The biggest lie here is that "House of Lies" pretends to be a show about management consulting, but is really just another soap opera.
If I watch a show about management consultants, I expect it to be about management consultants. Instead we've got a soap opera with everyone shagging everyone, a soap opera about Kaan's kid's gender identity issues, a soap opera about Kaan's dad's Parkinsons, a soap opera that a narcissistic sleep-around Kaan should inexplicably fall in love with a heart-of-gold stripper who decides to enroll in law school and moves across the country to be with her client, a soap opera about Jeannie's engagement, a soap opera about Kaan's ex-wife, a soap opera about workplace politics, nudity, nudity and nudity, and so on.
Everything except management consultancy.
If I want to watch a sitcom or life drama, I'll watch one of those instead. Same goes for the nudity. Now some of these may appeal to some people, but not all in one lump.
Cheadle is great in his role and his associates, despite their many faults, are lovable characters. It was that and the promise of the first episode that kept me watching. The scenes where everything freezes while Cheadle explains something are well done.The boozing, sex and partying scenes can be quite funny but the problem is they've taken over the entire show.
What's sad here is that the series is based on a real-life book about management consultancy. There was plenty of material to work with: you have people under stress working with clients whose careers are on the line. But this material is almost completely ignored for sex, sex and more sex. Some episodes have nothing to do with management consultancy at all. In the few episodes where there is some management consultancy, the business problems they are given are trite and the solutions dull. Instead sex and soap opera dominates. The poster advertisement for the series showing suits and the sharks is misleading: They should have shown Cheadle's butt instead, because that's what most of this show is really about.
This show has a lot of potential and could have been a big draw to the business crowd. Instead it tries to be too many things to too many people and ends up pleasing no one. The first episode is good and the finale was good, but there's too much soap in-between.
"House of Lies" has been renewed for a second season. I hope the producers ditch the soap opera and concentrate on what should be their USP (Unique Selling Point): A show about management consultancy.
SEASON 1: 6/10.
SEASON 2: 8/10. It's back and much better. Management consultancy has all but disappeared, so it's become just another sexy Showtime comedy. Unfortunate, but that's Showtime. The crudity, dildos and bare bums won't be everyone's cup of tea but this time around it's better edited and much more engaging than first season.
If I watch a show about management consultants, I expect it to be about management consultants. Instead we've got a soap opera with everyone shagging everyone, a soap opera about Kaan's kid's gender identity issues, a soap opera about Kaan's dad's Parkinsons, a soap opera that a narcissistic sleep-around Kaan should inexplicably fall in love with a heart-of-gold stripper who decides to enroll in law school and moves across the country to be with her client, a soap opera about Jeannie's engagement, a soap opera about Kaan's ex-wife, a soap opera about workplace politics, nudity, nudity and nudity, and so on.
Everything except management consultancy.
If I want to watch a sitcom or life drama, I'll watch one of those instead. Same goes for the nudity. Now some of these may appeal to some people, but not all in one lump.
Cheadle is great in his role and his associates, despite their many faults, are lovable characters. It was that and the promise of the first episode that kept me watching. The scenes where everything freezes while Cheadle explains something are well done.The boozing, sex and partying scenes can be quite funny but the problem is they've taken over the entire show.
What's sad here is that the series is based on a real-life book about management consultancy. There was plenty of material to work with: you have people under stress working with clients whose careers are on the line. But this material is almost completely ignored for sex, sex and more sex. Some episodes have nothing to do with management consultancy at all. In the few episodes where there is some management consultancy, the business problems they are given are trite and the solutions dull. Instead sex and soap opera dominates. The poster advertisement for the series showing suits and the sharks is misleading: They should have shown Cheadle's butt instead, because that's what most of this show is really about.
This show has a lot of potential and could have been a big draw to the business crowd. Instead it tries to be too many things to too many people and ends up pleasing no one. The first episode is good and the finale was good, but there's too much soap in-between.
"House of Lies" has been renewed for a second season. I hope the producers ditch the soap opera and concentrate on what should be their USP (Unique Selling Point): A show about management consultancy.
SEASON 1: 6/10.
SEASON 2: 8/10. It's back and much better. Management consultancy has all but disappeared, so it's become just another sexy Showtime comedy. Unfortunate, but that's Showtime. The crudity, dildos and bare bums won't be everyone's cup of tea but this time around it's better edited and much more engaging than first season.