Maggie's Farm

Here's another clip from the pilot episode.  It's a marvelous example of how well these two work together and the contrast in their styles.  As Lightman suddenly leans forward and raises his voice, watch how the camera catches Foster's slightly shocked look, how she grabs the conversation away from him, and the look on his face as she does.  Then watch the master psychologist spring into action and solve the mystery.  When it comes to 'begrudging admiration', the last frame of the clip speaks for itself.

Before continuing, here's an interesting question.

One of the background stories is that Lightman has been banned from Las Vegas.  Not just banned from a casino or two, mind you, but the entire city.  This is because of his ability to read the 'whales' and basically rob them blind at the poker table.

The question is, how many people over the past three years have been inspired by the show enough to embark on a real course in deception training, and then hoofed it off to Vegas?

Okay, let's say you're a young, liberal Hollywood producer and you wish to educate the hapless masses as to the beauty of liberalism and raise their collective consciousness so that they, like you and your fellow Hollywood producers, can revel in the glory of liberal truths.

Such glorious truths as:

— All corporations are inherently evil

— All men are secretly rapists and/or pedophiles

— All women are victims of a cruel and male-dominated society

— All blacks are inherently noble and never, ever lie except for a noble cause

— All Americans are ragingly Islamophobic but won't admit it

— The military is full of warmongers, rapists and baby-killers

— Sarah Palin is a liar, doesn't know what newspapers she reads every day, can see Russia from her doorstep and uses her baby as a political prop

— Et cetera ad nausium ad infinitum

The usual stuff, in other words.

So here's your brilliant plan:

Step One: Season One

— First, devise a clever idea for a TV show.  Make it about an expert on lying, then bring in the 'sharp gal figure' to keep him on his toes and have her also be an expert on lying, but from a totally different background so they can dicker over the nuances of their craft and thus, in turn, explain it to the audience.

— Next, in another clever move, run two story lines during each show, with the occasional overlap when one of the two main figures butts into the other's case (usually providing an essential clue), all of which keeps the show moving along at a delightful clip.

— Right from the outset, prove to the audience that the show has no political bias.  "The truth will out" is basically your motto.  In the first five minutes of the pilot you show pictures of Bush and Cheney in a bad light, but you also show two pics of Clinton.  In the next episode, you'll briefly display both Palin and Pelosi in a bad light, but equally so.  Fair is fair is the way we do things around these parts.  That's your message.

— As word of this clever, bustling, non-partisan show spreads, win over a loyal and appreciative audience.

Step Two: Season Two

— Keep the same dual-case format, but slowly start introducing your list of glorious liberal truths.  Suddenly, a business didn't 1,000% de-ice their parking lot and, thanks to the investigative sleuthing of our heroes, that's why the child fell and broke her arm and the riot started and dozens were injured and two people died.  It's all the business' fault for not completely 1,000% de-icing their parking lot, and they've got to pay, pay, pay for their disgraceful conduct in not protecting innocent young children from the ravages of being themselves.  Bad, BAD corporations!

Step Three: Season Three

— Okay, now that you've got people hooked on the show, it's time to get serious.  Drop the dual-case format because, after all, if you're going to prove that all women are victims of a cruel and male-dominated society, you'll obviously need the whole hour to do it right.

— Preach your liberal dogma for thirteen episodes until suddenly...

By the way, did I mention who aired this show?

The conservative Fox Broadcasting Corporation.

And maybe word started trickling upstairs about the show's sudden swing to the hard left, but halfway through the season when the Powers That Be did their mid-season sweep, they gave it the axe.

And not a moment too soon.

If it had gone on much longer, someone might have decided it was worth it to release the partial season on DVD but, as it stands now, the cancelled third season will probably be relegated to the dust bin of history and the first two seasons will stand alone as testament to another great show whose flame was extinguished too soon.

As I did, people will hear about the show in passing, rent the first two seasons, become absolutely enthralled at the intriguing premise and some of the clever plot twists and surprise endings and wonder "What happened?  How could such a great show be cancelled?"

And they won't have access to the final season's shows, so they'll never know the real story, and that's perfectly okay with me.

Because the movers and shakers in Hollywood will know what happened, and maybe it'll serve as a small warning to other liberal scumbag producers who wish to perpetrate their offensive dogma on America.

Lie To Me, you did not die in vain.