Our ‘Tell Me Lies’ Season 3 Predictions: Stephen Blackmailing Lucy & More

After 14 months of The Summer I Turned Pretty, Maxton Hall, and Heated Rivalry bliss, Tell Me Lies is back and more twisted than ever. Now that the trailer is here, Swooon‘s breaking down everything we think (or maybe hope) will happen in Season 3 of Tell Me Lies.

The trailer begins with the click of a camera, as Lucy (Grace Van Patten) sits down to expose her side of the story, à la 13 Reasons Why or that time capsule episode of One Tree Hill. She tells anyone watching, “I need to apologize… To everyone. So I am making this tape to say that I am so sorry.” From the wrinkle in her brow to the quiver in her voice, it’s not 100% clear that it was Lucy’s decision to make this film.

While we don’t see who’s filming Lucy’s confession, the trailer begins with a hand on the camera, which we would bet belongs to none other than Stephen (Jackson White). Later in the trailer, Lucy is even seen wearing what appears to be the same shirt while she’s arguing with Stephen.

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It’s been long enough since Season 2 ended back in October 2024 that we definitely forgot Lucy and Stephen were still together during the college timeline. Honestly, they’re so on-again/off-again, we’re sure it won’t last long. But it is slightly vindicating to hear Lucy’s quasi-song, “My friends think I’m crazy.” Like, yes, Lucy, they do. What’s new, pussycat?

Pippa (Sonia Mena) no longer has blonde hair, Evan (Branden Cook) has a sneaking suspicion that something is off with Stephen (No, duh, my dude), and suddenly we’re back in bed with Lucy and Stephen, watching them make promises they can’t — or maybe aren’t willing to — keep.

At the same time, Bree (Catherine Missal) isn’t over her torrid love affair with her professor, Oliver (Tom Ellis), and Team Puswa is there to give her advice. Not the people we would turn to in a time of relationship crisis, but to each their own. If we could predict that everyone would get new friends this semester and start Tell Me Truths or something like that, we would, but we don’t love being wrong.

The next major moment comes when Diana (Alicia Crowder) asks Pippa why she got back together with Wrigley (Spencer House). While we love Pippa and Wrigley together, they are definitely at their strongest as friends. We’d assume that this is their last hurrah, setting the groundwork for Pippa and Diana getting together at the end of the season.

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As for the new characters, Costa D’Angelo‘s Alex, and Iris Apatow‘s Amanda, we don’t have much to go off of. According to a previous character description, it appears that Alex is a psychology grad student and part-time drug dealer who has a complicated past with Bree. Seeing the Bree connection, we’d guess that he was one of her former foster siblings whom she either had a Brandon and Callie The Fosters-style affair with or didn’t get along with at all. He appears to be Lucy’s new love interest.

Amanda is more complicated. On the surface, she comes across as Lucy did during the first few episodes of Season 1: The innocent blonde freshman. We can definitely see Stephen going after her for that reason. On the other hand, Professor Creepy — sorry, Oliver — appears to have his eyes on her as well. At this point, it’s unclear whether her character will be most like Season 1 Lucy, Season 2 Bree, or a combination of both.

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When it comes to Lucy and Stephen, nothing is straightforward. But it appears that new love interests and past betrayals will get in the way of their temporary reunion, only to make matters far, far worse. Based on the camera at the beginning of the trailer, we could see this season going in a far darker direction (if that’s even possible) with Stephen blackmailing Lucy, or even holding her hostage until she confesses to something. While we’re not sure what, it’s likely something he did, because, you know, he’s Stephen.

Comment below with your Tell Me Lies Season 3 predictions and let us know what you think of the new trailer!

Tell Me Lies, Season 3, January 13, 2026, Hulu