Tell Me Lies Season 2 Episode 2 Review: I Shall Now Perform a 180 Flip-Flop

College is about learning and growing, but most importantly in this series, partying. Tell Me Lies Season 2 Episode 2, “I Shall Now Perform a 180 Flip-Flop,” is filled with birthday parties, late-night bar runs, and undeniable chemistry between certain characters.

In Season 1, this series starts by introducing the characters to viewers at Bree and Evan’s engagement party, but we never receive a lot of information about their relationship history. Now in Season 2, fans are finally getting some answers and learning all the secrets they’ve kept hidden.

Tell Me Lies Season 2 Episode 2 starts at Bree’s birthday party with Lucy, Pippa, and Evan in attendance. Keeping it lighthearted and simple, the group meets at a bar for drinks and to give presents to the birthday girl.

The girls gift Bree matching sweaters with their inside joke “Puswa” embroidered on the front. One would hope that Evan would also gift her a meaningful present, but to Bree’s surprise, she’s given very expensive earrings that aren’t her style at all.

This obviously takes her by surprise, but it also starts her string of curiosity that grows throughout the episodes about why Evan is constantly buying her expensive things and acting strange.

Deciding to leave her own party early, Bree runs into Oliver, who viewers could clearly see sparks growing with during the first episode.

Mixing the drinks she’s had with the tension in the air, Bree and Oliver have a very flirtatious chat that leaves her wanting more than just a conversation.

Later on in the episode, Evan makes the mistake of taking Stephan’s advice and confessing to Bree that he cheated on her. Although he never says with whom, this is devastating to Bree. She quickly pieces it together that all the extravagant gifts were his way of trying to rid his guilt.

Even though the pair haven’t been together long, Bree decides to stay in the relationship if Evan can accept the fact that she cheated too (she didn’t, but I love the fact that she’s testing him just to be sure), and to no one’s surprise, the men in this show continue to thrive off of double standards.

Somehow, by Bree saying she “cheated,” Evan feels as though he’s allowed to degrade her and slut shame her, despite him doing the exact same thing.

Realizing that his behavior is disgusting and that she can do so much better, Bree reveals she was just testing him and breaks off their relationship for good.

Going back to what I said earlier about the sparks between Bree and Oliver, we finally get to see the pair sit down and have an open and honest adult conversation about their lives, wants, and needs that, to no one’s surprise, ends in a very steamy makeout session.

Although I’m rooting for these two to be together and find the happiness they both deserve, the first episode of Season 1, as well as all the time jumps, show that they don’t get the happy ending I’m hoping for. I might be upset about it, but I’m intrigued to see how far this relationship goes and how their downfall comes about.

Despite Bree and Evan’s relationship facing many challenges, this episode is also able to give us a new couple to root for. Leo and Lucy finally get to know each other better, and that results in even more intense and undeniable chemistry.

Running into each other again at yet another party, the two take their constant meeting as a sign that they should go out somewhere other than a party. Their date shows what a polite flirt Leo is and honestly makes me feel like everyone should have a Leo in their lives.

Not only does he help Lucy rebuild her confidence after the damage Stephan did by praising her and supporting her opinions, but he also takes the opportunity to stand up for her when others are rude to her.

As much as I love Leo and their blooming relationship, if I’ve learned anything from this show, it’s that everyone has two sides; you just have to wait for the other shoe to drop.

I’m really hoping this isn’t the case with Leo since both he and Lucy deserve to be happy and have a great dynamic. However, once again, the flash forwards show Lucy single.

In all honesty, this episode might be one of my favorites from both seasons for a few reasons, with the most important one being that Stephan has little to no screen time. Although this might be strange since he is a lead character, it’s also refreshing for both viewers and the characters to enjoy their experiences without hearing the constant whining of a man-child.

That being said, in the short time we do see Stephan, he makes sure to end the episode off with a plot twist by taking the opportunity to get back at Lucy by becoming a teaching assistant (TA) in one of her classes.

All this is a result of Lucy finally standing up for herself by breaking his iPhone and threatening to expose his secrets if he doesn’t leave her alone and let her live her life in peace.

It will be interesting to see how this progresses and how long Stephan stays in this position when he undoubtedly lowers Lucy’s grades and her chance of success after graduation.

Stray thoughts:

• *Possible trigger warning for anyone who hasn’t watched the episode yet* Despite having what seemed like positive and flirtatious conversations the past two episodes, whatever Pipa and Chris had blooming is hopefully long gone after Diana walks into what looks like Chris is about to rape Pipa while she’s blacked out at a party. Luckily Diana steps in and gets help, so maybe this is the beginning of her and Papa’s future relationship.

What did you think of this episode of Tell Me Lies? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Tell Me Lies streams Tuesdays at 9/8c on Hulu.

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