Lie to Me

Everybody Lies. But not everybody can do it well.

Tim Roth comes alive with his role of Dr. Cal Lightman in Fox’s new(ish) drama “Lie to me.” Directed by Samuel Baum, I thought this show was going to be another one of those “Fox-wants-to-put-another-drama-on-tv-might-as-well-make-it-about-cops” kind of deals. I was kind of right, but also quite wrong.

Lie to me is another show where one party dies, and then another party tries to figure out whodunnit. HOWEVER [comma] it is not necessarily a cop show. It does involve law enforcement, but only as a segue, or possibly an introduction for Dr. Lightman and his company, The Lightman Group. Dr. Lightman is what some might call a superhero. Others might call him a fleshborn polygraph. The more standard human being might call him a human lie detector. Dr. Lightman can tell if your lying by the most subtle of actions. From a lip twitch, to an elbow jerk, to an imbalance in facial expressions. He finds out what you’re saying, before you even have to say it.

This show is delightfully entertaining, but almost terrifyingly honest. Most of the tweaks that Dr. Lightman find to detect a lie can be stopped by conscious effort. If these tweaks are true, which they might be, isn’t fox just presenting a how-to guide for criminals to lie there way out of the system? Or are they presenting an educational pamphlet for justice to determine the truthful from the not?

Whatever the case, it’s a good show. From the ever-brilliant Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth), to the quite attractive Ria Torres (Monica Raymund), to the always brutally honest Eli Loker (Brendan Hines), this cast will keep you entertained for the entire hour, except for the commercials. But who can complain about commercials? They are quite nice sometimes. Provide the excellent bathroom break! Or maybe some time to get chips. I could go for some chips right now. Salt and Vinegar. Maybe barbecue. OO. That sounds good. I want barbecue. Ribs. Full-rack. Yum.

Anyway…

If you get the chance, watch Lie to Me. It is a great show, and keeps you guessing up till the very end. Great acting, great writing, and great directing. If you miss it on TV, watch in on Fox.com. It’s all good.

Logan