The following contains major spoilers for “Tell Me Lies” Season 1, Episode 10
“Tell Me Lies,” the soapy teen drama documenting the tumultuous relationship between then college students Lucy and Stephen as it unfolds over eight years, delivered its finale Wednesday with intrigue, steaminess and unanswered questions.
Though the Hulu original series has not yet been renewed for a Season 2 just yet, showrunner and executive producer Meaghan Oppenheimer tells TheWrap that a potential second season would the showcase more of the characters’ adult years starting with the engagement party, while also picking up where the series left off in college.
Lucy is also to have a new love interest, though “Stephen is still entangled with her on and off for the whole show.”
While it was essential to begin the series focused on Lucy and Stephen, Oppenheimer says potential future episodes will shine a light on other ensemble characters, namely Diana and Bree, since “everyone wants a lot more Bree.” “Diana is just such a fun character, and she’s so different than all the other characters in a lot of ways,” Oppenheimer told TheWrap. “I think seeing her back together with Steven … that’ll be really fun.”
Oppenheimer also said she would ideally have three or four seasons to tell the dramatic story, which would see the characters through college.
Keep reading to get 10 burning questions from the “Tell Me Lies” finale answered by the expert, herself.
TheWrap: Had Macy and Stephen planned to continue hooking up throughout the season had she not died?
I think that they probably would have kept hooking up. I think he was never going to take her seriously as a relationship, and if he had gotten involved with other people, he probably would have eventually lost interest and kept her on the back-burner. But I think she really liked him.
Throughout the series, Bree feels less comfortable confiding in Lucy and Pippa about her background. What is it about Macy that makes Bree feel more comfortable sharing her past?
It’s honestly just that she asks. We were really trying to highlight that the way that Lucy and Pippa inadvertently are quite selfish in their friendships, and they never asked Bree about herself and because they’re quite wrapped up in themselves. We were just trying to show how easy it would have been if one of them had just asked the question because Macy is just like, ‘where where were you from?’ ‘What was that?’ She asks, and she is interested.
What was Macy feeling when she first saw Lucy and Stephen together?
It’s just an absolute gut punch, I think, it’s devastating. If you’ve ever been in a situation where someone that you really like and wish was taking you more seriously than they’re taking you, if you see them interested in someone else, it’s a horrible feeling — it’s almost like a nauseating feeling.
She was shocked and really hurt and, but also probably frustrated with herself, because she did agree to that dynamic. She did say, we can be casual … but I think that usually friends with benefits situations don’t really work because there’s always one person who wants it to be something else. And we lie to ourselves about what we’re willing to accept because we’re hoping that maybe the person will change their mind. I think most people have been there on either side of it.
Why did Stephen volunteer to drive even though he knew he was tipsy? Was it just to avoid seeing Diana?
I think not seeing Diana was a big part of it. I also think that Steven is someone who feels invincible. Youth and alcohol will make a lot of people feel invincible; it’s why a lot of people get behind the wheel when they shouldn’t. But also I think Steven, in particular, being more of a narcissist, it’s hard for him to imagine him really failing. He just assumes, “I’ll be fine, maybe not everyone could drive drunk but I can,” because he just doesn’t doesn’t believe anything terrible will happen to him really.
Why didn’t Macy stop Stephen from driving drunk?
It’s really hard when you’re that age to not be peer-pressured to saying “yes” to situations that you don’t feel comfortable in. I mean, I know that I certainly gotten to cars I shouldn’t have when I was 16, 17, 18. I mean, not a million times, but a few times … especially if it’s a guy that you liked, and you’re trying to act cool and you don’t want to seem high maintenance or too stressed out or like a nerd and it’s just really easy to be peer pressured at that point. And also, I think that he does a good job of not acting as drunk as he is. He doesn’t seem super drunk, he seems like you know, able to kind of keep it together. But that’s that’s the problem with drinking and driving.
What went through Stephen’s head when he comes to and realizes Macy is dead?
Steven is such a survivor. Any situation you put him in, he will allow himself to feel something about it for a second before he goes into problem-solving mode. I do think he feels guilt; I think he feels horrible but for a moment, and then he’s like, “Okay, I can’t let this bring me down, though, so what am I going to do?” He’s just someone who will never allow himself to go down with the ship, to be caught, to get in trouble, unless it is forced upon him. He was going to do anything he could to not be in trouble.
He also probably saw his whole life flashed in front of his eyes … he knows that he could go to prison, he knows his life would be over. I think he’s completely terrified. He’s just such a such a survivor, even when it’s in a really cruel way.
Can you walk us through Stephen’s decision to go back to Diana?
He’s been so freaked out by the Drew situation of at all for the second half of the season, after Lucy finds out. I think it causes him to have tunnel vision about Lucy, like, “I just have to make this work at all costs, she can’t be mad at me because she could ruin my life.” I think he also genuinely likes Lucy and loves her in whatever way he’s capable of loving someone. But at the end of the day, he always felt like Diana was the right one to end with. She can help him more [and] he sees her as more of someone who has their s— together and is motivated and ambitious, and is going to lead the kind of life that he wants to to lead.
Those kind of blinders come off in the finale when he’s no longer in trouble with Drew, or he’s no longer going to be in trouble about the Drew thing, and he realizes that he has almost as much dirt on Lucy at this point that she has on him … so she’s not going to tell on him. But also I think seeing her lack of ambition — her deciding to give up the India trip in order to spend time with him — he sees right through that and it’s very unattractive to him. Dianna can help him get to the life he wants and he’s always going to put himself first.
Does Lucy sleep with Evan because she had feelings for him? Or did she just want some companionship after Stephen dissed her?
She cares about him as a friend, but I don’t think she has romantic feelings for him. He’s obviously very attractive and you know, you’re drunk and you’re sad and you’re hurt, you feel rejected, it feels nice to be wanted. I think she was looking for companionship, I think that but I think she wakes up really regretting it.
Will Bree ever find out about Lucy and Evan sleeping together?
I think probably we gotta see that happen at some point, yeah. I think it’d be a bummer not to see the fallout from that. And I think everyone is really wanting Bree to get justice to some degree.
When Stephen says he can’t get used to saying fiancé, is he referring to his own relationship with Lydia or Evan and Bree?
His own relationship. He’s engaged to Lydia at that point.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.