The third season of Tell Me Lies has arrived, and I recently had the opportunity to catch up with stars Sonia Mena, Alicia Crowder, Branden Cook, and Spencer House! We talked about how the series highlights the harm of toxic relationships, what each of their characters is dealing with, and more. Please note: these interviews will contain spoilers for the first three episodes, which are now streaming on Hulu.
“Tell Me Lies” Season 3 follows Lucy Albright and Stephen DeMarco as they’ve rekindled their tumultuous romance in time for spring semester at Baird College. While they promise things will be different this time, past indiscretions hinder their best intentions, and Lucy finds herself embroiled in a controversy with which she wants nothing to do. Meanwhile, the disastrous repercussions from the previous year also force Lucy and Stephen’s friends to face their own destructive behaviors. As scandalous secrets fester around campus, vicious consequences threaten Lucy and everyone in her circle.
Last season, fans were shocked and delighted to discover that Pippa and Diana end up together in the 2015 timeline; however, it was a mystery of how exactly their relationship came to be in the college timeline. This season offers us that crucial insight within the first two episodes. “I think it’s a relief for both of them to be able to have, like, it’s so cliche, but a safe space with each other,” Crowder expressed. “I don’t know if either of them has really had that before, which also can be scary. Anything new, even if it’s good, is kind of scary. So, we get to see them navigate that as well.”
Mena then added, “I feel like Diana’s bedroom becomes a little nest egg for them, which is so sweet, and I don’t think they’re doing it intentionally. I think they just happen to be finding each other in the right moment, and they happen to be good at showing up for each other for the most part, and that’s just kind of luck.”
That being said, Pippa is still in a relationship with Wrigley, who is dealing with the loss of his brother. “I love it most personally because I love working with Sonia. But for the characters, I think it’s kind of a trainwreck to watch, honestly, because they want to be honest with each other, but they have a hard time doing so. And so, I think they mean well towards each other, but it’s a constant just running into a brick wall whenever they try to connect sometimes, because they’re holding back so much,” House explained. “More than ever, in the wake of Drew’s death, I think she probably feels that she needs to be — I don’t want to speak for Sonia, but for Pippa, I think she feels locked in because how do you leave a guy now? And for him, I think he just feels guilt towards how great of a girlfriend she’s been and how she’s been supportive through all of it, and that’s not a great basis for a relationship. So, it’s rocky.”
“Weirdly enough, I feel like the new version was a little closer to me, if that makes sense. It’s not exactly me, but it felt almost easier to do because it felt a little more center to me,” Cook told me of his character’s new attitude. “The conversation with Oliver, I think that really put something in his head and kind of changed things for him. Sometimes you need that, and look, I don’t think Evan has his father around to give him that kind of advice. I don’t know if they’re that close, or I don’t believe they’re that close to have that kind of advice or talking to and kind of tough love a little bit, and a little manipulation going on as well. There’s a lot of things happening at once and I think him getting that for maybe the first time kind of shocked him in a way and turned him off even in a way of like, I don’t have to tiptoe around everybody’s feelings anymore, I’m gonna say how I feel or do what I feel, and I think that’s healthy.”
Watch my full interviews below:
