Tell Me Lies Official Podcast – "Recap: A Look Back into Tell Me Lies" (Jan 6, 2026)
Podcast: Tell Me Lies: Official Podcast
Host: Stassi Schroeder
Guests: Jesse Draper, Teela Dunn, and superfan contributors
Purpose: Recap season one and two of Tell Me Lies, discuss key moments, character analysis, and give predictions for season three.
Episode Overview
In this lively and candid recap episode, host Stassi Schroeder is joined by Jesse Draper and Teela Dunn to dissect the twists, toxicity, and unforgettable moments from the first two seasons of Tell Me Lies ahead of season three. The conversation covers everything from behind-the-scenes insights to personal connections with the show's characters and themes of friendship, betrayal, and coming of age. The trio brings their own experiences of relationship and friend drama to the table, comparing real life to the show’s high-stakes, emotional storylines.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Season One & Two Recap
[00:01–05:12]
- Stassi gives an in-depth recap of major plot points:
- Lucy and Macy are freshmen roommates until Macy’s tragic death in a car accident (the web of guilt and secrecy among Drew, Steven, and others).
- Steven’s complicated romantic entanglements with Lucy, Diana, and Macy.
- The group’s shifting dynamics—betrayals, secrets, and overlapping relationships.
- The saga extends to 2015, where unresolved feelings, old secrets, and new relationships come to a head at Bri and Evan’s engagement party.
- Notable moments such as Steven dumping Lucy in public while with Diana (“standing there in utter shock and wearing a freaking coconut bra”—[04:34]).
- Season two unpacks fallout from betrayals, new romantic pairings, and further complications, including affairs with faculty and tragic deaths (Drew’s overdose).
2. Why the Show Feels So Personal & Relatable
[05:24–11:31]
- Both Jesse and Stassi describe the show resonating with authentic college experiences, trauma, and messy relationships.
“It's relatable. We're older... we can relate to the time frame of the show.” – Jesse [05:32] “The actual dates that they are in college is the exact dates I was in college. So, like, I am them.” – Stassi [05:37]
- The characters mirror their own youthful mistakes:
- Stassi identifies as a blend of “Lucy and Diana, which makes sense. Steven's victims.” [06:19]
- Jesse admits to repeating toxic friendship and dating cycles in her own life.
3. Most Relatable and Misunderstood Characters
[05:54–10:19]
- Jesse: “I think Lucy. Only because... we've all found ourselves in...a situation where you let a man dictate your life, and sometimes you act a little crazy because of it.” [05:58]
- Discussion on misunderstood characters:
- Stassi controversially suggests Steven, wanting a deeper explanation for his monstrous behavior.
“I'm just hoping he's misunderstood because it's like, make it make sense.” – Stassi [10:14]
- Jesse highlights Diana as misunderstood—initially the "mean girl," but revealed to be much more complex and herself a victim.
“She's the mean girl and whatever. But then you get to know her more, and she's actually really smart.” – Jesse [09:03]
- Stassi controversially suggests Steven, wanting a deeper explanation for his monstrous behavior.
4. Toxic Relationships and Cycles
[11:00–14:14]
- The hosts draw parallels between their own pasts and the show’s story arcs.
- Jesse: “I always attract these big personalities and I get walked all over. So I feel like I've repeated a cycle...” [11:54]
- The show’s portrayal of repeating toxic cycles resonates:
“Why are you making the same mistakes over and over and over again? And then I, like, realize...I used to make the same mistakes.” – Stassi [12:36]
- Worries about the next generation enduring even messier dynamics thanks to social media.
“When our kids are this age, we're going to have spaceships. Like, it's going to be ten times worse.” – Jesse [13:11]
“You have to try to raise a non serial killer that respects women.” – Stassi [13:54]
5. Predictions for Season Three
[14:21–18:43]
- Lucy & Steven: “They’re that couple that will always be toxic...if they run into each other, it’s game over.” – Jesse [15:16]
- Bri & Evan: Hope for their wedding, but Bri’s discovery of an old betrayal makes their future uncertain.
- “To be blindsided by a good guy, you don't expect that. Where with Steven, you know what you're getting into.” – Stassi [21:19]
- Wrigley & Pippa: Admiration for Pippa’s growth and the ‘girl power’ of her ending up with Diana, but Wrigley is cast as “so unserious” and lost after his brother’s death. [17:46]
6. Game: Would You Rather
[18:49–23:46]
- Scenarios based on show situations spark real-life admissions:
- Jesse reveals having both a best friend cheat and then date her boyfriend—parallels to Lucy and Bri’s situations.
- Both agree Bri’s situation (being betrayed on her wedding day) would be more painful.
- Moral dilemmas between dating a professor’s spouse or suffering an ex as a TA, with much sympathetic laughter and camaraderie.
“If there's an ex boyfriend in there that can mess that up for me and mess up my future...I'm breaking up that marriage.” – Stassi [22:31]
7. Teela Dunn Joins: Emotional Highs, Lows & Fan Moments
[23:36–37:12]
- Teela, a superfan, brings the fandom perspective:
- On misunderstood characters: “...Pippa...has a lot of identity issues...she hides behind that.” – Teela [25:04]
- Both shocked by Steven’s ability to still have friends and charm women despite his actions.
- Which moments shocked most? “Lucy hooks up with Steven and literally...within the same hour [another guy]...from a hygienic standpoint...Lucy, no.” – Teela [27:21]
- Most emotional moment: Macy’s accident and its aftermath:
“That really broke me...he was literally like, no. Like, he's psycho.” – Teela [31:52]
- Biggest surprise/shock: Pippa & Diana’s romance in season two.
“The fact that Diana's a little lesbian...there were no signs to me.” — Teela [33:42]
- Character that grew on them: Both say Pippa, whose “layers” and defensive exterior gave way to vulnerability in later episodes. [32:27–33:03]
- Laugh-out-loud moments: Lucy’s meltdown throwing her phone in a hallway. [33:07]
- The group imagines how social media and “Find My Friends” would ruin everyone’s secrets if the show were set in 2025. [36:01–37:12]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “I am a combination of Lucy and Diana, which makes sense. Steven’s victims.” – Stassi [06:19]
- “You have to try to raise a non serial killer that respects women.” – Stassi [13:54]
- “They’re that couple that...if they run into each other, it’s game over.” – Jesse on Lucy & Steven [15:16]
- “To be blindsided by a good guy, you don't expect that. Where with Steven, you know what you're getting into.” – Stassi [21:19]
- “If there's an ex boyfriend in there that can mess that up for me and mess up my future...I'm breaking up that marriage.” – Stassi [22:31]
- “He gets invited to Bri and Evan’s wedding. Like, why? He should be blacklisted on every account.” – Stassi [25:43]
- “Anything Steven does, I’m just always like, what? Cause he shocks me so much.” – Teela [28:51]
- Macy’s death: “That really broke me...he was literally like, no. Like, he's psycho.” – Teela [31:52]
- On social media in college: “No one would get away with anything.” – Teela [36:27]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:01–05:12: Rapid-fire season one & two recap by Stassi
- 05:24–11:31: Hosts and guests reflect on personal connections to the show
- 05:54–10:19: Relatable and misunderstood characters
- 11:00–14:14: Toxic cycles in relationships and friendships
- 14:21–18:43: Predictions for core couples in season three
- 18:49–23:46: "Would You Rather" relationship dilemmas
- 23:36–25:34: Teela Dunn discussion on misunderstood characters
- 27:21–28:51: Shock moments and the most diabolical Steven scenes
- 30:54–31:52: Most emotional moments — Macy’s accident
- 33:42: Most surprising twist — Diana and Pippa's romance
- 36:01–37:12: Hypotheticals about the impact of modern social media
Tone & Style
The episode is informal, irreverent, and confessional–the hosts and guests are unfiltered ("Don’t fuck with me. Unless you’re a stupid man. It happens to the best of us." – Stassi [06:44]), frequently breaking into laughter, and often relate directly to the audience’s own messy 20s or real-life drama. There's a strong sense of sisterhood, humor, and empathy for the show’s flawed but fascinating characters.
In Summary
This episode sets the tone for the new season, acting as both a refresher for returning viewers and an emotional deep dive for devoted fans. The hosts and guests combine pop culture analysis with real-life candor, zeroing in on why Tell Me Lies resonates so deeply: it’s messy, relatable, and relentless in showing how the past haunts us—and how sometimes, we’re just as tangled up as the characters we watch.
If you’ve ever stayed too long in bad relationships, made questionable choices, or wondered about the long-term fallout of one wild night (with or without social media), you’ll find something to recognize—and cringe at—here.