History Main / LietoMe

* TheConscience: In "Pied Piper", neither Gillian nor Zoe are having any luck getting Cal to open up about [[spoiler: how he's taking being responsible for the execution of an innocent man]], so they call in the only person they ''know'' can get through to him - Emily.

* DangerTakesABackSeat: A fugitive takes Torres hostage this way.

* RapeAsDrama: In one episode, the criminal [[EyeScream blinds]] and then rapes women.
** There was another one with rape in an army platoon.

** Obviously, TimRoth.

*** And [[{{Carnivale}} Sofie]] / [[{{Heroes}} Audrey Hanson]] was his first victim.

* RapidFireTyping: Oi Loker! Pull up that picture you showed me that other day!

* ThickerThanWater: Do not threaten Emily Lightman. Not only will you have Cal to deal with, but [[spoiler: Gillian as well, before Gillian had even ''met'' Emily.]]

* WouldntHitAGirl: In "Exposure", Little Moon and his gang torture Burns and are willing to rough up Cal, but other than brandishing guns at her and utilizing the StandardFemaleGrabArea, don't touch Gillian.
* XanatosGambit / XanatosRoulette: It's a given that in any episode, Cal will be pulling at least one of these.
** Cal, Gillian, and Burns vs. Little Moon in "Exposure" is one big one: [[spoiler: Cal's mixing lies and his science to prove Burns didn't kill Little Moon's father, Gillian is worried about Burns but backs Cal's play, and Burns is following Cal's lead some of the time and going off script others, and they're trying to keep Little Moon convinced that he needs them all alive]].
* XanatosSpeedChess: Cal's manipulation of Terry Marsh, pretending to be blackmailed into working with Marsh and the gangsters he was involved with while really working for the FBI and using Marsh as a pawn the entire time.
** Cal versus Martin Walker in "Beat the Devil", to the point where they even draw comparisons between their conflict and a game of chess.

* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Or, in Reynolds' case - why did it have to be rats?

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* ThePaolo: Cal seems to have a thing for hot blondes with whom he's in over his head. First Poppy, the Vegas card shark (or, as Gillian calls her, "roulette"); then Clara, the former gold-digging businesswoman who, as of "Teacher and Pupils" [[spoiler: loans the Lightman Group around seven figures worth of money, making her the lead investor and Cal's new boss]].

** subverted possibly because she never did say what the "results" were.

* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Lightman trained for years to get his skills, while Torres has a built-in talent for it.

** JerkassWithAHeartOfGold: . . . and then you watch him being a father to Emily or teasing Gillian, and we realize that he does have his good points.

-->''Gillian''': Without Lightman, you'd be in some university basement doing research, and you [Torres] would still be a glorified baggage handler. Maybe instead of polishing up your resumes, you might want to think about what you can do to help Lightman.

--->'''Gillian''': That's funny, I always thought that about you.

** Cal's attempt at escaping [[spoiler: the psych ward]].
-->''Worth a try.''

** One episode features half the cast of TheShield.

* [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Dios Mío, ¿Qué He Hecho?]]: the killer in "Headlock"

** One episode features half the cast of [[The Shield]].

** Averted possibly because she never did say what the "results" were.

* FightClubbing: The premise of "Headlock", combined with

** I may be wrong, but I understood that [[spoiler: Cal had used Emily to teach Loker a lesson about meddling, which would mean that Emily wasn't actually into Loker at all, but was just pretending to be in order to go along with Cal's scheme--she just overdid it with the kiss]].

* LyingToThePerp: Not just the perps, but material witnesses too.
** One notable example was bringing in the "father" of a girl who had committed suicide to get a guy to confess to "depraved heart murder". It was a mate of his.