Hulu’s Tell Me Lies does a good job of showing which relationships are one big red flag — but which are definitely more toxic than others?
Based on Carola Lovering‘s novel of the same name, Tell Me Lies follows the messy relationship between college students Lucy (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen (Jackson White). Their problematic on-and-off romance ends up lasting eight years — and everyone around them is affected by Lucy and Stephen’s ups and downs.
Showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer previously explained how the show tries not to pass judgment on Lucy and Stephen.
“[It is all about] trying to be as honest with them as possible and letting the characters speak organically as you are creating the scenes,” she exclusively told Us Weekly in August 2024. “I generally have a lot of empathy for flawed people. I never want to write a character who I’m completely judging just because I think it is boring.”
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It has been tougher for the writers’ room to show Stephen’s perspective.
“I do think that Stephen is harder to empathize with — obviously — because it’s not just that he’s young. He is very dangerous. But then when you realize how he was raised and if you’re not given the right kind of love when you’re a child, it just creates disastrous results,” Oppenheimer continued. “So whenever you kind of remember that, you’re able to empathize a bit. But it’s hard. I do hope people empathize with them sometimes.”
Despite the fictional couple’s shortcomings, they aren’t the only ones wreaking havoc on the show. Evan (Branden Cook) and Bree (Catherine Missal) are engaged in the present timeline, but their past is riddled with infidelity and breakups.
Keep scrolling for Us’ ranking of the Tell Me Lies couples — from least to most toxic:
13. Wrigley and Bree
After that subtle reveal in season 3, Wrigley and Bree’s yearning earns them a spot as one of the least toxic onscreen romances.
12. Pippa and Diana
Tell Me Lies hasn’t given Us a lot of time with Pippa (Sonia Mena) and Diana (Alicia Crowder), but it’s obvious they are the couple to root for. After not interacting at the beginning of the show, Pippa and Diana were drawn to each other during season 2.
It is also important to note that Pippa and Diana are rare examples of Tell Me Lies characters who are free from most of the toxicity around them. In a way, they seem to be the perfect match and scenes from the present-day timeline confirm that they take their relationship to the next level.
11. Drew and Bree
While their connection didn’t last long, Bree and Drew (Benjamin Wadsworth) had potential. The timing, however, wasn’t right because Drew was battling some personal demons, which prevented him from treating Bree like she deserved.
10. Wrigley and Pippa
Is it just Us or does Pippa seem to be the character with the healthiest relationships on the show? The bar isn’t very high on Tell Me Lies but Pippa and Wrigley (Spencer House) are definitely up there.
What started as a casual relationship later became one of the few couples on the show that felt genuine. (There’s also the fact that Wrigley is one of the least problematic men on the show, which probably has something to do with him ranking so low on this list.)
Pippa and Wrigley weren’t able to make their relationship work in the long run — in part due to outside factors such as his brother Drew. But their scenes in the present day hinted that at least their friendship remained intact.
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9. Bree and Evan
Bree and Evan are engaged in the future, but their past can’t be ignored. Initially, Evan didn’t even seem that interested in Bree since he had a crush on her friend Lucy. Then, he chose to sleep with Lucy while he was dating Bree and still has not told her.
Based on their scenes in the future, Bree and Evan have gotten to a better place. That doesn’t mean fans shouldn’t keep an eye on them this season.
8. Lucy and Leo
Season 2 hasn’t given Us a lot to go off of for these two yet. But Lucy is still hung up on Stephen and Leo (Thomas Doherty) might have an anger problem based on the season 2 trailer. For now, Lucy and Leo are one giant red flag.
7. Stephen and Diana
None of Stephen’s relationships are healthy because he is in them. When the first season kicked off, viewers — and Lucy — found out that Stephen wasn’t as single as he made himself out to be. Stephen was actually in a committed relationship with Diana, which is based on how much he thought she could help with his social standing.
Stephen briefly dumped Diana to pursue a romance with Lucy, but it didn’t take long for him to do the exact same thing to his new girlfriend. The season 1 finale ended with Stephen getting back together with Diana at a party he originally showed up to with Lucy.
The unfortunate thing about Stephen and Diana’s relationship is how much fans want more for her. It is surprising that Diana hasn’t noticed how bad Stephen is for her and her future.
6. Evan and Lucy
This brief hookup doesn’t even count as a relationship but it is going on this list because of the chaos it continues to cause. Evan’s feelings for Lucy were never requited until Stephen dumped her and she decided to sleep with her friend’s boyfriend.
No one wants to forget that moment more than Evan, Lucy and Us. It not only hurt Bree — who doesn’t know who Evan cheated on her with — but it has put the entire friend group at risk.
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5. Lucy and Max
This is the perfect example of why someone who isn’t over their ex shouldn’t date new people. Lucy met Max (Edmund Donovan) during her freshman year in college when she was trying to figure out her status with Stephen. So imagine Us‘ surprise when Max popped up in scenes eight years into the future when Lucy would have presumably moved on from them both.
Instead, she has been very hot and cold with Max while still pining for Stephen. There is way too much to unpack there but the takeaway is that Max probably shouldn’t get too invested when it comes to a future with Lucy.
4. Stephen and Macy
A relationship that ends with one of the people dying is not really a good example of a healthy romance. Not much is known about Stephen and Macy except that they dated, kept their connection a secret and then she died in a car crash that he then lied about. Stephen’s actions after the accident never once showed that he cared for Macy so unfortunately (or fortunately?) this whole relationship is a pass for Us.
3. Bree and Oliver
This new pairing is this high up because a 19-year-old having feelings for a 45-year-old is never going to end well. While Bree has undeniable chemistry with her professor’s husband Oliver (Tom Ellis), he is still her professor’s husband. Nothing about these two has made sense on paper, despite their charged moments in season 2.
Bree might not see the power imbalance yet but the audience does and it’s very uncomfortable.
2. Stephen and Lydia
In what world does someone go from hating their best friend’s toxic ex-boyfriend to getting engaged to him? In the Tell Me Lies universe, anything seems possible, which is how Lucy’s childhood pal Lydia (Natalee Linez) ended up in a serious relationship with Stephen in the future.
There’s not much to say except no thank you.
1. Lucy and Stephen
It probably comes as a surprise to no one that Lucy and Stephen are the definition of most toxic. They lie for each other — and to each other — while hurting those around them. They are extremely selfish when they are together and they can never seem to stop hurting each other.
Tell Me Lies makes it very obvious that Lucy and Stephen shouldn’t have a future together, and yet, they can’t stop coming back together. Lucy and Stephen are frankly a perfect match if you just look at their dark sides. But in the spirit of wanting better for them, the only chance Lucy and Stephen have at not being completely horrible people is if they stay very far away from each other.
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