Tell Me Lies season 2 premiere establishes more lies to come (Episode 1 review)

Tell Me Lies season 2 is finally here, and that means new episodes each week to give us our fix of the Hulu drama. The first season had a lot of twists, turns, and of course lies and I'm sure the second won't be any different. The first two episodes were released on premiere day (episode 2 review here). Let's review season 2 episode 1, "You Got a Reaction, Didn't You?" SPOILERS BELOW.

One of the biggest shockers we were left with last season is the fact that Stephen and Lucy's (former?) best friend Lydia are now together and engaged. The first episode is definitely an establishing one overall as we see what happens next at this party leading up to Evan and Bree's wedding.

While Lucy is rightfully angry and annoyed at the two of them together, an intriguing scene happens later in the episode where Lydia tells Lucy, "I will never forgive you for any of it." And the former Baird College gal doesn't argue and actually seems guilty. Hmm.

Of course another huge thing that happened last season is the fact that Lucy and Evan drunkenly slept together, meaning he cheated on Bree with one of her closest friends. And Lucy has betrayed her bestie as well. We start off in the summer where the group of friends are getting ready to go back to school and then are there and start settling in.

Again, very establishing and we find out what everyone's been up to in the time off from school. Stephen does not deserve the great opportunity he got thanks to Diana and her father. And his girlfriend's dad is definitely not impressed with Stephen's manipulative ways. Agreed. Plus, this jerk somehow senses that Evan cheated and asks him about it. Evan confirms this but doesn't tell him it was Lucy. Oh, Evan. You should not have told Stephen.

Two new characters in Tell Me Lies season 2 were introduced right away. One I liked, and the other I honestly didn't. So Thomas Doherty joins the cast as Leo, who seems to be Lucy's new love interest even though she claims she just wants to focus on school this year. Anyway. I feel like the show was going for a sparks flying between them sort of thing, but it just came off awkward and I don't see the connection at all. We'll see what happens here.

One of the best parts of season 2 episode 1 (full recap here) for me was the introduction of Tom Ellis' character, professor Oliver, who is Marianne's husband. He will not take any silliness or excuses from students, and he sees right through them when they're not being genuine. And really put the Lucifer actor in anything and I will watch it! He and Bree have quite a few scenes and conversations.

I can kind of see where this is going and it's not going to be good. Uh oh. Also, did you notice Bree's face in the flash forward towards the end of the episode? She didn't seem 100% happy and something was weighing on her mind. And I don't think it was her worry over Pippa and Lucy who leave the party a bit early.

Back to the past, I truly wanted to punch Stephen in the face when he came up to the lunch table and gave the most lousy apology to Lucy in front of her friends and Leo. Truly a horrible man. He's trying to get under her skin, and at first she doesn't let him. Twice in this episode actually. But after the lunch table incident, she goes and tells him off and is willing to share and expose the secrets between them. She doesn't care. And I was just like, yes. You go girl! The episode is titled "You Got a Reaction, Didn't You?" after all. And Stephen definitely got one out of not just Lucy, but me as well!

Overall, I think Tell Me Lies season 2 episode 1 did everything it needed to do as a premiere episode. It revealed where the characters are now after where we left them in season 1 - both in the past and present, it moved the story along just enough to give us some hints of what's to come and keeping us intrigued, and established the new characters right off the bat. Clearly the web of lies in this friend group is only going to grow, and I'm looking forward to seeing all this drama unfold. Episode grade level: B.

Tell Me Lies season 2 streams new episodes Wednesdays on Hulu.