True Lies Season 1 Episode 8 Review: Honest Manipulations
Despite toeing the line between truth and deception for a season, True Lies has finally brushed paths with sincere honesty.
True Lies Season 1 Episode 8, “Honest Manipulations,” tests the limitations of its “true lies” manifesto and forces this ensemble to acknowledge the damage their dishonesty has caused their loved ones.
Whether it is something as small as Lester and Maria lying about their feeling for each other or as big as Helen confronting Harry’s abuse of Omega resources to deceive her, the episode dredges up the uglier reality of this premise.
True Lies does an admirable job of pulling itself back from the brink.
Harry and Gib pushing this narrative that it’s fine to deceive your loved ones if you have good intentions could easily damage this show’s likeability if left unchecked.
But like much of this season, “Honest Manipulations” is aware of the misogynistic narrative Harry can present. Demonstrating through several of Helen’s birthdays that he has neglected their relationship sets up beautifully for her to shut down excuses that he had to use Omega to deceive her.
It’s time Helen spoke up against this notion that she was okay with her husband pretending to be someone he wasn’t for eleven years of their marriage.
The scene in the bedroom where Helen volleys back every excuse at him challenges Harry to do better and gives Ginger Gonzaga dialogue with something close to gravitas. It is a turning point for this episode and the season.
The quirky action comedy does an excellent job of toying with the humility surrounding this serious couple’s quarrel.
The dueling scenes in the surveillance van are an example of what works so well with this repetitive mission format, as Helen and Harry are forced to swap seats throughout the episode and hilariously take their frustrations out on Gib.
Helen having to watch Harry using his relationship lore as material in the field to seduce his targets is understandably upsetting. It is followed pointedly by Harry having to endure a dose of his own medicine from the sidelines as his wife takes point on the mission.
Harry is at his best when he is knocked down a few pegs by his chivalry, but the timing of this bit of torment from Helen is crucial.
The episodic conflict between Harry and Helen works because it challenges both sides of the true lies debate and infuses more empathy into this crucial relationship.
Helen and Harry taking their collective frustrations out on Gib lead to several hilarious outbursts from the composed logistics specialist.
But in a surprising twist, Gib is forced to pay the price for not seeing the flaw in lying to those outside Omega’s circle, and that is a massive step for True Lies in terms of establishing long-term consequences for this team’s actions.
Instead of attempting to understand where Helen is coming from when she complains about all the times she was given a birthday gift Gib picked out, the agent boasts about his AI-generated texts to his girlfriend.
That lack of remorse for lying, coupled with a new woman in Gib’s life, forces him to face repercussions for deceiving someone he cares for.
After episodes of Gib mocking Harry for opening himself up to vulnerability with a wife and family, Gib learns the hard way that he can’t continue down the path of solidarity he so frequently flaunts.
That one scene suggests True Lies can provide more profound commentary on these spies’ double lives and treat them as flawed beings rather than bendable tools to further the plot but never break.
Gib’s breakup sets up for character development, and the reopened wounds between Maria and Lether seem to fester more as he grows closer to Quinn.
The missions themselves still feel like cut-and-paste conflict, and the aggressive special effects and split-screen gimmicks do more harm than good in establishing creditable TV.
The potential for a better story is within reach, but not if this series continues to believe its own lies.
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True Lies airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on CBS.
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Alicia Gilstorf
Alicia is a Rotten Tomatoes Certified Critic and a Critics Choice Association member. She credits her passion for TV to workplace sitcoms, paranormal dramedies, and coming-of-age stories. In her free time, Alicia loves to curl up with a good book and lose herself in a cozy game. Keep a lookout for her coverage of Ghosts. You can also find her work on Eulalie Magazine and Cool Girl Critiques. Follow Alicia on social media: @aliciagilstorf