Tell Me Lies Season 3 Episode 7 sees Pippa and Wrigley’s relationship take a turn, culminating in a sex scene that many believe wasn’t consensual. But Wrigley star Spencer House has since spoken about the divisive moment and what he believes really happened.
In the third chapter of the hit Hulu drama, things between the cast have been messier than ever. Wrigley and Pippa got back together, but the main reason is clearly due to feeling safe with one another.
Wrigley (whose first name is Mike, by the way) is dealing with the devastating death of his brother, while Pippa is still trying to silently get through being sexually assaulted by Lydia’s brother Chris.
Tell Me Lies Season 3 sees Pippa cheating on Wrigley with Diana, while Wrigley and Bree have been secretly falling in love. The latter decide it’s time to break up with their respective partners, but it doesn’t quite work out.
Did Pippa manipulate Wrigley in Tell Me Lies Season 3 Episode 7?
Even though many fans believe Pippa pressured Wrigley into having sex with her, Spencer House has set the record straight, telling Just Jared, “I definitely think it is consensual. I don’t think this was against his will in any way.”
For the uninitiated, after kissing in Season 3 Episode 6, Wrigley and Bree decide to break up with Pippa and Evan, respectively, and then see where their relationship goes.
Although Bree wants to wait until after her exhibition, Wrigley breaks the bad news to Pippa (not knowing she’s been cheating on him), telling her that he wants to remain best friends.
Pippa goes to Diana and suggests she shouldn’t turn down going to Yale just to be away from Stephen. But after Stephen sent Diana’s private nudes to her father, she feels like it’s just too much pressure and breaks things off with Pippa.
Devastated, Pippa calls Wrigley over and tries to kiss him. Even though he repeatedly turns down her advances, she pleads with him, and finally he agrees despite looking uncomfortable.
Many viewers at home feel this wasn’t consent, and that Pippa should know better, especially after everything that happened with Chris.
This was the question posed to House after the release of the latest episode, with Just Jared stating, “Some fans online are concerned the sex scene with Pippa was not consensual, especially given what happened to Pippa earlier in the show.
“What is going through Wrigley’s head in that moment that Pippa’s requesting he spend the night with her?”
After saying it was consensual, House continued, “I think he still has a strong connection with her and I think more than anything he just wants to see her happy and he doesn’t want to break her heart.
“So that’s why he does it, rather than [them being] romantic interests and I think he does feel very guilty about what happens with Bree.
“On the day [of filming], we were very careful about that. But at the end of the day, he very much makes the decision to have sex with her… I don’t think that’s what this story is.
“I think he does still love Pippa, maybe not romantically, but he is attracted to her, and he makes the decision to do so, I think.”
Tell Me Lies fans “disgusted” by scene
The reaction to the scene has been strong, with many viewers believing Pippa was wrong for what she did, although some have changed their mind after reading House’s thoughts.
In the Reddit discussion of Tell Me Lies Season 3 Episode 7, one wrote, “Pippa’s behavior was EXTREMELY manipulative this episode. Gaslighting, coercion… I was so disgusted by her.”
Another said, “So disappointed with Pippa. Wrigley was 100% on point with what he said about their relationship. I believe Pippa was with him to support him initially, he’s become a comfort to her, and they are close friends.
“They may love each other as individuals, but aren’t in love with each other. I was so disgusted with her behavior. She was devastated where things were left off with Diana and used Wrigley.
“She was a crappy friend not showing up at Bree’s exhibit and then for essentially forcing Wrigley to leave and come to her ‘rescue’ where she just used him. Gross behavior.”
“Pippa pissed me off so much, this is the first time I practically saw a female Stephen in the show,” added a third. “Two breakups in one day and manipulating both partners to stay for her or seduce her while missing her roommates exhibit?”
In a separate thread, one fan wrote, “It was hard to watch especially when she was begging for intimacy from him – like not forcing him but definitely guilt tripping him because she’s been supporting him as he grieves his brother’s death.”
Another agreed, “Super unsettling. I wonder if Bree will just ghost him and carry on with Evan, and if Wrigley will attempt to explain the context of the Pippa situation to her (that he was heavily coerced and manipulated into it).”
But since reading House’s thoughts on the scene, some viewers have changed their perception of it. “Reading the actor perspective on Wrigley and Pippa scene still as I’m watching made it look different in my opinion,” wrote one.
How many episodes are left in Tell Me Lies Season 3?
There’s one thing everyone can agree on: how in the hell is Tell Me Lies Season 3 going to wrap up all of the plot threads in just one episode? Season 3 consists of eight episodes total, meaning there’s just the finale to go.
Concern has been exacerbated by the fact that showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer previously revealed that she envisioned Season 3 as the end of the story.
As House told The Direct in a recent interview, “You know, there’s always the chance that a show will create another season, and whether or not that happens, that remains to be seen for the audience.”
On the Season 3 Episode 7 thread, there’s been plenty of discussion about the finale, with one writing, “I have no idea where this show is going. I keep typing out theories and deleting because it’s like nah it can’t be that.
“What if the finale just shows us that all of them are very flawed but there’s levels to it lol.” Another said, “This needs to have one last season to wrap up everything. It’s impossible to do it with just Episode 8.”
“I genuinely can’t understand how they will wrap up the show in one episode,” added a third. “Like how? Shouldn’t there be at least two more episodes?”
On a more positive note, House did promise that the Season 3 finale will be satisfying for the fans. “I do feel that the story wraps up nicely and I think there is a bit of a feeling of closure with each character,” he told Just Jared.
“Whenever there’s one more episode to go for any show, there’s always a big worry, of course. You spend so much time with a show, you’re hoping that it wraps up. And I felt that it did. But you know, everyone always has a different opinion.”
Meanwhile, Lucy star Grace Van Patten told the Radio Times, “I think it’s a perfect ending.” Stephen star Jackson White added, “I thought it was quite satisfying.”
White elaborated, “I think it’s just appropriate, it’s in line with everything being set up. That could even be too much of a spoiler but it’s correct, it’s the correct ending and that’s what I knew immediately when reading it. I thought ‘this is the correct way to end this season absolutely’.”
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