Lie to Me, but Don’t Lie to Dr. Lightman

In Fox’s show, Lie to Me, Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) solves mysteries just by observing his subjects’ faces and body language. He and his team use their incredible skill of reading micro-expressions to discover the truth. To be honest, the concept of the show sounded a bit dull to me at first. In shows like CSI and Law and Order, the protagonists run all over town chasing bad guys so the idea of watching a scientist stare at a criminal for an hour was unappealing. Boy was I wrong.

The concept of the series is a fresh addition to the many repetitious shows out there. Although it fits into the category of crime drama, along with countless others, its unique method of solving mysteries holds viewers’ attention. To add interest, the characters often relate their cases to famous cases in history. For example, if Dr. Lightman discovers a lie because his subject stopped using contractions, the show cuts to a clip of Bill Clinton saying, ” I did not have sexual relations with that woman.”

Although these connections to scandals in history make Lightman’s techniques seem real, there’s a huge disclaimer at the beginning that states the facial and body language clues are fictional. Writers consult Dr. Paul Ekman, who has spent decades studying facial expressions and body language, to make the details as realistic as possible. Despite these efforts, Ekman strives to clarify that jobs as human lie detectors do not really exist. On the other hand, according to Popular Mechanics, Ekman also estimates that around 90 percent of the scientific elements on Lie to Me are accurate.

The main character, comes off as intelligent, but conceded. His blunt comments and off-putting personality are similar to House‘s ego-maniacal lead, Dr. Gregory House. Roth’s three supporting co-stars are easier to relate to, especially the motherly Dr. Gillian Foster, played by Kelli Williams. Brendan Hines, as Eli Loker, provides comical relief and Monica Raymund’s spunky character, Ria Torres, has you rooting for her every time she stands up to her condescending boss.

The show premiered in 2009 and is currently in its second season, with new episodes returning June 7. You can Netflix the first season and catch part of the second on Fox’s website. Each episode of Lie to Me zooms by as you try to solve the mystery before the Lightman team does. One thing’s for sure, from serial rapists to kidnappers, if they’re lying, Lightman will catch them in the act.

What Do You Think? Discuss.