Secrets and Lies

:

Season 1
  • Network: ABC
  • Series Premiere Date: Mar 1, 2015
Season #: 2, 1
Metascore
48

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 22
  3. Negative: 7 out of 22
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Critic Reviews

  1. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Neil Genzlinger
    Feb 27, 2015
    60
    It’s a crisply paced suburban potboiler with a murdered child at the center, and if you’ve been sucked in by other shows in this genre you may find yourself sucked in by this one. But also feel free to be vaguely annoyed that those clever TV makers are seducing you with formulas rather than freshness.
  2. The Wrap
    Reviewed by: Diane Gordon
    Feb 27, 2015
    60
    Will you care about this group of upscale suburban neighbors? Probably not. Will you be pulled into their web of interconnected secrets and lies? Possibly. Will you be treated to various shots of brooding Ryan Phillippe jogging, sweating and showing off his aforementioned abs? Definitely. Is that enough to keep you watching? Maybe.
  3. Uncle Barky
    Reviewed by: Ed Bark
    Feb 26, 2015
    58
    Phillippe and Lewis as the two principal characters are not potent enough to get the juices flowing in an unfolding crime tale that’s neither terrible nor scintillating.
  5. Newark Star-Ledger
    Reviewed by: Vicki Hyman
    Mar 2, 2015
    50
    It's a fairly mundane mystery populated by cardboard characters with poor decision-making skills, starting with Ben, who immediately becomes the prime suspect, and his wife Christy.
  6. Boston Herald
    Reviewed by: Mark A. Perigard
    Feb 27, 2015
    50
    Anyone hoping for a “Desperate Housewives” vibe (ABC’s last big Sunday hit) will be disappointed. This story unfolds as if it were told by someone overdosing on Ambien.
  7. Philadelphia Daily News
    Reviewed by: Ellen Gray
    Feb 27, 2015
    50
    The show delivers the secrets and lies, but isn't compelling enough to justify yet another story about a child's murder.
  8. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Matthew Gilbert
    Feb 26, 2015
    50
    Secrets and Lies isn’t sloppy, based on the first two hours; it’s well-organized enough, and decently shot. But it promises to be a hollow exercise signifying nothing much.
  9. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Joe McGovern
    Feb 20, 2015
    50
    The two-hour pilot lacks the growly tension of that dark, nnotty Netflix thriller [The Fall]. [27 Feb 2015, p.66]
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Awards & Rankings

67
#67 Most Discussed TV Season of 2015

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 59 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 44 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 59
  3. Negative: 11 out of 59
  1. drasm21
    Mar 11, 2015
    10
    Twisting plot! I like it! Love Ryan Phillipe in this role and Juliette Lewis plays the detective in such a solemn manner, makes me dislike herTwisting plot! I like it! Love Ryan Phillipe in this role and Juliette Lewis plays the detective in such a solemn manner, makes me dislike her character, but she perfect for the role. Hoping to see all the episodes!… Full Review »
  2. Scegs
    Mar 25, 2015
    10
    We love this show. I really like the 10 episode arc. Ryan Phillippe is great. Of course, it can be very frustrating at times...its supposedWe love this show. I really like the 10 episode arc. Ryan Phillippe is great. Of course, it can be very frustrating at times...its supposed to be that way. The show keeps us coming back for more. Each episode draws you in more and more.… Full Review »
  3. Bgrod
    Mar 2, 2015
    9
    An effective murder mystery with some compelling characters. It's hard not to get pulled in and feel at least some empathy with Phillipe'sAn effective murder mystery with some compelling characters. It's hard not to get pulled in and feel at least some empathy with Phillipe's character whose life is falling apart and whose neighbors assume is guilty until proven innocent. The paternal ties to the dead child and the extramarital affair with the child's mother add to the complexity of the crime in this attractive suburban neighborhood. Both the high quality exterior and interior shots seem more like a feature film than a television series. There is nothing particularly original here in the story but Lewis' interpretation of the unrelenting detective who is both annoying and fascinating to watch in action, along with Phillipe's restrained performance as the alleged victim suspected of killing the child, make this two more reasons to watch Secrets and Lies… Full Review »
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