Tell Me Lies – Season 1 Episode 8 “Don’t Go Wasting Your Emotion” Recap & Review

Don’t Go Wasting Your Emotion

Episode 8 of Tell Me Lies takes a closer look at Pippa’s past and insecurities. We have focused on the other two girls but Pippa has remained a mystery. Well, not anymore.

She wakes up in Wrigley’s bed and asks her to come with her to lunch with her father. He is in for a business trip and would love to meet him. It goes well as the newly anointed football captain is charming and comforting with him. He implies that Pippa is usually a “Reserved” person and that her friends didn’t “like” her too much. But she says it is not the case. He is happy for her and says their home is always open for her if she faces any problems

Pippa does seem to have problems staying alone. First, she takes Wrigley’s leave as he practices in the morning. Then, when she sees Bree isn’t in, she goes to Lucy’s room. Charlie welcomes her and they talk about Charlie’s recent date. There is a very subtle hint that Pippa might be interested in Charlie romantically. If indeed, it would be a big reveal in her character. Pippa is also shown to be a bit needy, socially, and she feigns orgasms with Wrigley. But why would she do that? Lucy is a little upset with Stephen for not fully opening up with her about his life. Pippa and Charlie watch Ever After “non ironically” together, growing closer to each other.

Lucy is surprised to see Pippa again in her room. Charlie mentions that someone might be on the “back foot” in a relationship if they aren’t participative. It basically means they are “losing” in the relationship. Lucy feels Stephen has the upper hand in their relationship.  Charlie and Pippa plan together to go to the fair, where the latter mentions “acapella” as part of the festivities. Lucy hears that and knows Diana will be there too. She comes with them too. Charlie notices a different side of Pippa when she is with Wrigley than when she is with her.

Bree and Evan have hit it off, which is nice. It feels like a warm victory in this sea of cold and indifference. Evan and Lucy have a heart-to-heart about her relationship. She asks him if Stephen used to say “I love you” to Diana, to which Evan replies that they did. Lucy emotionally goes to take a moment and asks Stephen to come over. He is hesitant and it seems like will get away with it but Lucy insists and hangs up. Together, they see the acapella show and she makes Diana jealous by making out with Stephen in front of her. Pippa investigates Charlie after she meets a girl at the fair.

Lucy confronts Stephen over the issue but he starts to fight back. As soon as Lucy mentions what she is “holding in for him”, he gets docile. He knows if Lucy speaks out, he will be in big trouble. A drunk Pippa goes to Charlie once again, where the newcomer confronts her about the difference in personality. They then make out but Charlie and get intimate.

Pippa embarrassed herself by feigning an orgasm and Charlie gets serious about it. Pippa then gets teary-eyed and opens up to Charlie about her life. She says she isn’t as experienced as many think she is. Pippa didn’t have friends in high school and primary school. Classmates would say mean things about her.

Once she started talking to a stranger online and really connected. It later turned out that he was fictional and that the mean girls were posing as him to embarrass Pippa. They ridiculed her in front of everyone and Pippa had to change schools.

A senior year in a new school was torture for her and she just wanted to get away from it all. She lost her virginity to Wrigley when she came to college. Everything her friends know about Pippa is a lie and she is too embarrassed to admit it. She just wants to come across as cool and someone people would like to hang around with. Charlie comforts her and gives her emotional support.

Stephen gets a ridiculous call from his mother. She found out that Stephen helped Sadie get into the boarding school and that he got their father to sign the papers. She cuts him off the housing plan for the summer, forcing Stephen to choose between an unpaid internship or looking for a job to make ends meet. He says she should “rot in the house alone” and his mother isn’t phased by it.

Diana visits him and asks about his well-being. But her purpose of coming was also greedy as she thought Stephen was messing around with her to get her attention. When she goes in to kiss him, he says he can’t cheat on Lucy. An extremely angry Diana walks away ridiculing him. But Stephen knows how much he has riding on keeping good terms with Lucy.

The next day, Wrigley throws a party to celebrate his captainship. Bree and Evan take off on their own. Drew is given Wrigley’s attention but only until his friends come. Pippa tries talking to him but Drew shoots her down. He meets Stephen at the party and feels warm with him. Drew feels like Stephen really cares for him and is his rock through this phase. He once again fills Drew’s ears that Pippa and Lucy riled Bree against him saying he was unstable. He also fills him against Wrigley, which leads to a confrontation between Wrigley and Drew. He also has a fight with Pippa and Lucy interferes because of her hatred for Drew.

Pippa and Wrigley once again affirm their love for each other and it seems like a genuine connection. Lucy isn’t able to find Stephen, who despite seeing her, doesn’t make contact. Pippa and Lucy talk outside, where she tells Lucy the truth about Drew. But her version is different than what Stephen told Lucy and she instantly fights back for him. She defends him while Pippa is confused.

Pippa even says Stephen threatened her against telling anyone but Lucy only believes Stephen.  She says she can hurt Stephen “very badly if she wanted to” and she can manage herself. The next morning, Stephen gives Lucy the ear for what seemed like flirting to him with Wrigley.

But Lucy isn’t taking stuff anymore from him. She has the “upper-hand”; she is “winning”. Stephen apologizes and she once again says that Drew doesn’t deserve to be scot-free like this. Stephen tries to convince her against doing anything. Charlie spends the night with the girl, much to Pippa’s disappointment. She does not feign an orgasm with Wrigley, surprising him. Lucy writes an anonymous chit to the Dean saying he should question Drew and Wrigley about Macy.

The Episode Review

Stephen is in a huge rut since telling Lucy that filtered version of the truth. It is almost like he is a captive to her love now. She has the upper-hand in the relationship and is calling the shots. But right now, Lucy is probably the more toxic partner. Episode 8 brought a decent account of Pippa’s personality. It was something that the girls had already suspected before, and now we all know the truth about her. It makes us a little more sympathetic to her situation and definitely warms her up to our taste. The most explosive thing, though, was the final scene where Lucy posts the anonymous information about Drew.

Now this will have huge repercussions for the story and the final two episodes will be an uncomfortable ride. Perhaps, we can get a break from all these parties. I mean, do they ever study at all? What sort of curriculum is that?

Anyway, Tell Me Lies reached a tipping point when Stephen burst out to Lucy and has since tattered with a compelling mix of good and bad. It is finally making good television and we are interested to know what happens next.