True Lies Season 1 Episode 1 Review: Pilot
Denis Kimathi
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Ever heard of the phrase be careful what you wish for?
Helen got tossed headfirst into the world of spies on True Lies Season 1 Episode 1 after complaining that her husband was too ordinary and had become unexciting.
Harry, who by all accounts is a fearless spy, was rattled by the idea that his wife thought he was cheating such that he gave in to the pressure that ended up putting his wife in danger.
It would be hard to review this show without comparing it to the film that it is based on. The original movie starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis as Harry and Helen Tasker, respectively.
Even though events are different in the show and the movie, they are similar regarding the occupations of the male lead and couples in crisis.
The movie was a product of its time with some portrayals of its female characters, which we would deem as being off-color now. However, it was funny, had some lessons and most importantly, there were explosions.
The premiere episode was the first chance to make a good impression on the viewer in the hope that they would come back, and it wouldn't be a stretch to say a good impression was made.
First, the show undid the movie's sin by balancing the screen time and portrayal of Helen and Harry.
Harry came off as a loving husband and father who had gotten used to juggling two lives such that he had failed to notice that he hadn't been doing a great job as the years went on.
Why save the world if you're not doing it for those you love?
Harry
Harry: Hey, babe, listen. I'm sorry, but I have some bad news. The conference is running long.
Helen: Seriously! I was making your favorite casserole for dinner. The kids are gonna be bummed.
Harry: I know. I know. And I'm sorry, but it's a sales banquet. And, you know Luther. He thinks no one's gonna buy a computer server unless you eat a rubber chicken breast with them.
Helen: It's okay. I have a million linguistic finals to grade.
When he called Helen in the opening scene, she didn't seem surprised that he was calling to make an excuse. She had gotten used to it and found a way to cope with his constant absence. The coping method was ineffective, as teaching and grading papers are not the most exciting.
Even his children had grown accustomed to his absence. His return from a mission was met with an air of lack of excitement because they had been through that multiple times.
The script was: he calls to say he's going to miss something important, he arrives a few days later, he comes bearing basic gifts, and then tries to make up for time lost.
That might have worked when the children were younger, but they had grown and started to notice things.
Helen's life was boring. How would you know?
Helen's friend: Something is wrong.
Helen: Promise not to say anything? I drove about 100 miles an hour.
Your life is boring if a bit of speeding is the most exciting part of your week.
And no one could blame Helen when she thought Harry might be cheating. All the signs pointed to that.
Whether she would have preferred to have him stepping out or putting her life in danger remains to be seen.
The show appeared demanding in multiple ways, especially regarding the physical abilities and versatility needed of the actors.
It is a mixture of drama and comedy, a dramedy, if you will, and some action.
No one could have been better cast as Harry. Steve Howey steps into the role like he was born for it. He delivered the humor uniquely and watching him do his thing had me missing Shameless.
His pairing with Ginger allowed them to shine together as they built on each other's abilities.
What was most exciting was how the show had the original True Lies feel while not feeling like a complete remake of the movie.
Apart from the jokes, all the action was very entertaining, with plenty of hand-to-hand combat, gunfire, and explosions.
The cases Omega was working on felt very well thought out because in as much as guns are scary, isn't a weapon capable of compromising a body its waves pass through much scarier?
The damage that weapon could do had me anxious, seeing how it leveled a whole camp in less than a minute.
The charm of this premise was the secret. I was skeptical about why the lie would be revealed to his wife in the pilot episode until the kids came into the picture.
Those were Gen-Z kids, and if there is anything that generation is good at, it's digging out secrets, whether they are lies or from the past.
Do they look like people who have come from vacation?
Dana
Don't believe me?
Ask all those celebrities who have been canceled because of controversial old tweets who it was that dug up those tweets. Case closed!
True Lies is one of my favorite movies and one of my most memorable. I don't think there is a scene that tops the one where Helen exposes that he and Harry are married.
It was one of the funniest things my preteen brain had ever seen, even when I had no business seeing such a movie at that age. For good measure, I watched the film again a few days before the series premiere, and yes, still the funniest thing ever.
It is a better premiere than most because it isn't packed with too much, it's casual, and it's as close to the source inspiration material as possible. It sets up a good tone for the rest of the show. It was engaging.
It will be interesting to see how Harry and Helen keep this secret from their children and if putting themselves in mortal danger is what will rekindle their dying romance flame or if it will be the final nail in the coffin that ends the marriage.
What did you think of the premiere? Were you excited about it? Was it everything you hoped it would be?
What was the best or worst part about it?
We always love reading your thoughts, so don't hesitate to comment.
Denis Kimathi was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on X.
