Ringer Axed, Revenge Renewed

Well, there's no subtle way of putting it but after one season, it seems that the CW have decided to call time on the show, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as twins Bridget Kelly and Siobhan Martin. I think I speak for enough people when I say I saw this coming. Ringer had a ropey start and coupled with a two month hiatus, decline in ratings and not fleshing out the rest of the characters aside from Bridget, this show unfortunately created it's own disaster. I just hope that the wonderful Miss Gellar gets another TV project that fares better for her.

Other shows that have been terminated as well include The Secret Circle, GCB and Awake to name a few. I tried the former show but haven't watched the other two, so none of these cancellations mean anything to me.

Elsewhere the similarly soapy antics of Revenge will resume as the show has been picked up for a second run and while the ratings have been hit and miss since the show's return last month, it seems that ABC were content enough to pick this up for a second season along with Happy Endings, Grey's Anatomy and Once Upon A Time as well.

I'm so pleased this show has been picked up. Apart from American Horror Story and Homeland, it's been the best new show on the block and hopefully during the summer, both Irish and UK viewers will clock onto that as well when RTE2 and E4 begin to air it.

Ringer Report: http://www.digitalspy.ie/ustv/s160/ringer/news/a381270/ringer-secret-circle-cancelled-by-the-cw.html
Revenge Report:  http://www.digitalspy.ie/ustv/s181/once-upon-a-time/news/a381077/once-upon-a-time-suburgatory-revenge-more-renewed-by-abc.html

My Review of Ringer's 1x22: "I'm The Good Twin"

Written by Eric Charmelo And Nicole Snyder
Directed by Eriq LaSalle

Bridget (to Henry): “Siobhan wanted me dead?”

As I often say to my sister, I’m the good twin (I don’t really, well maybe once or twice) but when you are Siobhan Martin, you really don’t have the right to say that you’re the good twin because it most definitely is not true. Also, after this episode, Siobhan finally got a taste of some real consequences for her actions and it was certainly overdue.

I might not have wanted her to die at the hands of the sinfully boring Bodaway but considering that she intended to have her own sister killed, it did seem like karma came back to bite Siobhan in the backside during her face-off with the idiotic drug lord. It’s also rather funny for Siobhan that it was Bridget of all people who saved her from being killed by Bodaway as well.

As for Henry stripping Siobhan bare of any financial security – here is where I’m conflicted. I get that Henry had finally lost his patience with Siobhan’s multitude of lying and constantly allowing her own needs to dominate their relationship but even I’m not entirely rooting for Henry either on this one.

Okay, she did lie about the twins being his and while I actually believed that he would’ve raised them happily knowing he wasn’t their real dad (so who is – Andrew or Charlie? It’s obviously not Tyler), Siobhan is now penniless with two babies and no matter how much of a bitch she’s been all season long, it does merit some sympathy towards her, plus Henry is no flipping angel, a fact that he seems to have forgotten himself.

Then again, Siobhan is annoyingly resourceful and when she wasn’t trying to steal stuff from Andrew, she did manage to tug at the heart strings of a nurse to stay the night at the hospital. Basically, if anyone other than Bridget can get themselves out of a dire situation, it’s definitely Siobhan. However, Henry and Andrew should be the least of Siobhan’s worries now that Bridget knows she’s alive.

I really hate that this episode didn’t actually end with Bridget and Siobhan coming face to face with each other. After 22 episodes, it felt like such a cheat and given that it’s almost safe to assume the show is not coming back, it genuinely annoys me as well to no end. I think I would’ve paid the writers myself to have seen that particular confrontation.

Of course, being the good twin as well didn’t prevent Bridget from suffering genuine consequences as well either. Bridget’s lies came out due to Tim exposing Siobhan and Henry’s affair and Bridget having to tell both Andrew and Juliet that she’s been pretending to be her sister all along.

As much as I do want Andrew and Juliet to forgive Bridget, I liked that their responses were genuinely believable and I also liked that Bridget had a good support system in this episode courtesy of Solomon and Greer as well. If by some crazy miracle this show does come back, I want Bridget to get her own happy ending because she definitely deserves it alright and Juliet and Andrew themselves have done far worse than Bridget as well for them to stay mad at her forever.

As for the rest of the rest of the episode – Bodaway the boring villain finally died and Victor can finally put the case behind him. If this is the last time we see Victor, it will be a good thing. Much as I like the actor, I just couldn’t care about Victor as a character and there’s no further need for him now.

Also in “I’m The Good Twin”

The wedding dream sequence with Bridget and Andrew at the start of the episode was ridiculously cheesy but actually in a rather fun way.

Bridget (at AA): “When I was using, I didn’t care about anyone. I didn’t mean anything to anyone. In the last seven months, I’ve really learned to let people in and they’ve let me in. It feels good to say that life is good.”

This episode seemed to confirm in a roundabout way that Malcolm is sadly no longer with us. I really don’t like that.

Andrew: “I’m so grateful to be given a second chance. Sometimes I feel I don’t deserve it.”
Bridget: “Everyone deserves a second chance, right?”

Jimmy: “Bridget, what are you doing here?”
Siobhan: “It’s Siobhan, I’m the good twin.”

Despite not having a lot of dialogue in this episode, we did see Bodaway killing Shaylene in flashback and Jimmy and a security guard in the present day.

Bridget: “This isn’t a fantasy, it’s real life and when I do tell them, it’ll be over.”
Solomon: “So what are you gonna do?”

Siobhan: “All this talk about honesty and you were lying?”
Henry: “The test was a test. I wanted to see how you handle the truth.”

Siobhan called her twin daughters Portia and Regan while Tim is now Andrew’s boss.

Bridget: “My life completely changed when I met you seven months ago.”
Andrew: “Seven years ago.”
Bridget: “No, seven months. I didn’t cheat on you with Henry. Andrew, I’m not Siobhan, I’m Bridget.”

Bodaway (to Siobhan): “You can’t hide forever, Bridget. This ends tonight.”

I hope the CW doesn’t delay too much in telling us the fate of this show, regardless of how it’s going to fare.

Siobhan: “I have to get my old life back.”

Chronology: It’s been seven months since the opening episode, so April 2012.

It’s been an interesting and a frustrating show to watch and review at times but as a finale went, “I’m The Good Twin” is a classic mixed bag. We got some resolutions and some cliff hangers thrown our way and while this might not have been the powerhouse vehicle for Sarah Michelle Gellar to make her TV return, the show possibly would’ve been a lot worse without her.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Ringer's 1x21: "It's Called Improvising, Bitch"

Written by Scott Nimerfro
Directed by Janice Cooke

Catherine (to Bridget): “Whose life is so pathetic that they have to live someone else’s to be happy?”

Oh, Catherine, why would you ask such a question? Or, why would you ask such a question after 21 episodes when we know why Bridget is pretending to be Siobhan? For a moment there, I hoped that Catherine knew about the sister switcheroo but I guess not. Still, this was actually a ridiculously fun episode all round.

Catherine was her absolute craziest in this one, trying to kill Bridget and then taking the latter and Andrew hostage when Bridget refused to die and all because Andrew managed to foil that particular scheme on Catherine’s part. Of course, this was probably the only moment in the episode where Andrew got to play the hero but it was still a good one.

Catherine’s hatred for Siobhan was further expanded upon in this episode. Not did Siobhan steal her husband but she was also about to have Catherine evicted from her own home and it’s why the crazy ex-wife had a hit put on Siobhan in the first place. Of course, with her assassins being lame shots, Catherine planned to finish the job herself.

It’s amazing how throughout this episode Catherine was stopped at every turn. Her attempts to shoot both Andrew and Bridget were derailed by Juliet arriving on time to witness her mother going nuts and even escaping to Mexico was blown apart by Andrew letting the FBI know where Catherine was planning to go.

Even the out of nowhere partnership with Olivia blew up in her face when the latter was eventually used by Victor to draw Catherine out into the open and get herself arrested. Considering all of that, Catherine made for a spectacularly dumb if consistently amusing villain throughout this episode.

I liked that this episode filled in some blanks with Catherine’s scheming and her hatred for Siobhan might not have justified her actions but at least it was believable enough. I’m not entirely sure if her relationship with Olivia was believable though I suppose it’s noteworthy that the show delivered it’s promise to give us a gay character. I guess I should’ve expected it to be Olivia after all.

As for both Catherine and Olivia, I don’t doubt jail time is awaiting them both, courtesy of Victor actually using his brain cells once again but I’ll kind of miss the pair. If they had been better thought out in earlier episodes, they would’ve given the likes of Tyler Barrol a run for his money but at least Catherine intrigued in a way that Bodaway certainly hasn’t all season.

Keeping with the intriguing – the maid being a call girl and dying was a turn up for the books, at least for Henry if no-one else. I did like seeing Siobhan at her manipulative best in trying to get the girl to back down with a series of fake passports but I was also disappointed with the low key fashion in which she went into labour as well.

I guess I was expecting fireworks or an angry confrontation between Siobhan and Bridget and the former’s waters to break but at least she’s finally had the babies. The fact that Henry now suddenly wants a paternity test to prove they’re his is refreshing. It definitely seems to indicate that he’s catching on at long last. Siobhan better hope for her sake the babies are Henry’s and not Andrew’s after all.

Also in “It’s Called Improvising, Bitch”

Catherine uttered the title of this episode when she was coming up with her plan to do away with Andrew and Bridget.

Catherine: “You can’t do this to me. Andrew won’t let you.”
Siobhan: “Andrew the ex-husband won’t but Andrew the businessman will.”

This episode did seem to heavily imply that Siobhan genuinely didn’t care for Juliet, which is something that we know is the opposite with Bridget.

Siobhan: “I haven’t done anything except believe in you.”
Henry: “Let’s keep it that way.”

Juliet: “You’re crazy.”
Catherine: “No, Juliet. Siobhan destroyed our family, she deserves it.”

Um, we’re a week away from the finale, so where the hell is Malcolm? Heck, why wasn’t Solomon watching Bridget’s back in this one?

Catherine: “Are you saying no man can understand me like a woman can?”
Olivia: “You know I always had a crush on you, right?”

Andrew: “If anything happens to Siobhan, I swear I will hunt you down.”
Catherine: “Oh, save it for someone who cares.”

Chronology: From where the previous episode left off.

“It’s Called Improvising, Bitch” was a lot of campy, soapy fun. I can’t help wondering if the show had been this outlandish in a way earlier if things would’ve worked more in it’s favour. Catherine went from being an annoyance to an entertaining villain in a way that the writers haven’t been able to do with Siobhan either. I hope the finale is good.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Ringer's 1x20: "If You're Just An Evil Bitch, Then Get Over It"

Written by Cathryn Humphris
Directed by Roger Kumble

Juliet (to Catherine): “You know, I just want a normal mom and if you are sick, I want to you to get better. But if you’re just an evil bitch, then get over it.”

And if Juliet fancies a career in running an agony aunt column, she might want to brush up on her empathy skills a tad before pursuing. Of course, Juliet raised a good point in relation to her mother’s actions – it’s a pity for Bridget that Catherine simply cannot get over it.

Catherine, in her own way rightfully blamed ‘Siobhan’ for her marriage to Andrew going down the tube and has been spending the last few months trying to bump ‘Siobhan’ off and managing to fail each time. It was time for her to take a far more direct approach and here’s where Catherine really showed her crazy side. The suicide attempt and manipulating the situation so that she could stay with Andrew, Juliet and Bridget was a nice move on Catherine’s part.

Using her tablets and drugging Bridget with them in the last act of the episode was another impressive. Do I honestly think Bridget will actually die? Of course I don’t but Catherine’s actually emerged as a great threat to Bridget, so I have to give the show props on that one alone.

If anything, the real Siobhan should actually be taking some lessons from Catherine when it comes to a bit of masterminding. Even when Siobhan attempted to use her scheming to save Henry’s arse, it ended up backfiring on her big time. It turns out there are some maids out there who don’t take kindly to being bribed.

The two interesting things that resulted from this failed attempt of bribery was that Bridget finally realised that Henry killed Tyler and if she can actually piece the rest together, then maybe this show will finally have both Bridget and Siobhan facing off against each other because it’s definitely a showdown that’s been way overdue now.

The second interesting thing from this was also Henry dumping Siobhan as well. Given that Henry had his kids taken off him and that Tim seemed determined to destroy him, it really wasn’t Henry’s week. I like Tim – he’s actually a lot of fun but he’s also another painful reminder of how lame Bodaway actually is as a character as well.

I’m guessing with his scenes with Andrew over the flash drive that the latter is about to find out that Siobhan cheated on him with Henry. Of course the bigger priority for Andrew should be the fact that his ex-wife is trying to bump off the woman pretending to be his current wife but next week’s trailer showed that he’ll be taking care of that.

As for Victor – he made some progress in this episode. Bridget trusted him enough to open up about the man she killed in self-defence back in the opening episode and he also managed to figure out that Catherine was behind the hit as well. It’s amazing how much actual competence Victor showed in this episode. Now if he manages to save everyone from Catherine, he’ll be doing fine, won’t he?

Also in “If You’re Just An Evil Bitch, Then Get Over It”

Juliet uttered the title of this episode. Of course, more alarmingly was the way Juliet presented Bridget with a letter opener.

Bridget (to Andrew): “Whoever’s doing this, they’re not after Bridget. They’re after me.”

Henry’s kids are called Dash and Bex. Only on an American show would they be called that. Oh and Roger Kumble who directed this episode also directed Cruel Intentions as well.

Siobhan: “This one I know I can fix.”

Tim (to Henry): “There’s no talking yourself out of this. I’m going to destroy you, whatever it takes. I will make you and Siobhan pay for what you did.”

Where the hell are both Malcolm and Olivia? There are only two episodes left, so can we please find out what’s happened to them already?

Siobhan: “I don’t care about revenge if I lose you.”
Henry: “No, it’s too late. I’m not gonna leave my boys and don’t try to fix anything else because every time you do, things just get worse.”

Catherine: “Find what you’re looking for?”
Bridget: “It’s you.”

Chronology: From where “Let’s Kill Bridget” left off.

“If You’re Just An Evil Bitch, Then Get Over It” is certainly interesting enough, especially with the likes of Tim and Catherine being genuine threats and Victor actually being useful and good at his job for once. That doesn’t however mean that I think this show has much of a future left in it though.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Top 40 TV Characters Part 3

And here is the third part of my rundown of favourite TV characters.

26: Atia (Polly Walker) - Rome

Oh, Atia. Now here's a woman who would give Cersei Lannister a run for her money when it comes to devious/sociopathic matriarchal characters. No matter what crazy antics this woman pulled - pimping out her children, torturing/ruining her enemies, Atia remained a fascinating character to watch in the show's two year run.

27: Oliver Queen/Green Arrow (Justin Hartley) - Smallville

Yes, I was tempted to pick either Clark/Lois/Chloe/Tess/Lex but I guess Oliver wins out, simply from evolving into a rogue-ish typical playboy character into an incredibly honourable and interesting hero, especially in the show's final two seasons. As allies go, Oliver was definitely one of the best when it came to having Clark's back.

28: K9 (John Leeson) - K9

Come on - it's a metal dog and while this K9 isn't quite as interesting as the ones we've seen in both Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures, he's still interesting enough to merit being on my list. Long live the metal dog, no matter what show he ends up on.

29: Bridget Kelly (Sarah Michelle Gellar) - Ringer

This show might have many problems in it's way but the one consistently well written and brilliant character has been Bridget Kelly - the former stripper/alcoholic whose been spending the last few months pretending to be her bitchier sister Siobhan Martin whilst falling for Andrew and trying to avoid Bodaway like the plague. That role alone has been interesting for Gellar.

30: Tess Roberts (Fiona Button) - Lip Service

Anyone should've seen this one coming. After all, I chose Alice when the first part of my list touched on The L Word and Tess certainly has similar endearing characteristics to that infamous Chart creator and here's hoping in the show's upcoming second run, she's a little less unlucky in love.

Part 4 should be up on Sunday or Monday.

My Review of Ringer's 1x19: "Let's Kill Bridget"

Written by Jay Faerber And Robert Berens
Directed by Jerry Levine

Victor: “Let’s beat them to the punch. Let’s kill Bridget.”

Promises, promises, Victor! No, I don’t want to see Bridget die but it would be nice if Bodaway met a grisly given the shocking lack of development with his character overall and the show could start afresh without that boring inconvenience being a rarely seen but sometimes felt burden on proceedings.

Bridget’s idea of pretending to be herself to testify against Bodaway seemed like an interesting if outlandish idea but Victor managed to topple it by persuading ‘Siobhan’ to pretend to be Bridget getting killed in a drug deal gone wrong in order to exorcise his own demons in relation to the Bodaway case.

The funny part is that Bridget actually went along with the idea and while they were faking a hit, Bridget once again nearly got killed for her trouble by the same guy she interacted with back in the third episode. While it’s nice that the show is tracing back to the origins on the hit set out for Siobhan, it does feel a little bit too late as well to really make an impact.

I don’t think there’s a single person who will be surprised to learn that Catherine was the one responsible for the hit on Siobhan. We’ve already seen the lengths she’ll go to get what she wants and considering that she got a deserved comeuppance from Andrew and Juliet, I would’ve been more shocked if she hadn’t hired her goon again to try and kill ‘Siobhan’.

Andrew and Juliet scheming together in order to get Catherine out of their lives was certainly the most satisfying thing to happen on this show in quite a while. Catherine more or less deserved what happened to her and it gave Andrew a chance to be a little bit crafty and menacing and along with calling Victor out on his incompetence made this a good episode for Andrew.

Getting back to Victor for a bit – I’m not surprised he got suspended and while he was talking about his guilt over Shaylene’s death, I did feel a little bad for him but not as much as I think I should’ve though. However, it is interesting to see both him and Bridget actually working together than against each other.

Speaking of those working with Bridget – I find it nice that Solomon seems to have a genuine concern for Bridget’s safety. While I would prefer to find out what actually happened to Malcolm at this point, it is good that Solomon is at least trying to look out for Bridget. With three episodes left though, we better learn what’s truly happened to both Malcolm and Olivia at this point.

As for Henry – why is it that when he showed a conscience, tried to reason with Siobhan and protect his father in law, that things go horribly for him? Perhaps Tim knew well and good that Henry was a crap husband to Gemma because I’m not sure I can think of any other reason he would see his son in law go to jail for accidently killing Tyler. Then again, given how manipulative Siobhan is, perhaps she was the one who called the cops on Henry.

Also in “Let’s Kill Bridget”

This is one of the best episode titles we’ve had and mainly because there was a point to it. It wasn’t just a snappy title for the sake of it.

Bridget (to Andrew): “This isn’t about me. This is about my sister and the mess she’s made. If you want to blame anyone, you blame Bridget.”

I knew the sequence where Siobhan shot Bridget was going to be a dream sequence. We also got flashbacks of Bridget/Shaylene, Bridget/Victor and Juliet/Andrew in this one.

Juliet (to Andrew): “Daddy, don’t be so Welsh. You can say you got shot. It will give you more street cred.”

Catherine (to Juliet): “Oh, who cares? Palm Springs is for gays and old people.”

Speaking of gays, weren’t we meant to get a gay character in the second half of the season? Unless it’s Solomon.

Victor: “Where is this coming from?”
Bridget: “Bodaway’s hurt too many people. My sister might have been willing to testify but I am.”

Andrew: “Catherine, you are many things but pure?”
Catherine: “Well, by my standards.”

Catherine got conned out of 10 million, courtesy of Andrew and Juliet’s scheming, so does that mean she’s completely cleaned out now?

Siobhan (to Bridget): “Andrew loves you. What do you have that I don’t? Henry’s right. I need to move on. I need to forgive you but I can’t.”

Victor (to Bridget): “Who wants you dead?”

Chronology: From where the previous episode left off.

“Let’s Kill Bridget” was certainly more enjoyable than the last one but I guess my heart’s no longer really in it with this show. Things like Victor’s plan or Catherine’s reveal should be more satisfying but nineteen episodes in, it’s losing me.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Ringer's 1x18: "That Woman's Never Been A Victim Her Entire Life"

Written by Hank Chilton
Directed by Scott White

Henry (to Siobhan, re Andrew/Bridget): “You’re right – they are in love because it seems without you, your family is tighter than ever.”

Well, it had to happen at some point. Henry would finally say something that would make me think he has something of a brain in there after all and reading Siobhan the riot act was a nice way of making him a bit more endearing than usual.

I liked that Henry seemingly figured out that Andrew was never going to actually have Siobhan killed and also that he was perceptive enough to see how much of a good influence Bridget’s presence has been in Andrew’s life. That, coupled with giving the flash drive to his father in and Henry had a lot going for him in this episode.

On the negative side, despite his concerns with Siobhan’s antics, he still managed to be talked around again with her and we also learned rather hastily that Henry was actually the one responsible for Tyler’s death rather than Olivia. I’m not really sure how I feel about that reveal – I’m neither disappointed nor amazed by it and that can’t be a good sign.

Another negative with Henry was that he stopped Siobhan from finally telling Andrew what she had been up to and while I got why he did that, I think we’re overdue Andrew becoming privy to what’s really be going on over the last few months with him and the woman he’s been sharing a bed with.

Speaking of Bridget, while there’s a part of me that is pleased her and Andrew made things up, I can’t help but think it was rather rushed though. At least Bridget had the sense to ask Andrew about his altercation with Malcolm and Andrew had enough sense to tell her the truth about it too. I believe Andrew when he said that he only paid Malcolm to leave rather than kill him.

As for Malcolm’s whereabouts – I really hope he isn’t dead but given that Victor’s incompetence and Olivia’s sinister antics put Malcolm in danger, I’m not particularly hopeful that he will make it alive. Eventually Bodaway is going to have to make some kind of an impact as a villain and sadly, Malcolm being killed by him may be enough to actually achieve that.

Speaking of Bodaway – I assume the whole fiasco with those fortune teller cards, Remy/May and that dry cleaners that Victor is so interested in are all connected to him, yes? We’re eighteen episodes into this series and Bodaway still needs to make a move by now. Unless he was responsible for the failed hit on Bridget/Siobhan that is.

Last but not least – thank you Juliet for telling Bridget about your horrible scheme with your mother. Now with any luck it can be used to get Catherine out of the show, especially given that she’s beginning to outstay her welcome and also as a viewer, I think it’s a plot we can now wrap in favour of actually concentrating on Bridget and Siobhan finally crossing paths in the next few episodes.

Also in “That Woman’s Never Been A Victim Her Entire Life”

Just like last week, Andrew is the one responsible for uttering the title of the episode.

Victor: “How old are you?”
FBI Agent: “Thirty five.”
Victor: “Yeah, lose my invite to your next birthday party.”

Who was watching Catherine and Juliet before the latter attempted to sneak away and where exactly is Olivia hiding?

Henry: “How did it happen?”
Bridget: “Someone tried to shoot me and Andrew saved me.”
Henry: “Andrew saved you? Who’d want to shoot you?”

Bridget: “Someone is killing to keep your secret Andrew and if it’s not you.”
Andrew: “Olivia’s behind this.”

Are Henry’s kids aware that Siobhan is with their father? I was wondering when Juliet called him and he was talking about someone looking after them.

Andrew (re Olivia): “That woman’s never been a victim her entire life.”
Bridget: “We need to find her.”

Catherine (to Juliet): “We are getting what we always wanted – freedom from those two vampires.”

I’m glad Bridget told Andrew about her attack in the opening episode. At least we now definitely know he wasn’t responsible for it.

Henry: “I want us to be together.”
Siobhan: “I promise I won’t hide anything from you anymore.”

Chronology: From where “What We Have Is Worth The Pain” left off.

I hate to admit it but boredom has set it and I’m losing patience with this show. One or two moments aside, “That Woman’s Never Been A Victim Her Entire Life” is still treading water. Even next week’s episode is looking more like a chore than a joy to watch.

Rating: 6 out of 10

My Review of Ringer's 1x17: "What We Have Is Worth The Pain"

Written by Scott Nimerfro
Directed by Howard Deutch

Andrew (to Bridget): “You’re in over your head, just admit it.”

Er, Bridget’s been in over her head since the bloody show started and she foolishly reunited with Siobhan but in terms of the naff Ponzi scheme plot, er not so much. This episode tried to give Andrew a bit more facets as a character and sadly, it didn’t succeed all that well for it.

Ioan Gruffudd did the best he could but with a script as wildly inconsistent, it’s like the show wanted us to view Andrew as a serious threat and sympathise with him in equal measure. It really should’ve stuck with the latter because Andrew is just not cut out to be a big menacing presence.

It’s times like this when thinking about Buffy is bad for me. The flashbacks where Andrew actually threatened to kill Siobhan made me inadvertently laugh because in another universe, Sarah Michelle Gellar would’ve put Andrew through a wall for coming out with such a threat, wouldn’t she?

I think it making it worse then was trying to backtrack Andrew’s sudden mean streak by having Juliet be the voice of reason and remind Andrew that Siobhan’s presence in their lives was actually a good thing. It just meant that Andrew got to deliver a rather heartfelt speech to Bridget about loving her before getting shot for his troubles.

I’m not going to entertain the possibility that Andrew might be dead because it’s fairly safe to assume that unlike Tyler, Gemma and perhaps Malcolm that Andrew will survive being gunned down. So, who tried to kill Bridget that Andrew received the ouch end of a bullet for? I’d say there’s a decent list of suspects with decent motives.

Siobhan herself might have finally snapped and wanted to further ensure Andrew’s downfall but similarly both Olivia and Catherine also had their motives this week for wanting “Siobhan” dead as well. With only five episodes left to go, this is definitely one little mystery I can see being solved quicker than anything else.

As for Bridget – I liked that this week she suspected Andrew and Olivia of hurting Malcolm and I also liked the fact that her and Solomon made for a formidable team as well. It’s also kind of relieving that apart from getting his usual paycheck that Solomon isn’t all that bothered about Bridget posing as her sister. In fact, he went to good lengths to protect her this week as well in Malcolm.

As for Malcolm – I hope he’s not dead but I have a nasty feeling that he is. More than likely, Andrew will not have been responsible for it – it’s probably either Olivia’s dirty work or someone from Macawi’s employ got to Malcolm before he could turn himself over to Victor.

Speaking of Victor, that man’s incompetence is reaching ridiculous levels of stupidity. Did he really think that publicly taunting Bodaway was going to work in his favour? I knew the second he did that Malcolm was screwed and I was right. On the plus side, at least he’s taking an interest in Martin/Charles’s dodgy dealings but knowing Victor, he’ll probably screw that up as well for good measure.

Meanwhile as Victor’s stupidity continues to be more apparent, at least Henry is showing some vague common sense. He challenged Siobhan on her myriad of lies and while he seemingly understood her animosity towards Bridget, he didn’t seem entirely convinced that her plans were still the best course of action. Maybe we’re getting a future development where Henry is responsible for Siobhan’s downfall.

Last but not least – nice that Juliet figured out Catherine was the one behind Tessa’s attack but the whole plot of actually meeting/flirting with Cash the basher in the hotel was a bit much though. I liked that Juliet actually tried to be a friend to Tessa in this one and I also liked that she turned on Catherine too. However I don’t think the last course of action is going to do Juliet any good though.

Also in “What We Have Is Worth The Pain”

While it’s nice that Henry is still excited about Siobhan carrying his twins, he still doesn’t seem to be paying attention to the other set he has, is he?

Siobhan: “Come on, Andrew, what are you going to do to me?”
Andrew: “I’ll kill you. I mean it, Siobhan, I’ll see you dead.”

Bridget remembered from the first two episodes of the series the hit man she fought off but if Andrew cancelled the hit, Olivia must have set it up again.

Bodaway: “You find Bridget Kelly?”
Victor: “I’m not even looking for her anymore.”

Juliet (to Andrew): “I’ve been here all morning. It’s a little break in the educational system I like to call Saturday.”

Siobhan is still insisting to Henry that Bridget was responsible for Gemma’s death as well as Sean. Did Henry even know beforehand that Siobhan had a son?

Solomon: “Then end the charade. Go to the police.”
Bridget: “I can’t.”
Solomon: “Why not?”
Bridget: “Because -”
Solomon: “ – Because you’re not Siobhan Martin. You’re Bridget Kelly, aren’t you?”

Henry: “You faked your own death. Siobhan, that’s insane.”
Siobhan: “It was the only way to make it work.”

Who exactly is Olivia in cahoots with? I bet it’s either going to be Catherine or Bodaway or maybe even the real Siobhan? It can only be one of those three, right?

Andrew (to Bridget): “I love you, Siobhan. That’s what I came to tell you. I don’t care how much you hate me right now, I’ll accept it because I believe what we have is worth the pain. I’ll do anything for you.”

Chronology: I think at this point, it’s been nearly six month since the “Pilot” episode.

I wish my excitement for this show could back to the way it was in the first half of the season because “What We Have Is Worth The Pain” has it’s moments but the writing is too inconsistent at this point and it’s looking less and less likely that this show will deliver a satisfying conclusion to these chain of events or go further than this series.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Ringer's 1x16: "You're Way Too Pretty To Go To Jail"

Written by Jay Faerber And Cathryn Humphries
Directed by Joshua Butler

Malcolm: “Honestly I’m a little surprised you’re judging him so harshly, given your own situation.”
Bridget: “I had to pretend to be Siobhan. Now I can’t make things right. It’s exactly how Andrew is feeling. God, I’m such a hypocrite.”

Hmm, I don’t know if I like the idea of Andrew having something of a dark side after all. For Ioan Gruffudd, though, it’s probably a good thing given how passive he’s had to be for the majority of the season as Andrew but I guess I just wanted Andrew to be this nice, decent guy who loved his wife and wasn’t running terrible Ponzi schemes with Olivia.

I get that the scheme was some bizarre way of trying to keep Martin/Charles afloat with their client base and that it easily got out of hand but even I was a little shocked/disappointed when one of the conversations between Andrew and Olivia alluded to the fact that they were going to use extreme tactics when Siobhan had confronted Andrew about it months back.

It’s also been a harsh wake up call for Bridget as well, who went from feeling safe in New York pretending to be her sister to now realising that yet again, she’s in over her head when it comes to things. Trying to placate Andrew and meeting up with Tyler didn’t exactly work in her favour either.

Actually, the placating of Andrew just resulted in her packing a bag and it looking like Andrew threatened her while her attempts of meeting up with Tyler resulted in her being delayed by Henry and discovering the poor guy’s body once again. Oh, well, at least Bridget has Malcolm in her corner.

Well, normally she would’ve but it’s amazing how things kept getting in the way between Bridget and her good friend this week. When they weren’t voicing different opinions on how far Andrew was willing to go to keep his business afloat, Siobhan also managed to drive a wedge between them by pretending to be her sister and acting like an epic bitch to poor Malcolm.

It was rather frustrating that Malcolm didn’t later contact her and figure out that Siobhan was alive and that Bridget has more than just Andrew and Bodaway to worry about but I did like that he was willing to file charges against Bodaway with Victor’s help in order to protect Bridget. Malcolm really is just noble to the very core, isn’t he? I just hope that Andrew’s little visit at the end doesn’t result in bad crap for Malcolm. He’s been through enough already.

Speaking of crap, poor Tyler. I knew once he had outlived his usefulness that he was a dead man and trying to go behind Siobhan’s back to ruin Martin/Charles was a bad idea on his part. Not only did Olivia manage to outsmart him but Tyler wound up dead and she ended up in possession of a certain flash drive that Siobhan was hoping she could get back.

It’s nice to see Olivia step up a little more as a character too. Now it’s possible that she didn’t directly kill Tyler but until further proof, I’m kind of hoping that she did. It would explain the flash drive being in her person and we could easily lose her in later episodes as well. Also I’d rather it was her than Andrew as well.

Last but not least – I wasn’t surprised that Victor actually had a relationship with Shaylene Briggs prior to her death and I wasn’t that surprised that she had been pregnant with his kid as well. It’s not the most original of back stories but it’s a good enough motive for Victor’s determination to put Macawi behind bars and we were overdue something on Victor’s past that tied to the main storylines anyways, so it worked for me.

Also in “You’re Way Too Pretty To Go To Jail”

The title this week was uttered by Olivia when she apprehended Tyler. I guess Tyler is a bit of a pretty boy, isn’t he?

Bridget: “When I came to you before?”
Andrew: “The way things were between us, I was afraid you were gonna turn me in.”

For the first time in a while, Juliet is absent from an episode but the fact that she’s gone with Catherine probably means Andrew’s due to find out he’s been conned by his ex-wife soon.

Bridget: “Has anyone ever told you have amazing eyes?”
Victor: “At least once or twice.”
Bridget: “So, you want me to rock your world?”

Shaylene: “I don’t get it – why me?”
Victor: “I’ve watched you, seen the way you look at people. You’re good at sizing them up, figuring them out.”

Shaylene was Victor’s informant when it came to Bodaway. He recruited her sixteen months ago and she died five months after it.

Andrew (to Olivia): “I don’t care what it takes. Make sure Tyler doesn’t talk.”

Malcolm: “What the hell has gotten into you? Please tell me you’re not using.”
Siobhan: “You would love that, wouldn’t you? You get off on saving me.”

Interesting how peripheral Bridget was in Victor’s flashbacks while in the present day, Henry seemed a little concerned about Bridget’s life in danger. I’m also guessing Torrance is in Bodaway’s pay roll as well.

Olivia: “And Tyler, you’re way too pretty to go to jail.”

Bridget: “Malcolm, I think you might be right. I think Andrew and Olivia are capable of murder.”

Chronology: From where “P.S. You’re An Idiot” left off.

The show is still better to watch but even I have to admit that despite some great moments here and there, “You’re Way Too Pretty To Go To Jail” still isn’t forwarding the storylines fast enough. I guess maybe it’s well past time for Bridget and Siobhan to actually clash at this point.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Ringer's 1x15: "P.S. You're An Idiot"

Written by Robert Berens
Directed by Allan Arkush

Doctor: “Pardon me if this is forward but are you worried your husband is not the father?”
Siobhan: “I’m worried he is.”

I have to admit during that exchange, I ended up letting out a snort because in the space of six years, Siobhan has been determined not to get knocked up by Andrew of all people and now it seems like the babies she’s carrying could be his. Of course if they are, that also puts another dent between Andrew and Bridget as well, doesn’t it?

Siobhan’s reaction to the possibility of Andrew being the father of her unborn children seemed fairly typical – she lied to Henry. Well, she was honest to him about expecting twins but left out the bit where it was possible that he didn’t father them. Then again, she does need him on side so it makes sense that she would keep that piece of information to herself.

Also I just realised that when Henry is trying to be Mr Smart, he’s an even bigger jackass when he’s Mr Confused. Seeing him lording it over Bridget when the latter confronted him about emptying Siobhan’s office and trying to play Malcolm off made me dislike the character even more than usual.

Then again, Henry should probably enjoy the victory while he can because with any luck, things will go south for both him and Siobhan if Bridget and Malcolm continue to work together as a decent team. Henry didn’t exactly seem to like the idea of having to give Bridget those incriminating papers about Martin/Charles but seeing as he’s Siobhan’s pawn, he did it nonetheless.

I’m not sure if I care all that much about Andrew setting up a Ponzi scheme within his company because while the writers might be trying to give him a flaw, they’ll probably just turn it around so that it appeared that Olivia was coercing him all along and considering that Bridget and Malcolm widely suspected Olivia of the scheme, that would make a fair amount of sense.

Olivia is still a troubling character to me. I mean, she has the potential to be a real thorn in everyone’s side but I don’t know if the writers are utilising her enough and while I enjoyed her little scenes with both Malcolm and Bridget, I do feel they could’ve been a bit snappier. Maybe it’s time to get Olivia a bit more involved with the storyline.

Which is what the writers could be doing considering she was given that text to tell her that Malcolm wasn’t the mole at Martin/Charles. It’ll be interesting to see what her scenes with Tyler in Paris will add to up next week if the trailer for the next episode is anything to go by. Maybe it’ll do wonders for the character and Tyler himself too.

Elsewhere when we didn’t have the plotline of Andrew wanting to remarry the woman he thinks is Siobhan and having him confess to the Ponzi scheme, it’s nice that the writers are showing us Juliet’s remorse for the lengths she went to get her trust fun back. Of course, both Carpenter and Catherine are a little less remorseful than Juliet.

In fact, it wasn’t really that much of a shocker to learn that Catherine had actually been sleeping with Carpenter and had orchestrated the whole thing or that she was the one who had Tessa taken care of. That being said, as horrible as Catherine is, she’s become a far more enjoyable character because of it.

I mean, she might not have any problems with putting Andrew in a financial bind of sorts but similarly, I loved the way she screwed Carpenter over in the end and the fact that she ensured Juliet didn’t reveal anything. It’s amazing what a four episode stint can do to a character who didn’t start off so promising.

Also in “P.S. You’re An Idiot”

The title isn’t actually spoken but it’s what Catherine wrote in her goodbye letter to Carpenter, aside from her threat to ruin him if he goes near Juliet.

Andrew (to Bridget): “It’s getting harder to find ways to impress you, so I thought I’d recycle one from your past.”

Siobhan may be the cold hearted twin who likes The Notebook but the rather lovely Bridget is more into Summer Camp Slasher herself.

Bridget (to dress lady): “I’m not the same woman who married Andrew six years ago. If I’m gonna marry him again, he has to know that.”

Catherine (to Carpenter): “You’re gonna stop harassing my daughter and start harassing me.”

The episode gave us some appropriate guy candy this week with Jason Dohring in a towel. At least Carpenter has something going for him.

Siobhan: “Henry, it’s not our baby, it’s babies.”

Andrew: “Let’s both live to be a hundred, okay?”
Siobhan: “Asking a lot of the universe, aren’t you?”

This is the first time we’ve actually had an Andrew/Siobhan flashback and it seems the former is aware of Sean but doesn’t know who he is exactly. Siobhan wasn’t best pleased when Andrew tried to get her to open up about Sean, so I don’t think Henry knows either.

Olivia: “What’s your secret?”
Bridget: “Now if I told you, I’d have to kill you.”

Bridget: “I’m not the person I used to be. I’m still trying to reconcile myself.”
Andrew: “Am I getting the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ speech from my wife?”

We revisited Pratt Street in this episode as well when Malcolm was digging about Martin/Charles’s scheme and this is the third episode in a row not to feature Victor.

Andrew (to Bridget): “The Ponzi scheme wasn’t Olivia’s idea. It was mine.”

Chronology: It doesn’t seem like much time has passed since “Whores Don’t Make That Much” left off.

There might be a slight improvement when it comes to the quality of the episodes and storytelling, but even with a solid episode like “P.S. You’re An Idiot”, it does seem to be a little too late for this show. Still, at least next week’s episode looks more tension filled.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Ringer's 1x14: "Whores Don't Make That Much"

Written by Robert Doherty
Directed by Janice Cooke

Siobhan (re Sean): “My son is dead because of you.”
Bridget: “Siobhan, I am so sorry.”
Siobhan: “I know. I got your messages and when I didn’t respond, I thought you’d realise that I didn’t want you here today.”

It’s times like these that I actually wished the show had delved more into Sean before actually using this whole episode to explain what happened to him and why a drift was caused between Bridget and Siobhan. I knew Sean had died but even I sort of expected the events to have panned out slightly differently.

I thought genuinely negligence from a strung out or drunken Bridget would’ve actually been the very thing that caused her nephew to die and therefore Siobhan’s hatred for Bridget would be more justified but I guess the writers wanted to go down a route where Bridget was responsible for Sean’s death but in a way that wouldn’t vilify the character.

In that respect they actually succeeded. No can exactly have predicted that an innocent trip to the county fair would’ve resulted in Bridget, Sean and Dylan (the boy’s father) winding up in a car crash and Sean ending up dead. Siobhan might have told Bridget to keep Sean away from his father but it’s not like Dylan did on purpose. It really was just a horrendous accident that had cost several lives throughout the last seven years.

Siobhan’s anger towards Bridget and Dylan was pretty understandable, considering she had lost a child but it wasn’t an anger that prevented Siobhan for giving Nancy flowers every year on her birthday and unlike Bridget, it seems that Siobhan had managed to keep her distance from Dylan for the last few years.

I think Bridget needed this storyline pretty badly. She had been living with the guilt of her nephew’s death and also bared the brunt of Siobhan and Dylan’s hostile relationship and the anger the former had towards her. The fact that she was allowed to vent her rage at Dylan, curse him for moving on and then make peace with him after Malcolm had managed to get her to open up was pretty refreshing.

The only thing actually lacking about this story was the actual absence from Siobhan in this story. The only time we saw her was through flashbacks and it just felt like with a plot point this huge, she should’ve factored in it in some way, even if it was skulking in the background and watching Bridget pretend to be her whilst forgiving Dylan. I can’t be the only person who thought that right.

I wasn’t too surprised to learn that Sean’s death had factored into Bridget’s downward spiral of booze, drugs and Bodaway as well. There was nearly a moment in this episode where it did look like she was going to go down the same route when she was trying to get Andrew to agree with Juliet going to Miami with Catherine but then, Malcolm’s words of advice snapped her around.

The one thing I am intrigued about is Bridget’s newfound sense of wanting the people she loves now to know who she really is. You don’t have to be Malcolm to see that might not be her best course of action but considering that this show might not be long for the TV world, I am rather hopeful Andrew learns and accepts Bridget for who she is within the next few weeks.

As for the fake rape plot – I knew Tessa’s reckless spending would result in her getting badly beaten and while I don’t doubt that Carpenter would’ve knocked some sense into her, I get a feeling that it was really ringleader Catherine who might be more responsible for Tessa’s current condition.

Catherine being part of the scheme was another unsurprising reveal but I do slightly feel bad for Juliet, who seemed to show some signs of regret for her actions this week. It’s too bad for her that she’s way in over her head now.

Also in “Whores Don’t Make That Much”

I like a snappy title as much as the next one but this one just seemed aimed to shock rather than give a hint of the main plot points this week.

Andrew: “You tried to clean up before, Catherine.”
Catherine: “We were married then and I was feeling sorry for myself.”

Siobhan must have gone back to Paris to keep Tyler in check while Henry withdrew his funds from Martin/Charles while Malcolm spotted a certain key in Henry’s possession and Siobhan’s secret office was emptied.

Juliet: “You’re keeping your money under your bed, are you serious?”
Tessa: “Where else was I supposed to put it in – a bank?”

Bridget: “Little hard on Dylan, you think?”
Siobhan: “Actually I was thinking I could be harder.”

Dylan might have been something of a deadbeat dad, but Siobhan wasn’t trying to let him make it up to Sean. They also lived in Nevada about seven years, while Nancy (Dylan’s mother) lives in New Jersey.

Juliet (to Bridget): “We need to get a TV in here. It’s like church quiet.”

Bridget: “Married now? So, Dylan, any kids?”
Dylan: “You want me to say I’m sorry again, Siobhan, I will.”

Dylan was played by former Supernatural regular Misha Collins and we had seen in this episode that he had a wife and daughter. Siobhan had him beaten up after Sean’s funeral.

Malcolm: “You sister gave you the greatest gift she could – her forgiveness and you’re wasting it.”
Bridget: “Yeah, but she didn’t mean it.”

Bridget (to Malcolm): “I want the people that I care about to know who I really am. I don’t want to lie to them constantly. There has to be a way I can tell them the truth without losing them.”

Chronology: From where “”It’s Easy To Cry When This Much Cash Is Involved”.

Despite the unwarranted title of “Whores Don’t Make That Much” (thank you, Tessa’s foster mother – not!), this was probably the best episode we’ve had in a while. It loses points for some general predictability and not utilising Siobhan in the present day but overall, it’s nice that the whole back story with Sean has finally been dealt with.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Ringer's 1x13: "It's Easy To Cry When This Much Cash Is Involved"

Written by Shintaro Shimosawa And Eric Charmelo And Nicole Snyder
Directed by Guy Bee

Tessa: “I can’t do this.”
Juliet: “Sure you can. You showed up wearing a pants suit and everything.”

And the resolution to the Juliet/Carpenter/Tessa storyline came to a rather disappointing resolution – they were all in it together in a bid to get Juliet out of public school, give her back her inheritance and line their own pockets. Wow, Juliet that was the type of colossal bitch move that the real Siobhan would be impressed with.

This episode also killed whatever respect I had grown to have for Juliet for the last couple of weeks. Did Andrew really deserve to have that happen to him at all? Couldn’t he at least have one woman in his life that isn’t lying to him or trying to fleece/ruin him? It makes me wonder who this guy must have hacked off in a previous life to end up surrounded by untrustworthy people at every turn.

I mean, even Bridget’s lying to him and it’s going to hurt him when the truth comes out but at least she genuinely cares for Andrew. I hoped in spite of her bratty behaviour that Juliet did as well but clearly not enough if she’s willing to fake being raped in order to get back her trust fund.

On the other hand, brilliant actress Juliet. I mean her scenes with Bridget this week when she was talking about wanting a normal mother and even when she was in the bathroom with Tessa were all convincing stuff but it just feels like they’ve made into the same terrible mode that both Siobhan, Catherine and Olivia have all fallen into.

Speaking of Catherine – anyone else wondering if she is in on it as well? I mean, I sort of wouldn’t put it past but not only I am disappointed with Juliet but I’m also disappointed with Carpenter but this storyline was never going to end with him a positive light.

However, the little dynamic Juliet seems to have with both Tessa and Carpenter, I can already see the cracks there and that has a lot of potential in the next few episodes. Their greed is going to make them turn on each other and that should be fun to watch.

Keeping with a sense of fun in this episode, I found myself loving Bridget and Solomon working together and the nice little lie Bridget used to excuse her odd behaviour with him. While I’m sure these scenes would’ve had more sparkle with Malcolm, Solomon is an okay enough character and he served a decent enough purpose here.

Bridget really does know beyond any doubt that Siobhan is actually alive and was working with Charlie and also seems to know that she’s being watched as well. It’s always nice to see Bridget a little ahead of the game. I also liked that Bridget realised that Siobhan obviously still obviously a grudge over Sean as well and the trailer for next week’s episode looks like we’re finally going to see what really happened there.

Of course, now that Bridget is actually getting closer and closer, the question is how much longer do we have to wait before she actually crosses paths with Siobhan? With the way, Siobhan just about manages to keep Bridget off her back, I can only image that their reunion will surface way before the finale at this rate.

Speaking of Siobhan – how much more does she actually need from Tyler at this point? She seems to have the means necessary to take down Martin/Charles and she didn’t waste much time in enlightening on her little scheme as well. I feel bad for Tyler but I’m not sure there’s much else they can do with him, character wise.

Last but not least – Henry getting blackmailed by Olivia wasn’t that surprising. Considering Olivia’s desperation for Gemma’s father to become a client of Martin/Charles, I wasn’t fazed that she resorted to blackmail to get Henry to coerce his father in law and Henry better hope she wasn’t lying about not having multiple copies of that photo. Oh, come on, she probably has tonnes of them.

Also in “It’s Easy To Cry When This Much Cash Is Involved”

This week it was Tessa who spouted out the episode title for us. At least it wasn’t Juliet for once.

Solomon: “Why are you asking me about what you did?”
Bridget: “I’m newly sober. I have whole chunks of time I can’t remember. Now that I’m clean, I’m trying to figure out who I was because it’s kind of affecting who I am now. Does that make sense?”

The funny thing is that because of the fact that Bridget is a recovering alcoholic, she’s not exactly lying to Solomon with that statement, apart from pretending to be Siobhan though.

Henry: “I can’t believe you let Bridget be you.”
Siobhan: “Her life was in danger. She came to me, I couldn’t turn away my sister.”

Olivia: “Are you going to invite me in?”
Henry: “Do I need to? Are you a vampire?”

Siobhan told Henry that Bridget and Charlie were working together to kidnap and extort money from Gemma. Now that was cold, Siobhan.

Solomon: “Are you okay?”
Bridget: “No, my sister lied to me. I wonder what else she lied to me about.”

Juliet: “For once, it would be nice to have a normal mom. Someone who doesn’t make me feel I’m making a mistake by doing this.”
Bridget: “You’re not. It takes a lot of courage to stand up to someone and not run away.”

As well as no appearances from Malcolm and Victor, there was also no continuation from the Jimmy and Bodaway plot of last week. I also loved the brief moment in this episode where Andrew and Siobhan actually interacted, especially for the latter’s reaction.

Andrew: “Is everything okay? You don’t look too good.”
Siobhan: “Excuse me?”

Standout music: Lana Del Ray’s “Blue Jeans” used at the end of the episode.

Tessa: “I still can’t believe we pulled this off?”
Carpenter: “So who wants to toast to being millionaires?”

Chronology: From where “What Are You Doing Here, Hoe-Bag?” left off.

The episode titles remains a bit too gimmicky for my tastes but there’s an improvement with the series. “It’s Easy To Cry When This Much Cash Is Involved” continues that trend of improvement but with the less than desirable ratings for the CW, I just don’t know if the show can go beyond whatever the remaining nine episodes can offer and that’s a shame.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Ringer's 1x12: "What Are You Doing Here, Hoe-Bag?"

Written by Hank Chilton
Directed by Jerry Levine

Siobhan (to Henry): “That’s Bridget. She’s the one living the lie with Andrew, not me. And I’m still pregnant with our child.”

You know how last week’s episode basically felt like nothing of real interest actually happened? Well, thankfully this week’s episode was something of a massive improvement with Henry actually becoming privy with the antics of Bridget and Siobhan but then again, he did more or less back Siobhan into a corner when it came to her end confession.

For that reason, I actually found myself enjoying Henry to a certain degree. I mean, he’s still annoying but at least he didn’t take everything Siobhan was saying to him at face value, actually followed her, set Victor on her and because of all this, he managed to get a confession out of her in the end.

Of course, Henry is still unaware of the fact that Siobhan’s series of lies factored into Gemma’s death but at least he knows the woman playing happy families with Andrew is Bridget and not the woman he loves. Oh God, I actually sound like I care about Henry’s happiness. I apologise – I really don’t but I guess I’m happy that at least one other character knows a bit more than before.

Henry also better hope for his sake that knowing about Bridget and Siobhan’s antics doesn’t result in him being killed off anytime soon as well. It didn’t fare well for Gemma when she became privy to things and given the way things were shaping in this episode, I’m not so sure Henry is going to be thankful to actually have Siobhan back in his life, even if she is carrying his child.

Oh, Siobhan – it’s been twelve episodes of this show and I’m still clueless as to what you’re actually up to. Annoyingly, I believe your feelings for Henry are genuine and I find myself amused that Bridget keeps wrecking your plans without actually knowing she did but at this rate, it would be sort of nice to actually know what the hell you’re up to.

Is all this scheming just a ploy to get at Andrew’s money or ruin him in some way and if so, why? What exactly has Andrew ever done that bad that Siobhan would be motivated to do this to him? This episode made some great character progress but it needs to make more and we need to know what Siobhan is actually up to and fast.

Also, can we please lose Tyler at this point? He’s sweet and I don’t like seeing him being duped by Siobhan, so unless his character is going to take an interesting turn and preferably soon, I don’t think there’s that much point in keeping him around. Still, if he shows some suspicions towards the woman he thinks is carrying his child then that could be fun to watch.

Speaking of fun to watch, I really enjoyed seeing Bridget piecing things together in relation to Siobhan. She realised that her sister was carrying on with Tyler and that Siobhan had actually been to Wyoming prior to contacting her and also came more or less to the deduction that her sister was still dead. Without making the hardest of efforts, Bridget is a far superior at figuring things out than Victor will ever be.

This also gets to my other point – what’s more frustrating than not knowing Siobhan’s motives behind her actions is Victor’s ineptitude throughout this episode. He thought he was being clever with Jimmy but even that guy was able to pull the wool over Victor’s eyes by confessing to the strippers’ deaths. Every time it seems like Victor makes any progress, something seems to undo it.

Even when he had Siobhan in his custody, he couldn’t keep her there. Siobhan did manage to dodge him as best she could and that was despite the false passport and the Charlie/John association as well. Basically Victor sucks at his job and this is becoming an increasingly thankless role for Nestor Carbonell, much as I hate to admit it. Oh and Bodaway can just go away as well. I do not care for that character one bit.

In better plotting, it’s actually looking like Juliet is telling the truth about Carpenter if Tessa’s little confession is anything to go by. I’m finding the twists in this episode in relation to that plot pretty amusing and even the presence of Catherine, who managed to be a Grade A Bitch to both Bridget and Juliet at different points in the episode didn’t deter matters. It still feels too seperate a plot for the show but it’s better than anything Bodaway related or Victor’s uselessness as a character, so points there.

Also in “What Are You Doing Here, Hoe-Bag?”

Bridget was a bit tactless in this one when she was calling Malcolm. Erm, Bridget, security can actually hear you, you know.

Siobhan: “I know it doesn’t make sense but I did it for us.”
Henry: “Did what for us?”
Siobhan: “I ended the relationship to protect us.”

Where are Henry’s kids by the way? Shouldn’t they be one of his main priorities right about now?

Catherine: “What’s your problem, Siobhan? After all, it was my tub first.”

Andrew: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in an apron before.”
Bridget: “I’m channelling Martha Stewart.”
Andrew: “You know I’ve got a thing for her, right?”
Bridget: “That’s gross.”

We saw courtesy of CCTV that Juliet actually did come to Carpenter but later changed her mind. However, I’m sure Juliet isn’t a virgin. We did see her with a fella back in the “Pilot” episode.

Tyler: “I’ve been thinking about you and the baby. Is it weird to miss someone you’ve never met?”
Siobhan: “I don’t know.”

Catherine (to Juliet, re Carpenter): “What the hell is wrong with you? You try to do him right there in the hallway?”

I liked the word jumble thing that Bridget/Siobhan used to do and something the latter later did with both Andrew and Henry. I guess it beats twin-speak. Also Siobhan’s limo man, Solomon previously appeared in a similar role in Cruel Intentions.

Henry: “Why did you kill Gemma?”
Siobhan: “Why would you say that?”
Henry: “Because I know you did it, Bridget?”

Bridget (re cowboy boots): “I thought I was so cool.”
Juliet: “You weren’t cool, you were a redneck.”
Bridget: “I know, right?”

Standout music: There was an interesting version of “Tainted Love” used in this one.

Bridget: “My sister and I we used to do word jumbles when we were kids.”
Catherine: “Did you sleep behind her husband’s back too?”

Bridget (to Malcolm): “Siobhan lied. She knew where I was before the trial. She knew I was in Wyoming because she was there too. If she was looking for me, why didn’t she contact me?”

Chronology: A few days from “It Just Got Normal” left off.

“What Are You Doing Here, Hoe-Bag?” definitely is a better episode than the previous one but anything that forwards the show is going to be a good thing. Sadly though, good as this episode is, I’m not sure if this show really does have a future, considering that the ratings haven’t been good at all.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Ringer's 1x11: "It Just Got Normal"

Written by Cathryn Humphris
Directed by Jeff T. Thomas

Andrea: “You need help.”
Juliet: “No, I don’t. I just want to forget it happened and move on.”

And I’d like an answer as to what’s really going on with Juliet and Mr Carpenter as well. Did he really rape her or is she making it up and committing to the lie because he seemed genuinely startled when Bridget smacked him one and Juliet did seem genuinely distressed as in this episode.

As plots go, it’s not the most compelling of storylines but its better than most of what actually did happen in this episode. There’s nothing about Carpenter’s demeanour that seems off or sinister but at the same time, Juliet was noticeably off that Bridget picked up on it and managed to get an answer from her.

The fact that Bridget punched Carpenter so publicly and embarrassed him might not have been the wisest of moves but it’s more than enough proof that she does genuinely care about Juliet’s safety. It also made me wonder if Siobhan would’ve reacted the same way or would’ve chosen to ignore the accusation or simply not believe Juliet at all.

However, it’s also another example of how Andrew seems to be genuinely clueless with Juliet as well. He doesn’t really pick up on her distress and automatically assumed the worst when she was lashing out at the charity (what is it with this show and Revenge when it comes to these functions?) for her public school. At least he came through when Bridget brought him up to speed on thing.

However, this is not a storyline I want to see dragged out for much longer so hopefully within the next episode or two, we actually find out the truth with Juliet and Carpenter. That being said, either way I have a feeling I’m not gonna like the outcome. If Juliet’s lying, then it puts her in a bad light and the same with Carpenter if she’s telling the truth as well.

Speaking of bad light – can someone actually point to me what’s so appealing about Henry because I’m rather at a loss here? I mean, Siobhan loves him so much she came back to New York, has been hounding him for the entire episode and it seemed like this one was going to end with her telling him who Andrew is really with at the moment.

Personally I don’t get it myself. Henry’s a good looking guy but he’s also a rather petulant whiny man child who doesn’t seem to take any responsibility for his actions. He might not have been responsible for Gemma’s death but he was certainly responsible for cheating on her and it seemed like he was too happy just to blame everything on Siobhan here.

On the plus side, at least he actually found himself being suspicious of Siobhan’s motives for wanting to rekindle with him and also about the extent of Charlie’s involvement in Gemma’s death as well. That shows that when Henry isn’t thinking about himself or playing the victim, he can actually use that brain of his.

I take it from the posters the CW have been using to promote the second half of the season that Henry is actually going to learn about Bridget and Siobhan, which should see some nice progression for him as a character and the show itself. However, bearing that in mind, I can also see him actually turning on Siobhan too.

Keeping with Siobhan, having her in New York again means that we actually get to have her in more than two scenes per episode and here, she wasn’t exactly on fine form but at least she wasn’t entirely focusing on getting back with Henry as well. I take it by stealing Bridget’s ring and Andrew’s files she’s got plans to make both her sister and husband’s lives uncomfortable in the next few weeks but we are in the second half of the season and we still need to know a bit more about the character and why she’s doing the things she is.

That also applies to Victor, who is still a cipher character wise at this point as well. However, on the plus side, Victor actually took Henry’s suspicions about Charlie seriously and even managed to make a connection between the dead ex-copper and Siobhan, so if he can do that, maybe there is hope for him as a character after all.

Last but not least, the subplot with Bridget making amends with Siobhan’s old pal Greer during the charity do for Juliet’s school seemed a little tepid too. I thought Greer and her annoyance over knowing about Siobhan’s adultery would’ve offered a bit more tension but she seemed to forgive ‘Siobhan’ a little too quickly for my liking. A bit of a wasted opportunity there, show.

Also in “It Just Got Normal”

I know the show needs to visually distinguish between the sisters but those hideous bangs that Bridget was sporting need to die faster than Bodaway does right about now.

Andrew (re Greer): “Do you wanna talk about it?”
Bridget: “Nah, can we just leave the past in the past?”

I zoned out during Andrew’s business meeting plot but seriously if doing computer for him is the only plot Malcolm can get this week, then I’m worried for the character’s future.

Siobhan: “I miss you.”
Henry: “You know who I miss – my wife? You brought Bridget Kelly into our lives and if it wasn’t for you, Gemma would be here today.”

Andrew: “It doesn’t matter what dress you choose, I’ll only be thinking about tearing it off.”
Bridget: “Hmm, I like the way you think.”

The way Siobhan was staring at Bridget showering before snatching her ring was a little too Psycho like for my senses.

Juliet (to Andrea, re her drinking): “Don’t judge, support. It’s the only way I’ll get through tonight.”

Greer (re Henry): “I hated you for that.”
Bridget: “I don’t blame you and I’m sorry, more sorry than I know how to put into words.”

Andrew’s favourite team seems to be Arsenal, Tyler still thinks he’s going to be a father, there was a lot of discussion of the Pivoine hotel and Henry was seemingly about to get a book deal.

Juliet: “All I wanted was to forget what happened and now the whole world knows.”
Bridget: I am so sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I was so angry, I couldn’t see straight.”
Juliet: “No kidding, just get out.”

Chronology: About two weeks since “That’s What You Get For Trying To Kill Me”.

Given that it’s been two months since the previous episode, “It Just Got Normal” was a bit of a disappointing way to really kick start the second half of the season. I do hope that this is a temporary glitch because it did manage to find a good groove during the first half of the season and I’d hate to it regress.

Rating: 6 out of 10

My Review of Ringer's 1x10: "That's What You Get For Trying To Kill Me"

Written by Eric Charmelo And Nicole Snyder
Directed by Stuart Gillard

Gemma: “That’s what you get for trying to kill me.”
Charlie: “How are you even alive?”
Gemma: “You’ve got bad aim.”

Unfortunately for Gemma though, Charlie/John’s aim managed to improve significantly when she tried to drive away to freedom. I guess after ten episodes, we had to lose a character that mattered and whose death could have consequences for most of the main characters left – namely Siobhan, Bridget and Henry.

I’m going to miss Gemma as a character. Tara Summers didn’t have a lot to work with but she did the best she could and managed to make Gemma likeable enough for her death to matter. I was hoping that Gemma was going to escape from Charlie/John and now sadly she didn’t. On the plus side, at least Charlie/John actually paid for killing Gemma, courtesy of Siobhan.

I have to admit that it’s a little too late for Siobhan to pretend she gave a shit about her best friend but there was something gloriously satisfying in watching her take out her glorified babysitter. Now this is a treacherous side of Siobhan I could get behind. I mean, I liked Charlie/John as a villain but I also liked that Siobhan was the one to take him out.

Siobhan showing some distraught over Gemma’s death doesn’t do anything to erase the fact that she was overall responsible for her friend’s fate though. While both Bridget and Henry both tried to get Gemma out of danger this week, it was Siobhan who put Gemma in more danger by underestimating Charlie/John though.

Of course, if I was hoping that Siobhan would’ve learned that her feminine wiles can go only so far with manipulating men, then I was in for a letdown. Still, I have to admire the fact that she managed to manipulate Tyler into thinking that he was the father of her unborn baby and that Andrew was physically abusing her. Then again I don’t because Tyler really does seem to come across as that gullible.

I don’t even know why Siobhan bothered in bruising herself. I think if she had just put on the tears, Tyler still would’ve fallen for anything she had said but the biggest game changer now seems to be more the fact that after killing Charlie/John she decided to remain in New York. Isn’t that a bit odd considering the lengths she went to get Bridget to take her place?

One of the slight disappointing things about this episode was that I was hoping we would finally get a hint as to what Siobhan is up to and sadly this episode failed on that count. Still, odd as it is that she’s returned to New York, I am interested in seeing what exactly she’s going to get up to in the second half of the season now that she’s nearer her old life again.

As for Bridget – now there’s a true friend. She tried her damndest to rescue Gemma (who sadly died thinking Bridget had done this to her) and even confessed to Andrew that her friend was being held prisoner by Charlie/John and even cried real tears when Andrew told her that Gemma had been killed. There was no way that Bridget was faking any of that, was she?

As for Bridget and Andrew, this was quite the episode for them. For viewers and even for Bridget, it was the first time she slept with him and it was also Andrew and Siobhan’s anniversary. You don’t have to be a genius to see that Bridget is falling for Andrew big time and nor do you have to be one to see that worries Malcolm too. Malcolm has a point though and it’s one that Bridget’s ignoring as well.

Speaking of Bridget and Malcolm, them working together as a team to thwart Charlie/John and rescue Gemma though was fun to watch. Also this episode more or less indicated that they’ll be further investigating into Siobhan’s connection with Charlie/John, which could spell some massive trouble for Siobhan in the second half of the season as well.

Keeping with the investigating, I nearly bowled over with Victor actually being competent for once. I loved that he finally realised that Jimmy had known more about Bridget’s disappearance and about a man of Bodaway’s known as the Matador as well and tricked him in exposing himself. If Victor keeps this up, he might actually get a solid lead on Bridget/Siobhan after all.

Oh and while we’re talking about Victor, I really hope he wasn’t lying about Mary Curtis being more than an informant. I was looking forward to seeing Amber Benson on this show (she really does need to pick more high profile gigs though) and despite the fact she was rather underused and wound up playing a dead character again, she was a joy to watch as well.

As for Juliet and Mr Carpenter – what the hell just happened there? Did he actually rape her or was she making it up? It is sadly hard to tell because she did look genuinely distraught and was left alone with him, yet he did seem to be uninterested in her sexually. I hope this is one mystery that isn’t dredged out for too long.

Last but not least, if I have to moan about someone, I am going to moan about Henry. It’s not the actor’s fault but the character is damn annoying and this week he annoyed me more. Sure contacting the police was believable over Gemma’s kidnapping but maybe he should’ve actually listened to Bridget on this one.

Also in “That’s What You Get For Trying To Kill Me”

Andrew really does know how to woo a woman doesn’t he? I can see why Bridget is falling for the guy.

Andrew: “Can you believe it’s six years? Feels like -”
Bridget: “- Six weeks.”

Juliet managed to reference both Twilight and Big Brother in this episode in a rather clumsy sort of way.

Malcolm: “Anniversary?”
Bridget: “Six years already. Can you believe it?”

Siobhan (re Gemma): “John, if you hurt her, I swear.”
Charlie/John: “Oh, would you spare me? I think it’s a little too late to pretend to give a damn about her.”
Siobhan: “She’s my friend.”
Charlie/John: “Yeah, I hate to see how you treat your enemies.”

Mary mentioned to Victor in her flashback scene that she missed Bridget. I do hope we get some flashbacks to Bridget during her stripping days.

Mary: “Don’t sweet talk a sweet talker Vic. I’m just a blabbermouth stripper, don’t pretend I’m anything else.”

Bridget: “I’m begging you.”
Charlie/John: “Sorry Siobhan. My good will is all maxed out.”

Standout music: Adele’s “Rumour Has It” that played at the end of the episode.

Jimmy: “Sorry, Vic, I didn’t want it to come to this.”
Victor: “Oh no it won’t. I’ve had two agents tailing me ever since we spoke this morning.”

Charlie/John: “Besides you said so yourself. You need me.”
Siobhan: “I don’t. You’re a glorified babysitter who got too expensive.”

Chronology: Six weeks since “Pilot” according to Bridget and the show is back on the CW from January 10th.

As a mid-season finale went, “That’s What You Get For Trying To Kill Me” certainly made the right noises. It’s going to be interesting to see where this show can go in the second half and how much longer Bridget/Siobhan can be kept apart or even what Bodaway plans to do next, seeing as he’s been quiet for a while.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Ringer's 1x09: "Shut Up And Eat Your Bologna"

Written by Robert Berens
Directed by Scott White

Malcolm: “This isn’t about sobriety, Bridget. Something’s not right here.”

Wow, and why isn’t this guy a detective already? It’s amazing that we have Victor, who can’t really seem to crack a case if his life depended on it and Bridget, who despite her smarts, has still missed out on some vital things and then there’s Malcolm.

I loved that something like mouthwash containing alcohol actually tipped him off that Charlie might not be the person he’s pretending to be and I also liked that he did some sly detective work on his own bat before him and Bridget teamed up to learn more about their new best friend. I’m also hoping that Malcolm’s detective work doesn’t end up backfiring on him as well.

Where Bridget accidentally discovered that Charlie had been playing her (spotting him getting hammered at a bar where Siobhan used to go), it was Malcolm who suspected the guy and got the proof he needed before pursuing anything else. Malcolm really could put Victor out of a job with those amazing skills.

The only downer point to the whole thing was Malcolm not being able to reach to Gemma in time. He was this close to discovering and freeing her from Charlie’s clutches and Bridget texting him to get out of the house came at a worse time for Gemma. Much as Bridget was right to give Malcolm the heads up, I can’t help but worry for Gemma.

I knew she had to be alive and this episode she was pretty locked in a basement, bound, gagged and blindfolded to a chair while Charlie was taking calls from Siobhan and deducing that Bridget was finally onto him when she met with him in order to reclaim the police gun she had given him at the start of the episode.

I suppose because of this discovery this could possibly mean that Charlie’s days on the show are effectively over. If he’s daft enough to try and kill either Bridget or Malcolm (and I think he is), then either of them are likely to kill him in self defence. My only fear is that Gemma is not long for this world and that basically sucks. I like Gemma and as exits go, it’d be brutal but still rather an unsatisfying way of writing the character out.

It’d also still raise more complications for Bridget as well, who seems to be getting a little too comfortable with playing Siobhan, something which Malcolm was right to call her out on. Her Prince Charming fantasy with Andrew can only go so far and considering the amount of complications she’s attracted and the way this show moves forward, who’s to say that Andrew could learn the truth a lot sooner than Bridget would want him too?

That being said, it’s also hard not to enjoy Bridget and Andrew as a couple. In a weird way, they do work well together (though I think I do prefer Bridget/Malcolm) and Andrew’s estimation in his marriage is certainly affecting his judgement when it came to seeking investments from Mr Arbogast (Gemma’s father) as well.

I knew Olivia wasn’t going to take Andrew deciding not to pursue the Arbogast deal lying down, so her paying Henry a visit to resign papers again was hardly a shocker. I was a little surprised though that she managed to quickly work out that Henry had been sleeping with Siobhan but considering that he left a rather incriminating picture on his phone, Henry really has no-one else to blame but himself for that one.

Olivia back to her scheming self reinforced the fact that she’s not a particularly likeable person but she’s still light years behind when it comes to Siobhan. Thanks to Siobhan, Bridget was manipulated by Jimmy the cop to meet up with her sister and eventually assume her identity. At this point, I don’t think I’d even be surprised if Siobhan’s manipulations hadn’t gone even further than that too.

My favourite thing about this episode was Bridget actively upping her game into learning more about Siobhan though. The antics with the therapist might have future repercussions down the line but it’s interesting if Siobhan really is a victim of a stalker. Here’s hoping that the next episode actually gives us a bit more insight on who she was running from.

Also in “Shut Up And Eat Your Bologna”

Instead of Juliet, it’s Charlie who is actually responsible for this week’s episode title. I think the writers need to think the titles out a bit better.

Bridget: “I can’t really sleep on the bus.”
Siobhan: “Well, get some rest. Big plans tomorrow.”

I liked the little flashback to Bridget and Siobhan from the opening episode. Siobhan certainly knew how to play Bridget there and the thought experiment thing with Bridget and Andrew was lovely.

Malcolm (to Bridget): “You’re pretending to be his dead wife, how can there be any trust in that? I’m sorry but this Prince Charming fantasy you going with Andrew, it was supposed to be temporary. This is not your life.”

Bridget: “This is the new Siobhan Martin, no aliases required.”
Therapist: “Well, whatever name you’re using, I’m glad you decided to return to therapy.”

Speaking of names, Charlie’s real name is John Delario. Siobhan also used her Cora Farrell alias with her shrink too.

Charlie (re Jimmy/Bridget): “He got her to you, didn’t he?”
Siobhan: “Whatever.”

Henry: “So, what’s your story, Olivia?”
Olivia: “What have you heard?”
Henry: “That you’re a bitch.”

Is Tara Summers even filming these scenes anymore as Gemma and if not, then why not? Oh and the twins her and Henry finally made an appearance in this one. Also, what’s Siobhan doing for money or accommodation now that Tyler ditched her in the previous episode?

Charlie (re Bridget): “Siobhan, she’s onto me.”

Chronology: It’s been six weeks since the opening episode and this episode in particular didn’t feature Victor or Juliet.

Not quite as good as the previous two episode but “Shut Up And Eat Your Bologna” certainly had it’s moments though. Bridget and Malcolm made for an interesting team, Charlie’s days are certainly numbers and Olivia is now going to be a bigger nuisance than before.

Rating: 8 out of 10