House of Lies

"House of Lies" premeired on Showtime last Sunday night.  I didn't have a chance to watch it until last night, Monday.  I should have saved myself the bother.

The show is about a group of ruthless management consultants who have no scuples who will stop at nothing to close a deal for a big fat profit. It is a cynical premise, but it could have been the basis for a smart funny satire about the world of business. However, in my opinion it was neither smart nor funny.

It was 30 minutes of sex-ploitation and little else.

The show stars Don Cheadle, as Marty Kaan.  I've seen Cheadle in other shows, and I've always liked him. I was prepared to enjoy the show. I did not enjoy the show.

It was 30 minutes of sex-sploitation and little else.

Marty is some kind of sexual superman--during the 30-minute show we see him have monkey-love sex three times--with three different women. He doesn't have sex with his pretty blond co-worker, but not for lack of trying. Just about every conversation they have is about how he wants to bed her.

And if that wasn't enough sex, there's a scene in a "gentleman's club" where the camera lingers on the pole dancers, and another scene of torrid lesbian sex in the ladies room of a restaurant. 

The show crams in even more sex because every conversation in the show is laced with crude sexual imagery. The F-bomb is dropped about every 10 seconds, just for good measure.

I had  heard that the show used a clever gimmick--the action freeze frames, where Marty steps forward and addresses the viewer directly to explain or comment.  I liked the freeze frame gimmick, but just about nothing else. 

I'm a business woman, but also, alas, I am " a woman of a certain age" as the French say.  Perhaps, I am just not the inteneded audience.  I had a similar reaction to Californication, and that show is has had five seasons and counting.  We'll see if "House of Lies" gets a second season.