Review: Lie to Me
Fox's new show "Lie to Me" is another spin on the ol' Psych/Mentalist observation highway. Tim Roth's character is an expert at facial tics and body movements and can tell if anyone is lying. He has used this skill to build his own rather impressive looking company and has high profile clientele and the ear of high ranking justice officials. And while he is able tell if anyone is lying, the key, as Kelli Williams's character explains to us, is finding out why they are lying.
The show is somewhat interesting (if the little factoids are indeed true) because it drops all sorts of little clues as to why someone is lying. In a lot of cases, it's a little too obvious but hey, it's network television not a documentary. Still, the idea that someone's nose really does itch when they lie or their hands get colder when they are about to flee is kind of neat.
Of course, you can't build a show around "kind of neat" and that's where "Lie to Me" gets into trouble. Trouble being a relative term because, for many people, all they want is a standard procedural and that's exactly what this is. EW's Ken Tucker put it best in his review: "Lie to Me is derivative yet well crafted, predictable yet ever-so-slightly novel."
But for people looking for a little more than the usual, the show struggles because it lacks a hook. Yes, the science is "neat" and sure, not everyone trusts Roth's character (he apparently ran into some trouble in the past) but he's a well-to-do big shot with a seemingly infallible talent who has enough people's ears that he can get what he wants. His character needs a fatal flaw or someone to play against. While I like Kelli Williams (best known for her days on "The Practice), her character is more like a Robin to his Batman than a Scully to his Mulder. There's no real conflict. They just go about their casework, utilizing their gift of observation as they please. The characters are so bland that I can't remember their names and wouldn't be surprised if most people referred to them as Mr. Orange and that lady from the Practice.
The more intriguing element, which they touch on a little bit, is life outside of work. We've seen what it's like to be a super-observant person in pursuit of a crime but what about when you're at home, on a date, watching a couple of friends talking? Can you turn it off? When do you tell someone that their loved one is lying to them? What do you do when you know your daughter's lying to you?
"Lie to Me" has promise but, if it was up to be, I'd focus more on how his ability is a gift in the workplace but an absolute curse in his personal life. I also wouldn't have him be so successful. He should be more of a broken soul. Have him be able to tell who is lying but not so good at finding out why. Give that ability to his partner. Let them butt heads. Make it a bit like Burn Notice meets Pushing Daisies. A guy has a gift but he needs to rely on his friends to help best utilize it.
This is exactly the kind of show that people should sit out the first season, wait to hear if it is any good, and if it is, netflix the first season in order to catch up before season 2 begins. The problem with that, of course, is that if everyone sits out season 1, the ratings won't be good enough to merit a season 2. Oh well. It's hard to get bent out of shape by the possible cancellation of yet another formulaic crime show.
