Management consultant Marty, played by Don Cheadle, isn't going to win any friends among the 99 percent on the new series "House of Lies" (Sun., 10 p.m. EST on Showtime). He's shown to have very loose morals when it comes to sexuality, while at the same time trying to be a very tolerant and supportive parent. It's a bit of a contradiction, and that contradiction was at play as well in his professional life.
At work, Marty tries to screw money out of corporations by making himself and his team seem indispensable. But the core of how bad this guy is comes to light in the presentation he makes to the client he's trying to land. In short, he lays out a way for this giant bank to save face after the current financial crisis by basically faking an amnesty program.
It would make the CEO and the company look great, while at the same time never really allowing any of the disenfranchised people back into the system. It would be a win-win situation for the big corporation.
So, it seems that the "House of Lies" plan is to make Marty a completely unlikable uncharacter, and yet Cheadle plays him so delightfully and -- until the final moment -- unapologetically, it might be hard for some.
HuffPost TV critic Maureen Ryan had no problem disliking him, and much about the show. Kristen Bell, a part of Marty's team, talked with Chris Harnick about her own character depravities, as this is a team of four the audience needs to get behind. You can still form your own opinion by watching the full first episode here.
"House of Lies" continues its journey down the dark side every Sunday night at 10:30 p.m. EST on Showtime.
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