Van Patten, White, Catherine Missal as Bree, Sonia Menna as Pippa, Spencer House as Wrigley, Branden Cook as Evan, Alicia Crowder as Diana, and Tom Ellis as Oliver. Meaghan Oppenheimer created Tell Me Lies and also serves as showrunner and executive producer. Emma Roberts, known for American Horror Story, is also an executive producer.

The Tell Me Lies season 3 finale releases on February 17 on Disney+ and Hulu at 12:00 a.m. ET.

Read More

2026-02-17 06:08