With fantastic performances from Grace Van Patten and Jackson White as Lucy Albright and Stephen DeMarco, Hulu’s dramaTell Me Liesis so much more than a juicy show about college. While the characters do begin dating at Baird College, and season 1 delves into their friendships and family problems, the adaptation of Carola Lovering’s book takes the smart approach of focusing on a twisty mystery.
As Lucy vows to learn the truth behind her roommate Macy (Lily McInerny)’s death,Tell Me Liesis an impressive TV thriller that deserves to be watched.
RELATED:13 Horror Movies To Watch If You Loved Hulu’s Fresh
Hulu has many horror moviesand fans of the horror and thriller genres should also check out this series.Tell Me Liesmay be about the Stephen/Lucy relationship, but instead of focusing completely on their tough romance or being a dramatic show about college, the series has an air of mystery throughout. The show is structured like a thriller, which makes it unique and enables it to stand out from other shows that focus on students, whetherteen horror showslikePretty Little Liarsor dramas that include the college years likeDawson’s Creek,Greek, andOne Tree Hill.
Carola Lovering’s novel can best be described as a dark romantic thriller as readers get an inside look at what Lucy and Stephen are thinking all the time. Likehorror movies with great love stories, the book does have some romantic moments while also proving that Stephen is a horrible partner. The reveal at the end proves that Stephen has been involved in something terrible and sinister that Lucy had no idea about. It doesn’t completely change perception of him since he is an awful person throughout the story, but it does explain that he doesn’t have feelings or think about situations the way that other people do.
Season 1 ofTell Me Lieshas a brilliant, perfect structure. In episode 1, Lucy begins attending Baird College, meets her roommate Macy and becomes friends with Pippa (Sonia Mena) and Bree (Catherine Missal), and starts to fall for Stephen. When Macy dies, Lucy wonders what really happened, and a few more episodes in, she learns the truth. It’s clear that the season 1 finale will include important reveals and maybe even a fewmajor plot twiststhat will make it easy to want a second season.
A classic thriller structure involves the main character being part of a mystery, looking for clues and information throughout the story, and then learning a huge reveal at the end of the story. This is exactly Lucy’s journey as she takes a writing class that she loves and also feels nervous about and makes friends while wondering if she can solve Lucy’s death.Tell Me Liesis also afeminist thrilleras Lucy is a relatable character as many young adults get involved in the same toxic and complicated relationships that she does. Fans understand why Lucy likes Stephen while also wanting her to get as far away from him as possible. Not only does he cheat on his partners but he has a dark secret that has something to do with Macy’s death.
Tell Me Liespairs shocking plot twists with character development and one who sticks out is Wrigley (Spencer House). Like thebest horror movie main characters, Wrigley has a full arc from the pilot to the end of season 1. Wrigley seems to be a confident or even cocky jock who only cares about sex and popularity and drinking beer. He starts to have real feelings for Pippa and tries to help and protect his younger brother Drew (Benjamin Wadsworth) who has a difficult time. Wrigley’s general immaturity and covering up of what really happened to Macy makes him unlikable, but at the same time, viewers understand his journey and why he does what he does.
While theTell Me Liesnovel focuses on the pain that Lucy feels over Stephen making mistake after mistake and never truly committing to her, and they continue on this path for several years, the TV show makes the right decision to make the mystery the focal point. The ending of the novel comes as a total shock and ensures that the story ends on a fascinating note.
TV adaptations can be tough, as fans of Stephen King know, and severalKing adaptations change the endings. The TV version ofTell Me Liesmakes the smart choice to center the first season around what happened to Macy and how the other characters could be involved or even responsible.
The pilot episode opens with Lucy attending Bree and Evan’s (Branden Cook) engagement party, which takes place eight years after their first year at college, and it remains to be seen how Lucy gets rid of Stephen’s influence on her life. ButTell Me Liesis a wise and exciting TV thriller that is so much more than the average young adult drama. While not technically amurder mystery TV show, it does have elements of a main character digging into places where people don’t want her to, and it’s a real success.
