[This story contains major spoilers from the season two finale of Tell Me Lies, “Don’t Struggle Like That, Or I Will Only Love You More.”]

After weeks of anticipation, Inform Me Lies viewers lastly bought some questions answered within the jaw-dropping season two finale of Meaghan Oppenheimer’s addictive Hulu sequence. However the epic cliffhanger solely provokes extra questions.

“I all the time like to go away individuals guessing,” the showrunner tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m all the time making an attempt to shock individuals.”

For a present that thrives on toxicity, season two introduced loads of jaw-dropping moments between the forged led by Grace Van Patten and Jackson White. However the remainder of the gang additionally had their fair proportion of drama, notably within the finale which noticed Wrigley’s (Spencer Home) youthful brother Drew (Benjamin Wadsworth) die, Bree (Catherine Missal) discovering out Oliver’s (Tom Ellis) in an open marriage, Diana (Alicia Crowder) orchestrating a breakup with Stephen, and Stephen bringing the last word revenge to Bree and Evan’s (Branden Prepare dinner) wedding ceremony within the 2015 timeline.

Oppenheimer provides that “no matter is probably the most attention-grabbing factor to discover is what goes within the present,” as a result of she’s “not making an attempt to set an instance for what anybody ought to do and I’m not even actually making an attempt to offer a robust message. I’m making an attempt to simply make individuals lean in and have discussions, and hopefully have issues that occur on display relate to individuals’s actual lives.”

Under in a chat with THR, Oppenheimer opens up about why she “all the time knew that Drew was going to die,” the second she knew she wished Stephen to “blow up” the marriage (with the revenge recording the place Evan confesses to dishonest on Bree with Lucy), and she or he hints at who Bree was speaking to on the cellphone earlier than her wedding ceremony, amongst different storylines she hopes to deal with in a possible third season.

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Why did this season solely have eight episodes, in comparison with season one which had 10?

There have been a bunch of causes. It was scheduling. It was as a result of I used to be anticipating a child and we had been making an attempt to complete the season earlier than she was born; then the strike occurred and it was all apart from the purpose anyway. It was manufacturing causes, not something artistic. But it surely was good. I feel it made every thing rather a lot tighter. 

One of the crucial tragic moments within the finale was Drew’s demise, particularly after he simply reconnected with brother Wrigley. Are you able to stroll me via your determination on how one can play that out?

I all the time knew that Drew was going to die, and that it was going to be one thing that Wrigley blamed himself for. However in the end, the seed of it wanted to be sort of Lucy’s fault. And due to that, Stephen’s fault as nicely. I assumed he was going to die on the finish of the primary season, and it simply didn’t find yourself becoming in and it didn’t make sense. And since Ben is such a beautiful individual and a terrific actor, the primary few weeks of the [writers] room for season two, I actually tried to consider, how may we maintain his character in now that he’s been expelled? How may we maintain him alive? And there simply wasn’t a means. I feel we wanted some actual, true communal guilt that might dangle over all the group sooner or later years. So yeah, he was the sacrificial lamb, I suppose.

However I additionally wished it to be one thing that felt nearly weirdly anti-climactic. I feel demise in actual life is commonly not the massive dramatic second you anticipate it to be. It occurs within the quiet moments. And so the concept they’ve this huge evening out after which it’s simply all of a sudden within the morning, you slowly notice that he’s now not alive, versus some huge dramatic explosive public demise.

One other large shocker was Bree discovering out Marianne (Gabriella Pession) and Oliver [who is played by Oppenheimer’s real-life husband, Tom Ellis] are in an open relationship. However when Bree confronts Marianne as she’s leaving their home and tells her that Oliver stated he liked her, Marianne appears stunned. Is that hinting that one thing may occur with Marianne and Oliver’s relationship sooner or later?

Something that occurs sooner or later remains to be so undecided that I’d by no means wish to lock myself into something. However I feel it positively hints at [how] that was most likely not allowed. Marianne and Oliver have guidelines. The rule is that they’re each in on the joke, they’re the individuals who know every thing. And I feel that saying I like you shouldn’t be allowed. So I do suppose that that actually does harm Marianne.

Additionally, what we had been making an attempt to indicate, and she or he cries on the finish of the scene a bit of bit, was hinting at this greater inside life that Marianne has that she’s most likely not likely OK with this example. And that she has agreed to have this open relationship most likely to maintain him, not as a result of she will get off on it as nicely — regardless that she definitely lies to herself about having fun with it.

Going again to episode six, viewers noticed Bree speaking on the cellphone with somebody within the 2015 timeline earlier than her wedding ceremony day. Are you able to verify if she was speaking to Oliver, or was it another person?

I can’t verify something. However I’d say, I feel it being Oliver can be most likely too apparent. I’m certain some individuals are guessing that. However I feel lots of people additionally most likely know that it’s extra doubtless not Oliver. 

Viewers additionally see Stephen and Lucy hook up within the 2015 timeline earlier than Bree and Evan’s wedding ceremony. Is it secure to imagine they’ve had one thing occurring between them since school?

There’s positively extra that should occur. I’d say, no less than within the ultimate semester of Lucy’s sophomore 12 months. There’s nonetheless completely extra of that cat-and-mouse recreation, if you happen to may even name it that, as a result of that sounds so delicate for what these two do to one another. However there’s extra of that dynamic in her second semester of sophomore 12 months and his ultimate semester. By way of what occurs between them in these different years, between school and current day, positively one thing. However I feel the majority of it’s school. 

I felt like their hook-up additionally defined why Lucy was being so well mannered to Stephen within the 2015 timeline, given every thing he’s put her via.

Yeah, and I feel she’s well mannered as a result of I feel most individuals [are polite]. After I see issues on TV and characters are being so blatantly nasty to individuals, we’re by no means actually like that in actual life. I imply, except you’re a psychopath. I see individuals who have devastated me previously and except it’s like yesterday, I see them once I’m well mannered and vice versa. I feel that’s what we do as individuals, and I feel she blames herself for lots of what occurred in her school years, and has tried to develop and mature. So she tries to no less than save face in entrance of him. 

I additionally wish to discuss to you about that wild cliffhanger when Stephen sends Bree that recording on her wedding ceremony day, of Evan confessing again in school to dishonest on her with Lucy. Have you ever been planning that since season one?

Not in season one. In season two, I positively knew that he was going to document Evan saying this factor. Initially, I didn’t suppose he was going to play it on the finish of the finale. I rewrote the ending of the finale in a short time, final minute. I used to be on set at [Video] Village and I rewrote it, as a result of initially it was going to be extra of a cliffhanger of: Is he going to inform Bree or not on the wedding ceremony? After which I made a decision he’s simply gotta inform her; we simply should have that blow up. The long-con is attention-grabbing, however I’ve loads of Scorpios in my life and I feel that there are individuals who positively go in it for the long-con, and Stephen is considered one of them. I imply, my God, he holds a grudge. It’s the massive distinction between him and Leo’s [Thomas Doherty] anger. Stephen is ready to management his anger after which put it to use to his benefit, and when the second is sensible. It’s very uncommon that he’s explosive or impulsive. Whereas Leo, clearly we see is completely different than that. He’s very impulsive. 

Can viewers anticipate to see the ramifications of that Evan confession in a possible season three?

I feel we have to see that. Poor Bree. That’s just like the hashtag of the season in my thoughts, #PoorBree. She’s simply been via it. I feel she deserves some type of response to this large betrayal from everybody. 

Lucy and Stephen subvert the expectation of making leads who’re likable. Why did you determine to make them so flawed and, in Stephen’s case, veering on villainous, whereas additionally preserving the present gravitating round them?

Stephen, positively, is fairly villainous regardless that he’s additionally the male lead. It’s humorous, I by no means nervous an excessive amount of about whether or not a personality is likable, so long as there’s somebody I wish to watch and so they’re attention-grabbing. That’s what I care about. And to me, it’s really actually stunned me how unlikable individuals suppose Lucy is. I imply, I bought right into a battle with my mother about it the opposite day. My mother was like, “Lucy’s a bitch.” I used to be like, “Mother, Lucy is an efficient individual and she or he’s simply had loads of shit thrown at her.” I like Lucy. I feel she’s nice. I feel she’s very flawed. I feel she may be very younger and immature, however she got here into school from a spot of trauma that was unresolved and never handled. After which she met this grasp manipulator who made every thing worse. And I used to be actually making an attempt to indicate the best way that good individuals and powerful individuals and clever individuals can fall sufferer to predators.

We see these girls, often girls characters on TV, who act pathetic or messy due to a person, and we prefer to assume that which means there have to be one thing inherently fallacious with them. And I simply don’t suppose it’s true. I feel if you happen to take a look at actual life, among the strongest girls I do know have behaved very out of character due to their emotions being harm, or due to falling in with the fallacious individuals. 

You informed me earlier than season two debuted that if something will get you canceled, it might be Lucy saying she was the one assaulted moderately than Pippa in episode seven. You additionally famous that it was very divisive within the writers room. Why was it essential so that you can embody that this season?

I simply felt that was an motion that’s arguably one of many worst issues a girl can do, lie about sexual assault. I used to be simply very intrigued by the thought of, how do we’ve got her do one thing that’s so nasty and icky and universally despised, however for the precise causes? There was part of me that’s saying like “fuck you” to all of society with that, as a result of individuals don’t consider girls and other people don’t defend girls. And Pippa is on this state of affairs and nobody helps her, and she or he has no choices actually, as a result of society is about up in a means that doesn’t assist her. So it was type of a “fuck you” to everybody within the sense of, “OK, you’re not supposed to do that, however nobody helps these women.” So she’s gonna do probably the most determined factor attainable, and she or he’s coming from a spot of actual helplessness as a result of the system has failed her. It’s failed her pal, it’s failed her classmate. And something that makes our writers within the room argue with one another, I all the time lean into these issues. 

There are nonetheless loads of lacking items to the Inform Me Lies puzzle. Are you aware but if you happen to’ll be getting a season three? Additionally, was it intentional to nonetheless go away individuals guessing?

I don’t know if we’ll get a season three, who is aware of? I feel the present has had a very fantastic response this season, so I’m very hopeful a few season three. I all the time like to go away individuals guessing. And I additionally suppose a few of my favourite exhibits, even once they finish, go away issues not fully resolved. I don’t hate these tales which have open endings. So I used to be type of of the thoughts of, let’s have a cliffhanger so that individuals wish to come again and, if we don’t get to reply it, then that’s life (laughs). I’m all the time making an attempt to shock individuals. I’m all the time making an attempt to shock the viewers, as a result of it’s simply very enjoyable to do. 

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Inform Me Lies season two is at the moment streaming on Hulu. Atone for THR‘s season two interviews with Grace Van Patten, co-stars Sonia Mena and Alicia Crowder, and star Cat Missal, together with Van Patten and Jackson White digging into the season two ending.