'Tell Me Lies' star says Lucy and Stephen’s relationship goes beyond toxic in season three

The cast of Hulu series Tell Me Lies have said the relationship between Lucy and Stephen reaches new extremes in season three, which is now streaming.

The show, based on Carola Lovering’s 2018 novel and adapted for television by Meaghan Oppenheimer, continues to follow the volatile dynamic between Lucy, played by Grace Van Patten, and Stephen, portrayed by Jackson White.

Speaking to USA TODAY, White said season three focuses on the consequences of past actions, adding that “people are dealing with consequences” and “they’re having repercussions from the last few years”. He said events from earlier seasons begin to surface, with storylines coming together across the new episodes.

Van Patten described the relationship as escalating further than before, saying it goes “beyond what I even thought toxic was. I couldn’t even imagine these things if I wanted to”.

Oppenheimer added that while audiences are familiar with the show’s darker themes, the creative team continues to push the narrative, saying, “It’s hard to shock this audience, but we try.”

Season three opens at Bree’s wedding before shifting timelines back to 2009, as Lucy and Stephen decide to resume their relationship despite warnings from friends. As the episodes progress, Stephen confronts Lucy over past betrayals, leading to further manipulation and emotional conflict.

Van Patten said the characters are “on a different level in terms of how they treat each other and how they treat themselves”.

The season also develops other storylines, including moments between Bree and Wrigley, which Oppenheimer described as a “pure connection”, and the introduction of Alex, played by Costa D’Angelo, whose arrival complicates Lucy’s personal life further.

The final episode released sees Stephen blackmail Lucy into recording a confession video, escalating the power imbalance between the characters.

The series has not yet been renewed for a fourth season. Oppenheimer told USA TODAY that the ending of season three was planned in advance, adding that “the future is anyone’s guess” as the team focuses on the current season.