Why Isn’t Bree’s Mom Mary At Her Wedding? Our ‘Tell Me Lies’ Theory

[Warning: The following contains spoilers for Tell Me Lies Season 3, Episode 5.]

During Season 3, Episode 5 of Tell Me Lies, viewers finally got to meet Bree’s (Cat Missal) mother, Mary, played by Nerve star Emily Meade. While fans were in awe of the shocking resemblance between Missal and Meade, the character introduction did leave us with one question: If Bree’s mom is back in the picture, why isn’t she at her daughter’s wedding?

Up until this point, Bree’s mother has not been in the picture, as Bree spent most of her upbringing in foster care. At the beginning of the season, Bree told Wrigley (Spencer House), “My mom was just way too young to have a kid.” She revealed, “My mom was like 14 when she had me.” Bree also explained that she doesn’t know anything about her dad, other than that he was way too old to have sex with a 14-year-old.

Naturally, we found ourselves questioning how Bree’s mother could become significant within the last four episodes of the season, without ending up at her daughter’s wedding in the future timeline. Sure, Mary could pop up in one of those flash forwards later on, but for now, we’re assuming Bree does not have family at her big day.

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Tell Me Lies‘ most recent episode, which premiered on January 27, showed Bree and Wrigley driving to New Jersey for Bree to visit her mother. In the car, Bree told Wrigley, “I haven’t seen her since I was in high school, and it wasn’t really great that time, so it might go badly.” Once they arrived at her house, they were sent to a “brunch spot” to actually see her, leading to an awkward, mimosa-filled reunion.

After the episode, fans were quick to point out that Bree’s mom wouldn’t be introduced if the character wasn’t going to be significant later on. On Reddit, one fan put it, “I feel like we spent a VERY long time with Bree’s mom and I’m just like…why??” Another Reddit user then responded, “Right?? I’m like waiting for the ball to drop…” Dare we say, we’ve found ourselves in a real Chekhov’s Bree’s Mom situation.

For that reason, we’re assuming that Mary could have been introduced to tie up some of Bree’s loose ends before the end of the season. Why does she end up with Evan (Branden Cook)? Does she ever get closure on her relationship with Oliver (Tom Ellis)? What’s going on between her and Wrigley? Of course, that’s just to name a few.

As we know, Bree’s mother will likely return later in the season for her photography exhibit. There, she could easily interact with Evan or Wrigley, or even Oliver, since it is a college event. Since Bree appears desperate for her mother’s approval and clearly wants to keep her mom in her life, she could see her thriving relationship with Evan as a way to make her mother, who is obsessed with relationships, proud.

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Evan is also rich, which could come in handy if Mary relapses. During the episode, Bree’s mother tells her, “I wasn’t drinking for a while, but I can have like wine and beer now. I feel like, when you tell yourself you can’t have something, that’s exactly when you want to binge it.” This is clear foreshadowing for a fall back into alcoholism if we’ve ever seen one.

Her mother’s possible relapse could be what causes Bree to stay with Evan, since Bree yearns for a sense of stability she never had as a child. Bree and Evan’s relationship could be what causes her to cut off her mother as well. After all, Evan is only generous when he wants something in return.

It’s clear that Evan can be possessive over Bree, so while helping Mary could be a way to win over Bree, the kindness would only last until he is secure in their relationship. It’s clear Mary is not one to reach out to her daughter, so if Evan can convince Bree that Mary has abandoned her again, the two might break contact. Then, Evan would have what he always wanted. He would finally have Bree all to himself.

Do you think Evan could get in the way of Bree’s relationship with her mom? Tell us your theories in the comments below!

Tell Me Lies, Season 3, Tuesdays, Hulu/Disney+