Lie To Me - season 1

re: Lie To Me - season 1

It will be hard to see Tim Roth as a good guy. He always plays the bad guy.

re: Lie To Me - season 1

Yeah, but I thought much the same about The Ghost Whisperer (which I also has one of the dumbest series names in the history of television) and Numbers. But the fact is that any series can succeed, regardless of the basic concept, if the characters are strong, the acting good and the actual story-telling up to snuff. Even the Sherlock Holmes stories didn't always have the most intriguing mysteries, and they soon developed a very rigid formula, but the compelling character of Holmes and his relationship with Watson kept people coming back. I'll give Lie to Me a Shot despite any doubts, because I've been proven wrong before.

Regards,

Joe

re: Lie To Me - season 1

Joe, you are right. I watched "The Mentalist" with little hope that it would be good. And I am glad I was wrong. The writing and acting are excellent.

re: Lie To Me - season 1

I'll give it a shot just for Roth and the girl from The Practice.

re: Lie To Me - season 1

I've already seen the pilot.
When the show airs tonight, I'll give my comments.

re: Lie To Me - season 1

Looks kind of like a Mentalist and Psych show. I might DVR the first episode and see how I like it. Not a big fan of Tim Roth though.

re: Lie To Me - season 1

Meh.

There are so many of these Sherlock Holmesian shows lately - Psych, The Mentalist...even House (whose favorite phrase is "everyone lies").

Kelli is lookin' real good. Tim Roth is good. It was ok.

If it didn't have the timeslot it has, I'd say it was destined for the pile. But, it'll probably last a bit. Maybe I'll check it out once in a while.

re: Lie To Me - season 1

I liked it, though I thought that it was just a little predictable in the first episode, both with the Congressman and the main case. I'll keep watching for another episode or two to see if that changes.

(I thought the same thing about The Mentalist for example, and that's gotten much better than that first episode.)

re: Lie To Me - season 1

Can someone give me a little idea of what the pilot was about. I read somewhere that it involved Jehovah's witnesses and I'm curious as to how they handled that whole situation (I have family members who are witnesses).

re: Lie To Me - season 1

There was nothing terribly specific to the Witnesses in the episode. Bascially the family was the standard Hollywood version (or cliche ) of any fairly conservative religious group. "Jehovah's Witness" was just plot shorthand for "somewhat insular, sexually repressed, and suspicious of the values of outsiders." They didn't get into theology, beliefs or even evangelization.

The boy suspected of murder and his family could have been Hassidic Jews, Mormons, conservative Catholics, Muslims or any number of Protestant denominations and it would have made zero difference to the story. I guess most of those groups have been overused, so the Witnesses seemed like a novelty to somebody. The main thing was that the subject's sexual guilt was misread for something else. (This also ressonated with the plot of the "B" story, which hinged on a congressman who lied about not having sex with a prostitute.)

I liked the show. Most pilots aren't as good as the subsequent series. How could they be? They are basically shakedown cruises for the whole project. Part of the point of making a pilot is to sell the show, but another is to work some of the bugs out. Everybody learns a lot about making a show, the characters, what works in terms of costume and makeup the first time it goes "from page to stage". And then they go on learning as they do more episodes. That's one reason networks often air the third or fourth episode shot in a season early on, even before the pilot in a show that doesn't do a lot of continuity, in order to grab the audience with the stronger shows up front. Most shows don't really "hit their stride" until the second or third season for this very reason.

I thought Roth was good and his partner is very appealing. The newbie is a good stand-in for the audience, always asking the questions we would ask. After watching the first one, I don't think there's that much danger of things getting stale quickly. The range of things his talents can be applied to is too broad (it doesn't all have to be criminal investigation after all, which is one advantage the show has over the more straight-forward police procedurals it resembles.) Again, as long as the cast is appealing, and the characters and their relationships are interesting, the specifics of the plot tend to be less so. I don't remember too many specific events that took place at the Ponderosa or in Virginia City, but I do know I liked spending time with the Cartwright boys.

My only problem now is that this show conflicts with two others I'm already recording, which means I'll actually have to watch it live.

Regards,

Joe

re: Lie To Me - season 1

Great show. Not as good as The Mentalist though.

re: Lie To Me - season 1

I've liked the past 2 episodes. A bit predictable, yes but willing to give it more of a chance. And I like Tim Roth.

re: Lie To Me - season 1

I still like Roth, still like Kelli. Next week is the sweeps episode I believe so I'll see what they can bring to the table.

re: Lie To Me - season 1

I've enjoyed both episodes so far as well. I don't realloy care how long the premise will remain entertaining as long as it is entertaining for as long as it lasts. It's nice to see Kelli again. I don't think I've seen her since The Practice.

Re: Lie To Me - season 1

While i'm liking the show their constant observations of the facial contortions of everyone they encounter is beginning to cross the line from detecting lies to out right paranoia lol.

It's also becoming just a tad irritating, every five minutes we're treated to a close-up of someone's eye, mouth, hand etc.

Another thing is clear, none of these people will ever be able to be in a relationship with anyone, their constant calling out of people's emotions will get them severly smacked in the face eventually lol.

Re: Lie To Me - season 1

This is not quite true of course. In the first episode, they established that the husband of Kelli Williams' character was lying to her (for whatever reason), but Roth kept it to himself, and in the latest episode, Roth's daughter was caught lying several times, but again Roth kept quiet until she got in trouble. It was interesting when it was revealed to the daughter that Roth knew that she was not being completely honest, but didn't call her out on every lie because he knew he would definitely "lose her." It humanizes the character and makes him more like a regular parent, who has an idea their kid is up to something, but let's them make their own choices and mistakes.

The characters are more down to earth than say, on House. I'm really enjoying the show much more than the Mentalist, which had a terrible pilot. I also like the structure of two cases per episode. It allows different characters to pair up each epsiode and greater chances to explore their relationship dynamics.

Re: Lie To Me - season 1

I'm definitely liking the show.

Re: Lie To Me - season 1

I was not familiar with Kelli Williams prior to this show, but I really like her in Lie to Me. Her character is interesting (does she not see her husban is lying, or has she chosen to ignore it?) and she makes a nice contrast to Roth. The fact that she also reminds me in different ways of both Kirsten Dunst and Maggie Gyllenhaal doesn't hurt.

Regards,

Joe

Re: Lie To Me - season 1

Kelli was on "The Practice" for pretty much that entire show's run. She was also on "Medical Investigation" (along with Neal McDonough) a couple of years ago .... it only lasted one season, but I thought it was an overlooked show. Kind of like "House" but on a national level (they worked for the CDC ....)

Re: Lie To Me - season 1

I really liked her on The Practice. I didn't know she was on MI, so I thought she'd pretty much dropped out of sight until now. Which for me, she had. Anyway, it's good that she's back in my living room.

Re: Lie To Me - season 1

Let me give this show the kiss of death. I like it. I also liked MY OWN WORST ENEMY, and I did in that show after its thirteen episode run.

Tim Roth nails the part of Cal. He needs to be a good actor because his appearance makes Dustin Hoffman look like Troy Donahue.

I have to listen carefully because his Cockney accent makes it hard to keep up. The film editors could help because when he and the other characters turn away from the camera and speak it is hard to understand. A quick playback helps, but it shouldn't be necessary.

The characters are defined and maybe a bit like comic book heroes. Cal is Mensa smart and has trained himself to read body language intuitively. He demonstrates that there is more to being a detective than to just read a series of expressions. He often attempts to elicit a response to test a hypothesis. Cal has divorced himself from being moralistic about the issue of "truth" and "lies". All of his readings are little pieces to a puzzle that he has to construct to complete the job he has been hired to do. In his persodnal dealings with employees and family he often will not reveal all that he knows. It is suggested that in future shows, there will be issues that are hurtful to his friends that he has seen all along, but decided not to espose out of respect.

Gillian, his top hand, is almost as quick as Cal and compliments his interrorgations - often playing the good cop bad cop routine. She is protected and guarded by Cal, especially when he gives her grief when she dines on her favorite junk food. Yet she has a blind spot when it comes to her husband who is lying to her. Cal judiciously abstains from pointing out an observation that should be obvious to her. This is a plot point that will be developed as the show evolves. One observation on Gillian's interplay with her "show" husband is when he leaves her office. She pinches his upper arm and scratches his back as he leaves. The web site has a very interesting discussion on this issue regarding President Obama and his touching of VP Biden and others. It is a show of dominance and gesture meaning to knock it off. Gillians's hasband has made some lame excuse about being late, working, etc. and Gillian gives him this touch, as if to say "I know a bs line and there will come a day of recogning".

Eli has been on hand before the next character Ria was added. He is the stereotype gopher who can do many things, but again is not yet Cal of Gillian. He can be obnoxious, but is disarming because he is an irritatingly frank. Asked why he is late to work he honestly answers that he got drunk and was distracted by a hot news anchor on CNN. Another time he admits to Ria that he has never been with a Latin girl. Ria rolls her eyes, but Eli doesn't do anything more -at this time- to act on his libido.

Ria is a natural "reader" that we learn makes Cal jealous. He is wise enough to know that she will be a valuable employee and should not let his ego stand in the way of the job she can do. Whereas Cal can maintain a deadpan expression when dealing with friends and his subjects, Ria can't understand how he can ignore lies and deceipt that are screaming out to her. She has a chip on her shoulder and it will be interesting to watch her character grow and lean to feel appreciated even when Cal and Eli do things to exasperate her.

The show and concept has plenty of fodder to keep me entertained. Hopefully the audience will not be as daft as the bureaucrats who Cal and his crew embarrass in each episode.

Re: Lie To Me - season 1

I enjoy the show. But, it's kinda of annoying with Gillian and her cheating husband. I can't read faces and I know he is cheating. Ashley, I read your info from the website about this. And I would agree that she knows. But.....Then the scene from the last episode kinda of makes me think she doesn't know. It was the scene at the end where she was going to make him a dinner to apologize for not getting out of the building. I really think she is blinded by her love for him. Which, would be interesting since her job is to see liars.

Re: Lie To Me - season 1

The writers can go in several directions with Gillian. They may play it that she is in denial and is using an ego defense mechanism to not confront the fact. It could develop that her subconscious is aware of the lies and that is the reason for the grips on the arm and back. It would be interesting for Cal to expound on how/if we erect these defenses to "lie" to ourselves about unpleasant realities.

Re: Lie To Me - season 1

That would be fine. As long as they don't drag it out for too long.

Re: Lie To Me - season 1

Last night I watched the interview that Paul Ekman - Cal Lightman's alter ego - gave five years ago. It was very enlightening about the path he took to his study of facial expressions. It is no surprise that he has advanced degrees in psychology. One thing surprised me when late in the interview he stated that he would like to spend time in the study of handwriting analysis. He said he always felt there was something there. I was surprised, not that he believed that, but that after his long career he had not already studied the dicipline. One of my first thoughts into the first show was that a staff handwriting graphoanalyst would me an annitional benefit. As Ekman and Lightman state, they know what an expression means, but they do not know what elicits it. The discovery and explanation comes for their detective work into the background of the subject. A handwriting analyst could give them a few more pieces to the puzzle and help focus the direction of investigation.

Of course on a TV show it may be one more piece that gives the illusion that everything can be tied up in 46 minutes.