Lie to Me

From Meredith's crazy friend on Grey's Anatomy to an semi-nuts acquaintance of Cal Lightman on Lie to Me.

Melissa George has nabbed a recurring role on the Fox drama. She'll play a character Entertainment Weekly describes as an "Anna Nicole Smith-type." That can't be a good sign for her.

The actress' will take on the role of Clara Martin, the sassy wife of an older, late billionaire.

After being found innocent in a high-profile murder case, she assumes control of her husband’s empire. Cal sees his fearless, manipulative, scheming side in her.

George will first appear in the season's 11th episode. The Australian beauty has also enjoyed extended stays on In Treatment and Alias.

With the World Series behind it, Fox is set to return to regular programming.

Case in point: Lie to Me airs a new episode on Monday night, one that will reveal a lot about Mekhi Phifer’s Agent Reynolds.

Viewers will learn that this character has been hiding something in his past from the rest of the group. Expect sparks to fly, and expect these scenes to take place during "Fold Equity."

Click on each episode still for a larger view:

As Gillian Foster on Lie to Me, Kelli Williams often hears the same question:

When will your character hook up with Tom Roth's Cal Lightman?!?

In a new interview with TV Guide, though Williams says she's one of the few that isn't anxious for this development to take place.

"We can care for each other and be supportive and have those more tender moments and not need to become a couple," Williams said of Gillian and Cal. "Sometimes it's more fun to keep that flirtation there. Personally, I'm not ready to consummate anything."

While it might not be in the romantic sense, Williams told the publication that Gillian will come to Cal's rescue in the near future.

"Lightman is going to get into a lot of scrapes. He gets his butt kicked for reading people. It's fun to see that the truth can truly hurt."

Overall, the actress says there's definitely a difference in her character, now that Shawn Ryan has taken over showrunning duties.

"Foster was in a much heavier place at the end of last year with her marriage falling apart. This season there's a little bit more levity in the office. And since I'm no longer with my husband, there are a lot of places they can take Foster."

On this Monday night's episode of Lie to Me, Garrett Dillahunt guest stars.

As spoilers have revealed, he's a man suspected of killing his wife, who takes extreme measures to prove his innocence. Lives are soon at stake.

Watch the official Fox promo for "Honey" below:

Following its inaugural season, Lie to Me was considered a success for Fox.

But the network chose to tweak its highly-rated, Tim Roth-led drama anyway, bringing in Shawn Ryan (creator of The Shield; i.e. the best show in television history) as executive producer.

A couple weeks into season two, Ryan spoke to TV Guide about his plans for the series.

"There were a lot of things that worked well about the show last year, primarily Tim Roth," he said. "He's one of the premier actors in the world. The show had a lot of strengths. I have just been trying to refine it, add a little adrenaline, add some deeper character work and dig really deep into who these characters really are."

During the September 28 season premiere, Roth's Lightman strangled a client to extract information from her.

Is this the dark kind of path the show will now be taking on a regular basis? Ryan said:

"The show is still going to have humor. It's not a dark universe we're trying to portray, but a visceral, real world. That's something that Tim Roth really embraces. There's a real blue-collar, rough-around-the-edges nature to Tim, in real life and in the way he plays Cal Lightman. And we want to expand upon that this year."

A slew of Lie to Me spoilers have also revealed that Ryan will explore the depths of these characters as much as the plots in which they're involved.

"I think there's a way to still remain a procedural while still delving into who your characters are," Ryan said. "Certain kinds of stories allow you to open avenues of who those characters are as it relates to the story. We're choosing stories that allow us to reflect and illustrate who these characters really are."

On the October 19 episode of Lie to Me, Garrett Dillahunt guest stars.

The actor - recently seen on shows such as Burn Notice, Criminal Minds and Damages - appears as a man suspected of killing his wife.

To prove his innocence, he takes drastic measures against Lightman and the team, as shown below:

Click on the Lie to Me photos above for an early look at "Honey."

Already a success after its first season, Lie to Me is receiving even more critical acclaim after its season two premiere.

Executive producer Shawn Ryan - who created the best show in TV history, The Shield - has already delivered on his promise to focus more on character development this year.

With that in mind, viewers want to know: In what direction will the Foster/Lightman relationship take? Ryan spoke on it to TV Guide:

"It's something we're going to take a little slowly, but it's something we also take seriously. You'll see the nature and the intimacy of their relationship, even if it doesn't end up landing them in bed together."

But what about Cal's ex-wife, Zoe?

"There's always the possibility that those two could wind up in the back of a car in some parking lot at any moment," Ryan said.

That's reason enough to tune in! Remember to visit TV Fanatic each week for the latest Lie to Me spoilers, quotes, photos and more.

The new season of Lie to Me premieres on Monday night.

Star Tim Roth says the show will focus more on character arcs this year than on weekly investigations. It will explore, for example, Lightman's relationship with his ex-wife.

On the season premiere, a woman with multiple personalities enlists The Lightman Group to investigate a murder case. Click on the photos below for a closer look at various scenes from the episode:

The second season of Lie to Me premieres on September 28.

Following a successful opening season run, the drama is now paired with House on Monday nights, a partner show that should only serve to benefit the Tim Roth-led series.

Among other storylines planned for the fall, Roth's Cal Lightman will have to deal with a former nemesis, portrayed by Lennie James. Should make for some interesting exchanges.

Meanwhile, Fox has released the following, new promotional poster for Lie to Me:

As one of the most successful debut shows of the 2008-09 TV season, Lie to Me is receiving a great deal of hype as we head into the fall.

Fox has even given the Tim Roth-led drama a prime spot on Monday night, pairing it with House.

As for what viewers can actually expect to take place on the show's second season: yesterday, we reported on the casting of Lennie James in a critical role, the nemesis of Roth's Cal Lightman.

Today, producer Shawn Ryan is responding to fans that wanna know when Cal and Gillian will finally hook up. He told Entertainment Weekly:

“That’s something we want to take slow. There is something between Cal and Gillian, and we’ll [explore] what those feelings are. I don’t want to promise we’ll necessary act on them right away, or even ever.”

Lie to Me returns with new episodes on September 28.