Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) is a deception expert-- his rare ability to detect lies has led him to set up a group that assists crime enforcement agencies. Other members of the team include psychologist Gillian Foster (Kelli Williams), and they apply their skills to everything from murders to political scandals. The array of indicators they use to find the truth engages as they move from case to case.

CRITIQUE

Fictional television series have extended all across broadcast platforms so much recently that there is almost no cable channel without an original series to its name; more encouragingly, the quality of material on the four major networks seems to have improved as well. Lie to Me, in its first season, draws viewers into a subset of the crime-solving genre with fascinating details, good plotting, and strong performances.

To begin with, the uniqueness of this series is the first thing a viewer will recommend it for. This isn’t a medical drama, or a nighttime soap; there are crimes to be solved but these aren’t police officers. From the outset, the show is careful to establish that the talent of detecting lies can have many applications. Though the plots of each episode couldn’t really be called innovative, audience interest rarely wanes due to the wonderfully informative content. By the end of even the first few episodes, just try not to start looking at the people around you to see if you can recognize their micro-expressions!

The cast is another recommendation for the show. Vets Tim Roth and Kelli Williams are reliable performers, it goes without saying, and the new faces joining them impress as well. Brendan Hines has a sneakily charming quality, for example. Also, throughout the season, wonderful actors such as Sean Patrick Thomas, Stacy Edwards, and Mekhi Phifer guest star. I also enjoy the famous examples of expressions the show sometimes incorporates as a sort-of transition through what would be commercial breaks in the actual broadcast. They really emphasize the universality of the science used here, which is, again, truly fascinating.

A talented cast adds to the endlessly interesting content and good plotting of Lie to Me in its first season.

THE VIDEO

Lie to Me is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen in a 4-disc set. The original broadcast is excellently transferred with solid colors and definition.

THE AUDIO

Lie to Me is presented in English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround and it produces excellent sound. No other language tracks are offered, but there are subtitles for English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.

THE EXTRAS

The Truth About Lies: At about 30 minutes long, this is a decently in-depth behind-the-scenes doc for the show. The entire cast, creator Baum, other writers and producers, and directors provide interviews. We also get on-set footage and brief clips. This extra is quite engaging, worth watching at least once. The most interesting part is the input of Dr. Paul Ekman, the scientific advisor on the show whose background is in deception detection. Also funny is when most of the interviewees name Hines as the most likely liar out of the cast because he seems the most “full of it” but Roth comes a close second.

Deleted Scenes: Seventeen scenes from nine episodes are grouped into this extra. Some of them are just extended but the quality of them is pretty much equal to the rest of the series. There is nothing that stands out as too perfect to leave out, though. I like the extra scenes for the finale, especially.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Lie to Me presents intriguing information through solid performances and plotting that is typical but still effective. Viewers won’t help but be engaged by the lie-detecting skills dramatized in the show, and most will want to tune in for the second season, now airing. Fans of the series and new viewers will probably not regret at least renting the premiere season of Lie to Me.