Brendan Hines on 'Lie To Me' season two

With Lie To Me's second season premiere just around the corner, we thought it'd be good to catch up with Brendan Hines, who plays Eli Loker in the deception drama. We last spoke to Brendan in July while he was in London to promote the first season finale but at that point, filming had yet to commence on season two. Knowing that he is now armed with juicy new season gossip, DS's Kris Green gave him a call to get the lowdown.

How far into filming are you?
"We're on episode six right now."

Last time we spoke, you said that the second season was going to be more character driven. Has that come to fruition?
"Yeah - it has, absolutely. I would say that the science has taken a bit of a backseat to the characters. We're not abandoning the science or anything but I think season one was like a primer to get people up to speed with the science so they knew what we were talking about. Now it's a lot more about how the work that we do affects us and the choices we make - what happens when we get stuff wrong - so it's a lot more character-driven. The show has, interestingly, gotten more intense but also funnier too. We're getting to know the characters better which makes them more fun to be around."

Have you had more comedy material?
"I think so, yeah. They've opened me up as far as that goes. The direct honesty thing has also taken a seat on the back burner. He's still very outspoken and a wise-ass but that experiment - as far as he's concerned - has run its course. Now he's scrambling to try to prove himself."

What's the time difference between this season and the last?
"There's not much of a gap between the two - it's never specifically stated but Reynolds is still getting up to speed on the science and he's still finding his way into The Lightman Group, so it's really a month at most I think."

How does the season open?
"We pick up with Lightman at a book signing and he is approached by a girl who claims to have seen a vision of a murder. She wants to know if she's telling the truth and he can tell that she is. It comes out through studying her that she's got, not multiple personality disorder but something very similar to it. We figure out what she actually saw. My guy is still a bit out in the cold from last year and is trying to prove himself and get back in Lightman and Foster's good graces and make a name for himself."

Do you feel sorry for Eli because he did the right thing last season and he's been punished for it?
"Yes - it's interesting too because he committed so strongly to telling the truth that he ended up having to lie to the people he respected the most - Lightman and Foster. That was really hard for him and you can feel the repercussions from it, at least in the first few episodes we've shot this season."

Apparently there's a hostage situation in episode two?
"Yeah, there is. I'm not going to tell you the exact circumstance but that does happen. By the way, if you were watching season one and thinking, 'I like this show but Tim Roth doesn't get the shit kicked out of him enough' you'll be really happy come season two. I think it's every episode these days he's getting bruised and bloodied."

What's been your favourite episode to shoot up to now?
"The hostage episode was really fun - Tim Busfield directed it and it's incredibly kinetic - it never really stops so it was a lot of fun to do and it was a big change for us."

Mekhi Phifer's been promoted to a series regular - does Eli have a lot to do with him in this season?
"Not too much in the first few episodes but there's a big episode with him coming up where we're all working to help him with something from his past that's come back to haunt him. We don't have too much on our own right now but he's definitely a more integral part of the group now and he's become part of the family."

Loker and Torres - will we be seeing more screen time for them both?
"I will tell you without telling you - I'll say that we did just shoot an episode a couple of days ago where there is an advancement on that front."

Jennifer Beals has been back on set - do you know how Lightman's relationship with her develops?
"I really like it when the show goes in that direction - Tim and Jennifer, and Tim and Hayley [McFarland] who plays his daughter - it shows us the difficulty that he has maintaining any sort of close relationship and how hard it is. I really like it because it's not a side of him we get to see very often. We've got Garret Dillahunt, too. He's fantastic and he shows up and causes all kinds of trouble."

Lennie James has bagged the role of Lightman's nemesis Ray Marsh – how does Eli react to him?
"I don't have much at all to do with him actually, we're off on a different case when that happens. The point is that Marsh comes out of the past to call in a debt from Lightman but Lightman keeps us all in the dark as far as that's concerned, so we don't have much to do with him."

And then you've had Marc Blucas who's playing one of Lightman's old students Jack Rader - how does Eli react to him?
"Initially very sceptically - this guy has gone off and made his own company, very much in the mould of The Lightman Group. Initially Eli is very sceptical of him but Rader begins to woo Loker and you get the idea that he's going to try to poach him from Lightman which could come up in a later episode which could be fun!"

What's your take on Lightman and Gillian? Do you think they're destined to be together?
"No, I think the reason it works is because it's unrequited and because there are so many things getting in the way of that actually happening, professionally and personally. I think it's a really sweet connection and a really sweet relationship but I think they should draw it out as long as possible because it's powerful."

> In Pictures: 'Lie To Me' season two cast

Lie To Me season two premieres Monday on Fox. In the UK, the new season airs Thursdays at 10pm on Sky1 from October 8.