Season 2 of the Hulu original series Tell me lies is almost here! Nearly two years after the first season debuted on September 7, 2022, there may be some people who don’t remember everything that happened during the season’s 10 episodes – and let me tell you – there were a lot.
If you’re not familiar with the plot of the series, it’s about a group of college students attending Baird College in upstate New York in 2007. It’s at this school that viewers meet the two main characters, college freshman Lucy (Grace Van Patten) and college junior Stephen (Jackson White), who find themselves in a toxic relationship that torments them for eight years – from the first time they met to the present day.
Mysteries, secrets and a bit of true crime arise not only between Lucy and Stephen, but also within their circle of friends, raising doubts about the longevity of this friendship. With the second season premiering with the first two episodes on September 4, it is uncertain how the story will continue.
Season 1 was a whirlwind and after the big cliffhanger in episode 10, a recap of everything that has happened in the series so far is definitely needed before season 2.
Lucy and Stephen’s relationship is put to the test.
The relationship between Lucy and Stephen is undoubtedly one of the most chaotic in Tell me lies. The couple becomes entangled in a complex love triangle, with Stephen continuing to mourn his ex-girlfriend Diana (Alicia Crowder) while sleeping with Lucy. When Stephen doesn’t return Lucy’s feelings, she turns to Max (Edmund Donovan), the neighborhood bartender. In season 1, Stephen tells Lucy that their relationship was open at first, but Lucy still wants the two to be exclusive, even though she has never admitted it to Stephen.
Stephen continued to sleep with his ex-girlfriend Diana, deceiving her by making her believe he would never cheat on her again and wanted to devote himself exclusively to her. Stephen breaks up with Diana in episode 6 after learning that she had something with Wrigley (Spencer House) during Welcome Week that he never quite got over. Lucy and Stephen gradually grow closer, especially after Lucy learns of Drew’s (Benjamin Wadsworth) involvement in Macy’s (Lucy’s roommate) accident, which Lucy used as an ultimatum against Stephen to get him to be more honest with her.
This all comes to a head when Diana tells Stephen that Lucy is no good for him and ties him up. Towards the end of episode 10, they hold hands at the Hawaiian party, which means a breakup for Lucy. Both Lucy and Evan (Branden Cook) get drunk during the party and wake up in the same bed the next day. When Lucy and Evan realize what happened, they decide to keep their night together a secret – especially since Evan is in a relationship with Bree (Catherine Missal). In the present, Lucy and Stephen meet again at Bree and Evan’s wedding, and Stephen introduces her to his fiancée Lydia – aka Lucy’s childhood best friend. Yuck. It’s unclear how Stephen and Lydia met, but this revelation is sure to lead to even more conflict in season 2.
The details of Macy’s accident are revealed.
In the first few episodes of the first season, it remained a mystery what happened the night of Macy’s (Lucy’s roommate) death. It was reported that Macy’s car crashed into a tree after she attended a campus party alone and was apparently driving home drunk.
In Episode 2, it is revealed that there was more that contributed to Macy’s untimely death. Viewers eventually learn from Drew, Wrigley’s younger brother, that he played a significant role in Macy’s accident. Drew confesses to Stephen that he had gone to get beer the night Macy’s car showed up. In an attempt to narrowly avoid a bad situation, he swerved his car, causing Macy’s car to crash into a tree. Being underage and drunk himself, Drew panicked and fled the scene of the accident without calling for help.
For the rest of the season, viewers are led to believe that Drew’s account of Macy’s death is true, but it soon becomes clear that Macy wasn’t actually behind the wheel the night of the accident. In an unexpected turn of events, viewers learn that Stephen was actually behind the wheel.
As episode 10 progresses, viewers discover that Stephen and Macy were closer than they seemed, as they got together that summer and during Welcome Week.
In a flashback, Stephen and Macy decide to go to the party together. After a brief argument about Stephen not wanting to be seen in public with Macy (I’m starting to realize this is a constant theme with him), they decide to go back to the dorm while Stephen drives Macy’s car. They were both drunk and started arguing again about the status of their relationship, which led to the collision with Drew. Stephen decided to leave Macy behind, but not without putting her in the driver’s seat and staging the scene as if it were a solo accident.
What really happened to Drew?
After the truth about what happened to Macy that night comes out, I’m especially worried about what will happen to Drew. In the season 1 finale, Lucy anonymously writes a note to the Dean’s office to further investigate Drew’s actions that night. Lucy has held a grudge against Drew ever since Stephen told her he was responsible for Macy’s death (though he leaves out the part about his involvement), and she wants Drew to face the consequences of his actions.
Since the incident, Drew has been struggling academically and mentally, and barely interacts with other people like he used to. Viewers then see police officers knocking on his door before the scene jumps to the present.
Drew doesn’t appear to attend Bree and Evan’s wedding, and it’s suggested that he may have died, as Wrigley is elated to attend the wedding and Evan begs the friend group for mercy as it was his brother’s birthday. This could mean that something terrible happened to Drew as a result of the events in college. I’m not sure what this means for Season 2 or if Drew’s disappearance will be explored further – but I’m betting it will be.
