Theory
Here’s My Unhinged ‘Tell Me Lies’ Theory: Wrigley Is In Love With Bree
Tell Me Lies Season 2 came to an end on October 16 with a jaw-dropping finale. From Drew’s (Benjamin Wadsworth) fate to Stephen (Jackson White) and Lucy’s (Grace Van Patten) wedding hookup to Stephen sending Evan’s (Branden Cook) confession to Bree (Cat Missal), the second season of the Hulu drama series didn’t hold back. Since I binged the screeners weeks ago, I’ve been stewing on this theory: Wrigley (Spencer House) is in love with Bree in the 2015 timeline.
I could be dead wrong about this. I probably am. But there’s a chance I could be right. There have been many incredible fan theories about Tell Me Lies Season 2, which has allowed my theory to run rampant in my mind. Wrigley and Bree only started manifesting in my brain when I started thinking about Season 3. (Hulu has not announced a renewal as of this post’s publication.)
There’s a scene toward the end of the Season 2 finale when Lucy and Wrigley share a moment before Evan and Bree’s wedding ceremony is set to begin. It appears he’s looking at Pippa (Sonia Mena) and Diana (Alicia Crowder) when he says to Lucy, “I guess it’s probably time for me to let go of that crush I’ve been holding onto for a decade?” While he’s likely talking about Pippa, what if he’s not? What if he’s referring to Bree, and his melancholy is tied to the wedding as a whole?
Pippa and Wrigley were in a relationship. Despite their breakup, throughout Season 2, these two developed a deep emotional connection that was defined by more than just romantic feelings. To me, the crush phase has already passed between them. Wrigley doesn’t have a crush on Pippa. He loved her. She’s more like the one who got away.
Part of my Wrigley and Bree theory leans on a hypothetical storyline in Season 3. In the wake of Drew’s tragic death, Wrigley is going to need someone to lean on, and I don’t think it’s going to be someone you expect. Given all the drama with Drew (especially how Wrigley initially believed Stephen, who said Pippa wrote the letter that got Drew kicked out), Wrigley could associate Pippa too much with his brother.
Grief is mercurial, and sometimes those closest to you are the ones you avoid. Pippa could also feel guilty about having a hand in getting Drew to come visit Wrigley in the first place.
After discovering Oliver (Tom Ellis) and Marianne’s open marriage and how they manipulated her, Bree is obviously at a low point as well. What if Bree and Wrigley seek solace in each other? And I’m not automatically saying it has to be in a romantic way. They could support one another platonically. Bree has always felt like an outsider in her friendship circle. Could Wrigley be someone who just listens and doesn’t judge?
Tell Me Lies at its core is about relationships, and not just Lucy and Stephen’s toxic romance. The show explores so many different types of relationships, but Wrigley and Bree have yet to share any substantial scenes together. Season 3 could very easy tap into an unrequited love dynamic with Wrigley and Bree. What if the woman you love is marrying your best friend? Would you speak up? What if she doesn’t love you back? Or maybe she does, and she’s been denying it for years.
The show has even dropped subtle (or maybe not so subtle) hints! In the first season, when Wrigley greets Evan and Bree, he picks up Bree and yells, “I am stealing your wife!” He then hugs Bree again and says she gets an “extra-long one.” The group wonders if Wrigley is high. He could be, but he could also be overcompensating for all the inner turmoil he’s experiencing about Bree getting married. Maybe he’s being literal, but everyone thinks it’s just Wrigley being happy-go-lucky Wrigley.
Earlier in the season, Bree gets a call during her wedding weekend that has had the Tell Me Lies fandom up in arms over who is on the other end of the line. Bree tells the person she’s getting married tomorrow, and she has a “chance to be happy” and “have a family.” She says marrying Evan is her opportunity to “live a life I don’t feel like a visitor in.” By the end of Season 2, the mystery caller still has not been revealed.
It’s way too obvious to be Oliver, so let’s just throw him out. Some fans have theorized Drew, but we know that’s not possible. What if it’s Wrigley? Could he be begging Bree not to get married? We don’t know until we know! An emotional phone call could explain how tired and weary Wrigley looked at Evan and Bree’s pre-wedding party, the one where Pippa and Diana make their debut.
And when Bree listens to that voice message Stephen sends where Evan confesses to sleeping with Lucy in college, it’s the confirmation about her future that she’s dreaded hearing. Evan isn’t the magical fix to everything that’s broken in her life. A safe love isn’t always the answer. Love is messy and sometimes emerges from where you least expect it. (That’s why I’m saying Wrigley!)
All I know is this: Nothing is ever as it seems on Tell Me Lies. If Lucy can continue to be delulu about Stephen years later, then I can be about this!
Do you think this theory holds up? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Tell Me Lies, Season 2, All Episodes Streaming Now, Hulu
