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On Perception and other TV Crime Drama Series with Genius Yet Problematic Characters

Posted on January 21, 2013 Written by ripitup

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Perception starring Eric McCormack and Rachel Leigh Cook.
Perception starring Eric McCormack and Rachael Leigh Cook.

UPDATE: PERCEPTION has been renewed for season 3!!!

Turns out I like my men (on TV) quirky, cute, brilliant and nice at the core. A sense of humor won’t hurt, a traumatic background will up the stakes and I’ll be sold for some good crime-solving and decent acting.

With House, I settled for hospital drama since he approached cases with a CSI attitude and the brainstorming tactics of a creative professional, and I gave up on nice for a uniquely irritating yet intriguing personality. But with Lie to Me, I didn’t have to settle.

And I didn’t have to settle with Perception (starring Eric McCormack) either. To get a feel of how good Eric McCormack is, you should see Will and Grace, Trust Me and Perception episodes in a row. From the handsome gay lawyer with OCD tendencies (Will & Grace) to advertising golden boy (Trust Me) to schizophrenic neuropsychiatrist (Perception), Eric McCormack gave me the perfect rebound show. You know what they say…to get over one tv show, get under another. No, wait- that was for dating.

But hey, just like sometimes rebound relationships can offer something more given a little time, this TV show is drawing me in, and making me get over (a little) my indignation that Lie to Me was over in 3 little seasons.

Maybe I’m drawn to these shows because I am often not considered normal by a lot of people I meet. Most of the time I take it as a compliment, and most of the time they do mean it that way. And when you are a writer, that (manageable) quirkiness is a perk.

But sometimes the line between taking pride in not fitting in and the seldom frustration of not being able to fit in, choice vs. obligation, get blurry, and I find deep solace and extreme entertainment in characters (and stories) that not everyone relates to, is jealous of (yeah, you bet I wouldn’t mind being a top lie-detecting expert) or wants to have created such shows/characters oneself.

So I like Perception. And hey, it is good that there’re shows that remind us of each others’ premises. Some will work for you, some won’t. I fell in love with The Mentalist (the first 2 seasons), but Psych annoyed me.  But I loved Lie to Me and I am currently busy enjoying Perception.

Oh, what the hell is Perception about, you ask?

As I mentioned earlier, Perception centers on the brilliant neuropsychiatrist college professor Daniel Pierce who’s a hit with students but not exactly well-perceived in the outside world when people face with his “differences”, and being a schizophrenic with hallucinations and weird set of habits to manage them.

But one of his fans include ex student/current FBI agent Kate (Rachel Leigh Cook), who asks for his help with her investigations. Now, they could be closer friends or maybe even more, but hey, Daniel has issues and he’s not exactly trying to bond with anyone- he is afraid of the possible consequences.

In each episode, we get a murder case with not-so-tired plots, Danielesque crime solving tactics, some lecture moments we wish we had in our school, some funny situations related to Daniel’s quirks/interactions/reactions and good 40+ minutes of fun.

You see, if you think Jane is so similar to Lightman or Daniel is like Lightman, you weren’t paying attention. Or maybe you really want a character obsessed with catching a serial killer who seems more and more implausible by the second (The Mentalist).

Or you are like me. You enjoy each show for what they have to offer, and the very obvious differences between characters and storylines.

Give Perception a shot if you enjoyed one or more of these shows: House, The Mentalist, Lie to Me.

P.S. Yes, I am aware of House is a medical drama. But hey, House has to be mentioned for his brilliance, tendency to break all rules and authority with obsession to solve cases and well…his own highly problematic personality. And bluntness.

 

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Filed Under: TV shows Tagged With: crime, drama, Eric McCormack, eric mccormack perception, house tv show, lie to me, lie to me tv series, perception, perception eric mccormack, perception review, perception tv series, perception us tv series, rachael leigh cook, rachael leigh cook perception, The Mentalist

Lie to Me TV Series starring Tim Roth: As Cool As It Gets

Posted on January 3, 2013 Written by ripitup

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Lie to Me TV Series starring Tim Roth
Lie to Me TV Series. From left:Kelli Wiliams,Tim Roth,Brendan Hines, Monica Raymund. Image via fanpop.com.

 

Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) is a brilliant psychologist specializing in body language and microexpressions who can detect if you are lying, and get the truth out of you even without you speaking.

He runs the firm The Lightman Group where he primarily works with 2 other experts (Kelli Williams’ Gillian and Brendan Hines’ Loker) and one “natural” (less scientific knowledge, more spot-on guts: Monica Raymund’s Torres) and people hire them for a variety of reasons, ranging from confirming a convict’s guilt to preventing terrorist attacks, from finding kidnapped children to confirming that a crime has really been committed…

Lightman also teaches courses on how to read people like he does, often amazing his students what can be achieved.

Of course Lightman’s skills haven’t always helped him in his life- he’s divorced and his teenage daughter (Hayley McFarland) isn’t always happy that his father can spot her every attempt at a lie. He also applies a no-BS attitude in approaching his clients, often infuriating those who don’t know what he’s capable of.

Still, he is adamant at not pointing out every lie when it comes to his co-workers and their private lives, making it sure that if people around him want to keep some secrets, they can.

Lie to Me-Tim Roth-Truth Hurts
Tim Roth looks too badass to be a scientist in this picture. Image via ign.com.

Lie to Me is one of the coolest and most addictive procedural crime/dramas that I have seen. I have to say it has too many entertaining moments to be called solely a drama.

While it is a procedural, we’re never limited to any single organization or field. Their clients can be politicians, Supreme Court judge candidates, the army, FBI, ambassadors, cops…They can take you anywhere and deal with all sorts of crimes and criminals.

Lightman’s correct assumption that everybody lies might remind you of House (Hugh Laurie), but Cal just doesn’t assume- He finds out, very fast and solves the case. And while he is as politically incorrect he needs to be while doing his job, he will easily be nice and supportive-once he believes that you’re not guilty. There’s also the refreshing point that he is the boss.

Then there’s Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) of The Mentalist who also reads people. But Cal’s skills are arguably used more successfully because they are also used to help prevent crimes, as well as to make sure whether the right guy is caught or if a brutal ex con is now really worthy of a parole.

The other thing I like more about Cal is that he is not so damaged to the point that he is impossible to identify with. (Oh, he is damaged and flawed alright –I’m just pointing out that the intensity and reflection of it.) He’ll push and challenge you, but it will end up helping/saving a lot of people.

He is an extremely intelligent and experienced guy with a cool skill and entertains the hell out of you with it. And there is a chance that while watching (or in life) you won’t just be guessing the lie/liar/reason(s), you’ll be tempted to guess them by his methods.

Lie to Me has a lot of cool lines, mostly original and varied storylines that never get boring. It is a shame it only got 3 seasons (48 episodes), because with the lack of Red John and constant nagging of bosses and higher powers, it is pure fun.

And Tim Roth is bloody fantastic.

Some of the Coolest Episodes:

-The pilot. It gives you a great taste of what’s to come.

– The Better Half (Season 1, Episode 10): It has intriguing cases alright, but it is strictly recommended for the guest character of Jennifer Beals, who plays Lightman’s ex-wife and her interactions with Lightman. It’s fun to watch a character that can get under his skin, especially when they seem not to be over each other.

–Blinded (Season 1, Episode 12): The villain is one scary psychopath who was sent behind bars because he has raped and blinded several women, and they need his help to catch the copycat. Now Lightman will do pretty shocking stuff that will make his staff doubt him. But is the villain that good, or is Lightman a great actor?

– Honey  (Season 2, Episode 4): Honey is a very solid episode because it is a very entertaining start, a case sending Lightman to the last place he’d want to be- at a dating event. But it turns into a drama/thriller very quickly where a supposed killer takes Lightman hostage and expects them to find the real killer. Oh, and the last scene is downright adorable.

– Grievous Bodily Harm  (Season 2, Episode 5): An old friend of Lightman’s shows up, in deep trouble. Helping him out puts his own life in danger, and annoys the others because they are left out. But we end up finding a bit more about Lightman, as well as admiring his planning skills.

 

Some Favorite Lines:                                                         

Pilot

(Before Gillian leaves his office to meet a politician):

Cal: Charge him by the lie, we can retire tomorrow.

*

The politician: So Dr. Lightman just assumes you are a liar if you’re a politician.

Gillian: He assumes you’re lying if you are a homosapien.

*

Do No Harm (Season 1, Episode 6)

Cal: I need to ask you a question. Did you kill your daughter? Did you? Did you kill her?..(repeats until he gets a no and believes them). OK. I think we can help you.

*

Life is Priceless (Season 1, Episode 9)

Contractor: My men need engineers and rescue workers. Not a couple of freak show shrinks pointing fingers.
Lightman: She’s the shrink, I’m the freak show. I’m sorry, we normally wear labels.

*

Also on Tim Roth:

Captives starring Julia Ormond and Tim Roth: Romantic & Sexy

Arbitrage starring Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon and Tim Roth

Also on Kelli Williams

The Practice starring Dylan McDermott, Lara Flynn Boyle, Kelli Williams & Steve Harris

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Filed Under: TV shows Tagged With: brendan hines, Hayley McFarland, jennifer beals lie to me, kelli williams, lie to me, lie to me cast, lie to me dvd, lie to me episodes, lie to me quotes, lie to me review, lie to me tim roth, lie to me tv series, lie to me tv show, monica raymund, Tim Roth, tim roth cal lightman, tim roth lie to me

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