With the release of the first three episodes, Hulu’s Tell Me Lies seems to be the next big hit in the making. Bringing on screen the hot and heavy moments of the After film franchise along with the silent, emotional troubles of Normal People, this latest book-to-screen adaptation is surely going to get you hooked.
Created by Meaghan Oppenheimer, Tell Me Lies is based on the 2018 book of the same name by Carola Lovering. It stars Grace Van Patten as Lucy Albright, Jackson White as Stephen DeMarco, Catherine Missal as Bree, Spencer House as Wrigley, Sonia Mena as Pippa, Branden Cook as Evan, Benjamin Wadsworth as Drew and Alicia Crowder as Diana. The first three episodes have a runtime of 45-53 minutes.
– Hulu’s Tell Me Lies Review (Ep 1 to 3) Does Not Contain Any Spoilers –
Tell Me Lies: Is this Hulu’s Next Big Hit?
The first three episodes of the show have set a precedent for themselves and look like audiences are going to be really excited to know what this series has in store for them. Tell Me Lies Episode 1 opens with an erotic dream by our protagonist- Lucy Albright. She wakes up and to shake off the dream she has had about another man, she cuddles up with her boyfriend.
Soon enough, we realize who she has seen in the dream. As Lucy arrives for her friend, Bree’s wedding alone, we get to know that she has had a tumultuous relationship with a guy named Stephen. At the wedding, Bree is apologetic that Stephen will be a part of it but, Lucy assures her that she is over Stephen as it has been four years.
In a flashback, we are taken to the time when Lucy met Bree and her other friends, Pippa and Wrigley. All of these characters seemed to have met at the campus of a college in California and soon enough have struck a friendship. This is also the place where we witness Lucy meeting Stephen- a charming, attractive and complicated guy, for the first time. As Lucy embraces her new college life, friends, wild parties and some unforgettable encounters, we get a deeper understanding of Lucy and Stephen’s relationship as we are also constantly pulled back into the present.
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Tell Me Lies has done quite a smooth landing. Yes, a lot of things happen in the initial three episodes and, within a matter of seconds, we get to see the betrayal, and gloom as we see the excitement and love. But, the pace is beautifully laid out to keep the audience invested.
The way the narrative proceeds differs from the way the book goes in a lot of ways- such as Lucy’s eating disorder, the incident surrounding Macy and more. So, there are moments the show feels to have left the authentic and important inclusions but, also feels like it has renovated the story to make certain subplots fit better. Only time will tell if the changes in the adaptation are for the good of the show or bad.
As for the performances delivered by the actors, the chemistry between Grace Van Patten and Jackson White is spot on from the first go. It is so easy, and nice and yet comes with the aspects of being devasting that are amazingly represented on screen. Both the actors, who play the protagonists in this series, seem to be the perfect fit for the role. Actors Catherine Missal, Sonia Mena as Pippa, Benjamin Wadsworth and Alicia Crowder seemed to really shine through in their moments in the first three episodes of Tell Me Lies.
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Tell Me Lies: Final Thoughts
We can say right now, that this show is going to become a new addition for all the people out there looking for a story about love, lust and loss. Tell Me Lies is a best-selling book that really makes the coming-of-age genre painfully real and, as a show the expectations are high. However, until now it seems like the makers can deliver what the viewers are looking for.
Apart from a few tweaking here and there, it seems like the makers really know what they are doing with the narrative and where they are heading. With promising performances, it is a hopeful literary adaptation to lean on for now.
Watch Tell Me Lies Episode 1, 2 and 3 now on Hulu.
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