I started watching House of Lies not really knowing what to expect. It aired on Showtime in 2012. I knew Don Cheadle was in it and I expected it to be a very serious show. When I found out Ben Schwartz and Kristen Bell were in it, I knew that wasn’t the case. We decided to give it a shot. What I watched was a great first season of a show.
Don Cheadle plays Marty Kaan, a management consultant who is paid to find more ways for the richest companies in the world, to make even more money. He leads a team of three consultants and together they travel around, taking on clients and doing whatever it takes to close the deal. The show does this thing where Marty breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to you, explaining what’s happening or what he’s about to do. Not in the way mockumentaries do, but in the middle of the scene. Everything around him will freeze and while he talks about the situation. It sounds gimmicky, but it works really well.
The Cast Makes It
The supporting cast is great too. Kristen Bell plays Jeannie, who starts as someone you might underestimate and ends up being one of the most interesting characters in the whole show. From the beginning, Marty knows she has a secret, but she hides it so well that he doesn’t quite know what it is. The rest of the cast play well together and their chemistry is the main reason to watch the show.
The show isn’t perfect. There are moments where it gets a little too into the weeds on the consulting side of things, but it doesn’t stay there long. It moves fast and it’s sharp. It’s funny when it needs to be and surprisingly honest in other moments. It’s even honest in the comedic moments, which a lot of shows can’t pull off, but House of Lies does.
Is House of Lies Season 1 Worth Watching?
Is season 1 of House of Lies worth watching? Well, if you like shows that move quick, have genuinely clever writing, and a lead character who’s hard not to root for even when he’s doing something shady, House of Lies season 1 is worth your time. I wish we had started it sooner.
