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"Guilty pleasure" is an overused expression. It should probably be rephrased as an embarrassing pleasure — like "I’m embarrassed to enjoy this, but I still do anyway."
I say this to talk about "Tell Me Lies," which I might consider my guilty pleasure. What I do know is that it had been on my watchlist for some time now — I’m a sucker for teen/young adult drama. With season 3 arriving today (Jan. 13), I used the dead zone between Christmas and early January to binge-watch the first two seasons. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed.
Based on Carola Lovering’s 2018 novel, "Tell Me Lies" revolves around the eight-year relationship (if you can call it that) between Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White). The show alternates between two timelines: the couple’s college years starting in 2007 and a wedding for one of their friends in 2015. Those eight years are full of deception, betrayal, and — wait for it — lies.
Is it possible to never root for the characters?
Have you ever heard of the alignment chart? It’s actually a popular concept in Dungeons & Dragons. It’s used to determine a character's ethics and where they fall on a chart. There are nine options: lawful good, neutral good, chaotic good, lawful neutral, true neutral, chaotic neutral, lawful evil, neutral evil, and chaotic evil.
Is anyone in this show on the “good” line? I’m struggling to put anyone there. It’s much easier to categorize these characters into the neutral and evil categories. Stephen owns a hotel in the chaotic evil slot. Some people hold grudges; then there is Stephen, who waited until a wedding to exact his revenge and bring up a pivotal incident from college. Forget being a lawyer; Stephen should work in counterterrorism because if anyone can get into the minds of other psychopaths, it's Stephen. I also can't stand that Stephen's speaking voice resembles a loud whisper, but that's a conversation for another day.
Lucy, who is a vulnerable soul and a pathological liar, probably falls under chaotic neutral, though I won’t stop anyone from bumping her down to evil. Pippa (Sonia Mena) and Evan (Branden Cook) are also neutral, though the latter’s actions are much more egregious than the former’s wrongdoings.
Wrigley (Spencer House) and Bree (Catherine Missal) have the best arguments for “good.” Both make mistakes and have expressed empathy and regret for their questionable decisions. Are they perfect? Absolutely not. If Stephen is Satan, Wrigley and Bree are like Satan’s distant cousins. They’re guilty of associating themselves with Stephen, and it’s frustrating how they continue to fall for his web of lies. There's more good than evil in Wrigley and Bree. It just hides a bit too much.
Do I root for these characters? I found myself asking those same questions after Lucy sabotaged another relationship or Stephen acted like a sociopath. I landed on the idea that these characters are not good people, but that makes for entertaining television. "Tell Me Lies" mirrors reality television in that the show is more appealing when the characters routinely make terrible decisions. If Bree engages in an affair with a professor (Tom Ellis), why would I want them to live happily ever after? The messier the affair, the better the television.
Soap operas should be jealous of 'Tell Me Lies'
"Tell Me Lies" falls under the category of a teen or young adult soap opera. Showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer calls her show an “elevated soap.” Frankly, "Tell Me Lies" executes cliffhangers, plot twists and misdirections better than most soap operas. Just when I thought I solved the mystery of Lucy and Stephen, the season 1 finale introduced a new relationship that left me motionless as I mouthed, “You have got to be kidding me.
Season 1’s core storyline is a murder mystery that slowly reveals the details from that fateful night and how the grim fate affects each character. Season 2 swapped out a murder mystery for an exploration of obsession and betrayal. No matter how small the decision, every action has consequences. Forcing the audience to reconcile with the darkest aspects of each character is arguably darker and grimmer than murder.
Season 1’s core storyline is a murder mystery that slowly reveals the details of the fateful night and how the grim fate affects each character. Season 2 swapped out a murder mystery for an exploration of obsession and betrayal. No matter how small the decision, every action has consequences. Forcing the audience to reconcile with the darkest aspects of each character is arguably darker and grimmer than murder.
"Tell Me Lies" knows what it is and what it is not. It’s a show that prides itself on being overindulgent and excessive. Oh, you like infidelity? Nearly every character has cheated on their significant other multiple times. It’s unapologetic in its horniness and depiction of sex. One minute, a character is writing a research paper for class, and in the next minute, they’re on top of someone else in the bedroom. The libido of these college students is unprecedented.
For as much as I don’t root for the characters, I certainly enjoy the precarious situations they put themselves in. Take the Thanksgiving episode in season 2, where the group spends the snowed-in holiday at Evan’s place. What better way to celebrate the holiday than with a group addicted to chaos? Mix some alcohol and a physical drinking game, and it becomes a holiday of bad moods, breakups, and inedible mashed potatoes. "Tell Me Lies" is my car crash — I can’t look away.
Should you check your morals at the door?
If I refuse to give any character the benefit of the doubt, am I a bad person? I don’t think so, but I’d be lying if I said the thought doesn’t cross my mind. Several of the characters can’t help themselves. They’re codependent and care what their friends think of them. For example, I try to have empathy for Lucy, who can’t escape Stephen’s toxicity and manipulation. But then she’ll make a self-destructive decision, and I’ll shake my head like a disappointed parent.
"Tell Me Lies" is unafraid to push boundaries in exploring complex topics, such as abuse, trauma, and mental health. The show also features a storyline where the guys spend a weekend trying to destroy a bowling ball. It’s the duality of young adults. Oppenheimer manages to find that balance between weighty discussions and college debauchery.
Perhaps unexpected pleasures don’t need to make us feel guilty. That sounds sexual and inappropriate, though it fits when talking about "Tell Me Lies." What I want to say is that if you like something, own it. I like "Tell Me Lies" and all of the absurdity and embarrassment that might come with it. I don’t feel guilty for liking a show, and neither should you. Back to Baird College, we go!
The first three episodes of "Tell Me Lies" season 3 premiere January 13 on Hulu.
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