Fans Noticed Stephen & Leo's Matching Rose Tattoos In Tell Me Lies
What does it mean???
The Tell Me Lies universe just keeps getting more convoluted. In Season 2, fans noticed that two unlikely characters had matching tattoos. Both Stephen (played by Jackson White) and Leo (played by Thomas Doherty) had small rose tattoos behind their ears. Rose tattoos aren’t exactly uncommon, but it doesn’t seem like this detail was coincidental. Plus, Episode 6 started with “Roses” by the Chainsmokers, hinting at the tattoo’s importance. (Not to mention, Season 1 showed Stephen drawing roses for both Lucy and Macy.)
Fans who spotted the matching rose tats have plenty of theories about what this could mean. A little reminder: Lucy (played by Grace Van Patten) was dating Leo and seemingly moving on from her toxic connection with Stephen. But then Stephen revealed that Leo’s ex-girlfriend cheated on him... with Stephen. What followed was a drunken confrontation that resulted in Lucy and Leo breaking up. But could there be more to the story between Stephen and Leo? On TikTok, fans think that the matching rose tattoos signify a deeper connection between the two characters.
On Reddit, fans have been theorizing about the tattoos’ meaning. “something is telling me they are closer friends than they are saying or were,” one guessed. Another wrote, “Leo and Stephen probably have history. Good friends then a falling out or something.”
Some TikTokers think that the matching ink could hint at Leo and Stephen being family, especially considering what the show has already revealed about Stephen’s father. One commented on TikTok, “I think they’re stepbrothers!! Stephen’s dad has a whole additional family!! What if his dad’s last name is Rose or something 👀👀👀.” Another guessed, “Doesn’t Stephen’s Dad have like another whole family ? I’ll have to go back and watch the first season but maybe [Leo is] his half brother?”
Others pointed out that this isn’t the only thing tying Leo and Stephen together. On Reddit, one fan wrote, “Leo also has the same S (superman S) on his dorm door as Stephen had in season 1.” This could speak to another theory posited by fans: Could Leo and Stephen have been roommates freshman year? “[It] would explain the cheating because Stephen was so close with the ex,” one TikToker guessed.
Here’s hoping the remainder of Season 2 answers some of these questions.
