Ultimate Lie To Me Fansite
Episode 2 - Moral Waiver
Homeland Security wants the Lightman goup to test a new portable polygraph, so Dr. Cal Lightman has an attractive woman ask their control questions -- and the test subject gives nothing but false responses. Meanwhile, Cal has handed the Homeland Security deputy director a giant egg, explaining that West Africans used it as a lie detector, but since fear, anger, and sexual arousal create false responses, the egg is no better than their new polygraph. And the egg shatters in the deputy director's hands ...
When the deputy reassures his boss they'll recoup the cost of the device, he steps back and crosses his arms. Cal notes this "gestural retreat" is a sign of lying. (We see a vintage clip of Nixon doing the same.)
Afterward, Cal practices recognizing micro-expressions, which flash across faces at 1/5 of a second. He sets the machine to display expressions at 1/15 of a second and doesn't miss.
His associate, Dr. Gillian Foster, reminds Cal that she'll be investigating college basketball star Earl White -- accused of taking a bribe to attend a local school -- so she can't accompany him on the Army-related case that starts this afternoon. Gillian suggests taking their new hire, "natural" detector Ria Torres, instead. Cal says Ria doesn't know the science of detection, but when pitted against the machine, she's as good as he is.
So Cal and Ria go to Fort Mead, where a soldier named Sheila Lake claims to have been raped by Staff Sergeant Russell Scott while serving in Afghanistan, but Scott passed the Army's polygraph test.
Cal watches a tearful Lake describe the assault to Ria, then Scott's angry denial. When Cal comes on to Scott, his lack of disgust convinces Cal he's not a "power assertive" rapist. He also says Lake's downturned mouth during questioning is "gestural slip" indicative of lying. (We see a clip of Bill Clinton doing the same.) But a previous harassment report filed against Scott lends truth to her allegations.
Meanwhile, Gillian -- who turns out to be a big basketball fan -- and tech wizard Eli Loker meet with Earl White, then with booster Howard Taft, who's accused of bribing him.
Back at the office, Eli runs Taft's interview though a vocal stress analyzer, which indicates he's lying. But White displays no bling and is raising his little brother himself (their mom recently died), so where's the money? Gillian suggests checking recent video footage of White for clues.
Cal then brings in three women who served with Lake and Scott, who watch the video of Lake's testimony -- unaware that Cal is filming them. But they show no emotion, indicating they don't believe Lake's charges.
However, before he joined the Army, Scott had a criminal record -- he was granted a "moral waiver" -- that included arson, which has a strong correlation to rape. When Cal brushes this aside, Eli explains to Ria that Cal distrusts naturals "because he had to learn the language that you're born seeing."
But when Cal confronts Lake about her false accusation, she says she's only doing the right thing. Upon finding concealed disgust on the faces of the other women who served under Scott, Cal realizes Lake's lying to protect someone -- or right a past wrong.
Eli's vintage video search reveals White's anger -- in the form of a "chin thrust"-- when asked about turning pro. And Gillian finds that more recent photos reveal a man in serious pain. When they confront White, he admits to having a degenerative form of arthritis. Even knowing he couldn't go pro, he took Taft's money.
Cal discovers that Private Rebecca Metz, who served under Scott, went AWOL after she filed that harassment report. Turns out she has family in Baltimore, where Cal pretends to attack her grandfather, so she'll come out of hiding. Metz claims Scott assaulted her nightly for months when they served in Afghanistan, but she won't testify because she's afraid no one will believe her. Cal says they'll believe him and calls in the military police, who arrest her.
Back at Fort Mead, Scott pleads guilty to fraternization, claiming Metz was his girlfriend -- and he's got photos to prove it. But Cal notices these photos show fear (eyebrows up and pulled together) and a "masking smile." (We see a shot of Sarah Palin making the same face before meeting the press.)
Cal re-interviews Metz, who explains that if she didn't give in to Scott, he would've made her drive lead -- the prime target for a roadside bomb. Cal suggests she submit to an Army polygraph test.
Hooked up to the machine, Metz claims that refusing to have sex with Scott meant her driving lead. Listening to her testimony, Scott explodes, saying she never drove lead -- a job that's supposed to rotate, which proves she traded sex for safety -- and gets placed under military arrest.
Later, Gillian finds White on deserted basketball court and tells him she's putting the fee that Lightman & Co. received for his case into a trust, which will pay for his education at another school.
When Ria asks Cal how Metz beat the polygraph, he tosses her a bottle of Valium, adding that if "you don't know science, you don't see the whole picture, and people get hurt."
Ria notes that Cal's face shows shame. He says, "Get used to it ... "
When the deputy reassures his boss they'll recoup the cost of the device, he steps back and crosses his arms. Cal notes this "gestural retreat" is a sign of lying. (We see a vintage clip of Nixon doing the same.)
Afterward, Cal practices recognizing micro-expressions, which flash across faces at 1/5 of a second. He sets the machine to display expressions at 1/15 of a second and doesn't miss.
His associate, Dr. Gillian Foster, reminds Cal that she'll be investigating college basketball star Earl White -- accused of taking a bribe to attend a local school -- so she can't accompany him on the Army-related case that starts this afternoon. Gillian suggests taking their new hire, "natural" detector Ria Torres, instead. Cal says Ria doesn't know the science of detection, but when pitted against the machine, she's as good as he is.
So Cal and Ria go to Fort Mead, where a soldier named Sheila Lake claims to have been raped by Staff Sergeant Russell Scott while serving in Afghanistan, but Scott passed the Army's polygraph test.
Cal watches a tearful Lake describe the assault to Ria, then Scott's angry denial. When Cal comes on to Scott, his lack of disgust convinces Cal he's not a "power assertive" rapist. He also says Lake's downturned mouth during questioning is "gestural slip" indicative of lying. (We see a clip of Bill Clinton doing the same.) But a previous harassment report filed against Scott lends truth to her allegations.
Meanwhile, Gillian -- who turns out to be a big basketball fan -- and tech wizard Eli Loker meet with Earl White, then with booster Howard Taft, who's accused of bribing him.
Back at the office, Eli runs Taft's interview though a vocal stress analyzer, which indicates he's lying. But White displays no bling and is raising his little brother himself (their mom recently died), so where's the money? Gillian suggests checking recent video footage of White for clues.
Cal then brings in three women who served with Lake and Scott, who watch the video of Lake's testimony -- unaware that Cal is filming them. But they show no emotion, indicating they don't believe Lake's charges.
However, before he joined the Army, Scott had a criminal record -- he was granted a "moral waiver" -- that included arson, which has a strong correlation to rape. When Cal brushes this aside, Eli explains to Ria that Cal distrusts naturals "because he had to learn the language that you're born seeing."
But when Cal confronts Lake about her false accusation, she says she's only doing the right thing. Upon finding concealed disgust on the faces of the other women who served under Scott, Cal realizes Lake's lying to protect someone -- or right a past wrong.
Eli's vintage video search reveals White's anger -- in the form of a "chin thrust"-- when asked about turning pro. And Gillian finds that more recent photos reveal a man in serious pain. When they confront White, he admits to having a degenerative form of arthritis. Even knowing he couldn't go pro, he took Taft's money.
Cal discovers that Private Rebecca Metz, who served under Scott, went AWOL after she filed that harassment report. Turns out she has family in Baltimore, where Cal pretends to attack her grandfather, so she'll come out of hiding. Metz claims Scott assaulted her nightly for months when they served in Afghanistan, but she won't testify because she's afraid no one will believe her. Cal says they'll believe him and calls in the military police, who arrest her.
Back at Fort Mead, Scott pleads guilty to fraternization, claiming Metz was his girlfriend -- and he's got photos to prove it. But Cal notices these photos show fear (eyebrows up and pulled together) and a "masking smile." (We see a shot of Sarah Palin making the same face before meeting the press.)
Cal re-interviews Metz, who explains that if she didn't give in to Scott, he would've made her drive lead -- the prime target for a roadside bomb. Cal suggests she submit to an Army polygraph test.
Hooked up to the machine, Metz claims that refusing to have sex with Scott meant her driving lead. Listening to her testimony, Scott explodes, saying she never drove lead -- a job that's supposed to rotate, which proves she traded sex for safety -- and gets placed under military arrest.
Later, Gillian finds White on deserted basketball court and tells him she's putting the fee that Lightman & Co. received for his case into a trust, which will pay for his education at another school.
When Ria asks Cal how Metz beat the polygraph, he tosses her a bottle of Valium, adding that if "you don't know science, you don't see the whole picture, and people get hurt."
Ria notes that Cal's face shows shame. He says, "Get used to it ... "
