Customer Reviews

Lie to Me Season 2 [HD]

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a great series based on a fun idea. The main character, played by Tim Roth, is a man who has made a study of honesty and the psychological indicators of lying. He has taken the art to such heights he creates an agency that performs this feat on a regular basis for clients of all types. It is a fascinating premise and the writers exploit the idea to maximum effect. The supporting cast is very capable but Roth routinely steals the show with his understated but hip portrayal of a deep, misunderstood, yet sympathetic genius.

Amazingly, considering the themes, this is at once a very intelligent show yet suitable for viewing with audiences of all ages. My only complaint is that Roth, with his distinctive british accent, is occasionally difficult to understand, but this might be a function of my diminishing auditory acuity (typical for baby boomers) but I wondered if the digital technicians could have compensated. But this is a very minor complaint and would in no way keep me from buying the series. I am sure younger ears will have no problem with the sound.

I rate this series high for great acting, great writing, and an intriguing premise.

Lie to Me continues to be one of the most unique and intriguing shows on TV. It's intriguing psychological twists not only keep you on your toes but also subtly develops the inner layers of the characters.

The acting is fabulous, which I suppose it has to be since the show teaches us to spot the signs of lying, ie acting. Tim Roth continues to steal the show but everyone in the supporting cast does an amazing job.

The writers make each episode a mix of something totally fresh while building the underlying subplots and relationships. If a shows major plot isn't a subject that appeals to me I still get caught up in the psychological back stories and the continuing character development.It's nice to have a show that wraps a meaningful story around a wide variety of scenario's without relying on cursing or violence.

Paul Ekman's science of reading facial expressions and emotions is intriguing. I'm sure it's glamorized here but just by watching the show you start to become more adept at seeing what the people around you aren't saying, that was unexpected but a pretty nifty benefit.

It is the most interesting and charming serial of the last years. The acting of Tim Roth makes it all even more worth it. Besides, the scientific background is really solid, I can tell as I am a researcher too. I would totally suggest it not only to science people, but to everyone as it does give hints on how to manage people's attitudes in everyday life.

One of the things I've spoken of from time to time is that with the invention of the DVD great television shows have been given a second chance. Where networks have a tendency to seek out the quick fix, the show that needs to be a hit in 3 weeks, DVD gives viewers a chance to sink their collective teeth into a show and really find out if they like it or not. And when they discover a gem on DVD, they begin watching that show. Such should be the case for LIE TO ME, the second season of which is now available on DVD.

For those who haven't started watching, the show focuses on Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth), the head of The Lightman Group. His company is in the business of researching how to know if someone is lying or not. Cal has come to the point where by simply looking at a person as they speak he can recognize the tell tale signs that they are indeed lying, a human lie detector if you will. The show simply involves him in stories that revolve around both clients seeking his help and his personal life where it comes in handy. Everything from being taken hostage by a man accused of killing his wife to wondering if his teenage daughter is visiting college frat parties is fair game.

But Lightman is not alone. Along for the ride is long time friend and partner in the business Dr. Gillian Foster (Kelli Williams). Foster is the rational mind to Lightman's off kilter style of handling things. Where Lightman might seem completely off the wall most times, Foster is one who keeps things together and does most of the clean up work afterwards. Season one featured Lightman discovering that Foster's husband was cheating on her. Season two deals with her being newly divorced which in usual TV series would lead to her going to bed with Lightman. Not so here.

There is a strong bond between these two characters that surpasses physical attraction. This is not the MOONLIGHTING/X-FILES type series where we are certain the lead characters will fall into bed with one another. These two are friends first and foremost as well as partners. They genuinely care for one another. They watch each other's backs. But season two sees trust issues come between the two of them that will eventually need to be confronted.

Helping out in lead roles are Monica Raymund as Ria Torres, a Lightman protégé he discovered in season one working as an airport passenger inspector. Recognizing that she had a natural gift for spotting lies, something that is quite rare, he has hired her for the Lightman group and is honing her abilities. Season two finds her sharpening her skills and learning to realize she should trust those skills more often.

Rounding out the Lightman Group cast is Brendan Hines as Eli Loker. Loker is a different sort of character. He does much of the research and is learning Lightman's techniques, but he doesn't have that natural ability. His character works hard but feels underappreciated and flirts with the idea of leaving throughout season two. But while Loker can't recognize it, viewers get the impression that Lightman has big plans for him. It's just that Lightman, the curmudgeonly out of synch with kindness type, never lets on just what those plans might be.

Season two finds The Lightman Group with a problem that starts early on. With Cal's ex-wife considering a move to Chicago and taking their daughter Emily (well played by Hayley McFarland) with her, Cal decides to buy out her shares in the company so that she can use the funds to start her own law practice there in D.C. Of course this puts a financial burden on the company which changes the dynamics of the show. Rather than pick and choose the clients they want to learn from, the company now must take on simple tasks like discovering if a rich man's wife cheated on him or not since they're in a battle over a prenuptial agreement. It rankles Lightman to take on these cases but it pays the bills.

The underlying personal affection between Lightman and Foster continues and while it never reaches the aforementioned stage of a series where they end up in bed, the attraction and the love between two non-married, non-dating people teases each and every episode, whether they're making eyes at one another or fighting over the business. To this day I'm still not sure where these two will end up and that makes for more interesting viewing.

Season three of the show is currently airing and that's the beauty of these DVD series. A person can pick up the first and second seasons and discover what a well written, well acted show this is and then jump on board. It is one of the best shows on TV now and deserves a bigger audience (which is unlikely since it's up against the juggernaut DANCING WITH THE STARS). But perhaps that could change if more people watched the DVDs and found out how good it is. This is one DVD set that's worth adding to your collection.

WOW - after the first 12 episodes:
not what I expected (different from season one) but the best
"crime" TV show on the air now.... almost all episodes feel
like a feature movie..... great stories - REAL GOOD stuff!
(only in one early episode (2nd or 3rd) the Fox guys seemed
to have forced some of their medieval stupidity on the writers
and Cal acted totally implausible for a guy with his
"talent".....)
MUST BUY!!!!!

Season One of Lie to Me was promising. The premise was interesting, the plots engaging and Tim Roth is a wonderful actor. However, by Season Two, the flaws that are inherent in a show about someone who ALWAYS knows when people are lying started to wreak havoc. (Hey, why bother with a judicial system? Just have Lightman ask, "Did you do it?")

The main problem with Lie to Me is that Cal Lightman is the only character who is interesting. I mean, what do the rest of them actually DO? There are twenty or so people running around a fancy office suite that is called the "Lightman Group" but where's the group? They've got an intern, Eli Loker, whose job it is to look scruffy. Although, later he gets promoted to "vice-president" after a year of being an UNPAID intern. (I should only be so lucky. And who's president anyway? Who's on first?) Torres is obviously window dressing. (She doesn't even have any training in psychology--let alone acting.) And Lightman's partner, Foster, is there to say "I feel your pain" and stumble around on 6-inch stilettos. (To be fair, all the women in the show wear 6-inch stilettos. And don't get me started on the collagenized lips.) And because Lightman is the only person with brains, the writers had to invent juvenile stuff for the other characters to do (i.e. almost kissing, nearly kissing, finally kissing) which didn't require any. Bo-ring.

The other glaring problem is that by the second half of Season Two, it becomes manifestly clear that the writers have no idea what they are doing. First, Lightman has to pay off his ex-wife in order to keep her from taking their daughter to another state. (That NEVER happens in real life. With joint custody, neither parent can move the child out of state. Didn't these people watch Boston Legal?) Having paid off his wife, his business is about to collapse. What is his business anyway? Why does he need all those people? And if all he has to do is stare at a person to figure out what they're thinking, why does he need all that equipment?) So, he gets involved with Clara, who has scads of money but is dumb as a post. (They eventually get rid of Clara because she really, really can't act. She just has these enormous LIPS, which they figured would distract the audience from the fact that there was NO PLOT.) Then, Lightman does something stupid with some Peruvians (who weren't from Peru, by the way. They were home-grown Latinos. You could tell by the accents, and the fact that the Sendero Luminoso has been defunct for about 30 years, give or take a decade.) Now Lightman's afraid of losing custody of his daughter (When did he get custody? I thought his ex had custody). So the FBI agent who hangs around the Lightman Group (doing what exactly?) breaks the law not just once, but several times, so Lightman can keep his daughter. (Although, frankly, I'd give her up. She's an airhead, and that "deer caught in headlights" look wears thin after awhile. And why is she ALWAYS hanging around her father's office? Doesn't she go to school?) But the agent doesn't get fired, because by now the Lightman Group has broken so many laws it would be ridiculous to fire an FBI agent for impersonating an officer, withholding evidence, obstructing justice...you know, all those little things you'd normally go to jail for.

With all the inconsistencies, logic errors and contrivances, the plots got increasingly incoherent, until NOBODY could follow what was going on. Not even the Harvard grad who came up with the idea for the show in the first place. Even if you think you know what the stories are about, you really don't, because nothing the characters do makes any sense...not in this world or the next. (Why get yourself admitted to a mental hospital to have a two-minute conversation with someone. Why not just go and talk to her?) And when you haven't got a decent story, the obvious thing to do is to keep transmogrifying your main character (all you Buffy fans know what that word means). Now he's a psychologist, now he's a former criminal, now he's Rambo, now he's a gambling addict, now he's an overprotective father, now he's sleeping with that awful Clara with the LIPS god help me ... and then add enough bombs, terrorists, and psychokillers until, you hope, the audience will have completely lost sight of whatever it was the writers thought they were doing when they should have been WRITING.

I have to stop, because the more I think about this show the worse it gets . . . and I really like Tim Roth. (sigh)

A wonderful always interesting and stimulating series. I cannot wait for the next season to be available. Acting and stories are first rate. Never a disappointing episode.

You know Tim Roth is a genious, if you are here is because you probably saw season one and wondering if the second season is worth it, well let me tell you season two is better that season one, every single episode gets more intense that the last one, this is a must have.

I totally recommend this DVD. I thoroughly enjoyed season 1 and I enjoyed season 2 even MORE! Dare I say its better than CSI?

The concept of this whole series is just one of a kind. And Tim Roth's acting is just amazing. I love how he brings his character, Cal Lightman, to life with body language and the thick British accent.

JUST BUY THIS. Its worth the money!

There is not much to say accept the people who gave this show 3 and four stars must be from the
planet "Mindess". They don't know what interesting is. You know the type! It is very difficult for them to do something besides breathe. I can not go ino every plot or situatioin. But my hats off to the director , producer and certainly the actors who can't be equalled. This is not a show with a light plot. It is show that twists around someone in the show and then goes on to something else. It is a show that keeps changing central charactors, which is the good guy and who is the bad guy. Or, maybe there is not a good or bad guy.

I will reccomend this TV serriew to people who ejoy thinking and getting envolved woth the charactors
which is getting envolved with the plot. In short the stories are extremly complicated, but basically simple. Buy it.