Lie To Me 305

This is one of the shows that I watch but usually don't enjoy. It has a pretty compelling premise but mostly fails to deliver. Some week's bring with them good episodes, but most are forgettable. Loosely based on the life and work of renowned psychologist Paul Eckman, Lie to Me follows the story of Cal Lightman. A renegade academic possessing a practical superpower in his ability to read people's minds through their microexpressions, Lightman heads a highly regarded consultancy firm. The show seems to want to be intelligent more than it tries to be intelligent, with the result that it often appears cartoonish.

The show has what I call 'character deficiency', meaning that it has not created characters strong enough for character-driven TV. A fact that seems to elude the writers. Again, some episode's are worse than others. This week was mostly free of the overwrought character bullshit. Lightman is meant to be a complex character, but it is plain to see that he is not. A fierce independent with a reckless disposition, Lightman is professionally blessed but personally cursed with the ability to see everything. (House rip off?) It is a nice commentary on the dichotomy of human psychology but as a theme it wears thin. Ironically, it is the mostly unexplored side characters, Loker and Torres, who have personae compelling enough to merit exhibition. The show spends too much time developing the convoluted side plots of the Lightman Group's clients instead of playing to its strengths and revolving around its worthy premise. Namely, the potential application of a thorough scientific analysis of subtle and involuntary human behavior - the complete quantification of muscle responses - the methods there involved, and its broader social implications.

I do have a point of praise for this show and that is with regard to its cinematography. I am impressed each week - this week included - with the artistic and inventive methods and perspectives used to not just capture a scene but a place of mind. That is probably what I enjoy most about the show, unexpected as it is. All told, this week's episode was decent.

Episode Rating:
5 (Average Quality TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"The more we talk the colder America gets, yellowbird." - Darryl