The dramatic twists of Tell Me Lies Season 2 left fans with many questions. The season concluded with a tense cliffhanger at a wedding, setting the stage for the show’s return. Hulu’s hit drama, based on Carola Lovering’s novel, will be back for a third season on January 13, 2026. The new season will continue exploring the tangled relationships between Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White) and their group of friends.
Season 2 ended in October 2024, and the show was officially renewed in December of the same year. The story unfolds across two timelines—2008 during the characters’ college years and 2015, where the consequences of their past actions continue to unfold. The season finale packed in major revelations, including a tragic death, a shocking affair reveal, and a long-planned act of revenge.
The Major Cliffhangers from the Season 2 Finale
The final episode of the season delivered several explosive moments that will directly fuel the drama of Season 3.
Bree Receives a Devastating Message
The season’s biggest cliffhanger happened at the wedding of Bree (Catherine Missal) and Evan (Branden Cook) in the 2015 timeline. Right before Bree was set to walk down the aisle, she received an audio message. The message was a recording Stephen made eight years earlier, in which Evan confesses to cheating on Bree with Lucy. Stephen had secretly held onto this recording for nearly a decade, waiting for the perfect moment to use it. The episode ends with Bree listening to the message, leaving her reaction and the fate of the wedding unknown.
A Tragic Death for Drew
In the 2008 storyline, a long-running plotline reached a sad conclusion. Wrigley (Spencer House) had been estranged from his younger brother, Drew (Benjamin Wadsworth). They finally reconciled and spent a night out together. Wrigley, who had prescription painkillers for a knee injury, offered some to Drew. The next morning, Wrigley woke up to find Drew dead beside him. The death was accidental, caused by mixing the time-release medication with alcohol. Wrigley is left shattered and blaming himself for his brother’s death.
Diana’s Master Plan and New Romance
Diana (Alicia Crowder) executed a clever plan to end her relationship with Stephen. Instead of confronting him directly, she made him believe breaking up was his idea. She lied about failing the LSAT and claimed her father had cut her off financially, knowing these were things Stephen valued about her. The plan worked perfectly. Later, it was revealed Diana actually scored very high on the LSAT and her finances were fine. In the 2015 timeline, Diana is shown in a romantic relationship with Pippa (Sonia Mena), though their future together remains uncertain.
Twisted Secrets and Affairs Exposed
Beyond the central love triangle, other characters faced shocking revelations about their personal lives.
Bree, Oliver, and Marianne’s Complicated Marriage
Bree’s affair with her married professor, Oliver (Tom Ellis), took a bizarre turn. After Oliver’s wife, Marianne (Gabriella Pession), found evidence of the affair, Bree expected a dramatic confrontation. Instead, she discovered that Oliver and Marianne have an open marriage and that Marianne knew about the relationship all along. Bree realized she was not part of a secret romance but was instead involved in a game orchestrated by the married couple. This left Bree feeling used and humiliated.
Lucy’s Continued Chaos with Stephen and Leo
Despite being in other relationships, Lucy and Stephen hooked up again in the 2008 timeline. Immediately afterward, Lucy ran to her current boyfriend, Leo (Thomas Doherty), and got back together with him. When Stephen later saw Lucy and Leo together at a party, he provoked Leo by describing intimate details about Lucy. This led to a violent fight where Leo brutally beat Stephen. Even with his face badly injured, Stephen smiled, believing he had successfully sabotaged Lucy’s new relationship.
What We Know About Tell Me Lies Season 3
With the new season confirmed for early 2026, details are emerging about what comes next for the characters.
Official Release Date and Schedule
Tell Me Lies Season 3 will premiere on Hulu on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. The season will consist of eight episodes. The first two episodes will be available on the premiere date, with the remaining six episodes released weekly.
Returning and New Cast Members
The core cast will return, including Grace Van Patten and Jackson White as Lucy and Stephen. Other returning stars are Catherine Missal (Bree), Spencer House (Wrigley), Sonia Mena (Pippa), Branden Cook (Evan), and Alicia Crowder (Diana). Tom Ellis will also reprise his role as Professor Oliver.
The season will introduce new characters. Costa D’Angelo joins as a series regular playing Alex, a psychology graduate student and part-time drug dealer with a complicated past connected to Bree. Iris Apatow will appear in a recurring role as Amanda, a freshman at Baird College who is keeping a big secret.
Also Read:
What the Story Will Focus On
The official synopsis states that Season 3 will follow Lucy and Stephen as they have rekindled their romance in college, promising things will be different. However, past mistakes will interfere, and Lucy will find herself pulled into a controversy. The consequences from the previous year will also force their friends to face their own destructive actions.
Series creator Meaghan Oppenheimer has hinted that the story will likely shift to focus more on the 2015 timeline, though some 2008 storylines will continue to be resolved. She has also teased that the fallout from the wedding voicemail will be “vast and brutal and wild”.
Grace Van Patten told Deadline: “It is emotional chaos. Turmoil. Meaghan somehow just surpasses expectations every season. And I don’t know how she finds a way to make it crazier every season, but she does. And it’s dark, that’s all I’ll say.”
The cast and crew have promised that the new season will raise the stakes even further. Tom Ellis, who plays Oliver, said the upcoming season is “probably the darkest season of Tell Me Lies so far”. Director and executive producer Tyne Rafaeli added that the characters are “entering into dark areas of sexual relationships and psychological relationships that I don’t think this show has seen yet”.
Also Read: 90 Day Fiancé: Andrei Castravet’s Money Comment About Jovi And Yara Sparks Debate
