Television series inspired by the real-life psychologist Dr. Paul Ekman. Ekman has developed a science in which clues on the face, body and voice allow experts to discern whether the person is telling the truth or lying. The fictional character at the center of the series is Dr. Cal Lightman (played by Tim Roth), the world’s leading deception expert. Lightman can always spot who is lying. Within his professional life, he heads a company that accepts contracts from companies, the government or individuals who require the truth, this skill is very useful. It is in his private life, with his ex-wife (played by Jennifer Beals) and teenage daughter (played by Hayley McFarland), that it causes problems.
Episode 1: The Core of It: At a book signing, a young woman (played by Erika Christensen) begs Cal to believe that she saw a murder in a psychic vision.
Episode 2: Truth or Consequences: Following a big victory, a star football player (played by Chadwick Boseman) is arrested after a frat party for statutory rape.
Episode 3: Control Factor: Cal and Emily go off to Mexico on vacation and the American embassy turns to him when an American woman goes missing.
Episode 4: Honey: While looking for a man (played by Garret Dillahunt) who beat his wife to death, Ria (played by Monica Raymund) is taken hostage by him and then he brings her back to the Lightman Group where Cal convinces him to exchange himself for Ria.
Episode 5: Grievous Bodily Harm: Cal’s buddy Terry (played by Lennie James) pays a surprise visit after twenty-two years.
Episode 6: Lack of Candor: Reynolds (played by Mekhi Phifer) refuses to testify for a case that he worked on undercover for two years despite the fact that he might lose his job as a result.
Episode 7: Black Friday: A 16-year-old boy (played by Daniel Ross) comes to Cal’s house during the holiday season telling him that he believes he is James Knox, a child that was abducted years ago in Washington, D.C.
Episode 8: Secret Santa: Cal is sent off to Afghanistan to try and locate a couple of U.S. soldiers while the team tries to keep his location from Emily.
Episode 9: Fold Equity: Jake Hartman (played by James Immekus), an amateur poker whiz, has gone missing and Cal is brought in to find out if any members of the final table are responsible.
Episode 10: Tractor Man: An angry farmer (played by Sean Bridgers) drives his tractor right up to the White House and threatens to blow it up unless he speaks to the President.
Episode 11: Beat the Devil: While guest lecturing in a former professor’s class, Cal uncovers a male student he fears to be a psychotic killer.
Episode 12: Sweet Sixteen: A car explodes outside the Lightman Group and a man is killed. Cal receives a DVD and he and Gillian (played by Kelli Williams) believe that a man they evaluated seven years ago, Doyle (played by Angus Mcfadyen), is back.
Episode 13: The Whole Truth: The much younger wife of a billionaire is the prime suspect when he’s murdered. It is Cal versus Zoe on this case.
Episode 14: React to Contact: Cal is brought in to work on a case of a soldier (played by Enver Gjokaj) just back from Iraq who believes that someone is trying to kill him.
Episode 15: Teacher and Pupils: Cal takes on Clara (played by Melissa George) as his pupil to learn what he knows…for a fee, while he takes on a case involving a shot police officer who cannot communicate.
Episode 16: Delinquent: Ria’s half-sister Eva (played by Alyssa Diaz), who is locked up in juvenile, calls her for help when a friend named Marley disappears.
Episode 17: Bullet Bump: A staffer of the governor of Virginia is shot and killed and Cal believes the governor (played by Richard Burgi) himself is involved.
Episode 18: Headlock: An illegal underground fighter that Cal supports is gunned down placing Cal in hot water.
Episode 19: Pied Piper: A case that Cal and Zoe worked on together many years ago rears its ugly head again.
Episode 20: Exposed: Cal is suspicious of Gillian’s boyfriend Dave (played by Max Martini) and follows him only to see him being kidnapped.
Episode 21: Darkness and Light: Emily’s ex-coach (played by Dean Norris) turns to Cal when his daughter (played by Natalie Dreyfuss) goes missing then ends up in the pornography industry.
Episode 22: Black and White: A reporter is found murdered in a hotel room. She was investigating a former cop who is now running for office.
