[This story contains MAJOR spoilers from Tell Me Lies season three, episode four, “Fix Me Up, Girl.”]
Hulu‘s Tell Me Lies is only halfway through its third season and there’s already so much to unpack — especially involving Cat Missal and Costa D’Angelo’s storylines with Bree and Alex.
The eye-opening fourth episode revealed that Evan (Branden Cook) and Bree have tied the knot in the 2015 timeline — but also that there’s still a secret spark brewing between Bree and Wrigley (Spencer House), as Evan’s best friend has been revealed to be Bree’s mystery caller. That twist reveal answers the big season two cliffhanger and, unfortunately, everyone’s favorite toxic boyfriend, Stephen (Jackson White), connects the Wrigley and Bree dots at the wedding.
“It was a guessing game up until a couple of weeks before we went and shot [that scene],” Missal tells The Hollywood Reporter of when she learned about the shocking reveal about Bree and Wrigley. “It obviously changed my whole view of the scene and what is going to happen to her. But it’s really exciting.”
While all this is happening, another emotionally heavy dynamic is playing out in college between newcomer Alex (D’Angelo) and protagonist Lucy (Grace Van Patten), the latter who is gradually breaking down this season over both her tumultuous relationship with Stephen and her guilt from keeping her tryst with Evan a secret from best friend Bree.
Below, Missal and D’Angelo open up in a joint conversation with The Hollywood Reporter about some of the most shocking season three moments so far — including Bree and Wrigley’s just-revealed romantic feelings, Stephen figuring out their secret connection, and filming those intense sex scenes with Lucy and Alex.
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Cat, this season opens with Bree telling Lucy (Grace Van Patten) she’s the worst person Lucy knows — and we all know what Lucy has done. Did you have the full breadth of what Bree had done when you filmed that scene?
CAT MISSAL No. For me personally, I kind of take it one scene, one episode at a time, which is hard on this show because there’s a lot of inner-changing timelines and dynamics at play. But yeah, I felt that taking it one scene at a time was important.
Costa, how excited were you to be joining this show and ensemble for season three? Were you already a fan of the chaos going into the season?
COSTA D’ANGELO I was so excited. My excitement really came from getting to work with this cast. [Creator] Meaghan Oppenheimer, and the entire team behind the show, just loves these characters. And Grace was awesome. I got to fly out and work with her for the chemistry read, and it’s so insane and scary and exciting. It was awesome.
In episode four, professor Oliver really goes in on Bree, exposing her deepest fears in an abusive way. Cat, how did you and Tom Ellis prepare for that intense scene?
MISSAL We didn’t prepare, which I think lent a hand to the scene. I really wanted to try to uphold strength to Bree, because even though he’s digging the knife in and twisting and it’s really painful, she’s a foster kid. She’s wearing armor most times and he definitely gets under her skin, but I think she comes into that scene with so much ferocity because she’s kind of bigged up herself after the breakup and after he leaves her. She finally registers that it was toxic and abusive and she’s really carrying that torch. So I wanted to try to keep that momentum going, but I think she definitely winds up pretty hurt.
There’s a huge reveal this episode about Bree and Wrigley. What conversations did you have with Spencer House about how you both wanted to play out that scene, when you’re dancing at the wedding and we feel this connection between you two? And at that point, did you know how strong their feelings were for each other?
MISSAL Spencer and I both had the same need for it to come across as true, deep love — because otherwise, it just doesn’t work. There’s no world in which these people are hurting the people they love and care about unless they’re so deeply in love with each other that they can’t help but be doing what they’re doing. But I think it’s so conflicting for Bree because she’s chosen this other life for herself.
Why do you think Bree still marries Evan if she seems to have these intense, years-long feelings for Wrigley? How did you get into her head for these future flash forwards?
MISSAL I honestly just take it one day at a time as much as possible, as to not get too far ahead of myself. The cast is so great and everything they give is so amazing to play off of, but I think it’s really about rehearsing on the day, finding the emotional beats and really digging into them. I’m just lucky to be able to work with people who care about the material.
Costa, can you talk about what it was like working with an intimacy coordinator for your sex scenes with Lucy?
D’ANGELO They made our lives so easy because these scenes are a continuation of however they’re feeling. With these characters, wherever their heads are at is coming out in their bodies and, physically, that’s through the sex. So the intimacy coordinators and Meaghan [Oppenheimer] worked together to really create a dance, and that made our lives so easy because we knew exactly where we were at and what we were doing. They’re not afraid to take these scenes to such a real dark place. It’s also kind of beautiful as well that these characters have this agreement to open up to each other physically. It’s written and performed by Grace and I with a lot of truth, dignity and all that kind of stuff.
Those scenes are quite heavy this season, especially with Lucy asking to be called “pathetic” and other names while she and Alex are having sex. Being the one saying them, was it difficult to get into that headspace?
D’ANGELO That’s the job. It’s hard, you’re performing these things and the key is just keep it light. And what’s the purpose behind this? Alex doesn’t judge people, so who am I to? I have to find that. He says he doesn’t judge and “I’ve done all this stuff before,” and he just wants to make her feel safe. If that’s calling her these names and that’s what she needs, he’ll give that to her.
Cat, when you filmed last season’s finale, who did you think was calling Bree before the wedding? And how did you react when you then found out it was Wrigley?
MISSAL I had no idea who was on the other end. I played it to a literal question mark. I was just making up theories on my own like, “Well, maybe it’s…” I was really gunning for Marianne. I was like, “Ooh, that would be good.” (Laughs.) But yeah, I had no idea. It was just a guessing game up until a couple of weeks before we went and shot [that scene] did I know that was what they were going with. And it obviously changed my whole view of the scene and what is going to happen to her. But it’s really exciting. It’s a really great storyline, and I’m really excited for people to dive into it.
Bree and Lucy get really close this season in a way that makes Stephen (Jackson White) jealous in the college timeline. How did you, Meaghan and Grace talk about portraying their friendship in this way that walks a fine line of getting under Stephen’s skin, yet being an authentic friendship?
MISSAL I think it comes naturally with the writing. It was there for us. Grace and I have a really great relationship. So I think with everyone in the cast, it’s really about playing off of our real-life chemistry, and it’s so helpful when that works out. We’ve been so grateful for all of us on this show to be working with each other that I think it just added this depth and dynamic between us.
When you read the finale, can you tell me your initial reactions and thoughts, without giving away any spoilers?
D’ANGELO It’s crazy. Meaghan was like, “It’s going to be insane.” But yeah, I can’t believe it. There’s just so much happening. You want to throw your remote at the TV. I really can’t wait to see what people think, because it’s crazy.
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The first four episodes of Tell Me Lies are currently streaming on Hulu. Check out all of The Hollywood Reporter‘s Tell Me Lies coverage, including our premiere interview with Jackson White and Oppenheimer, and our episode four interview with Oppenheimer.
Read the full article here
