We’re inching closer to the finale of Tell Me Lies season two, and we’re already spiralling at the thought of another years-long wait without our favourite toxic romance.
If you’ve binged the first two seasons of the show, you’ll know just how addictive the drama that unfolds on Baird campus is. If you haven’t, allow us to fill you in. Based on Carola Lovering’s novel by the same name, Tell Me Lies follows Lucy (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen’s (Jackson White) tumultuous relationship over the course of eight years, beginning when they meet at university. Per the series’ synopsis, “although their relationship begins like any typical campus romance, they quickly fall into an addictive entanglement that will permanently alter not only their lives, but the lives of everyone around them.”
Thankfully, there’s plenty more television shows that specialise in raunchy, pernicious twists and turns to fill the Tell Me Lies-shaped hole while we wait to hear if the series is renewed for a third season. Lucky us.
Big Little Lies
From destructive romances to gripping plot twists, Big Little Lies and Tell Me Lies have far more in common than just their names. Based on the best-selling novel by Liane Moriarty, Big Little Lies (which has so-far pocketed eight Emmy awards) charts the abusive marriage of Celeste (Nicole Kidman) and Perry (Alexander Skarsgård), set against the idyllic backdrop of Monterey County. But their picture-perfect lives are thrown further into disarray when Celeste and a group of local mothers — Madeleine (Reese Witherspoon), Jane (Shailene Woodley), Renata (Laura Dern), and Bonnie (Zoë Kravtiz) — become embroiled in a murder. Even better, the thrilling series has been green-lit for a third season.
Big Little Lies is now streaming on Binge.
Sex Lives Of College Girls
If you're after another college-based series, this one's for you. Sex Lives Of College Girls is a comedy detailing the trials and tribulation of four women as they start university. From sexual awakenings to newfound independence, this series has it all — told through the hilariously keen lens of creators Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble.
Sex Lives Of College Girls is now streaming on Binge.
You
You beats Tell Me Lies when it comes to dark romances, which is no easy feat. The series stars Penn Badgley as Joe, an obsessive young man who will stop at nothing for love — no, literally. While Joe's exploits are decidedly more dangerous than Stephen's, the two bear more than a passing resemblance as seemingly charming men who, upon getting to know them, reveal a much more sinister side.
You is now streaming on Netflix.
Euphoria
While Euphoria's actors might not look like typical high school students, the show has been lauded for its ability to give voice to issues actually faced by teenagers today. Like Tell Me Lies, the show deals with a heavy dose of toxic relationships, predominantly in the on-again-off-again romance of Maddy (Alexa Demie) and Nate (Jacob Elordi). There's also characters like Rue (Zendaya), who battles waning mental health and an intense drug addiction, and Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) who falls victim to revenge porn. If you haven't already, it's worth brushing up on the first two seasons, with season three slated for a (hopeful) 2025 release.
Euphoria is now streaming on Binge.
Normal People
Another book-to-series adaptation, Normal People gave us one of the best — and most heartbreaking — on-screen romances to date. The limited series follows Connell (Paul Mescal) and Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones ), from high school to university, and has themes of friendship, love, family violence, belonging and identity in spades. Equal parts heartwarming and gut-wrenching, Normal People's lasting cultural impact is undeniable.
Normal People is now streaming on Stan.
