House of Lies

:

Season 1
  • Network: SHOWTIME
  • Series Premiere Date: Jan 8, 2012
Season #: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
5.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 119 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 60 out of 119
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 119
  3. Negative: 39 out of 119
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User Reviews

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  1. hoho
    Apr 17, 2013
    6
    This season of House of Lies starts off very slow, and it hit-and-miss the entire season. It is a dramedy starring the talented Don Cheadle (he won a Golden Globe for "Best Comedy Actor" this season) and the lovely Kristen Bell. The season overall turned out to be moderately entertaining with the exception of a few bad episodes, including the Pilot episode. The cast is quite funny, andThis season of House of Lies starts off very slow, and it hit-and-miss the entire season. It is a dramedy starring the talented Don Cheadle (he won a Golden Globe for "Best Comedy Actor" this season) and the lovely Kristen Bell. The season overall turned out to be moderately entertaining with the exception of a few bad episodes, including the Pilot episode. The cast is quite funny, and I especially enjoyed the interactions between the characters Clyde (Ben Schwartz) and Doug (Josh Lawson) throughout the entire season. Overall, I think you should give this series a chance (watch more than the first episode), because I have also seen Season 2, and it is a major improvement.… Expand
  2. Ihateverything
    Jan 8, 2012
    5
    It's okay. By no means an advancement in the comedy genre like the shows on NBC, but it's better than Showtime's other crap like Nurse Jackie and The Big C. The writing needs to be better.
  3. BxMuscle
    Mar 29, 2013
    5
    "House of Lies" has cleaver writing and good acting. On-camera asides are among its funnest moments. It suffers from characters who are wholly unsympathetic if not downright distasteful as human beings. There's an obvious attempt to humanize their unethical business practices and self-absorbed sexual antics with humor and a touch of pathos that tells us that these characters are caught up"House of Lies" has cleaver writing and good acting. On-camera asides are among its funnest moments. It suffers from characters who are wholly unsympathetic if not downright distasteful as human beings. There's an obvious attempt to humanize their unethical business practices and self-absorbed sexual antics with humor and a touch of pathos that tells us that these characters are caught up in impersonal structures of power far beyond their control or full understanding. And Marty Kaan is presented as the most devoted father, who affirmation of his teen-aged son's "gender fluidity" supersedes all other concerns in his life, personal or professional. None of which changes the fact that this son is an utterly self-indulgent brat and he a sociopath willing to lie to, betray and cheat anyone for money. I suppose the show is interesting, though, in what it says about the broader culture that produces it rather than on its own merits.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

76
#76 Best TV Season of 2012
19
#19 Most Discussed TV Season of 2012
35
#35 Most Shared TV Season of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
63

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 25
  3. Negative: 4 out of 25
  1. Salon
    Reviewed by: Roger Catlin
    Jan 31, 2012
    70
    House is more solidly built [than "Dirt"], thanks mostly to the bracing quality of Cheadle, who scarcely has time in the mayhem to reconsider what he does.
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  2. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Luke De Smet
    Jan 11, 2012
    25
    Because from its embellished execution to its uninspired writing and very conception, the smarmy House of Lies is like so many speculative financial bubbles that characters like Marty have had their hands in: There's just nothing there.
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  3. Boston Herald
    Reviewed by: Mark A. Perigard
    Jan 9, 2012
    50
    I didn't laugh much. I did, however, check my watch, still secure on my wrist, to determine when the show would be ending.
    Read full review
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