Pilot
- Episode aired Jan 21, 2009
- TV-14
- 45m
Dr. Lightman and Dr. Foster search for the truth in cases involving a devoutly religious high school student accused of killing a teacher, and a congressman accused of having an affair.Dr. Lightman and Dr. Foster search for the truth in cases involving a devoutly religious high school student accused of killing a teacher, and a congressman accused of having an affair.Dr. Lightman and Dr. Foster search for the truth in cases involving a devoutly religious high school student accused of killing a teacher, and a congressman accused of having an affair.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaRadical Honesty: Eli states that he practices "Radical Honesty"; Radical Honesty is the name of a self improvement program developed by Brad Blanton that challenges people to give up their addiction to lying. The Radical Honesty technique includes having practitioners state their feelings directly and in ways typically considered impolitic (the technique is sometimes confused with the person having functioning autism or Asperger's due to the practitioner's brutal honesty).
- GoofsWhen Lightman is speaking to James for the first time in the prison, after asking him how he felt about his teacher dying, the boy responds, "I prayed for her soul." Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in the existence of a soul.
- Quotes
Emily Lightman: No, we're not doing this. You just go let Dan in while I finish getting ready and you better not do some covert scientific technique to find out what we're doing or not doing tonight. Promise!
Cal Lightman: No covert science, I promise.
[opens front door]
Cal Lightman: Hi Dan!
Dan: Hi Dr. Lightman!
Cal Lightman: Are you going to try and have sex with my daughter tonight?
- ConnectionsReferences A Current Affair (1986)
Roth plays Cal Lightman, the one guy you would probably never want to have as a boss. That's because Cal's specialty is dealing with human behavior, in this case the fine art of lying. Well, make that lie DETECTION. In a fascinating conceit, Lightman and his group study everything from body language, to skin temperature, to something called "micro-expressions" - facial tics and tells that can go by in the blink of an eye, but to the trained observer can reveal everything; from what you had for breakfast on your birthday seven years ago, to what you REALLY think about your spouse. Yep, it's that detailed, that incriminating and that startling.
Like most crime procedural shows, the pilot episode shows Lightman dealing with several cases at once, while also setting up his relationships with the rest of the cast: business partner and resident psychologist Gillian Foster (THE PRACTICE'S Kelli Williams); "radical truth-teller" and assistant Eli Loker (Brendan Hines), who has no filter on his ability to edit his feelings or opinions whatsoever, and newcomer Ria Torres (Monica Raymund), a former TSA agent who has an uncanny natural ability to sniff out prevaricators.
A fascinating concept, indeed, if a lot higher than most TV shows shoot for. But we wouldn't expect any less from the same production company that gives us ulcers every week with '24'. One can only hope that an attempt isn't made to shoehorn LIE TO ME into that same kind of genre. This plays much better to the same kind of audience geared towards something like CBS's THE MENTALIST or USA's popular, long-running MONK. Given the proper amount of room to breathe and episodes that continue to be driven more by characters than by car chases and explosions every ten minutes, this is a show that might actually gain some staying power - a minor miracle these days when shows have about the length of a "micro- expression" to gain an audience.
- cchase
- Jan 26, 2009
Details
- Runtime45 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 16:9 HD