"Tell Me Lies" and the complexity of toxic relationships

If there’s one TV series prototype that’s omnipresent in streaming catalogs, it’s the drama-with-teenagers-or-early-twentysomethings. They all resemble each other, each with its own unique brand of implausibility, with rare exceptions (for example, Italy’s Skam comes to mind). Typically, these shows feature wealthy teens or college students caught in chaotic but never excessively dysfunctional relationships, dealing with betrayals and their first romantic breakups. Tell Me Lies, produced in part by Emma Roberts and distributed in Italy on Disney+, breaks free from this stale formula. The tagline alone hints at the series' moral ambiguity: you never forget your worst. Right from the beginning, we don’t know whether “your worst” refers to one’s own worst moment or to someone else’s.

Tell Me Lies, the "Evil Normal People"

The series, loosely based on Carola Lovering’s novel of the same name, follows the relationship’s evolution between Lucy Albright, a college freshman at Baird College, and Stephen DeMarco, a Political Science and Law student a few years older. The story opens with a flashforward to 2015, where, eight years after their relationship began, Stephen’s effect on Lucy is still palpable. They meet again at a mutual friend’s wedding, where friends doubt Lucy will be able to resist the hold Stephen still has over her. Right from their first meeting, his subtle manipulation is evident: both are at a party, it’s Lucy’s first night at college, and she’s adjusting her dress, feeling self-conscious, perhaps intimidated by the unfamiliar environment and people’s judgment. He approaches her, giving a compliment while simultaneously undermining her, saying, “You seem a bit uncomfortable in that dress. Not that you should be, because it looks great on you. Just something I noticed.”

Living in the Grey Area of Relationships

Many people online, especially women, have shared reflections on this series, noting how cathartic it was to watch and how valuable it would have been during toxic relationships they experienced in the past. At the same time, many also stopped watching, finding it so precise and meticulous in its realism that it was difficult to watch. What makes it so realistic and accurate, particularly, is the psychological and physical portrayal of Stephen, who doesn’t necessarily fit the tired trope of the dark, handsome, and troubled man. Several viewers observed that the key to understanding the complexity of their relationship lies in Stephen’s ambivalent behavior, which is both evasive and captivating, magnetic, and in Lucy’s, both victim and accomplice. Their story occupies a morally gray area, and that’s what makes it so compelling and tragic, according to the showrunner, Meaghan Oppenheimer.

The Complexity of Trauma

Although it’s natural to take sides, assuming a character’s point of view, Tell Me Lies moves away from this, presenting a much more complex and nuanced view of relationships compared to typical teen dramas. For instance, through episodes dedicated to each character’s family ties, the series reveals how traumas are double-edged swords: one side may seem blunted, only for the other to emerge, sharp and fierce. More broadly, the show delves into themes like casual relationships, coming out, substance abuse, and power dynamics in friendships. Currently, only the first season is available on Disney+, while the second season will officially release in Italy on November 20.