Fans were left shouting, shocked, and singing along to “Mr. Brightside” once again by the time Season 2 of Meaghan Oppenheimer’s intense college drama came to a close — the same way they reacted when Season 1 ended on a wild note.
The eighth and final episode of Season 2 came after plenty of heated arguments, heartbreaks, reconciliations, a secret affair, plenty of tension, betrayal, and another devastating death. Lucy (Grace Van Patten) had to decide between Stephen (Jackson White) and Leo (Thomas Doherty) in 2008.
Season 2 ends with a wedding and a wrecked circle of friends (Photo: Tell Me Lies/Brook Productions)The story jumped ahead to 2015 for Bree (Cat Missal) and Evan’s (Branden Cook) wedding day. But before they could reach the altar, Tell Me Lies dished out fresh chaos for the characters and the viewers.
That title, “Don’t Struggle Like That, Or I Will Only Love You More,” already suggests how disturbing the Season 2 finale is — and the content lives up to that. Before closing out this heavy chapter, the show dials up the madness, leaving fans longing for more.
Towards the end of Episode 7, Lucy falsely claimed she had been sexually assaulted by her best friend’s brother. She aimed to help Katie, who spoke out about her trauma, and also to protect Pippa, who kept quiet. But her actions brought pain to those close to her — Pippa (Sonia Mena), Diana (Alicia Crowder), and Lydia (Natalee Linez).
Fallouts, Voicemails, and Emotional Confessions Stir More Tension
When Lydia heard about Lucy’s statement, she left a voicemail cutting ties with her and told her to stay away for good. Soon after, Pippa clashed with Wrigley (Spencer House), who later came to her house apologising through tears and admitting that falling out with his brother Drew (Benjamin Wadsworth) had sent him into depression.
At the same time, Stephen broke things off with Diana because he believed she would stop loving him if she saw how bad he truly was. He went to Lucy’s room instead, telling her they belonged together since they both knew each other’s darkest sides.
Meanwhile, Bree (Cat Missal) had planted a pair of earrings in Oliver’s (Tom Ellis) pants, and by the episode’s end, Marianne (Gabriella Pession) entered class wearing them. Trouble was brewing. What went down in the finale of Tell Me Lies Season 2? The full recap of Episode 8 breaks everything down below.
Tell Me Lies Season 2 Ending Explained: “Don’t Struggle Like That, Or I Will Only Love You More”
Things pick up in 2015 with that messy Hot Tub Scene still ongoing. Stephen remains in the background, watching silently. Before Lucy and Max finish, he disappears — but not before sending Lucy a biting text: “Thanks for the show.” Max reads their messages and, visibly upset, tells Lucy he’s disgusted.
As he walks out, he adds, “I bet you still think you’re the victim, don’t you?” The sting of that moment hangs in the air. The scene changes quickly to Bree and Evan’s wedding day. Lucy is in the bridal suite, clearly stressed and sipping on a drink.
Bree, meanwhile, ignores a call from a private number — likely from someone she told off earlier in the season. Then, Lucy receives a message from Stephen saying, “I need to see you,” and without hesitation, she lets him into her hotel room.
Within minutes, they’re in bed together. Lucy comments that Stephen hasn’t changed, and he agrees. Right then, the episode title card appears, setting the tone for what’s coming next. Back in December 2008, Lucy and Stephen were in bed after their previous encounter.
Lucy is filled with regret and almost crying as she tells Stephen she has an exam to get him to leave. Once he’s gone, she breaks down in tears and tries to reach Pippa and Bree, but gets their voicemails. Pippa is still reeling from the previous night, while Bree runs out of Marianne’s class in panic after seeing the earrings.
Bree then calls Oliver, and they plan to meet at his condo. Around the same time, Lucy knocks on Leo’s door and confesses her feelings, though she skips some truths, like the fact that she just slept with Stephen. Lucy admits she behaved badly during her relationship with Leo and tells him she’s ready for a fresh start.
When he asks if Stephen will be a problem again, Lucy says she now sees things clearly and is determined to move forward. They reconcile, have an intimate moment (with Lucy feeling emotional), and agree to attend a Christmas party before the break.
Revenge, Fights, and Truths Set the Stage for Future Chaos
Things seem peaceful, but knowing this show, more drama is never far off. And Stephen isn’t done disrupting Lucy’s life yet. Following all the tension in Episode 7, Pippa and Diana meet to talk. Diana asks how Pippa managed to forgive Lucy’s lie and then questions why Pippa always excuses Stephen’s awful behaviour.
Their conversation ends on a rough note, but Diana does Pippa a big favour by contacting Drew and convincing him to visit Wrigley, who’s struggling. Drew finally returns to campus, and after Wrigley apologises and tells him he loves him, they spend the day bonding and drinking at a bar.
A fake confession sets fire to every remaining bond (Photo: Tell Me Lies/Brook Productions)Another pair reconnecting is Oliver and Bree. After Oliver figured out Bree planted the earrings on purpose, he ended their affair, much to her disappointment. He handed her the key to his apartment and left, expecting her to go once she was ready. But that wasn’t the only breakup brewing.
Stephen also ends things with Diana. Feeling good about reuniting with Lucy, Stephen tells Diana that he doesn’t feel the same way about her anymore and can’t keep pretending. Diana, instead of being heartbroken, looks him in the eye and says, “You don’t feel anything right now, do you? Stop pretending.
There’s nothing there, is there? You fought to keep me when I looked good to you, but the moment I showed a bit of weakness, you ran.” Stephen gives a firm yes and walks out. (Good riddance!) Wrigley chooses to skip the holiday party and continues hanging out with Drew.
To help him relax, he offers Drew one of his painkillers. Drew only takes half, and they both continue drinking, laughing, and even leave Pippa a sweet voicemail apology. Meanwhile, the wild Christmas party kicks off.
Stephen and Evan arrive, and when Stephen sees Leo and Lucy looking cosy, he mutters, “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.” He walks over to confront them, and Lucy begs him to walk away, reminding him she chose Leo. Evan steps in and calms him, and Stephen walks off.
But instead of leaving it alone, he returns and causes more damage. Right in front of everyone, he tells Leo, “Just so you know, I fucked Lucy this morning. Red underwear, lacy white train. Very seasonal. How did my cum taste?” Cue the chaos.
After holding back all season, Leo finally snaps. Right there at the party, with the Christmas tree glowing, he attacks Stephen and punches him over and over while Lucy tries to pull him off. When the fight ends, Lucy is horrified and yells, “What the fuck is wrong with you? He wasn’t even fighting back.”
As she transfers her anger to Leo, Stephen smirks silently, pleased that he’s broken them up. The next morning, Bree calls Oliver, and they meet at his house while Marianne is at work. They end up sleeping together in his bed — the one he shares with Marianne.
As Oliver heads to the shower, Marianne walks in and catches Bree red-handed. But rather than getting angry, the professor calmly tells Bree to relax, then goes to talk to Oliver before giving them space. So what’s going on?
It turns out Oliver wasn’t completely truthful about his marriage. “We have an open marriage,” Professor Puswa says. “We live together and share a life, but we’re free to see other people.” She also admits that Marianne was aware of his affair with Bree the entire time.
When Oliver tries to blame Bree, she pushes back, saying, “I think this is the meanest—”
