True Lies (Season 1), Episode 1: Episode 1 of CBS’ new spy-thriller True Lies is a dull introduction, to say the least. If the name sounds familiar, it is because True Lies was a hugely successful commercial bonanza almost three decades ago starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis. Back then, a spy doing his best to lead a double life of normalcy and extreme adventure made for good cinema. The concept was then extrapolated in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, starring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, and then in Keeping up With the Joneses, starring Jon Hamm and Gal Gadot.
A more complex and complicated offshoot of that concept was also explored in the hit tv show The Americans. But from what we can see in the “Pilot” for True Lies, the notion just does not seem to be that interesting anymore. Or perhaps it is the lackadaisical execution from the makers that makes it repulsive. It was a truly sub-standard showcasing of the project CBS touted as “its next big project” a few months ago. Here we have recapped episode 1 of True Lies for you with an ending explainer and all the plot points.
True Lies (Season 1), Episode 1 Recap:
Pilot
Harry tasker is a dedicated family man. His wife Helen is a language professor, and the two are committed to each other and their two children, Dana and Jack. Both are relatively grown up, so the two adults have a lot of time on their hands to do “adult stuff.” Helen practices yoga, works out aerobics on television and loves caring for her children. On the other hand, Harry has a more “Exytravagant” hobby. He is a high-level spy with frequent international life-threatening missions with his team at Omega Sector and Telonyx Solutions, a computer sales organization catering to mid-sized insurance companies.
Harry calls his wife Helen and tells her that he cannot make it home that night. He is going on a mission to kidnap an arms dealer from a party in Montserrat Island, The Caribbean. This abduction of the rogue weapons dealer is called “Operation Gatecrash.” Helen has no idea what is going on. But her cluelessness is strange and becomes something else that is eating her up from the inside. Harry does not like lying to his wife. This time, a sales convention in Cleveland, but has to accept it as an occupational hazard. Other members of his team are Luther and Maria, the field agents, and Gib, the tech support.
The mission is fairly straightforward – and its depiction even simpler. They have to get in without being seen or heard, tranquilize the weapons dealer, Mikkel Rand, and escape in the same surreptitious manner. But their mission is jeopardized when a security guard walks into the room where Rand conducts business. In an effort to neutralize him, Harry unwittingly drops the ball (literally), and the alarm in the room is triggered. They pick up a caterer’s van and, without much hassle, make it safely out of there.
Back home, Harry tries to behave normally. Gib helps him shore up his cover story, which he has extensively memorized. The family is holding a barbeque that day, and Harry is in charge of prepping the food and other arrangements. Helen feels that Harry might be keeping something from her and confides in her friend from the yoga class. She, too, agrees with Helen, and a seed of doubt is planted in her mind. The kids, too, feel that Harry barely knows them, and Dana feels he should spend more time with them.
Trilby is Omega’s boss, and Harry reports to her. She shows him the objective of his erstwhile mission and why it was so significant. He is shown footage of the Iraq and Turkey border, where an unknown weapon was used to destroy the specific military base. She thought Rand would know something about it, but it seemed like he was just a middleman, and someone else was pulling the strings. One of the weapons used in this operation was still missing, raising concerns. While he is hosting the lovely barbeque, Gib comes in with another assignment.
Rand had indeed completed the transaction of the missing weapon before they could take him. He needs to leave with his team on a mission to Paris to investigate further. Helen gets very upset and defensive when he mentions this, and to allay her concerns, he also promises to take her on the trip. Gib cannot believe it and says it cannot be done. He labels it the “big surprise” that he has been planning for her. It explains his absence from her life lately. She is impressed and agrees to come. Now it cannot be changed.
In true spy fashion, Harry takes on the task of dousing the fire on both fronts. He arranges a magical night for Helen with opera, dinner, and drinking while chasing his target, who could reveal more about the weapon. The target had the weapon in his person, and Harry beat him up to get his hands on it. But to his disbelief, the network of his enemies is wide and strong, and he discovers that the concierge at his hotel is one of them too. He attacks them while they’re having dinner.
True Lies (Season 1), Episode 1 Recap and Ending, Explained:
How does Helen’s life change after Paris?
The couple is entangled with the concierge, who keeps them alive to learn about the weapon. Harry signals to his team for help, but he cannot send a decent signal to Gib for some reason. Helen’s life is threatened, but the concierge decides to move them to another location, as Harry does not answer. Helen is heartbroken, and we see Harry drowning in guilt for keeping this huge secret from his wife. Was their marriage a lie, too? How would Helen and Harry come back from this setback?
As always happens in such situations, the team comes to the rescue and mounts a successful operation. Helen and Harry are able to escape with Maria, Luther, and Gib. The couple does not say a word to one another while on the helicopter, indicating that Harry’s explanation might not be enough for Helen to recover from this shock. Has permanent damage been done to their relationship? It turns out that their neighbor, Myers, too, is an agent with Omega. Now that Helen knows about this classified operation, she must also become a part of the agency. Trilby inducts her into the training session, and Helen has no choice but to proceed.
We have no clarity on how the relationship will proceed, but it seems like the husband-wife pair will have their work cut out. Telling the kids will be the next big challenge. Will it be like Spy Kids, the series where everyone looks out for one another and protects each other? We’ll have to wait and see.
| Next Episode >>
True Lies TV Series (2023- ) Links: IMDb, Wikipedia, Rotten Tomatoes
True Lies TV Series (2023- ) Cast: Ginger Gonzaga, Steve Howey, Annabella Didion
Where to watch True Lies
