House of Lies is a show about people who lie for a living, and it knows exactly what it is doing. Created by Matthew Carnahan and starring Don Cheadle, the series ran for five seasons on Showtime, premiering January 8, 2012 and ending June 12, 2016. It is a comedy-drama that treats corporate America as a dark joke, where the worst instincts of ambition are not just tolerated but rewarded.
The show follows Marty Kaan, played by Cheadle, a management consultant who runs a pod of associates at Galweather Stern. His team includes Jeannie van der Hooven (Kristen Bell), Clyde Oberholt (Ben Schwartz), and Doug Guggenheim (Josh Lawson). The series is based on Martin Kihn’s 2005 book of the same name.
Trailer, via BlockbusterAustralia.
Marty Kaan’s World
Marty is the engine of the show. He is manipulative, charming, and opportunistic, willing to use any means necessary to win a client. The show leans heavily on his relationship with his ex-wife Monica, played by Dawn Olivieri, a rival consultant whose firm is ranked ahead of Marty’s. The series also tracks his family life, including his retired psychiatrist father Jeremiah, played by Glynn Turman, and his son Roscoe, played by Donis Leonard Jr.
Breaking the Fourth Wall
One of the show’s signature devices is Marty’s fourth-wall-breaking moments. He talks directly to the audience in freeze-frame bits where he alone moves while the others remain frozen. Sometimes he talks to the audience while everyone else continues moving around him, unaware of his monologue. This technique is used frequently across the series.
The Metrocapital Storyline
The show’s central arc involves Marty winning over the CEO of Metrocapital, a major banking institution, while humiliating the CFO, Greg Norbert, played by Greg Germann. In retaliation, Norbert pushes for Metrocapital to acquire Galweather Stern, turning the firm into an in-house consulting group. This sets up a battle between Skip Galweather, played by Richard Schiff, who wants the merger, and “The Rainmaker,” played by Griffin Dunne, who opposes it.
“Nothing is sacred in this scathing, irreverent satire of corporate America today.”
The Rainmaker is eventually revealed to be using Marty to get rid of Skip. Marty tries to leverage credible accusations of sexual harassment against the Rainmaker, and Jeannie van der Hooven reveals she was one of many of the Rainmaker’s victims. The merger falls apart, and the Rainmaker is put on leave.
The Final Season
The fifth season sees the aftermath of the Rainmaker’s fall. Jeannie returns to work with hazy memories of sleeping with Marty and telling him she loves him. The final episode, titled “Finale,” airs June 12, 2016.
| Season | Episodes | Premiere Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | January 8, 2012 |
| 2 | 12 | September 15, 2012 |
| 3 | 13 | September 22, 2013 |
| 4 | 13 | September 21, 2014 |
| 5 | 8 | May 17, 2016 |
Our Verdict
House of Lies is sharp and cynical, but it is also uneven. The writing is at its best when it is focused on the interpersonal dynamics within Marty’s pod, particularly between Marty and Jeannie. The show’s satire is effective when it is pointed and specific, but it occasionally loses focus and relies on broad, repetitive jokes.
The series is worth watching for Cheadle’s performance, which anchors the show’s moral rot with a charisma that makes you root for the villain. The supporting cast, including Bell, Schwartz, and Lawson, is strong. The show’s willingness to break the fourth wall is a bold choice that pays off more often than it misfires.
House of Lies is a show about the ugliness of success, and it is willing to stare that ugliness in the face. It is not a comfortable watch, but it is often a compelling one.
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