I gave my own thoughts on "Lie to Me" in this morning's column, and though I'll probably give it a few more shots just based on Tim Roth, the pilot, though relatively well-executed, doesn't exactly have me salivating for additional episodes. But what did everybody else think?
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Lie to Me, "Pilot" Open thread
I gave my own thoughts on "Lie to Me" in this morning's column, and though I'll probably give it a few more shots just based on Tim Roth, the pilot, though relatively well-executed, doesn't exactly have me salivating for additional episodes. But what did everybody else think?
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Considering it's "Lost" night I don't know how many people even saw this premiere. It had its moments, but I'm not buying it yet. There's something disjointed about it.
Very enjoyable, and like you said, very disposable. I'll keep watching when I'm free. Here's the real question, though: Did Robert Wisdom get more lines in this or the last season of The Wire? What a waste...
What feels disjointed to me is watching bit-part actors trying to act the "tell", and I see them coming a mile away.
Still interesting enough for me to warrant a few more tries.
Will this be repeated/repurposed? I totally forgot it was on.
dez, looks like it'll be up on Hulu. I missed it too.
I couldn't quite make out what happened with the kid and the teacher. He was outside her window, saw he body, then did... something. He said "I didn't realize she was dead," and "I didn't see the blood until afterward," but it wasn't clear to me what he actually did that he felt guilty about.
All in all, I found the show interesting enough to come back to for at least a couple of weeks, if only to see what they do now that the exposition is out of the way.
He was masturbating, which was bad enough to him, but she was also dead which probably added total freakout factor on top of something that he was already conditioned to feel great guilt about.
It was okay. I liked it, probably more for the characters/actors than the actual show itself. Though it was a pilot, so now that we've got introductions out of the way maybe I'll like it more next week. Because of Tim Roth I'll stick with it, but when "Life" comes back it'll get shifted to the DVR.
He was reading a magazine.
What feels disjointed to me is watching bit-part actors trying to act the "tell", and I see them coming a mile away.
I asked the producers about this at press tour, and they admitted that they had to make the "micro expressions" more macro in the early going so the audience would understand what Roth is doing. As the series moves along, they claimed, the tells will become much subtler.
I love Tim Roth, but I don't know if that's enough to make me watch regularly. I think this show tries too hard to be cool.
I really liked the new hire and the guy who never lies, although I don't understand how the new hire got all of this responsibility without any training at all. I mean, I understand she's a natural, but most people require at least a fews days to get used to a new job, even if it's exactly like the old job. What's-her-name seemed to walk in and know where they kept the pensils. It just REALLY bugged me. I'm sure I'll get over it. Otherwise I enjoyed it. It was certainly something I would watch since I don't watch lost and Pushing Daisies is gone the way of the dodo.
I don't watch Lost, and this was entertaining. I'm typically not big on procedurals because I don't need to see blood or car chases to be entertained, but this (the pilot, at least) didn't rely on that. I'll watch again, for sure.
"Considering it's "Lost" night I don't know how many people even saw this premiere."
according to nielsen, more people watched this than lost...
the series premiere of Lie to Me drew more viewers than the return of LOST. In the 9pm hour Lie to Me averaged 13.188 million to LOST’s 11.656 million between 9pm-10pm. Lie to Me and LOST tied in the 18-49 rating for that hour, with a 5.2 rating.
I watched it last night. The cases have to get better than what they had in the pilot. Tim Roth's character has an interesting personality and some chemistry with Kelli Williams.
What really consistently freaked me out were the white walls of that place Drs. Lightman and Foster worked out of. Did they really need that much white?
I'm desperately looking for an intelligent since Grissom has left CSI (although I'll still give it a chance), House is aiming to the lowest common denominator, and reality TV seems to be all I can find some days. I'm hoping this will be it.
I tried "The Mentalist" a few times but I was very disappointed because the show is predictable to the point where I could say exactly what was coming next and the "insights" are telegraphed a mile away. I really liked that "Lie To Me" told me what's going on in scientific explanation and still makes an interesting story. It's like the bastard child of a Discovery documentary and a detective show.
I like the interplay between Lightman and his colleagues (thank you, thank you for dressing Gillian Foster as a professional woman and not a call girl like Cuddy) and that I'm not being bombarded over the head by the ship (again, unlike The Mentalist). All the main characters seem enjoyable although I still have my doubts about the truth-teller. I can also see some on-going stories lines being set up so that's encouraging too.
I remember Paul Ekman's research from my undergrad psych studies. It's interesting to see it go from the printed page to seeing how it works in a real situation.
Unfortunately, it's up against not only Lost but Life, another show I really enjoy. Why is it that so much of TV is a barren wasteland and then the shows I want to watch are scheduled at the same time?
I'm not sure I would call this intelligent (I just watched it last night). The teaser has the basic problem with the premise and its execution-- Dr. Ekman/Lightman knows when people are lying, but the show wants it to be much grander. Lightman can quickly divine what they're lying about. I would think that would be an entirely different skill. After all, Lightman is so skilled that he has eliminated the need for the ticking time bomb hypothetical to clarify the debate on torture. All we need is the professor and a microexpression to defeat the terrorists.
Then in the tag, Lightman's skills are so developed that he can tell when an adulterer lies to his mistress about leaving his wife, and a husband doesn't like his inlaws. MAGIC! (Not to mention the two colleagues expositing the basic premises of their profession to one another was exceptionally clumsy, and the radical truth guy doesn't make sense.) I had to roll my eyes way too much at this show to make it to another episode.
I didn't like this at all. Never even finished watching the episode. Least liked character? The jerk who always 'told the truth.' Ugh. How lame.
The close ups on the overly obvious 'tells' were even more annoying.
It just seemed like every other crime solving show with a 'cute' or 'unique' angle. Not my thing.
I still love Tim Roth, though.
I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. I don't watch Lost, and I've got nothing else up on Wednesday, so I might give it another whirl.
I agree with all the quibbles raised here. What I couldn't help wondering was how many photos of famous liars they were going to be able to come up with week after week to illustrate their points.
As long as we have politicians, Kate, I think there will be photographs. There was an interesting piece in the Portland (OR) Tribune about real life liars.
Despite agreeing with many of the observations here, I give it a thumbs up.
My blog post today dealt with Lie to Me - please all consider yourself invited to come visit and share your thoughts on the question I pose. :-)
It got me hooked.
I don't watch Lost, and definitely do not watch Heroes anymore.
It was entertaining. Finally something with an interesting plot with no stupid plot-twists you can see coming miles away... or those that make no sense.
The main character reminded me (strangely) a little bit of Greg House, but not that much.
Over all, I loved it and want more.
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