The Positively Positive

Tim Roth and Hayley McFarland in Lie To Me season 2, episode 3 “Control Factor”. Image from www.daemonstv.com

The sight of Tim Roth in a floppy hat with a big slather of sunscreen on his nose was probably one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a while. In this episode Cal has practically been forced out of the office to enjoy a vacation with his daughter. But as we all know, in tv land this means the last thing he’ll get is a day off.

Cal is brought in on a case of a missing woman in Mexico. Once again I have to marvel at how a show about people who figure out if people are lying, is so compelling to watch. I guess it’s because we get to see so much more than that. Cal and his teammates, even his daughter, have to talk to many people to piece together just what happened.

As they get further into the case, Cal once again has a sparring match with his daughter. He hasn’t quite figured out how to protect his daughter without driving her completely insane. But in the end, the two of them always work it out, each allowing the other the freedom to act as a teenager and over-protective father, respectively.

While Cal is away, a former rival is called in to help with a case at his home base. The best part of this storyline was Cal’s reaction to the man and how he managed to get at the guy without even being there. Cal turning the sprinklers on from his laptop at the pool was hilarious.

Overall a great episode, featuring Tim Roth in a floppy hat. Need I say more?

More Lie To Me…

Lie To Me season 2, episode 2 “Truth Or Consequences”

Lie To Me season 2, episode 1 “The Core of It”

James Marsters guest stars with Tim Roth in Lie To Me, season 2, episode 2 “Truth or Consequences”. Image from www.daemonstv.com

As I started watching this week’s Lie To Me, I wondered if the second episode of season 2 (and only the second episode I’ve ever watched) of this show could live up to last week. Well it did and then some.

How can a show about a bunch of people, who basically do nothing but talk to people, be compelling? First of all, Tim Roth is a genius and I could watch him act all day. I lost count of how many of his films I’ve seen (everything from Four Rooms to Rosecrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead), but I think it was somewhere around 13 or 14 at last count. I usually go for characters who do a lot more action, but he is mesmerizing in this role. Even if he doesn’t carry a gun and go after the bad guys (at least not that I’ve seen yet).

One of things I liked about this particular episode was how they fought with what was right and what was wrong. Cal is a father worried about his daughter, but does he have the right to go through her things to protect her? Cabe was a young man who had sex with a minor, but he was tricked into doing so. Who really was the victim? The girl coerced into making a man take her to bed or the man himself?

The thing I loved most about this episode was the fact that it surprised me. Check that, it shocked the hell out of me. I am one of those people who can see the end of a show coming a mile away. It’s very annoying and it’s one of the reasons I stay far away from spoilers whenever I can.

So to have the lawyer (played brilliantly by James Marsters) killed by the distraught father in the end literally made me sit up and shout “no way!!”. I didn’t see that coming at all as I thought he was a good foe to Jennifer Beals’ character. For that reason alone, I assumed we’d see him again.

Overall a fantastic episode and if I was on the fence about watching this show before, I am not any longer.

More Lie To Me Reviews..

Lie To Me, season 2, episode 1 “The Core Of It”

Erika Christensen, Hayley McFarland and Tim Roth in Lie To Me: The Core Of It. Photo from www.tvguide.com

Well here goes another (somewhat) shorter review than normal. Once again it’s only because I’m still not quite familiar with this show, its characters and basic storyline. However with all that said, I really enjoyed the first episode of the second season.

I’m a huge Tim Roth fan, but never got to see Lie To Me in its first season. I kept forgetting when it was on, missing it, catching it halfway through and not understanding what was happening, etc. This, my friends, is why I’m so happy that I finally got a DVR a few weeks ago. All the shows that I used to miss, I now get to see, Lie To Me included.

I was impressed by this episode, it had a lot of humor in it which was something I wasn’t necessarily expecting. Something I did expect was that Tim Roth would be brilliant and of course he didn’t disappoint. His character is unnervingly able to read right through people to see whether or not they are telling the truth. The way he plays Cal, with piercing looks and quick movements, makes me believe he can do it. So much so that I felt like he could see right through the screen to me, sitting alone in my bedroom. Okay maybe not, but he did do a great job.

I’ve been in love with Mr. Roth ever since I saw him for the first time in Reservoir Dogs. In fact, I’m not embarrassed (much) to admit that my very first fanfiction story ever, was based on Reservoir Dogs. It still sits on fanfiction.net to this day. Sadly unfinished but still, it’s there for all the world to see. Just do a search for me (Mokibobolink) and you’ll find it.

I was also really impressed by their guest star this week, Erika Christensen. As a woman with multiple personalities who may or may not have witnessed a murder, she shines. In some scenes she plays as many as three different people and from her posture to her eyes, you can actually see each one. Amazing!

Overall a really fun show, with lots of drama and mystery mixed in with a bit of humor. It has an awesome cast and I can’t wait to see more.