I’m finally writing up this TV Binge! Actually, this was way before I even saw the Season 1 of Zoo! You can see that post HERE!
I saw the Season 4 of House of Lies possibly about almost two months ago. However, I still remember what I want to talk about. A quick recap on the series: Season 1 was fantastic, Season 2 was charming enough, Season 3 lost a bit of steam but end kind of strong, and now we’re at Season 4. At this point, it can go both ways, right?
Let’s check it out!
House of Lies [Season 4, 2015]
Creator: Matthew Carnahan
Cast: Don Cheadle, Kristen Bell, Ben Schwartz, Josh Lawson, Donis Leonard Jr., Glynn Turman, Dawn Olivieri, Valorie Curry, Demetri Martin
Season 4 starts a few months after what happens in Season 3. Here is the spoilers so if you haven’t seen previous seasons and plan to watch this, don’t read it.
Marty Kaan is not out of jail and with his old team, they have to go for the smallest cases to try to rebuild Kaan & Associates after Jeannie’s rushed decisions caused him to go to jail and plummeted the image of the company. Jeannie is now pregnant with the hidden fact that it is Marty’s baby (but it isn’t hidden for long). The office has to share space with some digital company that has a skateboarding ramp and these cool kids which lead by Kelsey, end up teaming up with Clyde and Doug and starting this weird relationship. On top of that, Roscoe has gone off the rails after Marty went to jail. Finally, while in jail, Marty conjures up a plan to connect with a rich technological tycoon in order to do business for him when they both get out.
I can’t say I’m a huge fan of Season 4. This was by far the one that was far from being a binge. I might have watched one episode or two a day and in multiple sittings. Point is, the story has kind of lost its focus. It still has some witty moments and the characters we’ve grown to know is still around and doing their thing but its a little frustrating to watch also. Especially when its watching Marty in his stupidity when dealing with Jeannie. I guess it makes sense however, it feels like everything is so awkward now. There lacks a flow that used to make the series work. The main issue is not only that the logic of decisions isn’t there but what bothers me more was Roscoe who used to be a good character, now is just an emo teen dealing with stuff that seems to be way over what he should be doing and really not seeing it. His character goes through immense change. I can see how his father going to jail would cause that but him flipping out doesn’t seem to make the situation better and goes against the character we’ve seen in the past three seasons. That is where we can say, House of Lies in this season was all about change.
In this season, the side characters pose a much more fun time. The best is the awkward situation between Clyde, Doug and Kelsey. Doug’s coping mechanism of being the guy that seems to be dispensable and his insecurities turns him into a really crappy person with just horrible mindsets. Except he can’t really live up to what he does sometimes and turns right back to who he was. That creates humor for sure. It is however nice for once to see that Clyde’s character is shining through because while he likes to sleep around, there’s a whole new level of learning about him in this season that should have been done much earlier. That was possibly the best parts in all its awkwardness. Kelsey is a good character.
To be honest, the whole business aspect of things seemed to be the more interesting turn of events. The desperate situations that occurred and the retaliations and everything in between all worked for the better as it neared the season finale. I have a soft spot for Kristen Bell so I stand up for her character Jeannie a lot. It also comes to the point that she was also a strong point in this. A single mom pregnant and being kicked out of a company she worked hard for also because of things that she regrets doing a lot and still putting up a strong face while trying to figure out her future all lumped together. When her breaking point hits, just don’t mess with her.
Overall, House of Lies Season 4 was a tad lackluster. It seemed to lose a bit of its way however keeping the tone around in forms of sarcastic humor of sorts. There are some decent new characters, some funny and awkward moments but yet, nothing enough to feel like it was binge-worthy. It gets better and better as the dramatic things seem to sort themselves out. It begs to ask how they will wrap up everything in the final season.
Netflix doesn’t have it yet so I’ll be checking it out and reporting back when it shows up.
Are you a fan of House of Lies?
Tranquil Dreams 