House of Lies

What started out as a scathing, hilarious indictment of the management consulting racket within just a few episodes has unfortunately turned into a heart-warming/-wrenching story about dysfunctional family life and damaged people.

Even the remnant veneer of business-side stories are beginning to cast the consultants as good guys, working hard to save troubled businesses rather than the leaches and scum of the original premise.

Also, very regrettably the show falls for the false premise that gender-bending is automatically funny and risqué. In fact for those to be funny they have to be, well, funny, as opposed to simply slapped in with a teenage breathlessness about how cool they are.

First off, I have to say I don't watch a lot of "TV". But by TV I mean regular shows or sitcom type material (if they still call it that). I watch movies or sports, news, etc...

But I saw the trailer for this and thought it looked great so I watched it. Now I just love it. It's raunchy and something you're embarrassed to watch with your adult kids, but it's still utterly hysterical. Cheadle makes the whole thing go - but Kristen Bell is excellent as she shows some business savvy with the comedy as well. The other two...well, they are kind of straight men so that's okay. I can watch the same episode three or four times and still laugh and enjoy it.

Personally I think Cheadle is one of the best and most underrated actors around. He should be more of a feature star than doing a cable show, but I'm thrilled he's doing this.

Having said all that, I'm in business. Not Management Consulting, but on the other side, and heaven knows I have encountered their types and typically loathe them. Maybe that's why I find this so funny. If you have no business background, I still think it'll be funny for you, but being in the corporate world makes you laugh that much harder.

Excellent...just excellent.

Incredible fun all around, surprised I didn't watch sooner! Delightful cast throughout that do business stuff, fool around, and get things done. I love the dialogue quite well written and the parts Don Cheadle breaks the 4th are greatness! I'm gonna enjoy binging House of Lies.

Whom ever suggested that porn is better must not watch porn at all. As an adult I am tired of having television shows watered down to please those who are afraid of adult content. I love the savvy business talk,the fact that the consultants do what they have to do to get what they want. We all know that that's not the real world but it's a TV show. The banter is brilliant and the humor is memorable. Don Cheadel's character is so unapologetically ruthless that you can't help but like him. A welcome break from mindless reality shows. This now my favorite Showtime Series. The only reason I gave it a 9 and not a 10 is because I wish it were an hour long.

I just read a review in which someone complained about the amount of "slurs" and basically equated the show to pornography. They couldn't be more wrong.

Yes, the show has some swears. And yes, there is nudity. But how is that worth a 1-star review? Are you 10 years old? This is a program created by and for Showcase, a network that shamelessly brands itself as "television without borders," so there should be an expectation of some level of debauchery. How many other top shows out there contain the same material? Look at True Blood, Game of Thrones, Californication, and the list goes on. House of Lies is an adult show with adult themes. Get the hell over it! This show is clearly not for you. Everyone's welcome to their own opinion but I doubt anyone will find yours to be useful here. Don't give it a 1-star review just because you don't approve of its content. Go watch "The Wind at My Back" or something like that instead.

That being said, Don Cheadle is fantastic as the lead part in this comedy. He pulls it off so well that it's unexpected and refreshing. Cheadle's "psycho" ex-wife is also a great character, flipping between pill-popping party girl and smart, driven career woman that we love to laugh with even though we hate her for being such a b*tch. I can't wait to see more of this show and I applaud everyone involved for a job well done. The acting is convincing and the writing is sharp. There is a great dynamic between all the characters, especially that of Cheadle and his father. The only acting that's less-than stellar comes from Cheadle's son's character, but it's difficult to find a convincing child actor anywhere. He'll probably improve as the show goes on.

I was laughing throughout the episode. Don't let the review of some prude turn you away from this great comedy.