True Lies Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Rival Companions
Laura Nowak
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The first major guest star, Matthew Lillard, appeared as the infamous assassin, the Wolf, and his appearance changed the series' tone.
The Wolf's appearance increased the banter throughout the team during True Lies Season 1 Episode 4. He seemed like he had been a part of the team forever, which made Harry jealous.
Harry didn't trust him, while everyone else thought he was a legend.
Dangerous assassins killing off influential politicians is not humorous, yet this episode played more campy, especially bringing in another assassin as their backup.
So far, the Omega Sector usually needs extra brains or muscle; this time, it was just the funniest addition.
Director Trilby: In the spirit of it takes one to know one, I’m bringing in help –the top assassin we’ve contracted with a few times.
Luther: Oh my God, you don’t mean…
Director Trilby: The Wolf, yes.
It's not often we root for the villain, but Matthew Lillard was so funny and charming as an assassin that you rooted for him to beat the more dangerous killers and make some friends.
He gave such a layered performance that you felt he was misunderstood instead of the big bad Wolf.
Luther, Maria, and Gib revered him as a legend, while Harry didn't want him anywhere near his friends.
That made it that much more ironic that Helen was the one that befriended the Wolf.
Helen was the first person ever to ask him his actual name, Nathan. Most people only knew him as the assassin and never saw him as a person with real feelings.
The Wolf comes alive when he's with Helen and shows his vulnerable side. He's just a man who wants others to like and accept him.
Matthew Lillard and Ginger Ginger Gonzaga looked like they had so much fun as Nathan taught Helen a song to assemble a gun. It was pure, honest comedy.
Helen looked happier than she had in ages, but that was the problem. Harry didn't appreciate Helen bonding with the enemy.
When the Wolf is involved in a mission, he almost looks like a programmed soldier. No one ever asked him about his goals in life.
Do I like being an assassin? I never really thought about it. The thing is…I don’t really feel feelings or happiness or contentedness. I can’t even send those little heart emojis.
The Wolf
He's so stoic and doesn't regret killing anyone. He doesn't feel much of anything except excessive munchies after each kill, which bothers Harry's morals.
Helen believed in the Wolf and reminded her husband that she had only recently learned he was living a secret life too. Sometimes if only one person believes in you, it's enough.
We don't need the Wolf to become cuddly, but like Helen, I can see a seedling of a heart underneath that cold exterior. It just needed someone to see that soft exterior.
The action and fight scenes were also heightened in "Rival Companions." I felt the tension with the ominous music every time the Wolf scared Harry in the dark.
If Harry thought the Wolf was so dangerous, he should have been more careful about calling him a murderous psycho.
Part of me wondered if Harry was right to worry that the Wolf would murder him.
I suspected the Wolf merely liked playing games with Harry because it made Harry crazy, and when the Wolf saved Harry, he was the hero again.
Harry: You shoot people in the back of the head. It’s your thing.
The Wolf: Harry, you think I’m going to kill you?
Are driverless vans in our future? Watching both the assassins' and Gib's vehicles in that epic fight was something else.
Those scenes looked like they were out of an old-school action movie.
It's a shame Gib's van blew up, but perhaps he'll join more of the fun in the future.
The series has gotten better at sprinkling the right amount of action with campy comedy. They need to work on the relationship between their leads.
I was frustrated that Harry and Helen took two steps backward from communicating about their career and home lives in True Lies Season 1 Episode 3.
Harry finally understood that they could compartmentalize their lives so much, and Helen couldn't do everything alone.
That's why it saddened me to see Harry tune his wife out, throw himself into missions, and not consider her needs. No wonder Helen felt lonely and welcomed the Wolf's friendship.
She wasn't aiming to replace her husband. She only wanted to feel like part of the team.
Helen felt like the new kid in school, and she longed to belong. By teaching her weapons training, the Wolf made her feel useful.
I want to be a part of things. I want to be a part of the team.
Helen
Harry needed to remember that Helen's street smarts proved helpful often, and she was their secret weapon. Helen was better with people than Harry and spoke various languages, making her cover more believable.
Instead of ignoring and devaluing her opinion, he needed to pay more attention to her. Seriously? She was strutting around in black lingerie with their teenagers gone.
Harry and Helen are more attractive as a sexy couple working together than when he's a tired, jealous husband.
What do you think? Did Harry's jealousy pay off?
Will he be more attentive to Helen's needs and realize what an asset his wife is to the team?
Did you enjoy the first of the superstar guest stars?
This was just the beginning, as Tom Arnold will soon appear in what Omar Miller calls his favorite Gib-squared moment.
We love hearing feedback, so comment below with feedback on your favorite moments.
To catch up on any of Omega Sector's missions, you can watch True Lies online via TV Fanatic.
True Lies airs at 10/9c on Wednesdays on CBS and streams on Paramount +.
Laura Nowak is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on X.
