The underrated TV showLie To Mestarred Tim Roth as the fictional deception expert Cal Lightman, who has a murky past, contempt for the FBI, and a talent for reading facial expressions. This science of “microexpressions” forms the central plot throughout the show’s first two seasons. ThoughLie To Mediffers from most crime dramas, it was marketed similarly to police proceduralshows likeCriminal Minds, which did not do its premise justice. Season 1 ofLie To Memay not have thrilled critics, who gave it a 63% Rotten Tomatoes rating, but audiences were impressed, rating it 88%.
Lie To Mefollows Cal’s deception-detecting agency, The Lightman Group, and its employees as they analyze a different situation in each episode. These range from interviewing politicians to catching active serial killers. Cal has a murky past, a rebellious employee, and an inquisitive teenage daughter, and many of the characters find themselves in dangerous situations. With its kidnappings and assassinations,Lie To Meoften felt like a thrillerwhen watching some of the most suspenseful episodes.Lie To Mewas canceled abruptly after its third season aired, leaving a cliffhanger ending and space fora much-neededLie To Merevival.
A Lie To Me Reboot Would Perfectly Fit Today’s True Crime Popularity
The Unusual Character Dynamic Makes Lie To Me Different From Other True Crime Shows
Lie To Meshares its themes and factual basis with many successful true-crime shows.Lie To Meepisodes often feature serial killers and psychopaths, and the series is based on a real person’s work. The psychologist Paul Ekman inspired the series and worked as a consultant. True crime is a popular genre, andaLie To Mereboot would be perfect for modern true crime fans. It hasa simple crime show formula, the “real life” elements of a documentary, and the compelling characters of a drama while adding a unique twist to true crime.
10 Best True Crime TV Shows, Ranked
True crime has always been a popular genre for TV shows and movies, but what are the best true crime shows that dramatize the source stories?
The main characters inLie To Meare deception expertsrather than crime scene investigators, which makes it very difficult for them to lie to each other. This gives them an extremely different dynamic from the characters in most other true crime shows. Cal is arrogant but loyal, with a dark history that slowly unravels throughoutLie To Me, and his employees include a psychologist, an FBI agent, and a man practicing “radical honesty” by refusing to lie, ever. This core cast was also unusual compared to many popular TV dramas in the late 2000s.
Lie To Me Featured Women In Many Different Roles
While the core cast of more modernTV shows likeHow To Get Away With Murderfeature even broader diversity,Lie To Meis still surprisingly ahead of its time. The main characters include a Black man and two women, one of whom is Latina, all holding positions of power and respect. ManyLie To Meepisodes acknowledge differences in cultural normsand inbuilt prejudices, which was extremely rare for a show from 2009. Rarer still,Lie To Mecast the deaf actress Shoshannah Stern in season 3 and appeared ready to make her a regular before the show’s cancelation.
Lie To Meregularly showed women in positions of power.
Lie To Meregularly showed women in positions of power, with storylines that did not always revolve around the male cast members. Cal’s business partner, Gillian, is a dress-wearing, romance novel-reading psychologist who often notices details that Cal doesn’t. The Lightman Group’s newest recruit, Ria Torres, is a Latina woman with a natural ability to detect deception. Even characters that appear in single episodes are presented as complex and nuanced, rarely conforming to stereotypes. However,asLie To Meprogressed, it began to fall into the same traps as other popular series, overlooking female and minority characters' plot arcs.
A Lie To Me Reboot Could Fix The Flaws Of The Original
Lie To Me Wasted One Of Its Most Interesting Characters
A reboot could do justice to overlooked characters that perhaps didn’t get as much attention as they should have. Mekhi Phifer’s Agent Ben Reynolds exemplifies that, as Ben’s main storyline elaborated on his backstory but was later abandoned. There’s also the matter of Ria;Lie To Mebriefly looked as though it would becomea show with a well-written LGBTQ+ characterwhen Ria mentioned a previous same-sex relationship. However, she later described it as “a phase,” making the detail irrelevant and seemingly added for shock value.ALie To Mereboot making Ria bisexual would bring much-needed positive representationfor the often-overlooked bisexual community.
One ofLie To Me’s most interesting characters was Eli Loker, who began the show refusing to lie under any circumstances. His self-imposed policy was repeatedly challenged, with Eli eventually lying to protect Gillian. This episode should have been a turning point for his character, butLie To Mefocused on Eli’s potential romance with Ria.Lie To Memissed the opportunity to create a strong platonic friendship between the two, which is still a rarity for shows today.ALie To Mereboot should revisit Eli’s “radical honesty” policyand strengthen his friendship with Ria.
What A Lie To Me Reboot Would Look Like
Emily Lightman Could Take Over The Lightman Group
If the cast were to return for aLie To Mereboot, the show would need to update some key elements that have aged sinceLie To Mefirst aired. A reboot would need to ensure that the characters of color are not just seen but developed, and that the female characters have storylines outside cliché romances. If Eli is to remain inLie To Me, his tension with Cal must be resolved. This is essential becauseaLie To Mereboot would need a significant time jumpto account for Emily Lightman actress, Hayley McFarland, growing to adulthood.
1
2009
11.06
63%
88%
2
7.39
-
84%
3
2010
6.71
86%
ALie To Memoviecould be a compelling thriller, buta reboot could explore other possibilities. If Tim Roth did not return to play Cal, Ria could take over The Lightman Group, becoming the main character and resident deception expert. Ria also has a dark past which could catch up with her. Another option is for Cal’s daughter, Emily, to take over (or even inherit) the business. If Cal was dead or in prison, this would give aLie To Mereboot a mystery to feature while bringing the focus back to the lies people tell.
Lie to Me
Cast
Starring Tim Roth as Dr. Cal Lightman, Lie to Me explores Lightman and his associates as they use the study of applied psychology and body language to help solve crimes for local and federal law enforcement. The series explores Lightman’s work and personal life, as well as those of his colleagues.
