The fifth episode of Tell Me Lies Season 3, titled “I’d Like to Hold Her Head Under Water,” exposes the deep psychological scars left by toxic relationships. While Stephen DeMarco achieves a major life goal, his need for control and revenge escalates. Meanwhile, Lucy Albright’s struggle with her past takes a disturbing turn, revealing how far she remains from true healing.
Stephen’s Lonely Victory and Immediate Retaliation
Stephen receives his acceptance letter to Yale Law School, but his triumph is hollow. His attempts to celebrate are met with indifference; his sister won’t speak to him, and his friend Wrigley is unenthusiastic. This loneliness fuels his worst instincts. He immediately tries to leverage information, pocketing the secret that Bree and Evan have rekindled their relationship. His need for dominance reaches a peak during a confrontation with his ex, Diana.
Diana reveals she was also accepted to Yale but scored a near-perfect 178 on her LSAT. In a powerful moment, she declares she will attend any law school except Yale to avoid him, willingly changing her life’s trajectory. Humiliated and enraged, Stephen’s response is characteristically vile. In the episode’s final moments, he opens an email and attaches several old, intimate photos of Diana.
โHe wants to humiliate her as much as possible. Itโs nasty. Itโs horrible what he does to Diana,โ said show creator Meaghan Oppenheimer.
The recipient of this email is unclear, but given his history and Diana’s law school aspirations, Stephen appears poised to weaponize these private images to damage her future.
Lucy’s Disturbing Response to Kindness
Lucy’s storyline highlights the lasting damage of psychological abuse. Rumors about her false sexual assault accusation against Chris have reached Alex, her casual partner. Upon hearing them, Alex changes his behavior, becoming gentle and concerned during their encounters. He fears their previously rough, demeaning sexual dynamic might be a harmful trauma response for Lucy.
This kindness, however, repels Lucy. She is visibly uncomfortable and unable to enjoy intimacy with him when he treats her with respect. The episode reveals she craves degradation, a pattern ingrained by her relationship with Stephen. This leads to the episode’s most shocking scene. Alone in her dorm, Lucy opens an old Facebook message. She plays a voicemail from Stephen where he verbally abuses her, calling her pathetic and a “c-word”. Rather than being upset, she uses the sound of his disparaging words to pleasure herself.
Grace Van Patten, who plays Lucy, explained that her character is looking for “punishment” this season.
This moment starkly shows that Lucy associates arousal with abuse and self-loathing, indicating she is far from recovered from Stephen’s manipulation.
Wrigley and Bree’s Intimate Road Trip
In a quieter subplot, Wrigley and Bree share a meaningful journey away from the campus drama. Wrigley drives Bree to New Jersey to meet her birth mother, Mary, for the first time since she was a teenager. The reunion is bittersweet. Bree learns her mother only had custody of her for one month, not a year as she remembered, revealing more gaps in her troubled childhood. Mary is hesitant to form a deep bond, though she tentatively invites Bree to visit in the summer.
On the drive back, Bree confesses she never learned to swim. Wrigley stops at a public pool and gives her a lesson. The moment becomes intensely intimate, with Wrigley holding her in the water, and the two almost kiss before pulling back, mindful of his relationship with Pippa. Flustered, Bree later overcompensates by publicly announcing she is back with Evan, a decision that visibly wounds Wrigley.
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Rising Tensions and Unanswered Questions
Other tensions simmer across the episode. At a campus pool party, Chris confronts Lucy about her accusations against him. He claims he only “hooked up with” Pippa and seems genuinely bewildered by the assault claim, casting new doubt on the narrative that has defined much of the season. Later, Pippa receives a call from Chris and quickly blocks his number, further confusing the situation.
Diana, recovering from her abortion, shares a moment with Pippa. When Molly complains about Evan ghosting her, Diana offers a blunt assessment: “He’s your Stephen”. The observation underscores how toxic dynamics replicate within the friend group. The episode also revisits the ongoing harassment Lucy faces, as another accuser, Caitie, also finds a bucket of urine outside her door.
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