Everybody lies

posted on Wednesday, April, 7th, 2010 in current obsessions, moving pictures

So I’ve got a new obsession.

No surprise there, really. From watching the first promo for this show on german tv I kinda knew I would end up liking it. And after I actually saw the first 2 episodes I knew I would have to get my hands on all the available ones in english.

I have watched them all pretty much straight through in 2 days (yes, I have no life). And now I am chomping at the bit to get to see more and pissed off that it will take until June (June!! WTF?) for the series to return to american television.

Why do I always have to stumble on a great new show when they are either on hiatus or on the verge of getting cancelled (or both)? I mean, I am all for german tv picking up current shows (like they did with Castle) and not waiting, like they used to, for years to actually show them (like they did with Firefly, which aired in Germany more than 5 years after its cancellation). In some cases I’d just like to find a show only after there are already 4 full seasons available, because then the catching up is so much more fun.

Anyway, at least I know that I can look forward to 12 new episodes of Lie To Me and I can still hold out a bit of hope that there will actually be a third season next year, even though it doesn’t look too good right now.

So, why am I so fascinated by this show?

Well, it’s actually 2 things:

Firstly, it’s a show about lying and about how to spot liars and the tagline of it might just as well be “Everybody Lies”, if that one wasn’t already taken. It’s just fascinating to watch how the team exposes all kinds of lies in other people, but at the same time some of them (namely Lightman himself) get away with the most preposterous lies, because they just know how to lie better.

It’s also interesting to know that most of the stuff they use in the show is based on actual scientific research and the character of Cal Lightman ist based on the real scientist Paul Ekman. Of course, a lot of it is dumbed down for the general audience, but it’s still close enough to the truth to be fascinating.

And speaking of fascinating, my second reason is of course Tim Roth. Since I watch a lot of movies I had obviously heard the name before, but I had never consciously noticed him in anything before, even though I do know some of the movies he was in.

From where I stand now I am absolutely flabbergasted how this guy could not pop up on my radar for so long. To say that I find him brilliant would be pretty much the understatement of the year. You know how I always rave about Hugh Laurie being one of my most adored actors ever? Well, Tim Roth is now standing right beside Hugh on that pedestal in my mind. Considering that the characters of Cal Lightman and Greg House share a lot of traits that’s probably fitting.

The upside is, now I can look forward to watch (or in some cases re-watch) dozens of movies Tim was in, which should be a treat. Maybe that will tide me over until June.

One other thing I love about Lie To Me is that Tim was allowed to keep his adorable english accent. It is so refreshing seeing a british actor on an american tv show actually walking around calling everybody “luv” and “mate”. I wish Hugh Laurie would have been allowed to do that on House as well.

But of course the show does not exclusively revolve around Cal Lightman (not that I would mind). There is also the rest of his team:

Dr. Gillian Foster, Cal’s business partner and closest friend. She has a tendency to mother other people, especially Cal, which can sometimes be a bit grating. But she’s also very much on his level, professionally, so there is a lot of mutual respect between the two of them. In season 1 she and Cal were strictly friends, because Gillian was married, but since she got divorced in season 2, the writers do seem to think about starting a relationship between them. I hope they don’t, because I liked their friendship so much more.

Ria Torres, the newbie on the team and a natural when it comes to spotting lies (whereas the rest of the team had to actually study to achieve their kind of insightfulness). She definitely has some issues and still has to learn not to constantly overstep boundaries, but her clashes with Lighhtman are always entertaining to watch.

Eli Loker, one of the younger scientists in the Lightman Group. He starts out as a compulsive truth teller in season 1, but pretty soon gets derailed by real life and ends up having to choose between getting fired or staying on as an unpaid intern. Not really sure if I like the direction they have taken him in, but I do still like the character.

Ben Reynolds, a new addition to the team at the end of season 1. He is an FBI agent and was introduced as somebody who can liaise with the law enforcment when it’s necessary. He’s also good to have around when things get dangerous, because the scientists are all not exactly well-equipped to deal with things like that (which I find hilarious).

Then there’s Emily Lightman, Cal’s teenage daughter. Surprisingly (considering I don’t really care much for children and teenies on tv) she has developed into the second really likeable and completely not-annoying teens on tv (the other one is Alexis Castle on Castle). I love the relationship she has with her father.

You really wouldn’t wanna play poker with these guys.

It’s nice to have a show where I like pretty much the whole cast. On most shows there are at least one or two characters that totally get on my nerves. But of course the main draw for me is Tim Roth.

Cal Lightman is such a delightful character to watch. He is not quite as intentionally rude as Greg House, but still has a tendency to be very direct and not care the least bit if he pisses people off. And he can lie like nobody’s business, which is a trait I always admired.

Another thing that I find adorable is probably less Cal and more Tim. Look at that promo pic:

It’s probably not the best example, but it’s the best picture I have to make my point. Notice how everyone stands or sits in a really artificial posture? Except Cal. He slouches.

The character does that a lot in the show, but I also noticed Tim doing it in interviews and such. Now, there’s nothing inherently sexy in having a bad posture. But I love the fact that he is so incredibly comfortable in his own skin and just doesn’t give a damn about what it looks like to other people. Besides, I do the exact same thing all the time – only I wouldn’t be self-confident enough to do it while I’m on camera.