Tell Me Lies: Season 3 Episode 5 – Recap and Review

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Episode 5 “I’d Like to Hold Her Head Underwater” Recap and Details

• Director(s): Tyne Rafaeli
• Writer(s): Victoria Bata
• Public Release Date (Hulu): January 27, 2026
• Check out more of our “Tell Me Lies” coverage.

So, Does No One Want To Celebrate?: Diana, Pippa, Wrigley, Stephen, Evan, Tegan, Molly, Bree

Both Diana and Stephen get the news that they got into Yale Law, but handle it differently. Stephen wants to party, especially after his sister sends him straight to voicemail. Wrigley? He isn’t necessarily gung-ho as he was in past seasons, and Evan? Well, he gives a bit more energy.

In fact, he ends up further aligning himself with Stephen more than ever. They talk to some freshmen-looking girls, one named Tegan, who Stephen charms, and another girl, whom Evan seemingly talked to in order to be a good wing man since he and Bree are back together. Which, at first, they try to keep hush-hush, but the transition is messy. Mainly due to Evan keeping his word and dropping contact with Molly like a bad habit as soon as Bree gave him another chance.

As for how Diana handles the news? Well, she learned from her dad while she was about to head into her abortion procedure, so not the best timing for great news. But, for the most part, she is chill about it because there isn’t anyone she can really celebrate with. Pippa does offer her a secret rendezvous in the changing room at a pool party, but that’s it for anything happy. After that, she finds herself dealing with Stephen, and by making it seem she would utterly change her life to avoid him, and that she lied on her LSAT to get him to break up with her, he is pissed – I’m talking revenge porn pissed.

Mommie Dearest: Bree, Wrigley, Mary, Trevor

While Lucy and Pippa decide to go to the aforementioned pool party, Bree decides to go to New Jersey, and originally, she was going to take the bus. However, with Wrigley not wanting to go to the party either, after having a fight with Stephen, Wrigley offers to take her to Jersey.

It’s a bit of an awkward trip, since Bree didn’t tell anyone she was going to see her mom, Mary. Heck, she didn’t tell Mary she was going to show up. Hence, when they arrive at Mary’s house, they meet Mary’s boyfriend, Trevor, who directs them to where Mary was having brunch.

Now, as for how Mary acts when she sees her daughter? Notably happy. Granted, things get a bit weird as Mary and Bree try to reconcile what happened in the past, but Bree seems to be hopeful that their relationship can heal. She is a bit forward, maybe assuming that Mary may want to participate in her life more, but despite signs that Mary is hesitant, no one calls it out.

If anything, to take her mind off of it, when Bree mentions not knowing how to swim, Wrigley decides to teach her, and with the two having an intimate moment, she makes it clear the next day that she and Evan are back together to squash that.

A Kink, A Way Of Life: Alex, Lucy, Chris, Pippa

With word spreading about what Chris is accused of, Lucy and Caitlin end up harassed with such things as a bucket of piss at their dorm room doors. But, with Chris knowing Lucy personally, he tries to talk to her to no avail. Pippa is thankful she isn’t being dragged into this, in a more public way, but with Lucy making it seem what he saw as a hookup wasn’t that to Pippa, he is blowing up her phone.

However, the big issue for Lucy is that Alex learns of what Lucy said happened, and it causes the rough, degrading sex she is into to be phased out for something more akin to lovemaking. This isn’t ideal for Lucy, and she wants back the old Alex, but with him having a soft spot for people who have experienced trauma, it seems he may not be capable.

New Characters in Episode 5

Tegan (Bianca Nugara)

• Character Summary: Tegan is a young woman whom Stephen meets in the library, who seems to be charmed by him.

Mary (Emily Meade)

• Character Summary: Mary is Bree’s mother, who didn’t get much of an opportunity to raise Bree due to her mother, Bree’s grandmother, being religious and often keeping Mary away from Bree. On top of that, she was young, seemingly not with Bree’s father, and not built to be a teen mom. But, with a bit more stability now, it seems she wants to have a relationship with Bree, but doesn’t seem willing to take a notable amount of initiative.

Trevor (David Mortimer)

• Character Summary: Trevor is Mary’s boyfriend of three years.

Review and Commentary

Highlights

Bree’s Storyline This Episode – Featuring Wrigley [82/100]

What we enjoyed about Bree and Mary’s interaction is that its basis isn’t necessarily the norm. Often, when presented with a teen mom situation, the mother struggles to raise the child, and we see them raised by grandparents, but the mom is still around – even if pushed to be seen as a big sister. Heck, even Disney Channel, with Andi Mack, took on this narrative.

Tell Me Lies does things differently in a handful of notable ways. First, it isn’t pushed that Bree’s family came from money. She certainly doesn’t come from the same stock as Lucy or Evan, but might be more in line with where Stephen comes from. Working class. On top of that, while Bree did end up in foster care, she did keep some contact with her mom to the point that this reunion, awkward as it is, isn’t treated like something huge.

Now, that could be because, due to Stephen and others, it isn’t hard to become a bit numb to major moments on this show, considering where he has set the bar. But, even with being ten years separated, there was clearly love and the kind of uncertainty that comes from the type of relationship they have. Mary, while called mom and seemingly okay with being called that, isn’t sure how to be a mom. Yes, showing up, like to Bree’s gallery opening, is part of that, but how can and should she operate?

On top of that, as Bree tries to open up and reconcile her memory of the past with Mary’s, we see there are discrepancies. Bree is too young to remember, and Mary is too traumatized to even want to dig into that wound, and from what she pushes, there might have been alcohol involved to help her forget. It all pushes a rather interesting storyline, and when you also consider it has been a while since anyone’s parents have physically shown up, Bree and her mom getting the spotlight feels well-deserved.

I’d even submit that, as much as Oliver may have played a role in Bree wanting to reconnect with her mom, I genuinely wish this were Bree’s main storyline last season instead.

Low Points

How Easy It Is To Forget About Evan [68/100]

What we struggle with regarding Evan is that he doesn’t have that special something right now. His original thing was being the Black guy who was the richest of the friend group, who wasn’t sure what he’d do after college ended. At least, that was his appeal to me. However, I’d submit he has barely grown or done anything notable since season 1.

Considering Wrigley’s storyline, Pippa and Diana’s journey, heck, even Stephen having a shtick, even if it is proving hell is a bottomless pit, and he is committed to finding rock bottom, they have something. Evan never developed that special thing that you wanted more of or could be shocked by. Him having sex with Lucy honestly feels like a bigger deal on paper than anything else. And considering how Lucy enjoys sex and her relationships, Evan barely feels like a footnote.

Which is why aligning himself with Stephen, becoming his enabler, feels like something, but not something that can allow Evan to finally become notable. If anything, it just further shows this is a character who lacks any real direction, and if it wasn’t for committing to his existence in 2015, he could be dropped without issue.

On The Fence

Lucy and Stephen – Revenge Porn and Degradation [73/100]

A part of me wants to appreciate them continuing to find ways to take Stephen to discover new lows. Yes, it doesn’t cause any shock anymore for we know Stephen is petty and is Lucifer’s special friend. But going from making Lucy record herself saying a rape didn’t happen to now prepping to release Diana’s nudes – which have her face in them? I’ll say this, does it feel like Stephen can never evolve beyond being the show’s villain? Yes. But, you’ve got to admit, he is a damn good one.

But here is where I struggle: Lucy is closer to Evan than to Stephen regarding feeling stuck. Stephen has his thing and is good at it, Evan has a good body, and I feel like Lucy is similar. She is cute, young, and fit, but can her series of bad decisions really keep her relevant and interesting?

Granted, if everyone were growing, finding themselves, really doing something with their lives, who knows if anyone would watch Tell Me Lies? It is a show I can imagine quite a few hate watching just because of characters like Lucy. But here is one of the core problems – Lucy is presented as the lead character, but despite having some momentum in her storyline, it isn’t going anywhere fast and certainly isn’t pushing the idea you want to see what happens to her over the next 6 years.

I mean, though Stephen has somehow figured a way to be one note but keep things going, I don’t think Lucy has figured that out, or rather, those writing Lucy.

Overall

Our Overall Rating [74/100]

Tell Me Lies is increasingly feeling lopsided. Characters like Lucy and Evan feel shallow, Stephen is purely a catalyst for drama, and these storylines are paired with Wrigley’s, Bree’s, Pippa and Diana’s? I get, balance and giving people options is likely beneficial, but increasingly it is a struggle to go from such highs to lows all in the same episode.

What To Check Out Next

Visit our main TV shows page! There you’ll find other shows we’ve covered or look below for more of our coverage for this series:

• 

  Tell Me Lies: Season 3 Episode 6 – Recap and Review

  A rift grows on Tell Me Lies, and while it is between characters, it isn’t in the way the show is usually talked about.

• 

  Tell Me Lies: Season 3 Episode 4 – Recap and Review

  There is a spectrum of how men can be, and while Stephen has shown himself to be the worst there is, does that make the others on Tell Me Lies that much better?

• 

  Tell Me Lies: Season 3 Episode 3 – Recap and Review

  Stephen finds a new low as Diana and Pippa find a new high through each other. Also, Wrigley and Evan show they know how to play Stephen when they want to.

TV Shows We’re Covering This Season