Will there be a Tell Me Lies season 3?
The showrunner has revealed her hopes for the future – and which character definitely won't be coming back.
Relationship drama Tell Me Lies has just wrapped up its second season, taking fans on another emotional rollercoaster and revealing some heartbreaking secrets along the way.
One of the big revelations was the fate of Drew (Benjamin Wadsworth), who had previously been implied to have met an untimely end, with the exact circumstances of that loss being unveiled in the devastating season 2 finale. More on that below.
The episode, ominously titled Don't Struggle Like That, Or I Will Only Love You More, was written by Tell Me Lies showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer and has left viewers eager for more time with these complex characters.
Here's everything we know so far about the future of Tell Me Lies on Disney Plus and Hulu.
Will there be a Tell Me Lies season 3?
Tell Me Lies has not yet been renewed for a third season, but nor has it been cancelled.
Alas, we're currently in that nerve-wracking state of limbo as we wait to hear from Hulu and Disney Plus on whether the drama series will return for another run.
That does appear to be the hope of showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer, however, who made multiple references to potential storylines for future seasons in a post-season 2 finale interview with Variety.
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When could a potential Tell Me Lies season 3 be released?
Tell Me Lies season 2 arrived almost exactly two years after the first, with the show's production cycle being severely impacted by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) strikes that unfolded through much of 2023.
With that dispute now settled, it's quite possible that Tell Me Lies could turn around a third entry in much quicker time, potentially switching to the annual schedule common of US dramas without a significant visual effects component.
If that was to be the case, we could expect a potential Tell Me Lies season 3 to be released in autumn/winter 2025.
Who could return for a potential Tell Me Lies season 3?
If Tell Me Lies were to be renewed for a third season, it's quite likely that we'd see the return of Grace Van Patten and Jackson White in the lead roles of Lucy Albright and Stephen DeMarco.
Other key players who would be prime contenders to reprise their roles include Catherine Missal (Bree), Spencer House (Wrigley), Sonia Mena (Pippa), Branden Cook (Evan) and Alicia Crowder (Diana).
However, it wouldn't be a complete reunion, with Oppenheimer telling Variety that Lucifer star Tom Ellis has likely wrapped his brief stint on the show, with his unfaithful professor Oliver leaving the story in disgrace.
"I think Tom was just wanting to do one season," she explained. "I think that we wrapped up his storyline in a way that really worked for me. I don’t know where else we would go after that with him.
"I think we could bring Marianne [Gabriella Pession] back, maybe. There’s a lot more story to tell with her. But I think we kind of learned that Oliver is so broken and hollow by the end of this season that I’m ready for Bree to be done with him."
Likewise, we finally learned the tragic fate of Drew in the season 2 finale, as played by Benjamin Wadsworth (Deadly Class), who now seems unlikely to return to the show – despite his popularity with the cast and crew.
"Ben is so great and so lovely that when we started the writers’ room for season 2, I was like, 'Is there any way we can have him around?'," recalled Oppenheimer.
She ultimately conceded that "it didn’t make sense any other way" than what we see on screen.
Oppenheimer added: "I really wanted Wrigley to be destroyed by the end of the season. I know that’s so terrible to say!
"We’ve seen him in the future, and I wanted to understand why he’d gotten to that point, because he is clearly a mess in the future years."
What could happen in a potential Tell Me Lies season 3?
Details for what could happen in a potential Tell Me Lies season 3 are rather scarce at the time of writing, but showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer did suggest a probably "time jump" if the show were to come back.
Discussing the structure of the show, she told Variety that – if the show continues – viewers will likely see more scenes in the later part of the timeline and fewer in the earlier period, but both will still be a part of the show.
"I think by the third season, we will still have some 2008 because there’s stuff that we have to wrap up there. But I think it would be a little bit shifted in the sense that there will probably be more 2015 than 2008," she explained. "I think there would probably be a time jump."
No doubt more secrets would come spilling out of such a move, but fans shouldn't get their hearts set on any kind of secret history between Leo (Thomas Doherty) and Stephen – which had been theorised due to the two characters having matching tattoos.
As it turns out, Oppenheimer clarified, "those are just their real tattoos... total coincidence".
Is there a trailer for a potential Tell Me Lies season 3?
Nothing yet, as the show hasn't officially been renewed – but we'll let you know if and when any new footage arrives.
Tell Me Lies is available to stream on Disney Plus. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
