Lie to Me's New Head Writer

Shawn Ryan.
He is the creator of one a fav shows in TV history, The Shield. Ryan is also a producer/writer on The Unit.

Now what does Ryan need to do?

Stay true to the psychology of Ekman, BUT include many more theories of other leaders in the field of deception (many of them are listed on the right hand side) AND include expert theory from other related areas of Academia (such as top people from communication schools with an expertise in nonverbal communication, statement analysis, and abnormal psychology, and criminology).

Introduce some more character development and possibly more characters. With the exception of Torres most of the cast is cookie cutter of Lightman, and she is working that way.

Torres should remain true to her natural talent, and in subtle ways, play the part of the critic that is wary of some of Lightman's analysis, and needs to have the attitude that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and we shouldn't read something into everything, and not be so willing to accept Lightman.


Foster should be more the Abnormal Psychology expert, but also she should be the organized one of the group. It should be clearer that while Lightman has talent, Foster is the one with the brains behind the group and is making the Lightman group successful.

Loker is the best positioned character on the show. All good fiction needs the characters to grow through change and he has changed the most in the first season by going from a habitual truth teller to pulling off the biggest and most destructive lie that placed the firm's future at risk. The people who are most successful at analysis of body language in real life are sales people, womanizers, gamblers at poker, and manipulative deviants. While most of these endeavors are not the highest on our moral gauges, they are interesting... in kind of a bad boy way. What better fit for the show. Using his skill to make the world a better place while at the same time bedding a random girl.

Lightman needs some work. Yes, there is the mystery of why he is tortured. But Ekman (who Lightman is loosely based one) comes off as one of the most likable guys you could meet. So likable you have to wonder does he really like me; is it an act; where do I really stand; am I being manipulated. Likable, yet creepy, if you know the whole Ekman. Hell, Ekman could be a serial killer, could get away with about a dozen murders before someone would get serious about him as a person of interest. That is Interesting when you really think about it. I don't want to turn Lightman into Ekman, we only need one of each of them! I sometimes identify with Lighman in this way: when people close to me say, "You know for someone who knows this stuff you sure don't conduct and show yourself like you don't know anything." Lightman needs to be tortured because he sees everything, he has sensory overload. This has caused him to be constantly disappointed with every relationship he has had and with those he is close to now; he struggles with this because he realizes he has never been loved or loved another person. What is love? He needs to struggle with compartmentalizing everything in his life. He needs a couple of scotches at night to slow down the thinking and attempt to turn it off. He yearns for more in the relationship area but knows relationships do not last (he knows it is not better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved) he'd rather sit this one (and all of them) out to avoid the eventual pain. He struggles with philosophical questions. It is tough to examine and understand more than anyone else what it is to be human, know others do not care about that, and to come with grips with some tough questions (Read a book called "The Dream Weaver" by Bowen, that is published by the company I currently work for, to understand the type of questions I mean). To sum up the main character, he needs to be more understood by the audience
(on the surface level) , but then the audience will realize, Do we really know him?!?! subtle character development. Lightman has to potential of being the most complex character of all of television history.

Supporting characters: He has a ton of employees, I see them in staff meetings. Get rid of all but 10-12. Give each one of them there one episode where they play a little bit bigger role, LITTLE BIT. It could be a small dialogue/conversation about anything- the show has to answer the question why does he need so many people. Have a News Analysis Division (like I do consulting for news organizations) where tapes and interviews are broken down; have a Negotiation Division that works with arbitrators, Wall Street Firms, and unions/companies; have a Ligation Department that works on jury selection, jury evaluation during trials, witness evaluation and coaching. Maybe a research/training division...

What the show should be about (beyond the 10 or so show ideas that popped in your head when you read the stuff about the Lighman Divisions)? Well I am probably most clear on this because I see it in the feedback on my postings here. People like the show for different reasons, the same as my website visitor/readers. Some like the celeb postings, some the scientific aspects, some the crime stuff, some want to learn, etc... Mix it up.

One thing that is taken too lightly on the show, because we all lie, is lying can have serious consequences- especially in high stakes scenarios. What about someone from the Lightman Group "knowing" the person on trial is not lying, but because the judge is no better than any other judge at detecting deception 50/50- they go to jail for life... and we have to let the judicial system play itself out, even though it is not "right" and the end result is not fair. It is the curse of knowing more... What about the missing or abducted person, and immediately we know there is something not right with the spouse or a parent, yet somehow the detectives do not think they had anything to do with it - even though the stats say it is them- even though they are not following protocol and allowing more time before the arrest to gather evidence and letting them talk to the press to "hang themselves..." It is the powerless to do anything characters, because they know more...

What about the ethics of training to help someone lie, Lightman has said he won't do it on a previous episode, but what about all the training he has done for the FBI and CIA... it doesn't take a rocket science to retrofit his teaching...

Who's side is the right side. What if we taught a friend/group years ago to detect lying to help the "Drug War" and today our friends have become our enemy and is using the knowledge to promote things that could be harmful to us now. I'm not crazy, I just observe (and I know the difference between what is right and wrong) but not everyone does. Terrorists attacked our country and the symbol of our financial system (and should be punished to the fullest extent possible) and two years later after much of the financial system lies in desperate ruins because of greed and irresponsibility, I've heard normal Americans spout some of the same rhetoric that the terrorist did and want more than prison sentences and new rules. Lightman's (and Ekman's) declarations about needing a Constitution before working for them, is not as black and white as it first sounds.

Then there is the problem with "naturals" or "wizards" where emotions can interfere with their ability to see the "truth." This can be utilized several ways as it was slightly when Torres boyfriend was missing. At a deeper level Torres needs to remain uninvested in the situation/case, but several times in the first season she took it to a personal level. If this happens there should be consequences... Lightman should work to protect her from emotional attachment. The viewers wish they had her ability, but they haven't seen the downside yet...

There are so many areas, so little time.

Now the kicker... we are being "taught" things on the show, every episode. They are all pretty obvious about things. Show something, explain it, then show it again. It works. They should keep doing it. Place things in episodes 3-4 before the episode that explains the nonverbal communication. Simple, subtle things, like the way an actors feet are pointed to another. After the season, perhaps on DVD, it will surprise the now smart viewers in the most pleasant way. Like finding Waldo, or an Easter egg- what better present to the fan. It is different and better than all the symbolism that cult fans see when watching a show like x-files- that weren't even in the creators minds. To complete this is relatively easy, sure you could plan some of them and should, but it would be easier to have an eight hour complete body language class for all cast members- then be sure they can complete subtle items without appearing unnatural.

Shawn Ryan= He's a pro, I've liked and watched each of the shows that I know he was a key part of, but not as religiously as I do "Lie to Me" so I'm sure he is confident and knows what he is doing. I just hope he see this and takes some of my suggestions into consideration. Most shows are good, "Lie to Me" is great, and I want it to be the greatest.◦

Lie to Me's New Head Writer