On review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes,
Tell Me You Love Me has an approval score of 62% based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10.
The Washington Posts
Tom Shales called the series "not only more provocative than any of the broadcast networks' new fall shows, but also more sophisticated -- even than those shows that aspire to be 'adult.'"
Maureen Ryan of the
Chicago Tribune said, "'Tell Me' does something that we rely on TV at its best — and HBO at its best — to do: Explore something interesting about the human condition, through stories and characters that are specific and memorable."
Frazier Moore of the
Associated Press said: "'Tell Me' is nothing if not finely wrought and nuanced, shifting between its parallel narratives (each couple seeing Dr. Foster has minimal contact or awareness of the others in this Southern California community) as the universal issues at the series' heart unfold at their natural pace."
Times
James Poniewozik named it one of the Top 10 New TV Series of 2007, ranking it at No. 3. Writing for
The New Yorker, Nancy Franklin said "
Tell Me has its flaws, but it's very watchable (and not merely because it’s arousing); its aim is to show you what committed relationships feel like, and how they work, and how strange and fragile and complicated they are."
Alessandra Stanley of
The New York Times said "the series is bold in its candor and unhurried attention to detail, but not quite brave enough to lay bare the bleakest, pettiest injuries that can scar a marriage." Critics praised the series' realistic and honest depiction of sex, with Abele saying "these scenes practically force us to realize how often sexuality in movies and television acts as a titillating diversion devoid of its own character-enriching qualities." and Abele wrote "Scott's Palek, in particular, is a quiet marvel of suppressed selfishness". and commented on how the characters are unlikable.
Mary McNamara of the
Los Angeles Times said the show lacks "a sense of humor and a certain level of humility." Writing for
Entertainment Weekly,
Gillian Flynn said, "Tell Me is an incisive drama, but it's not an easy commitment."
David Bianculli of the
NY Daily News said, "Whether you wish to commit to 'Tell Me' on a weekly basis may depend upon your tolerance for, or personal experience with, infidelity, infertility and incompatibility. These couples' stories, though, are told very well. Come for the sex, if you must, but stay for the honesty."
Vulture ranked
Tell Me You Love Me at No. 35 in its list "Every HBO Show, Ranked", commenting, "The show now seems like a precursor to
In Treatment and
Togetherness, and perhaps better than both in its frankness."
Ratings The first episode of the show only attracted a total of about 910,000 viewers—far fewer than what the network had been pulling in for previous series such as
Rome,
Deadwood, and even the ill-fated
John from Cincinnati. A month after its debut, HBO claimed the show had drawn a total of 3.1 million viewers across seven broadcasts. ==Home media==