‘Tell Me Lies’ 1×03 Review: “We Don’t Touch, We Collide”

You ever watched a show and been utterly speechless, because you’re like what just happened? And you’re also like holy fuck, this is a whole bunch of red flags and then you feel bad, because you also know that you would have ignored the red flags also.

The thing about Tell Me Lies is that you know that Stephen DeMarco is bad. You know that he’s an asshole and that he’s a giant red flag. But the way what that he’s shown, you have to wonder why it is that you like him.

Because the reality is that you shouldn’t. But we know that this is a television show and they have to bring you in, make you invested in the characters. Once you become invested, you’re more likely to watch.

But where as I will admit, even I found Stephen charming as fuck, knowing he’s bad news. But after this episode, I officially hate him. So, there we are – the last five minutes of this episode left me filled with assumptions and anger. But also left me wondering what are we missing? What part of this story haven’t we seen the reality of yet?

Tell Me Lies — “We Don’t Touch, We Collide” – Episode 103 — Pressure on Wrigley intensifies, bleeding into his relationship with Pippa. Lucy and Stephen discuss exclusivity. Wrigley (Spencer House), shown. (Photo by: Josh Stringer/Hulu)

At least we know why Stephen is willing to work so hard to cover up Drews involvement with Macy’s death.

But I guess to get there, we need to start from the beginning of the episode.

Wrigley is a mess. He’s by no means perfect – no one is – but he’s being destroyed by all the secrets that he carries and the weight that is on his shoulders. He’s got the pressure of football, school, his brother, and Pippa, all while trying to balance this life that he can’t seem to just be himself in.

Because Wrigley finds shame in something he shouldn’t be ashamed of. He has a diagnosed learning disorder, and rather than register it, he’s spending his time in denial. Registering it with the school and letting them know, would ensure him the extra time that he needs to take tests and properly get through the material.

Sure, men can be assholes. They “break balls” but when you are the person that is on the receiving end of that, you don’t want it. So yes, I can get Wrigley wanting to keep things a secret.

But he is important. Regardless of everything – he is important. His life is important. His health is important. His future is important. He needs to put himself first.

It just doesn’t seem to be something that he is capable of. Football for example. His knee is really fucked up and has a ton of issues. But rather than take the time that he needs for it to recover, he pushes himself harder, fucking his knee up more.

You can hear the bones crack as they rub against each other. You can see the pain in his eyes. But another cortisone shot and some wrap on his knee keeps him going. Why does he insist on hurting himself? Well, I think that it’s because football gives him his out. Football is his stress relief. On the field and in training, he can forget about the chaos life and just exist as Wrigley.

When he’s off the field he has to remember all of the things that are happening. He has to remember that his brother is in trouble. He has to remember that his grades are shit. He has to remember that he’s in his own way.

The secrets Wrigley keeps will be the things that destroy him. We’ll stand by that.

DEFINE THE RELATIONSHIP

The older you get, the more you realize that relationships aren’t always defined. You take them for what they are in the moment, but you may always want more. It’s a matter of being up front about it.

Stephen and Lucy are fucking like bunny rabbits. They do have a sexual connection and hey, that’s a good thing to have with someone. It’s not an easy connection to have, one that is really there. But what Stephen and Lucy don’t truly have is a relationship. It’s one that she wants, but Stephen, well, he doesn’t want one. Stephen wants to be wanted by everyone. He’s seriously fucked up in so many ways and we have to figure out so many things about him.

The truth is Stephen has so many issues. We don’t know enough about him, we don’t know what has made him – Stephen. There is no excuse for what he’s done and the things that he continues to do. Stephen is fucking with peoples emotions, leaving women on a string.

Diana being one of them. When she beats Stephen out for a research assistant position, to him, it’s all about him. He goes over to her house to tell her that she got his attention, just like he wanted.

Diana and Stephen’s relationship is fucked up. It’s so fucked up. She puts up with so much shit and she lets him keep coming back. Like Diana girl, no ones dick is that good. There are other tongues out there that can work magic. Stephen is not the only one.

And for one second – we like Diana. We like her because she stands up to Stephen and is like no bitch. This isn’t the life that I am going to allow myself to live. I will not be your toxic punching bag. She tells him that she doesn’t want to see him anymore, only to call him the next day and tell him that she wants to keep seeing him in secret.

GIRL, repeat after us, THERE ARE MORE DICKS IN THE SEA.

Stephen though, he sees this as a win. He doesn’t seem to give two fucks that what he is doing. He doesn’t care that he’s fucking with Diana or Lucy.

Hell, Lucy even goes as far as to say that she’s going on the pill, because she wants to feel him without a condom. He says he’ll wear one for everyone else, but we all know that is a lie.

Everyone is making changes in their life for Stephen, but Stephen is just carrying a lot of lies and getting his way. And we’ll get to those last five minutes soon.

WRIGLEY AND PIPPA

Now, I want to – I really want to – like Pippa. But I don’t after this episode. I don’t because she’s putting dick before friends too.

I do remember being in college and I do remember what it was like to really like a guy. I also remember loyalty. It’s a code that I live by. Loyalty first.

Pippa tries to always act like she doesn’t care, but she does. She really likes Wrigley. She really wants to be with him, but when he’s so whatever about them sleeping together, she’s not sure about what to do. It turns out when you really like someone, you don’t want to be the person that breaks and says things first.

But Pippa is trying to be that girl. She’s trying to be that girl who doesn’t need the relationship, though she does. So when the two of them head to the Neon party and girls start hitting on Wrigley, Pippa wants to be the girl that understands who he is and not show that she cares.

Only she does.

She cares a lot.

And as Wrigley sees her throw herself at all these guys, he’s jealous, but he’s also trying to remain cool. Yet, when his brother is in trouble, he can forget about Pippa and focus on making sure that he saves his little brother saves himself. But when they (Stephen, him, and Pippa) get Drew back to his room, he can’t save his brother.

Drew feels guilt over what has happened to Macy and what he should have done. Wrigley is trying to keep him quiet and Stephen is acting as though he is trying to help. And yes, I say acting, because those last five minutes.

Stephen telling Wrigley to leave, because him and Drew are fighting – I at first thought, well, he’s trying to be a good guy. We can all respect the good guy, right? Wrigley doesn’t want to leave his brother, but he listens and does just that.

What it leads to is him having to tell Pippa what is happening. He tells her what Drew did and that she can’t tell anyone. These two are having issues in their relationship, but it tells me a lot about who Pippa is that she is willing to keep this secret.

The show wants us to feel bad for her, I feel, when she says that she’s never had good girl friends, and now he’s asking her to keep a secret from the two that are closest to her.

No girl, you didn’t have to. You don’t have to! You need to tell your friends. You need to do something.

But Pippa, she agrees that she will keep it and that she won’t be going anywhere. She tells him that this is a secret that she will keep.

Oh Pippa, I wanted to like you, but I don’t now. You don’t betray friendships like this. You don’t let people down like this. You stay honest with them. Dicks come and go, but you’re supposed to be loyal to your friends – especially in situations that will change their lives. How you could put Wrigley before Macy’s best interests? It says a lot about who you are as a friend.

I get that Pippa likes Wrigley – A LOT. But we’re dealing with how someone died here and there is no excuse to cover that up. It’s not right, it’s not fair, and it makes you such a shitty person. Death doesn’t just affect the dead, it carries on with the people that loved them, the people that knew them, and the people that feel their loss immensely.

I don’t think that the secret that Pippa, Wrigley, Stephen, and Drew are keeping is a wrong one to keep. It will destroy Drew. And honestly, I believe that the only reason that Stephen is keeping it is to protect himself.

THE LAST FIVE MINUTES

Stephen is troubled, we all get that. We know that he’s got more baggage than a freight train. But why do I hate him even more than I thought I could? Well that would be because of the end of this episode.

At the very end of this episode, he’s goes onto his computer and he’s looking at Diana’s Facebook. He then heads on to looking at Lucy’s Facebook. But what the issue is, it’s when he heads into his pictures folder on his hard drive.

Remember when Macy tried to tell Lucy that she had a secret? Well that secret involves Stephen. Stephen has a bunch of naked pics of Macy on his computer. Yes, he was with Macy. The question is when? And what part does it play in her death? We know it has to be something.

But what it is we’re not sure.