True Lies Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Public Secrets
Say what you will about True Lies, but Harry’s trusted teammate nearly choking out Helen in the opening scene is a power move.
True Lies Season 1 Episode 2, “Public Secrets,” taps adrenalin and absurd comedy with Helen’s rookie training regimen. The team has to put her through the wringer in front of her husband, and to our glee, they feel real uncomfortable about it.
The quips that transpire as Helen and Harry fight for space in the same career field prove endearing.
This episode is certainly having more fun, and in return, so are we.
As predicted, True Lies sheds some of its clunky storytelling without the weight of a new world on its shoulders.
Helen is part of this team, and there’s no reason to dwell on the decision. So it’s reassuring to see the show steamroll through any lingering questions.
The faster we get in the field, the quicker this show acclimates to its quirky setup.
This spy show is doing a not-so-great job of convincing us it is filming anywhere outside America. So, the offer to ignore “Madrid” and enjoy how uncomfortable Harry is in the presence of Helen’s ex is a merciful escape.
Hell-Yeah Helen
Given that the episode’s intro identifies Helen as a wife first, seeing her character demand more of that role is a relief.
She isn’t punished for Harry’s secret ex. Instead, the storyline masterfully incorporates Harold, her college boyfriend, after Harry spins his egotistical narrative. The tables turn, and Helen does not hesitate to mock her husband for acting territorial.
The scenes where she gets to poke at her husband’s ego and push back against the ensemble’s stiffness develop the necessary layers of personality for Helen.
A personality that deepens as she faces Harry’s ex and holds her ground in her own wet-willy-giving, flinching-at-expositions way.
This Helen is a sweet cinnamon roll deserving of more screentime.
When Harry Met Harold
“Public Secrets” also realizes the secret weapon it has in Steve Howey.
True Lies leans into the dueling personas of Harry Tasker: a brooding action man that plays chicken with an armored SUV and the crazy-eyed dork who cannot speak to Harold without saying “I’m not threatened by you” in a very threatened tone.
Harry’s chivalry is charming, but his deadly skill set deserves to be humbled on occasion.
Witnessing him become utterly unhinged in the presence of Helen’s ex is the perfect storm of comedy and humility for Howey, who plays through the uncomfortable exchanges with a disarming goofiness.
A Team Effort
Howey and Gonzaga’s chemistry is much better this second go around.
The softer, less-gimmicky writing allows them breathing room to deliver lines without giving off the essence of strangers in a Hallmark movie.
Between the unarmed banter at the conference and the tender softness of their reunion at the end of the episode, this feels more like a mature rom-com dynamic.
There is still stiffness, especially when pushing this show’s weird “true lies” agenda. Everyone understands lying as a construct; I beg this show to stop bringing it up.
Harry and Helen coast on their new-found tenderness until the final frame, when their eye lock on the thumb drive in unison.
Incorporating the Taskers’ children is much more fun from the perspective of two parents terrified to know the truth about their daughter’s secret boyfriend. It marries the action and family dynamics effortlessly.
Additionally, True Lies maintains a firm grasp of its action choreography, and I don’t entirely hate the split-screen effects.
Now, if only the dynamics and dialogue of the larger ensemble could get on the same level, we would be laughing.
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True Lies airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on CBS.
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Alicia Gilstorf
Alicia is a writer from Canada. She credits her passion for TV and film to superheroes, workplace comedies, cheesy holiday movies, and coming-of-age stories. Keep a lookout for her coverage of Ghosts.