Season 3 of Tell Me Lies has descended on the streaming grounds after two years. The series has proven its crux lies not in beautified frames, or lies, for that matter. Instead, it is the constant rigging of the mind through pure emotional deceit, and not the involuntary kind, that drives it.   

A third reprise proves that there has been an interest taken in Tell Me Lies. All that is left is to see whether the season actually lives up to the reputation it has built. 

The third season does not spin brand new plots for the series, which is a given, as it is a book adaptation (Carola Lovering’s novel of the same name). Following the cue of unravelling in the finale of the second season, the plot continues its simple path down uncovering what happened before Bree and Evan’s marriage day in 2015. 

Three of eight episodes into the show, a steady and concise pace that does not seem to leave gaps in the narration is kept, which is a masterstroke considering the volume of events happening. The Gossip Girl x Euphoria format of the late-night partying aftermaths, coupled with identity excavation on the characters’ parts, has been preserved. 

Identity, however, does not manifest as healthy self-exploration here. Instead, it appears as desperation: a frantic attempt to stay afloat among twenty-somethings clinging to even an illusion of comfort. Lucy, Bree, Pippa, Diana, and even Stephen’s problems continue to arise as they try to learn through the only method they seem to have in practice: self-defence. 

While the holier-than-thou is not exactly how they feel, their efforts to mould from the existing, instead of rebuilding a better version of themselves, keep them persistently off course—conveniently so for the plot. As much of the audience would suggest, the show is evidently not a journey to hopeful growth, but a test to survive each deeper plunge the story has faithfully continued to take.  

‘Tell Me Lies’ Season 3 Release Date: When To Stream, Who’s Returning, and What To Expect

Tell Me Lies might be all it says, but it is also no less than a game. The trade of secrets for safety, with the risks of stakes as volatile as time, is further proven in season. 

Stephen and Lucy, of course, still hold up the traffic of turmoil in the show. Their back-and-forth has developed into a familiar pattern: Stephen’s constant provocation met by Lucy’s relentless attempts to preserve their relationship, all while struggling to maintain her friendship with Bree. 

However, a rather satisfying pivot in the second episode, (We Can’t Help It If We’re the Problem), when Lucy briefly stands her ground. During the nth time Stephen threatens to expose her secret with Evan, Lucy chooses not to hurt Bree over appeasing him. The moment offers a flicker of resolve—one that just as satisfyingly, if not disappointingly, dissolves within seconds. 

Stephen’s tactics, meanwhile, serve as a character study in manipulation, complemented by Jackson White’s performance. The now-familiar deep-set frowns and his controlled, levelled delivery heighten the unease, pushing the viewer into a constant state of anticipatory anxiety. 

Lucy and Stephen’s web, in fact, pleasantly glazes over the subplots that remain just that, subplots. Bree does take over from time to time, but only by the courtesy of the screen time she is given, which she uses up trying to find her footing post-Professor Oliver. What does come as a surprise is Wrigley’s moments of she-might-not-be-so-bad towards Bree after two whole seasons.  

To not mention Pippa and Diana would come off as an aversion, but regardless of their potentially sweet relationship, they have not put a dent in season 3’s plot line yet. Wrigley’s efforts to hold himself up serve as a blind spot to a drifting-away Pippa, no matter how guilty and responsible she feels about Drew.  

Tell Me Lies does not promise anything that it will not serve, such as comfort, self-discovery, and most of all, emotional stability. If it is of any help, it takes its characters on the same stomach-churning spin of events that it does its audience.  

Meet the Cast of 'Tell Me Lies' Season 3: All Old & New Faces Bringing Carola Lovering’s Toxic Romance Novel to Life

What do you think of Tell Me Lies’ season 3 so far? Let us know in the comments below!