Lie To Me roared back for its second season with “The Core Of It,” and the presence of new show runner Shawn Ryan is already palpable. Lie To Me was always a solid show, but despite liking the premise and especially the star, Tim Roth, I had my doubts last season on whether the show was going to find the right balance between science and story. The show showed signs of being just a tad too high concept, which wasn’t a good sign for its longevity. Fortunately, original show runner and creator, Sam Baum, recognised the show needed some tweaking and brought The Shield show runner Ryan on board late last season after he showed what he had to offer with the “Blinded” episode.
In an interview with Alan Sepinwall, Ryan said, “I could tell that the science was driving the stories more than the characters driving the stories. I thought that the science was cool, but I didn’t know if it was enough to hang an entire series on. While we haven’t diminished the science, I would say that science isn’t the first thing we approach this season."
Star Tim Roth (Cal Lightman) immediately appreciated what the new show runner brought to the series, noting in an interview that he was “desperate to get some character stuff to play and some drama to play and not just be doing procedural work.” “The Core Of It” shows Roth got his wish. If the premiere is any indication, season two of Lie To Me will deliver on the drama as well as the science, as we learn more about what makes Cal Lightman tick.
As the name suggests, “The Core Of It” examines how we can take up and cast off different aspects of personality, but we need a sense of who we are at the core. The episode opens with a disturbing dreamlike sequence showing what appears to be a murder, though exactly what happened is not clear. The vision belongs to a young woman named Trish, who has tracked Lightman down at a book signing to find out if he believes she’s telling the truth about the vision, as the police have already dismissed her.
The plot is an interesting twist on Lightman’s usual focus, which he explains to his book store audience: “I’ll know if you’re lying, but what I don’t know is why. That’s still your secret.” With Trish, he knows she’s telling the truth, but not how it could possibly be true. Cal is intrigued enough to bring his new discovery back to the office, only to find Foster is less than intrigued because they already have a full caseload. Cal slides the case he’s supposed to work on over to Torres, only to find Trish slipped through his fingers while he was gone.
Article comments
1 - Chelsea Doyle
I agree, this was a great episode. I really enjoyed their handling of the multiple personality patient, and I'm glad to see the characters coming out into their own other than just Lightman. I'm so excited for this season.
2 - lisa
great episode,
especially cal & zoe interaction (good acting)
3 - Jair
I agree, I think Cal and Zoe really work well off each other. It's a wonderful portrait of a crashed relationship.
4 - Laura
I was disappointed with this episode. People were out of character (Foster is happy about the divorce? And she lies about that to Cal? Cal is fatherly to Torres? Torres apparently forgot her feelings at the end of the last episode. And did Zoe break up with the guy she's supposed to marry?)
The science was worse than missing, it was outright wrong: HORRIBLE treatment of multiple personality disorder; Cal can find a wallet under a loose board by one look from the person who hid it? And Torres was 'reading' emotions that the actor she was working with was NOT showing - have they lost all interest in the science altogether? If this is what they're going to do I might as well watch The Mentalist instead.
Yes, I'd like to see more character driven shows - but the characters should show some consistency or growth. And the story lines shouldn't go so deep into melodrama - Cal attacking the fragile girl to get her to change identity - leave that junk to the daytime soaps!
I loved season 1, and the characters and relationships that were being built there. But, truth be told, it's the science that drew me, and I won't be watching for very long if they don't get that back. The drama was good last season, but I can get that in any of a dozen shows.
5 - Jair
I didn't find anyone out of character, myself. Foster had been in a failing marriage for years, living with an addict and bound together by the heartbreak of a lost baby. I believe she's ready for a new start. Torres and Lightman have a really interesting relationship, with both tensions and attractions--and I think the attraction part is mentorly. I'm pretty sure Zoe's relationship was history when she slept with Cal last season.
I had no issue with Cal being able to tell the brother was very tense about something and when he was most tense. That's his business. I think we're going to find out a lot about Cal this season and not all of it is going to be positive. Tim Roth should rock that.