Lie To Me Scoop

In this age of technology, where you can reach hundreds, thousands, even millions of people with one click… At a time where the DVR has become, to some, another limb… In a world where sofa critics make or break a show… there’s Lie to Me.

I’ll be honest with you: I didn’t start watching Lie to Me myself until, by mere happenstance, I caught part of the 5th episode, “Unchained”. It’s not that the show didn’t look interesting. It’s just that I told myself, as I do every time a new show comes out: “You don’t have time to watch another show.” And, to some extent that’s true. Like most, I’m a busy person and I don’t really have time to watch another show. And yet, once I saw a few minutes of Lie To Me, I knew I’d have to make time. After catching up with the first 4 episodes online, I was hooked.

In reading some of the many reviews out there, I’ve been surprised to find so many mediocre ones. I haven’t found a “love it or hate it” thing, but rather a “love it” or “I can take it or leave it” thing. To me, it’s a bit puzzling. And it got my wheels spinning… why aren’t more people watching Lie to Me?

I’ve seen strengths and weaknesses in this first season. But for all of those, I think it’s important to remember that not only was this the first season, it wasn’t even a full order. And once it had found some footing (and an audience) after Idol, it was moved. Moving shows is always a risky thing, let alone for a newcomer. I’m sure Fox has taken all of that into consideration, and likely that’s part of what prompted the renewal.

Perhaps the release time has something to do with it as well, being a freshman drama at the same time as “The Mentalist”. Though, even that show lacks originality to me. I haven’t watched it, so I’m speaking solely from a premise standpoint. But a genius guy that catches things no one else does… Sherlock Holmes, anyone? Even on TV, Columbo (Peter Falk) and Det. Goren (Vincent D’Onofrio, L&O:CI) have pioneered and blazed the trails of the quirky genius. So if some say two shows are about basically the same thing, what’s the big deal? It’s all in the delivery to me. And on that level, Lie to Me, (Tim Roth in particular), doesn’t disappoint.

The one complaint I have on Fox’s side, (and I say this with the utmost respect), is that I don’t feel they’ve promoted it enough. Take for example Fringe. I don’t watch the show myself, but I do watch House. And, for quite a while there, every episode of House I’d expect to be inundated with Fringe promotions. But, it worked for them. I think Fox has definitely shown faith in Lie to Me, but I’m a little puzzled as to why they don’t promote it more.

It’s not House!
Another thing I’ve heard quite frequently is people comparing it to House. While there are certainly similarities between the two, (“Everybody Lies”), any negative correlations, to be blunt, just annoy me. But, in the spirit of comparison, let’s go that route. Though I know the comparisons drawn don’t always have to do with the structure of the show, that’s the point I’m going to touch on myself. It’s often said that once Lightman and the team find out someone’s lying, what’s the big deal? He always finds out. Well, don’t we know that House is always going to figure out what’s wrong with someone? He’s always going to have that “aha!” moment. (And yet, that’s clearly a successful, and for me, an enjoyable show.) So it becomes, not so much that someone is lying, (or is sick in House’s case), but rather “why”. Why are people lying? What is their story? Therein lies Lie to Me’s hope of longevity.

It seems to me that people are viewing it under a microscope of sorts, without cutting it a lot of slack. So often I hear that it’s built on a concept or a premise that will wear out fast. Well, to those people I say: View it as a procedural with a twist. There’s still plenty of story-telling opportunities left with Lie To Me. Honestly.

What do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Any other ideas on why more people aren’t watching Lie to Me? Sound off below.