Tell Me Lies Has Television’s Scariest Villain in Stephen DeMarco

Every show needs a villain, right?

Well, maybe not every show, but there’s always some positioned against the protagonist, because drama drives television forward.

Most television villains are obvious, as they’re tyrants, killers, or imposing masterminds. But occasionally, there’s a villain that’s none of those things, and yet even more disturbing because of that.

Tell Me Lies is one of those unique shows that doesn’t have a singular bad person; every single character has flaws, though you could obviously argue some more than others.

Bree is far from perfect, but there’s an earnestness about her, especially as it relates to her friendships, that’s endearing and thus makes her someone you find yourself rooting for.

The same could be said for Wrigley, someone who has made countless mistakes, but also has an inherent softness about him that makes it hard to dislike him.

But then you have Lucy, who’s had a rollercoaster of a time both in the past and in the series’ present timeline, though it’d be naïve to blame everything that’s happened to her on other people.

She’s made decisions that have hurt others, and her actions have caused distress, so she’s not a wholly innocent party and purely at the whim of Stephen DeMarco’s sociopathic tendencies.

And make no mistake, Stephen DeMarco exhibits sociopathic behaviors.

What’s scary about Stephen is how easily he weaponizes and manipulates those around him. Yet, these same people seem unable to escape him, as evidenced by his very inclusion in Evan and Bree’s wedding some years after their college days had ended.

He weaponizes intimacy and vulnerability, always striving to paint himself as the victim and on a moral high ground that his supposed friends simply have no way of ever reaching.

His relationship with Lucy, which is at the heart of the series, is off-putting, but even more than that, it’s poisonous. They’re in a vicious cycle of co-dependency, mixed with disdain and entitlement.

Stephen has latched onto Lucy in a way that has slowly ripped her apart, all while hiding behind this veil of flawed morality. In placing an ultimatum on Lucy to choose him over her friendship with Bree, he paints a picture that he’s the more aggrieved party and thus deserves to be chosen.

The actuality is that he tried to manipulate Lucy solely to lower her self-esteem further, drive her away from her closest relationship, and closer to him so he could have her alone and isolated to be what he wants her to be.

It’s sick and gross. It’s Stephen DeMarco.

He doesn’t explode, yell, or go break things. Stephen DeMarco erodes your spirit with petty insults and tactile moves meant to both humble you and remind you that your worth is conditional, always subject to his approval.

He thrives in the chaos of manipulation, and in many ways, that’s one of the scariest things on this planet because Stephen wants to inflict long-term harm on you, making sure you know that no matter what may happen in your life, Stephen DeMarco was better than you.

Tell Me Lies places Stephen in a position where not only is he becoming increasingly evil, but he’s running further and further from accountability, another sign of a supervillain.

And unfortunately, there’s a lot of relatability in that.

There’s a lot of relatability in seeing someone manipulate situations to try to get ahead in all aspects of life. That’s not only something we see across various television shows, but something you can see in your everyday life.

Psychological and emotional abuse can’t always be quantified into specific things, as it looks different everywhere, but you can spot a manipulator, and that’s what Stephen does best.

And because it’s this tangible thing that people have either experienced firsthand or witnessed, it makes Stephen feel even more terrifyingly real.

Stephen isn’t a cartoonish villain, one who does these super outlandish things that are theatrically cruel or loud. He knows how to portray himself as just wounded enough to garner sympathy from the people around him, or guilt them enough to maintain a certain level of control still.

By the time people realize what Stepeh takes from them, he’s already on to his next victim.

This is why Stephen DeMarco is the biggest villain on television.

It’s not only because he’s singularly monstrous, but because he’s someone familiar. He reflects a kind of harm that lives and breathes quietly, but is wholly dangerous.

He rarely faces any consequences, which only spurs him on each season to push and push even further to hurt people simply because he can.

Tell Me Lies isn’t building toward Stephen’s defeat, though. Instead, they’re tasking us with recognizing him and his horrible brand of villainy.

That recognition is much more unsettling than a dramatic downfall would be, and places him at the top of the most terrifying villains out there.

Are there any Tell Me Lies fans out there?

What are your thoughts on the infamous Stephen DeMarco?

Let us know in the comments how you’re feeling about his turn this season, and what you’re expecting from the rest of this season.

It’s off to a wild start!

You can watch Tell Me Lies on Hulu. New episodes air on Tuesdays.