The FOX Network has had success in recent years with dramatic programs that feature a bit of mystery, some suspense, and an eccentrically headstrong protagonist, as in House, 24, Bones, Lie to Me, and the like. The network’s new show Lone Star, which premiered last night, is in that vein—but alas, not as interesting or edifying. The strength of those other FOX shows is the way they create tough moral choices for their protagonists and ensure that the viewer suffers along with the characters as they face these dilemmas, because the audience is made to care about them and even like them despite their annoying personal flaws. Those, unfortunately, are the weaknesses of Lone Star. The show does indeed deal with issues of personal responsibility, moral culpability, and the possibility of redemption, but ultimately it cheats on those concerns. And despite a clear effort by the showmakers to make the characters appealing, these are individuals few people will want to be around week after week. The show is set in Texas and follows the adventures of Robert Allen (James Wolk), a con man living a double life with two wives who don’t know of each other’s existence. As noted, the
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