Alicia Crowder’s portrayal of Diana has become a fan favorite for her character’s intelligence and strategic thinking. In the Season 2 finale, viewers discovered that Diana had been playing a long game against her toxic boyfriend Stephen (Jackson White) . After discovering incriminating photos on Stephen’s laptop linking him to Macy’s death, Diana realized she was dealing with “an extremely dangerous person” .
Rather than confronting him directly, Diana orchestrated an elaborate scheme: she pretended to fail her LSATs, manufactured a falling out with her wealthy father, and made herself appear financially destitute . This performance convinced Stephen she had lost her value to him, leading him to break up with her—exactly as Diana had planned . Crowder explained to TheWrap that Diana understood Stephen “would definitely try to ruin her” if she attempted a normal breakup, so she had to “play it really safe and smart and do the long game” .
Season 3: Pregnancy and Confrontation
In Season 3, Diana’s storyline took an even more dramatic turn. Episode 4 revealed Diana was pregnant with Stephen’s baby and had already scheduled an abortion without telling him . When Stephen discovered this through campus gossip and confronted her, Diana delivered one of the most unforgettable lines in the series: “I am so excited to abort your baby. It’s gonna be the highlight of my year. I can’t fucking wait” .
Showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer revealed that this line faced pushback from some readers, but the writers fought to keep it . Alicia Crowder described the moment as “extremely cathartic” for Diana, though she noted her character immediately regretted provoking someone as vengeful as Stephen . Crowder told Decider that Diana knows “no matter what, it’s going to backfire. If anyone can hurt you more than you have hurt them, it’s Stephen” .
The Aftermath: Stephen’s Revenge
That backfire came quickly. In Episode 5, after Diana’s devastating confrontation, Stephen retaliated by gathering old intimate photos of Diana and preparing to send them via email . While the recipients remain unclear, Oppenheimer described Stephen’s actions as “nasty” and “horrible,” driven by his rage at losing control over Diana . Crowder told Teen Vogue that Diana’s choice felt “true to her character” because she is “so focused on her future and her education and her career” .
Diana and Pippa’s Relationship
Amidst the Stephen drama, Season 3 also developed Diana’s secret relationship with Pippa (Sonia Mena) . Crowder described their connection as “a really beautiful, very wholesome relationship” that provides contrast to the show’s typical toxicity . She noted that Diana likely never questioned her sexuality before Pippa, and coming from a conservative family, this journey is “deeply confusing for her” .
About Alicia Crowder
A Juilliard drama division graduate, Crowder previously appeared in Netflix’s “The Society” (2019) and “Instinct” before landing her breakout role as Diana . Her character has been described as “confident,” “poised,” and possessing an “Audrey Hepburn air” .
While the specific “bent over desk” scene you asked about doesn’t appear in available records, Diana’s journey across both seasons showcases Alicia Crowder’s compelling performance as a woman who ultimately outsmarts one of television’s most manipulative characters.