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The Worst Episodes of Lie to Me

Every episode of Lie to Me ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Lie to Me!

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The world's leading deception researcher, Dr. Cal Lightman, studies facial expression, body language and tone of voice to determine when a person is lying and why, which helps law enforcement and government agencies uncover the

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  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    Lie to Me Season 3 Episode 12 - Gone
    6.1/10(7 votes)

    #1 - Gone

    S3:E12

    A baby goes missing, and her mother accuses an unknown person of the kidnapping. When Lightman sees she’s hiding something, he digs deeper and discovers a family in need of repair.

    Director:Adam Arkin
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Lie to Me Season 1 Episode 8 - Depraved Heart
    6.3/10(15 votes)

    #2 - Depraved Heart

    S1:E8

    Lightman becomes obsessed with his investigation of two young women who committed suicide. Meanwhile, the team tries to recover billions of dollars for investors who were bilked by a Ponzi scheme.

    Director:Adam Davidson
    Writer:Dustin Thomason

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  3. Lie to Me Season 1 Episode 9 - Life Is Priceless
    6.3/10(14 votes)

    #3 - Life Is Priceless

    S1:E9

    In the wake of a building collapse in a small town outside Washington, Lightman is brought in to determine who is at fault, and he discovers a massive cover-up. Meanwhile, the team is hired by a "dot-com" billionaire to determine if his girlfriend loves him for the right reasons.

    Director:Clark Johnson
    Writer:Dustin Thomason

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  4. Lie to Me Season 1 Episode 10 - Better Half
    6.5/10(14 votes)

    #4 - Better Half

    S1:E10

    When Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Landau, Lightman's ex-wife and Emily's mother, enlists Lightman to help investigate an arson case in which the only eyewitness is a 5-year-old boy, it quickly becomes clear that she and Lightman still have feelings for each other. Meanwhile, Foster and Torres question a rapper who is suspected of murder.

    Director:Karen Gaviola
    Writers:Josh Singer, Ilana Bar-Din Giannini

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  5. Lie to Me Season 1 Episode 11 - Undercover
    6.5/10(15 votes)

    #5 - Undercover

    S1:E11

    The Lightman Group gets embroiled in the controversial case of a policeman who shot a potentially innocent teenager. Meanwhile, investors who were bilked by a Ponzi scheme are suing The Lightman Group for botching the recovery of their money,

    Director:Seith Mann
    Writer:Tom Szentgyorgyi

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  6. Lie to Me Season 2 Episode 3 - Control Factor
    6.5/10(11 votes)

    #6 - Control Factor

    S2:E3

    While on vacation in Mexico with Emily, Lightman becomes involved in the case of a missing American woman, who is a single mother on vacation with her daughter. Upon investigation, Lightman learns that the mother got herself involved with an illegal fertility broker and he manages to find her just in time. Back home, Foster investigates D.C.-area hospitals with Lightman's rival, Jack Rader. They try to uncover the reason that five people have grown gravely ill after receiving blood transfusions.

    Director:James Hayman
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. Lie to Me Season 2 Episode 13 - The Whole Truth
    6.5/10(8 votes)

    #7 - The Whole Truth

    S2:E13

    Lightman is an expert witness at the trial of a woman charged with murdering her high-powered, and much older, husband.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Lie to Me Season 1 Episode 13 - Sacrifice
    6.6/10(16 votes)

    #8 - Sacrifice

    S1:E13

    After a terrorist bombing outside of Washington, DC, FBI Agent Ben Reynolds calls on The Lightman Group to help identify those responsible and prevent more attacks. The case takes a personal turn for one member of the team and begs the question of whether honesty is indeed the best policy. Zoe helps Lightman with the investigation and both are concerned about their daughter's safety.

    Director:Adam Davidson
    Writers:Josh Singer, Dustin Thomason

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  9. Lie to Me Season 2 Episode 5 - Grievous Bodily Harm
    6.6/10(11 votes)

    #9 - Grievous Bodily Harm

    S2:E5

    When Cal's old pal, Terry Marsh, comes to town, he brings plenty of trouble with him. Meanwhile, the rest of the team meets with some students from a prep school to determine if any of them are responsible for a threatening tape that was sent to the headmaster.

    Directors:Eric Laneuville, Timothy Busfield
    Writer:Matt Olmstead

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  10. Lie to Me Season 2 Episode 6 - Lack of Candor
    6.6/10(11 votes)

    #10 - Lack of Candor

    S2:E6

    After a federal witness is killed, the US attorney arrives at the Lightman Group to take the next witness in line, Reynolds, into protected custody. Cal feels that the US Marshals Service cannot protect Reynolds, so he takes him "hostage" and demands that he be able to run the investigation into the witness's death. During his investigation, he finds out that while undercover Reynolds did drugs and killed a man and wants to keep it a secret to avoid prosecution after he finds out that his handler (Alicia Coppola) did not properly report the event. Through his own undercover operation, Cal records the handler admitting that she led Reynolds to believe that everything was all set legally, and the US attorney subsequently takes her into custody. Meanwhile Loker and Torres discover that the original witness was killed after the cell phone that his mistress provided was tracked to his safe house's location.

    Directors:Terrence O'Hara, Eric Laneuville
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Lie to Me Season 2 Episode 1 - The Core of It
    6.7/10(13 votes)

    #11 - The Core of It

    S2:E1

    A young woman approaches Lightman at his book signing, believing she has seen a murder. Lightman finds that the woman has multiple personalities, and he believes that one of her personalities witnessed the murder. Lightman passes off helping Agent Reynolds vet a potential Supreme Court nominee, instead choosing to pursue the case of the multiple-personality woman. The case is passed on to Torres, whom the nominee does not treat with respect due to her age. Torres puts her preconceived judgments about the man aside when she analyzes the facts. Lightman unlocks the woman's original personality, who helps Lightman find the original murderer. Zoe informs Lightman that she is taking their daughter, Emily, and moving to Chicago to open a law firm. Lightman buys out her stake in The Lightman Group so that she can start her own practice in town.

    Director:Daniel Sackheim
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Lie to Me Season 2 Episode 20 - Exposed
    6.7/10(9 votes)

    #12 - Exposed

    S2:E20

    After Foster's boyfriend, Dave Burns (guest star Martini), gets abducted Lightman tries to track him down with the help of Burns' mysterious ex partner.

    Director:Terrence O'Hara
    Writer:David Graziano

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  13. Lie to Me Season 2 Episode 22 - Black and White
    6.7/10(9 votes)

    #13 - Black and White

    S2:E22

    The Lightman Group investigates the murder of a journalist and friend of Lightman’s who was killed while exposing a corrupt politician

    Director:Daniel Sackheim
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Lie to Me Season 1 Episode 1 - Pilot
    6.8/10(29 votes)

    #14 - Pilot

    S1:E1

    The son of a family of devout Jehovah's Witnesses is accused of killing his teacher after being caught fleeing the scene of her murder. Meanwhile, the team is hired by the Democratic National Committee to investigate a second case in which the Chairman of the House Ethics Committee is accused of paying for sex.

    Director:Robert Schwentke
    Writer:Samuel Baum

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  15. Lie to Me Season 3 Episode 10 - Rebound
    6.8/10(8 votes)

    #15 - Rebound

    S3:E10

    A wealthy woman asks Lightman to look into her new boyfriend's background.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:David Ehrman

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  16. Lie to Me Season 3 Episode 13 - Killer App
    6.8/10(10 votes)

    #16 - Killer App

    S3:E13

    Foster’s former patient, one of the founders of a social-networking app, comes to the Lightman Group when she thinks she’s being squeezed out by her partner. When she turns up dead a short time later, Lightman fights against the prevailing evidence to expose the truth behind the murder.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:David Slack

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  17. Lie to Me Season 2 Episode 4 - Honey
    6.9/10(11 votes)

    #17 - Honey

    S2:E4

    Eric Matheson (Garret Dillahunt) is determined to prove that he didn't murder his wife. Torres is assigned to investigate the murder, and goes to the house of the victim's sister. Matheson finds Torre's car and gets into it after she forgot to lock the door. When Torres returns, Matheson holds her at gunpoint, instructing her to drive to the Lightman Group offices. Cal makes a deal with Mattheson, asking him to let all the employees go as long as he helps prove Mattheson's innocence. Mattheson complies, and Foster, Loker, Reynolds and Torres attempt to solve the case, while Loker has second thoughts about not calling the authorities. Cal and the team find out that Mattheson was actually innocent, and that his wife was actually killed by a creditor. Mattheson demands that he sees the creditor, saying he will either take his life or Cal's. Cal pleads for Mattheson to kill him, but Foster, Loker and Reynolds trick Mattheson into letting his guard down after a disguised Loker pretends to recount the last moments of Mattheson's wife's life. As Mattheson is in a moment of rage before killing Loker, Reynolds draws his gun and shoots Mattheson, disarming him. The episode ends with Lightman at Foster's home, asking if he could sleep in her spare room for the night.

    Director:Timothy Busfield
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Lie to Me Season 1 Episode 7 - The Best Policy
    7.1/10(13 votes)

    #18 - The Best Policy

    S1:E7

    When Lightman is hired to find a corporate spy at a pharmaceutical company, he discovers a high-level conspiracy surrounding a new drug that could put thousands of lives at risk. The team is also hired by the State Department to assist with negotiations for the release of two Americans imprisoned in Yemen.

    Director:Arvin Brown
    Writers:T.J. Brady, Rasheed Newson

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  19. Lie to Me Season 1 Episode 2 - Moral Waiver
    7.2/10(17 votes)

    #19 - Moral Waiver

    S1:E2

    When a female soldier charges a commanding officer with sexual assault, Lightman is brought to Fort Meade to find out if there's any truth to the accusation. Meanwhile, the Lightman Group is hired to determine whether the young star of a college basketball team accepted a bribe to play for the university.

    Director:Adam Davidson
    Writer:Josh Singer

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  20. Lie to Me Season 1 Episode 3 - A Perfect Score
    7.3/10(16 votes)

    #20 - A Perfect Score

    S1:E3

    The murder of a teenage girl – who is the daughter of a powerful federal judge – leads The Lightman Group to a highly competitive college-prep school where getting to the head of the class means everything. The team also investigates a NASA test pilot accused of intentionally crashing a $250 million aircraft

    Director:Eric Laneuville
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Lie to Me Season 2 Episode 2 - Truth or Consequences
    7.3/10(9 votes)

    #21 - Truth or Consequences

    S2:E2

    Zoe enlists Lightman to help with her client -- a 22 year-old black star college football player who has been accused of statutory rape with a white 16 year-old girl. The case hits home for Lightman, who learns that his daughter Emily was friends with the group of girls who attend these college fraternity parties. Through the course of their investigation, Lightman and Torres determine that Zoe's client was set-up by the girl, whose friends leaked the video of the hookup. Lightman figures that the man did not know the girl was underage, noting that his face showed that he knew he shouldn't find underage girls attractive. Meanwhile, Foster and Loker travel to a religious compound to determine whether its claim of IRS exemption is valid. They believe the head of the compound is holding the women against their will. Foster facilitates the escape of one woman and her children, and faces the wrath of both Loker and the government. At the end, the girl's father believes the system is protecting the football player, and decides that someone has to pay. He shoots the prosecutor that dropped the charges against the football player, with whose death the episode ends.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Nick Santora

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  22. Lie to Me Season 2 Episode 7 - Black Friday
    7.3/10(9 votes)

    #22 - Black Friday

    S2:E7

    The Lightman Group helps a teenager who believes he was abducted as a baby, while Loker and Torres try to figure out what caused a deadly stampede at an electronics store.

    Director:Daniel Sackheim
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. Lie to Me Season 2 Episode 8 - Secret Santa
    7.4/10(11 votes)

    #23 - Secret Santa

    S2:E8

    Cal spends the holidays in Afghanistan, where he relies solely on an American expatriate to help a mission to find a pair of missing Marines.

    Director:Michael Zinberg
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Lie to Me Season 3 Episode 4 - Double Blind
    7.4/10(7 votes)

    #24 - Double Blind

    S3:E4

    Lightman becomes involved in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse when he meets a beautiful woman at an art gallery. Meanwhile, Torres is still reeling after her fatal mistake.

    Director:David Platt
    Writer:Dailyn Rodriguez

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  25. Lie to Me Season 3 Episode 8 - Smoked
    7.4/10(8 votes)

    #25 - Smoked

    S3:E8

    Lightman is hired by a terminally ill restaurant owner to find his daughter's killer as his dying wish.

    Director:Kate Woods
    Writer:David Slack

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Gone" is the worst rated episode of "Lie to Me". It scored 6.1/10 based on 7 votes. Directed by Adam Arkin and written by Unknown, it aired on 1/24/2011. This episode scored 0.2 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Depraved Heart".