'Lie to Me': Parole of a Lifetime

This week's Lie to Me was probably the most predicable show yet. The killer is instantly recognized in one case; in the other, the twist wasn't as twisty and they were going for. But hey, it's fun to solve the riddle before the professionals do.

Cal's Case

Cal and Ria are working together on the main case this week. She's quite the budding apprentice, isn't she? Only this time, it's a case that hits close to home. Manny Trillo is a "reformed" gang leader who is coming up for parole. The cops have to find out if he's truly changed before they spring him from the clinker.

Cal Lightman's methods are always a bit unusual. Today, he decides to eat a burger in front of Trillo as a sign of disrespect. Clearly, Trillo is angry at Cal for action and can't control the emotion. But he also shows shame in the past crimes he's committed. Ria's not convinced of Trillo's remorse. She thinks he's working the system and will go right back into the gangs once he's out. Such a cynic.

Here's where things get interesting. The wife of a cop Trillo killed wants him to be sprung from jail. Holly Sardo speaks at his parole hearing about what a changed man he is. Why the change of heart? Lightman knows she's lying. Could it be Trillo is having her threatened? But when Cal talks to Trillo, he sees that he's telling the truth. Ria, of course, doesn't believe him still. So what's really going on here?

Ria and Cal have a heart-to-heart. Apparently, her dad used to beat her up. So now she thinks that violent men are incapable of changing. Cal warns her to stop taking things so personally and calls for Trillo's release--on the grounds that he's to be followed by police.

Gillian's Case

Gillian and Eli are teaming up again for a mysterious death of a young firefighter. Eric Mitchell died during a two-alarm fire, but evidence shows that he was killed by something other than flames. Gillian watches as a handful of firemen are interviewed about the murder, and guess what? They're all lying.

They talk to one firefighter named Doug. He admits that he saw Eric dead and didn't help him. But he didn't kill him. Oh yeah, but a bunch of the other guys had been hazing him recently. That's probably relevant. They score a video of the hazing and spot a guy named Wallace with a nasty scowl on his face. Apparently he and Eric didn't get along.

Wallace didn't like the fact that Eric had been complaining about the hazing. It turned into a racial issue when it didn't have to be. Sure, they slipped him some peanut butter knowing he had an allergy, but they didn't kill him. Wallace thinks someone messed with Eric's equipment. Gillian decides to do a racial profile test to see who fails it. Caddick draws the short straw, who admits that Eric had been sneaking around with Kerry, the Chief's niece.

Mysteries Solved

Kerry admits that she and Eric were engaged. He had put in a request to transfer so they could be together. The Chief knew nothing about it. But guess who did? The Lieutenant. He was "just following the code." (A Few Good Men, anyone?)According to him, it's not cool to mess with the Chief's niece. Especially if she's white and you're black.

Back at Trillo's welcome home party, he gets an unexpected visitor... Holly Sardo. It seems she only spoke on his behalf so she could kill him once he was released from jail. A smart move, actually. Only, the police were waiting for her. Trillo of all people talked her off the ledge, and she collapses in a sobbing fit onto his shoulder. What a happy little ending.

Cal is still trying to convince Ria that people are capable of change. Trillo was as violent as it gets, but he managed to turn his life around. Just because her father didn't change, doesn't mean no one can. He thinks that's the reason why she's such a natural at reading emotions. She turns it around on him and asks why he got so interested in reading facial expressions. You think he answered? Think again.