Warning: Spoilers for True Lies season 1 episode 1. The 1994 True Lies movie has gotten the reboot treatment, and it’s made some changes from the original. The original film starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis as the lead roles, Harry and Helen Tasker. Now, Steve Howey and Ginger Gonzaga are taking on those roles. The movie and show are about a man who is secretly a spy. But to his family, he works in computer sales. Both women are looking for more excitement in their life and find it when they find out what their husband really does.
Reboots are a great way to introduce a new audience to a movie or franchise. Horror movies do it all the time. For example, the Child’s Play franchise recently rebooted with a television series, Chucky. There is also a Friday the 13th prequel show in the works. As for True Lies, it debuted almost 40 years ago, so it makes sense that the show creators made some changes.
Cheating Allegations Flipped In True Lies Show
In the 1994 film, Arnold’s Harry thinks his wife is cheating. She was actually swindled by a con man pretending to be a spy. Harry and his colleague, Gib, follow his wife to catch her in the act. In the True Lies pilot, Helen accuses Harry of cheating because of the late nights at work and last-minute business trips. It’s a much healthier adaptation of the original, seeing as she communicates with her husband, whereas in the film, he uses his work to spy on her.
It also shows the modernization of the reboot. While in the film, Helen wants more excitement out of life, just like the in the show. She never accuses her husband of cheating. For 2023, it makes more sense to have Helen accuse her husband than how it was portrayed in the film because those are the signs of an affair. Plus, it eliminates the storyline of him spying on his wife, which hasn’t aged well. The Friday Night Lights Reboot also faces modern-day story issues. Depending on how stories age, all reboots have to deal with this.
True Lies Show Has Helen Text Instead Of Call During Mission
Helen calls Harry in the film to make sure he will be home for dinner. His office patches him in when he is doing research on-site. In the True Lies show, Helen texts Harry about her work barbecue during a mission. Harry tells Gib what to text her and what picture to send. Gib then comments that picture four was better but goes with picture three, as Harry told him. It’s a cute way to use the technology of 2023 to portray a similar scene from the film. While the film Harry was on a satellite phone, this feels a lot more spy-like than the original.
True Lies Show Has Helen Slap Harry Instead Of Punching In Movie
Both Helens are mad when they discover their husbands lied to them for their entire marriage. Jamie Lee Curtis punches Arnold Schwarzenegger, but Ginger Gonzaga slaps Steve Howey. It’s a much more measured approach for 2023. But it both happened when they were in the process of escaping. Neither woman could wait until they were safe. And in both scenes, the comedic impact was felt.
Harry Takes Helen To Paris In True Lies Show Instead Of Interrogating Her
As part of Harry’s accusation of his wife cheating, he interrogates her. Unfortunately, the original storyline has not aged well. Using a computer voice, he terrifies his wife, asking her if she slept with that man or still loved her husband. It’s supposed to be funny, but in 2023, it’s just an insecure man unable to communicate appropriately with his wife. In the True Lies show, Harry takes Helen on a trip to Paris (which is actually a mission) when she accuses him of cheating. He wanted to fix things with his wife by doing something nice, even if it was outrageous.
While he can’t tell his wife the entire truth, he at least tries a healthier approach than the movie. It’s also a more fun reaction to the cheating allegations. Harry having to bring his double life with him to the operation adds some hilarious scenes. But, unfortunately, trying to complete the mission and give his wife a romantic trip proves too tricky.
True Lies Show’s Harry Has Been A Spy For Longer
The show changes how long Harry Tasker has been a spy. The movie reveals that he’s been an agent for 17 years, but it’s longer on the show. In the True Lies pilot, Harry says he was recruited in 1998, making it 25 years. It’s unclear why there is such a big difference in experience. A TV series covers much more ground than a movie and only so much can be revealed in a pilot. So, maybe why this Harry has more experience will become clear later.
The Taskers Have 2 Kids In True Lies Show
The film Taskers have one kid, Dana, and the True Lies show Taskers have two kids, a daughter, Dana, and a son, Jake. In the film, Dana gets kidnapped. But that seems like too big of a jump for the show. Not to say it couldn’t pull that into later seasons. Having two kids instead of one makes sense when both parents will be going on missions. It allows the kids to get up to mischievous things or even cover up for each other.
Helen Is Much More Resilient In True Lies Show
The True Lies show has established Helen as a more resilient character. Right from her kickboxing workout video, she does as her husband is fighting on a mission. Her yoga even proves beneficial in helping them escape. In the film, Helen tries to fight, but it doesn’t get her very far — especially when she wants to help her husband but can’t control the gun.
Helen being more resilient makes sense for the True Lies show because the show wants to focus on the Taskers as a spy team. This is the most significant change for the reboot. Instead of being about a woman searching for excitement and not knowing what her husband does for a living, it’s about the Taskers going on missions and hiding it from their kids, making a much funnier show in 2023.
True Lies airs Wednesdays on CBS at 10 pm ET.