Tell Me Lies Recap: Say Nothing

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Am I focusing too much on Wrigley and Bree in these summaries? There are five other characters whose lives are falling apart, and they deserve attention too. But it’s hard to write about people who aren’t actually doing anything! Wrigley and Bree are the only ones making things happen. Everyone else is stuck in a rut, just repeating last week, with only the party theme changing.

Last week was full of drama: Lucy and Pippa had a confrontation with Chris, Stephen introduced a new girlfriend, Pippa and Diana were unfaithful to Wrigley, Stephen harassed Diana, Evan mistreated women, and Lucy and Alex seemed to thrive on Lucy’s insecurities. This week, they’re repeating all the same behaviors, but with a goth Valentine’s Day theme – everyone’s wearing black eyeliner and drawing teardrops on their faces. It’s so unsettling that I immediately wondered if someone had been murdered, and Pippa voiced the same thought – wondering if the actions meant someone was killed in prison! It was a strangely synchronized thought.

Bree is quickly becoming the most compelling character on Tell Me Lies because she’s constantly surprising us with new developments. Just last week, she unexpectedly visited her mother. This week, she does the same with Marianne, prompted by a conversation with Wrigley about her frustration. Honestly, it’s more interesting than focusing on Lucy’s struggles – I’m much more curious about what happens between Bree and Wrigley after they leave Marianne’s place. It reminds me of why I’d be a terrible teacher – it would be a chaotic, unpredictable situation every single day!

Alright, let’s quickly cover what everyone else was up to in the latest episode before we get to the main drama. We’ll start with Diana, who’s basically decided to do absolutely nothing. We immediately find out Stephen sent nude photos of Diana to her father – honestly, it was pretty predictable, and a truly awful thing to do. Hold on a second… Pippa is wearing True Religion jeans! That brings back memories. Okay, back to the episode. Pippa is surprisingly critical, questioning why Diana ever let Stephen take those photos in the first place. Considering Pippa’s own situation, it’s a bit hypocritical for her to be judging anyone. When Diana explains she won’t confront Stephen because he feeds off conflict, Pippa argues that she has to seek justice. Diana wants to point out Pippa’s hypocrisy, but she manages to hold back, and the conversation becomes tense.

I get why Diana avoids conflict with Stephen – it’s smart to stay under the radar. But I don’t understand why she’s okay with being Pippa’s secret lover. Whatever happened to the assertive, manipulative Diana from the first season? I really miss that version of her. At least Diana’s current inaction is intentional, unlike Pippa, who just seems passive.

Lucy often makes things worse even when she tries to stay out of things, and the recent situation with Chris and Pippa is a perfect example. Chris claimed he and Pippa had a consensual encounter, which understandably upset Lucy, who immediately accused him of something. At the time, I didn’t fully realize the problem with her reaction. But when Chris confronted Pippa, asking why Lucy was telling people he’d assaulted her, it seemed clear Lucy was just gossiping. Pippa understandably agreed with Chris that their encounter was consensual, especially given the circumstances – she was cornered by him and felt pressured to respond. It’s hard to fault her for that. This whole situation is going to backfire on Lucy and make things much worse for her in the end.

Things are already incredibly difficult for Lucy. She’s now focused entirely on avoiding Stephen’s anger, which can be triggered by almost anything depending on his mood – it’s become really stressful for her. She knows Stephen will be furious if he sees her with anyone she’s dating, so she planned to go to a goth Valentine’s Day event alone. However, her well-meaning friend Bree secretly invited Alex to go with Lucy as her date. When Alex arrives, Lucy is visibly terrified, especially when Stephen calls them both over to meet someone he’s been targeting, a woman named Tegan.

I feel bad that Tegen is about to face some drama, but I’m really curious who taught her that ridiculous drinking game. When I was growing up—and honestly, even now—we played classic games like Ride the Bus and King’s Cup. If we wanted to be a little mischievous, we’d play Never Have I Ever, where someone would say something outlandish like, “Never have I ever kissed a robot on Halloween,” and I’d be the only one who had to drink. But drinking games shouldn’t involve anything that feels like a psychological thriller!

Okay, so this week’s episode centers around a truly awful game called “Paranoia,” where everyone writes down nasty questions and then points fingers at who fits the description best. It’s as bad as it sounds – seriously, this game would tear apart any normal group of friends. But these aren’t normal friends; they’re… different. What’s shocking is that, despite the incredibly harsh questions – things like ‘who’s most likely to end up in jail?’ or, even worse, ‘who’s most likely to kill themselves?’ – nobody actually seems more upset by the end of it. Lucy, especially, seems numb to everything. Then, just when you think it can’t get any weirder, Alex comes back from a…delivery, and they all fall back into their old patterns. We’re talking self-destruction, dragging poor Max into the mess, and ultimately, more painful sex. Honestly, the whole episode feels like a repeat of everything we’ve seen before, and it’s still profoundly depressing. The absolute worst moment? When Lucy gets Alex to admit he’s attracted to her when she’s falling apart. But then again, there are so many awful moments, it’s hard to pick just one.

Lucy has lost so much control over her body that she’s started walking in her sleep, and instead of going home, she ends up at Stephen’s place. I kept waiting for Stephen to suddenly appear as she walked, it was really unsettling. I had no idea she would literally sleepwalk right to his door without even realizing it. Thankfully, she ran into Diana, a neighbor, and they had a much calmer conversation. Diana explained that things would eventually get better, but only if Lucy allowed them to. However, it didn’t seem like things would improve by 2015.

Okay, chat. We did it. Time for the fun part.

The story begins with Evan acting unpleasant and insecure – it wouldn’t be interesting if he were nice. He’s become so insecure that he’s even jealous of Bree spending time with her mother. He’s upset that Bree visited her mom and they shared mimosas, and that her mom is attending Bree’s photography show, especially because Bree didn’t mention it to him beforehand. He’s also annoyed that Bree doesn’t want to spend the summer with him at the apartment his parents bought. After acting badly, he storms off, leaving Wrigley to walk Bree home alone, which feels like a good outcome.

Bree is questioning if she’s at fault in this situation, and she’s turned to Wrigley for advice because he’s usually a good judge of character. Wrigley points out it’s natural for Bree to want a relationship with her mother, and that Evan feels insecure because Bree is prioritizing time with her mom. The author sarcastically wonders if Wrigley is diagnosing people, noting he isn’t even bothered by a previous insensitive joke. Instead, he’s annoyed that Bree confides in him instead of Evan, which the author believes is because Wrigley has feelings for Bree.

Bree regrets not telling Evan sooner, and Wrigley reacts with frustration, visibly upset. He insists it’s Evan’s fault, not hers. Then he launches into a rant about everyone’s issues – including Evan becoming controlling and the fact that some girls are still dating Stephen. Wrigley feels unheard and worries he’s becoming unnecessary. He also admits he’s jealous that Pippa seems like the ideal girlfriend, and he’s spending too much time with Bree, which is hurting his feelings. To top it all off, he’s frustrated that Bree is scolding 17-year-old Amanda when it was Oliver who hurt them both.

Honestly, seeing Bree finally stand up for what’s right was amazing! She rushed straight to Oliver and Marianne’s, ready to confront that awful professor. Unfortunately, only Marianne was home, so Bree let her have it – and it was so satisfying! I was really wondering if Marianne even knew Amanda was only seventeen, or how much damage Oliver was causing. It was great to finally hear Marianne apologize and offer tea. Bree ended up falling asleep there, and I’m hoping they managed to come up with a plan to collect evidence against Oliver for the police before she drifted off.

Okay, so the movie opens with Bree needing a ride, and immediately, Wrigley is her go-to guy. There’s this instant, comfortable dynamic – she’s already apologizing before he even gets there, and he’s quick to brush it off. She admits she calls him because he just fixes things, but also… complicates them, emotionally. It’s a really sweet, messy vibe. And the moment before they kiss? He tells her to stop apologizing, and the perfect song, “Those to Come” by The Shins, kicks in. It’s a classic meet-cute moment, honestly, full of longing and a little bit of confusion.

I’ve watched this scene so many times – at least seven already! – and I’ll likely need to watch it several more times before the next episode airs just to feel better.

Group Chat

I’ve been noticing how huge these parties are – it feels like everyone at school is crammed into the same few houses! It’s wild how they even fit everyone. You always run into so many people you know at these gatherings, it’s kind of crazy.

Bree’s gothic style is strongly reminiscent of Nancy Downs from the movie The Craft, and she should definitely embrace it as her go-to look.

This is the second episode in a row that hasn’t jumped ahead in time, and honestly, I’m not that invested in finding out what Stephen is planning with the information he has on Bree and Wrigley.

I’m still a little curious about how Max and Lucy reconnect after everything that’s happened.

Alex subtly suggests he went through something difficult while living with Bree in foster care. I believe we get a good understanding of the situation from what’s implied, without needing specific details.

If people haven’t dealt with past trauma by 2015, I’m worried about how they’ll cope during and after the Trump presidency.

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2026-02-03 17:04