Air Date: Sunday, January 13, 2012, 10/9c on Showtime
RATING:
The season two opener of House of Lies was good. It wasn’t great; wasn’t horrible either, but it lacked that special something. Season one emerged with a bang, hooking me instantly. The show was fresh, new and hilarious. This time around, eh… not so much. Sure I wanna know more about the possible romantic relationship that could develop between Marty (Don Cheadle) and Jeannie (Kristen Bell), but I’m not dying to discover if the season will reveal more than that.
Observations:
The one thing missing that was prevalent in season one is Marty turning to the camera during a freeze frame and addressing the audience. I loved the interactivity; it made the series eccentric and I actually looked forward to those intimate conversations where we got an inside look into the mind of Marty Kaan.
**
The camaraderie, chemistry and comedy are still front and center. The cast works together like a well-oiled machine giving life and realism to their characters. Doug (Josh Lawson) still bumbles around, bullshitting his way through life; Clyde (Ben Schwartz) remains the womanizing douche with witty comebacks; and Jeannie remains the sidekick to Marty’s superhero-esque persona. The team dynamic remains tight as they all flounder while trying to close a big client during this episode, but it isn’t anything new. We’re used to them tossing around ideas, talking people in circles and coming out on top. I would have liked to see some change in tactics though. As an aside, I missed Glynn Turman in “Stochasticity” and I’m sure I’m not the only one. He brings a certain panache to the show that can’t be replaced. Plus, I like knowing Marty can’t avoid getting a word to the wise from his dad.
**
Cheadle and Bell do we’re-having-an-uncomfortable-conversation scenes well. The whole “Did we or didn’t we?” mystery is on the top of Jeannie’s mind and Marty “doesn’t remember” what happened. Somehow I don’t believe that and I’m dying to know almost as much as Clyde. “Did you fuck Marty?” Who doesn’t want to know the answer to that question? Jeannie’s flashbacks kind of help clue viewers in to what happened during last season’s cliffhanger finale. If you are dying to know what happened between Marty and Jeannie, you find out… somewhat. Let’s just say their drunken evening consisted of exercising, vomiting and declarations of love? Oh yeah, somebody’s got some explaining to do. Just what the hell does this mean for Marty and Jeannie?
**
The only notable scene in the episode is the singing bumble bee (Lucy Schwartz). Schwartz does an excellent job singing The Carpenter’s “Close to You” during a touch and go father/son lunch between Marty and Roscoe (Donis Leonard Jr.)
**
There are quite a few changes coming this season and they all revolve around Marty and his home life. Now that Roscoe is living with his mom Monica (Dawn Olivieri), Marty seems off kilter. He wants his son at home again but Roscoe likes living with his mother. What does this mean for their relationship? And how about Monica changing for the better? She seems like a different person and she’s working on herself. I like the character growth and am interested to see where things lead.
With guest stars Adam Brody, Nia Long and Larenz Tate as Marty’s brother Malcolm, the season holds promise. I only hope it makes as much of an impact as season one.
Tune in to House of Lies, Sundays at 10/9c only on Showtime. For more on the show, visit http://www.sho.com/site/houseoflies/home.sho.
Official HOUSE OF LIES Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HouseOfLies.
Official HOUSE OF LIES Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/SHO_HouseOfLies.
Official HOUSE OF LIES Series Site: http://www.sho.com/site/houseoflies/home.sho.
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