History Series / LieToMe

* TheWarOnTerror: In the first season finale, two American-born suicide bombers attack UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC. [[spoiler: Or so the authorities thought. Turned out they'd been tricked into carrying the bombs.]]
** A second season episode, "Secret Santa", takes place in Afghanistan.
** Turns out Cal isn't the only intelligence expert hanging around. [[spoiler: Gillian, before she and Cal formed the Lightman Group, was a psychiatrist at the Pentagon, counseling operatives of the War on Terror. It's where she first meets Cal, when she was ordered to evaluate whether or not he was still fit for duty after "erratic behavior" and his part in a botched assassination attempt on an Irish terrorist. She's also blackmailed by a high-ranking Pentagon official that if Cal exposes the cover-up, they'll target Emily.]]
** "React to Contact" deals with PTSD and cover-ups among Iraq War soldiers.

Dr. Cal Lightman (Creator/TimRoth) is a LivingLieDetector, able to calculate human honesty through facial expressions - called [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro-expression Micro Expressions]] - and body language. The pioneer of this field, he operates his own business, working with federal and private clients to solve criminal and civil cases. A case of TruthInTelevision (well, somewhat), as the show is based on the science of Paul Ekman.

Dr. Cal Lightman is a LivingLieDetector, able to calculate human honesty through facial expressions - called [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro-expression Micro Expressions]] - and body language. The pioneer of this field, he operates his own business, working with federal and private clients to solve criminal and civil cases. A case of TruthInTelevision (well, somewhat), as the show is based on the science of Paul Ekman.

** This was pretty much a HeroicSacrifice for a character we had only seen for that episode. And it was [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome awesome]].

** Inverted massively in a CrowningMomentOfFunny during "Killer App." Cal comes home to the sound of Emily making some suggestive noises, only to find her and Liam fully clothed and merely stretching after a jog. Then, with Dad standing right there and her boyfriend stretching her hamstring, Emily proceeds do her [[TheImmodestOrgasm best impression]] of the infamous restaurant scene from ''Film/WhenHarryMetSally.''
* TwoLinesNoWaiting: Usually there are two cases per episode, with Cal and Ria on one, Gillian and Eli on the other. This has been switched up in Season Two with Cal and Gillian on one case and Eli and Ria on the other. "The Canary's Song" of Season Three had Cal and Eli on one case, and Gillian and Ria on the other, with decidedly [[CrowningMomentOfFunny epic]] results.

* AbusiveParents: It's been hinted at that Cal's father wasn't a nice man, but "Funhouse" confirms it:

* BadLiar: Virtually everyone who goes up against the Lightman Group.

** Inverted massively in a CrowningMomentOfFunny during "Killer App." Cal comes home to the sound of Emily making some suggestive noises, only to find her and Liam fully clothed and merely stretching after a jog. Then, with Dad standing right there and her boyfriend stretching her hamstring, Emily proceeds do her [[TheImmodestOrgasm best impression]] of the infamous restaurant scene from WhenHarryMetSally.

Initially ordered for just 13 episodes, it was a big hit with audiences at first, getting it a full second season. But its ratings rapidly declined, leading to its cancellation as of May 10, 2011 by {{FOX}}, ending after its third season of 13 episodes.

It seems similar on the surface to ''Series/TheMentalist'': a smart guy that can tell if you're lying, and who's fond of the BatmanGambit, works to solve crimes. There's the wild-card male main character with a tendency to antagonize adversaries and not let others in on his schemes, his UnresolvedSexualTension with his more rational female second, conflicts with authority like the FBI, and so on. Some of the plots, especially in the first season, are similar as well. But as they say in the show, "We're scientists, not magicians," and that's where the shows diverge. Perhaps most notably, the show lets you in on what the LivingLieDetector is seeing and doing, so that the audience start to see the cues that they use to see when people are lying. The show quickly comes into its own, and by the second season, it's a real joy to watch Tim Roth play the role of Cal Lightman.[[labelnote:*]]Like it used to be with Simon Baker playing Patrick Jane.[[/labelnote]]

** Cal in the mental institution in "Pied Piper" is one big valentine to ''OneFlewOverTheCuckoosNest'', especially his very [=McMurphy=]-esque canary-eating grin as he gets admitted.

It seems similar on the surface to ''Series/TheMentalist'': a smart guy that can tell if you're lying, and who's fond of the BatmanGambit, works to solve crimes. There's the wild-card male main character with a tendency antagonize adversaries and and not to let others in on his schemes, his UnresolvedSexualTension with his more rational female second, conflicts with authority like the FBI, and so on. Some of the plots, especially in the first season, are similar as well. But as they say in the show, "We're scientists, not magicians," and that's where the shows diverge. Perhaps most notably, the show lets you in on what the LivingLieDetector is seeing and doing, so that the audience member starts to see the cues that they use to see when people are lying. The show quickly comes into its own, and by the second season, it's a real joy to watch Tim Roth play the role of Cal Lightman.[[labelnote:*]]Like it used to be with Simon Baker playing Patrick Jane.[[/labelnote]]

** This was pretty much a HeroicSacrifice for a character we had only seen for that episode. And it was [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Awesome]]

--> ''Are you planning on having sex with my daughter tonight?''

** Cal and suicides, for very good reason - [[spoiler: his mother was one, and he blames the psychiatrists for not seeing it coming]]. Most notably explored in "Depraved Heart". Also tends to flip his shit if a case involves teenage girls, since it hits close to his own daughter. Abusive fathers also ping Cal's radar, since his father used to get drunk and smack Cal and his mother around.
** Gillian and adopted children - [[spoiler: in "Do No Harm", we find out that she'd once tried to adopt a child, and the girl was reclaimed by her birth mother]] - as well as drug addiction - [[spoiler: her husband Alec is an addict, which is a major factor behind their eventual divorce.]]
** Torres and [[spoiler: domestic abuse - her father used to drink and smack around Ria and her sister Ava]].

** "Funhouse" explores how Cal's mother, Cal, and Emily (who have depression and other mental illness that runs in the family) aren't so different from Wayne's father, Wayne, and Amanda (who have paranoid schizophrenia that runs in the family).

* OverprotectiveDad: Cal is very protective of his daughter.

* TwerpSweating: Dr. Lightman's daughter gets him to promise not to do any "covert science things", but...
--> '''Dr. Lightman''': Hi, Dan!
--> '''Boy''': Hi, Mr. Lightman!
--> '''Dr. Lightman''': Are you going to try to have sex with my daughter tonight?

* TwoLinesNoWaiting: Usually there are two cases per episode, with Cal and Ria on one, Gillian and Eli on the other. This has been switched up in Season Two with Cal and Gillian on one case and Eli and Ria on the other. One episode of Season Three had Cal and Eli on one case, and Gillian and Ria on the other, with decidedly [[CrowningMomentOfFunny epic]] results.

* WorkingWithTheEx: Cal has to work with ex-wife Zoe on several occasions, and ends up in bed with her a couple of times.

* OutOfOrder: {{FOX}} aired the entire second season in completely random order.
** '''''[[TheFireflyEffect AGAIN.]]'''''

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: "Beat The Devil" has the verification of a UFO as its B-plot. Thirty-minute mark, they find (real!) video footage of it. Fifty-minute mark, an Air Force officer shows up with a bullshit story. Loker sees right through him to the truth: The Air Force has ''no idea'' what it was. They finally get the witness and the Air Force to agree on a story to save the witness' career - uber-uber-top-secret aircraft. Loker smiles and saves the video to hard drive as the episode ends.
-->'''Loker''': ''The best lies are covered with half-truths. I have no doubt that you had a pilot who cracked, who was shot down everything in that file happened as described. You have no idea what was in the sky that night, do you?''\\

** Ria Torres is a more obvious example especially the episode "Delinquent"

** Clara. She's fascinated with the work that the Lightman Group does, and it's the impetus for her eventually [[spoiler: becoming a majority shareholder in the company]]. Unfortunately, it backfires on her when [[spoiler: her lack of skill at lying reveals that she'd known about a cover-up involving a gubernatorial campaign and three separate murders]].

** 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]].

* BerserkButton: Hurting kids, especially ones that remind him of his daughter, is a very quick to find yourself on Cal Lightman's bad side.

The show stars TimRoth as Dr. Lightman. That's right, [[Film/ReservoirDogs Mr. Orange]] knows when you're lying.

** Cal calls Burns "CaptainAmerica" a few times in "Exposure".

It seems similar on the surface to ''TheMentalist'': a smart guy that can tell if you're lying, and who's fond of the BatmanGambit, works to solve crimes. There's the wild-card male main character with a tendency antagonize adversaries and and not to let others in on his schemes, his UnresolvedSexualTension with his more rational female second, conflicts with authority like the FBI, and so on. Some of the plots, especially in the first season, are similar as well. But as they say in the show, "We're scientists, not magicians," and that's where the shows diverge. Perhaps most notably, the show lets you in on what the LivingLieDetector is seeing and doing, so that the audience member starts to see the cues that they use to see when people are lying. The show quickly comes into its own, and by the second season, it's a real joy to watch Tim Roth play the role of Cal Lightman.[[labelnote:*]]Like it used to be with Simon Baker playing Patrick Jane.[[/labelnote]]

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: "Beat The Devil" has the verification of a UFO as its B-plot. Thirty-minute mark, they find (real!) video footage of it. Fifty-minute mark, an Air Force officer shows up with a bullshit story. Loker sees right through him to the truth: The Air Force has ''no idea'' what it was. In the very next sentence, Loker re-established my dormant inner-UFO-nut. '''''The Air Force would NEVER admit to a violation of U.S. air space, not by a Russian MIG or by a UFO.''''' They finally get the witness and the Air Force to agree on a story to save the witness' career - uber-uber-top-secret aircraft. Loker smiles and saves the video to hard drive as the episode ends.

* WallOfGuns: In "Dirty Loyal", Cal's cop girlfriend has one hidden in her closet. Untraceable.

* BatmanGambit / GambitRoulette: It's a given that in any episode, Cal will be pulling at least one of these.

* OverprotectiveDad / PapaWolf: Cal is very protective of his daughter.

* SoundtrackDissonance[=/=]SourceMusic: The shootout in "Dirty Loyal" is set to "I'm In the Mood" by John Lee Hooker so the shooters would let their guard down.

* 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.]]
* UsefulNotes/TheTroubles: Cal worked with British intelligence in Belfast in 1986. He failed to recognise the facial expressions of a man who then killed six people in a pub.
** Cal's experience with Irish terrorists is expanded upon in "Sweet Sixteen": In 2003, Cal was in Boston, hunting down IRA members and trying to broker a peace between the IRA and British intelligence. One of the IRA terrorists, [[spoiler: Jimmy Doyle, pinged Cal the wrong way, and Cal believed he would ruin the negotiations. He reported it to the Pentagon, who attempted to assassinate Doyle. Unfortunately, they missed, striking Doyle's wife and daughter, and later covered the murders up. This becomes Doyle's motivation to hunt down everyone involved in the conspiracy, blackmailing Cal to help him.]]

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Cal. He sticks his nose into his team's personal business on a regular basis without hesitation, he acts like a JerkAss to ''everyone'' (clients included), and has a fairly big ego. He's also brilliant at what he does. He never seems to miss a single flinch, even on random passerbys.

* ConfessToALesserCrime: Frequently used by suspects. Justified in that the team can almost always detect if a suspect feels guilty or ashamed, but can't tell why.

* EyeScream: The serial rapist in the 12th episode. In addition to raping women, he also cut their eyes out.

* SlutShaming: One episode deals with the effort to find an eighteen year old girl who ran away from her father and started doing porn. The girl asks "Who's going to want... someone like me?"
** less slut shaming, more the girl's concern no one would want her since she became HIV positive from the movies - she had been a virgin before, the Group was exposing the porn studio's unsafe sex practices

* SlutShaming: One episode deals with the effort to find an eighteen year old girl who ran away from her father and started doing porn. The girl, having spent a few months strung out on who knows what and leaving a high quality studio for a crack den studio, asks "Who's going to want... someone like me?"
** less slut shaming, more the girl's concern no one would want her since she became HIV positive from the movies - she had been a virgin before, the Group was exposing the open studio's unsafe sex practices