Thursday, January 15, 2015

What I’m Watching: House of Lies (Season Premiere)


House of Lies: Season 4, Episode 1 “At the End of the Day, Reality Wins” (B+)

I was excited for “Shameless” and “Episodes” to come back, but my enthusiasm for this show had seriously waned after a decent second season and mixed third season that came nowhere close to the quality of the first season. Fortunately, this fourth season premiere seems promising, and now my attitude towards this show is favorable again, at least for the moment. I was concerned that a device which has stalled this show in the past, piecing together some big part of the plot with flashbacks that offer more and more information, was going to be used again to stretch out the revelation of a secret over the course of the whole season. Instead, it offered us a glimpse of the last moment of near-closeness between Marty and Jeannie before Marty went to prison and Jeannie went off to get pregnant by a guy who may or may not exist, Edwin. Now, things are truly awkward, though at least Marty and Jeannie can be on the same page when chewing out a ratty client. Marty’s work and home life both seem to be crashing and burning, and Roscoe has developed quite an attitude to go with his shady and dangerous lifestyle that involves selling stolen goods and doing a whole host of drugs. I’m sure Marty wishes for the days of his gender uncertainty that now seem tame compared to the current volatile situation. We didn’t see too much of Clyde and Doug on their own in this premiere, but I’m sure that the tattoo-covered techie played by Valorie Curry of “The Following” will end up playing a relatively big part in the season, as will Demetri Martin’s egotistical criminal.

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