Tell Me Lies season 2 episode 4 review: Lies, trauma, and healing

Tell Me Lies season 2 episode 4, released on September 18, 2024, stayed consistent with the show's tendency to focus on extensive character development in each episode and presented a narrative exploring themes of deception, emotional struggle, and recovery surrounding its central characters.

In terms of deception, which is the basis of the series, Tell Me Lies season 2 episode 4 did not disappoint. Whether it was illustrated through Lucy hiding the truth of her relationship with Evan or Bree informing Lucy about Oliver while subsequently telling Oliver that no one is aware of their connection, lies played an essential role.

The episode also explored concepts like trauma through Lucy and Stephen's characters. Lucy struggled to move on from her toxic experiences with Stephen and begin a healthy relationship with Leo. Meanwhile, Stephen faced severe mental health challenges due to the trauma related to Macy's death, which he had been involved in.

The episode saw a lot of healing, with Lucy realizing that Stephen and Leo are different people. Although the pair fought in the episode, Lucy eventually realized that her experience with Leo need not be the same as her experience with Stephen.

The sections below will explore some of the aforementioned aspects of the episode in detail.

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Lucy is struggling with her past in Tell Me Lies season 2 episode 4

Those who have been keeping up with the developments in Tell Me Lies are already aware of Stephen's toxic tendencies, especially towards Lucy. After Lucy and Stephen broke up, Lucy struggled to trust people, affecting her dating life. She confronted some of her insecurities and past traumas but was unable to address them all.

Lucy started dating Leo and wished to build a romantic connection with him, but her previous traumas began to surface. In Tell Me Lies season 2 episode 4, as Lucy and Leo are on the verge of becoming intimate, Leo recommends using protection.

However, Lucy responds by stating that she is on contraception pills and that they do not need one. When Leo continued to press the issue of using protection, Lucy began to question whether Leo was involved with someone else.

This led to an argument between them which was quite evidently triggered by Lucy's experience with Stephen, with whom she shared a tumultuous relationship. The silver lining to the argument was that Lucy was able to realize how she had been impacted by her past and attempted to fix her present by extending an olive branch to Leo.

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The characters in Tell Me Lies season 2 episode 4 justified show's title

The only constants in Tell Me Lies as a show, are the lies. Tell Me Lies season 2 episode 4 does this on two major accounts during the episode.

Firstly, Bree is still unaware of the identity of the person who led to her and Evan's break up due to the latter cheating on her. The audience already knows that Lucy is the person. However, Lucy did not reveal this to Bree despite having multiple chances to do it.

Secondly, Bree is lying to her new romantic partner to prevent complications. After her breakup with Evan, Bree began dating Oliver. However, she soon discovered that Oliver was married to Marianne, Lucy's teacher. Despite that, Bree continued to see Oliver, who insisted that their relationship remain a secret.

Bree consented to this but eventually revealed everything to Lucy. When Oliver inquired whether Bree had discussed their relationship with anyone, she lied.

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Tell Me Lies season 2 episode 4 is currently available on Hulu.