Tell Me Lies Season 3, Episode 4 delivered a major hint about Stephen's true plan against Lucy after he was seen searching through Caitie Parker's social media page. Hulu's trending romance thriller mainly revolves around the twisted and obsessive relationship between Stephen and Lucy, and they can't seem to get away from each other, even though they are already seeing other people. The toxic push and pull between the pair is anchored by Stephen's manipulative personality and Lucy's vulnerability.
Tell Me Lies Season 3 saw Stephen and Lucy get back together, but they broke up after Lucy chose her friendship with Bree over him. The vicious cycle between them continued because Stephen chose to blackmail Lucy into admitting that she lied about Lydia's brother, Chris Montgomery, sexually assaulting her (for the uninitiated, Chris actually assaulted Pippa and not Lucy) via a confession video. Stephen's plan of torturing Lucy didn't stop there because he had another ace up his sleeve in the form of Caitie Parker.
Who Is Caitie Parker In Tell Me Lies?
Tell Me Lies Season 2 introduced Caitie Parker (Taia Sophia) as a student at Baird College who accused Chris, the brother of Lydia (who ended up with Stephen in the 2015 timeline), of sexual assault. In the show, Caitie's name is actually spelled Caitie, which is the less common variant.
While the ship sailed in Season 2 after a lack of evidence against Chris, Season 3 brought back Caitie in Episode 4 after the Dean's Office decided to reopen her case because they believed that Lucy's story could corroborate it.
However, Lucy had a dilemma in her hands. If she ends up telling the truth that Chris did not sexually assault her, then it would expose her lie, which was caught on tape by Stephen. Continuing the lie, though, meant that it could jeopardize Caitie's case because she was actually assaulted, unlike her. Lucy decided to step away for the meantime, but things only got worse when a Facebook group labeling Chris a rapist emerged online, listing both Caitie and Lucy as victims.
Realizing that she is being pulled deeper into a lie that only started because she was trying to help Pippa, Lucy confided in Diana (Stephen's ex) about her next steps involving Caitie's case against Chris. She told Diana about Stephen's manipulation and the recorded confession she had made, but Diana told her to do nothing in a sort of "wait and see" mode before making a move.
Amid the chaos, Stephen was seen snooping around on social media, and she ended up finding Caitie Parker's Facebook account, which appeared to create more ideas in his twisted mind.
So Why Is Stephen Searching Caitie Parker's Social Media Page?
Stephen is seen searching through Caitie Parker's social media page, and many have theorized that this is part of his escalating revenge and manipulation tactics against Lucy. Stephen probably realized that Caitie could be a crucial piece in the puzzle in his plan to set up Lucy's downfall.
Stephen clearly has sinister plans for Lucy, and he could use Caitie as a means of cementing his revenge. Based on the timeline of events, it's reasonable to assume that Stephen actually created the Facebook group, labeling Chris a rapist, to torment Lucy and blow up her life.
The timing of Stephen's Facebook search came after Diana rejected his involvement in her pregnancy, and this made him lose even more control. It's worth noting that Stephen has a confession video of Lucy admitting to her lie, which he can use at any time for blackmail.
There are massive ramifications for Lucy if her lie ends up being exposed because it would also affect Caitie, because the Dean's Office would also treat her as a liar. This could mean that Chris and his family could file a formal complaint against Lucy, which could lead to her potential expulsion from Baird College (unless Pippa steps in and saves her friend by admitting the truth).
All of this is part of Stephen's grand plan to "punish" Lucy for defying him and reassert his power after Diana rejected him as her baby's father. Stephen is a guy who wants to maintain control and dominance over others, which explains why he is obsessed with getting what he wants, no matter how twisted it gets.
As part of his long-term destruction plan, Stephen is also doing this to wreak havoc in Lucy's life, completely isolating her from her friend group so that he can keep her tied to him through guilt, fear, and consequences.
