"What the hell am I doing?"Judging by episode two, the main thrust of Ringer will be Bridget slowly attempting to fix the lives of people that Siobhan presumably took for granted. And she's got a pretty big rap-sheet so far: She cheats on her husband, who seems like a great guy who at one point truly loved his wife. She betrays her best friend, who's clearly vulnerable and erratic. And she seemingly trashes her catty stepdaughter at every opportunity, instead of offering the guidance and support that she appears to be crying out for. Bridget improved as a character here, too. She's still frustratingly vacant at points, but I like that she decided to stick around and try and make a positive difference. There was no way that wasn't going to happen, but whatever.
Jaime Murray continues to play vampy British ladies, and she added some spark to the ensemble. I'm interested to see how her relationship with Bridget/Siobhan will unfold, considering they're obviously familiar enough with each other for her to make such controversial comments about her pregnancy. I also really like Ioan Gruffudd's performance so far, as he's adding some shades to a character that on paper probably isn't all that interesting.
If there's one issue I had with this episode, it's the pacing. I love a good 'hidden dead body' story as much as the next guy, but the amount of times the camera cut back to the trunk became almost comedic. At the same time, I kind of wish the show would increase the trash factor. It's too silly right now to work as straight drama, and it would be a hell of a lot more fun if the writers allowed Ringer to become a little more soapy and melodramatic. I had my hopes up when Bridget reached for the buzz-saw, but then nothing came of that...
She's Ruining Everything had a tricky job, in setting up the formula for how Ringer will work week-to-week. It's still not perfect by any means, but damn if I'm ever absorbed and eager to find out what's actually happening...
Notables
- I found the soundtrack really obtrusive this week. And considering the 'noir thriller' vibe the EP's have said they're trying to achieve, a lot of the songs are trademark CW pop tracks. Ugh.
- Party Planner: Per your suggestion, I went with a Titanic vibe: antiquated elegance, steamer trunks, violin, gin and tonics. It'll feel very Euro and travel-y and make people want to hand over their money.
- Gemma: She is a financial genius, wouldn't trust anyone else with my money. Still though, she's a snake in Louboutins.
- Siobhan: She's ruining everything. It has to get done. Sooner rather than later.
- [Transmission notice: I wrote these reviews straight after watching each episode, so there's a lot of theorizing that may not make a whole lot of sense in retrospect.]
Previously posted at Unwelcome Commentary.
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