New Shows to Watch - Part 2: Ringer

So welcome to the second installment of my new shows reviews. And being that I will be discussing major matters that have occurred so far on Ringer, I'm going to do a page break. Click the link below for my complete thoughts (spoilers up to the last episode that have aired within).

Continue reading "New Shows to Watch - Part 2: Ringer"....

I wasn't entirely sure if I was going to give Ringer a shot, but I like Sarah Michelle Gellar and the premise seemed interesting enough to give it an initial viewing. And actually, that was a mini-miracle in itself, because I don't think a lot of articles that previewed the series did them any favors (perhaps they didn't even fully understand the show). While I still don't necessarily comprehend the entire mystery, I really do care about the characters and I am invested in seeing what happens to them. It's the same reason I (and many others) stuck with Lost all those years.

What I like about Ringer is the role reversal and the overall theme of redemption. Bridget has always been troubled and has made some bad decisions, but we're never left to believe she's a bad person. Siobhan (which I would never be able to spell if I didn't look up) has always been put together and responsible, yet she cheated on her wife with her best friend's husband, and is currently involved in some conspiracy to apparently have her twin sister killed. To an outsider, Bridget seems "bad" while Siobhan seems "good" -- but the opposite is true. And in line with the idea of role reversals, in the past Siobhan was cleaning up after Bridget's mess. Now, Bridget is trying to fix the mistakes Siobhan has made with her life. And honestly, I'd really like to see her succeed.

One treat is that Sarah Michelle Gellar is incredible at playing savvy females. You can really believe that she's that quick on her feet and sly with her comments and actions. It's a lot of fun watching her in this dual role.

My one fear: Because I have really grown to like his character, I just have this sinking feeling that Andrew is going to end up being something somewhat sinister. He just seems a little TOO good, like the writers are deliberately trying to make us sympathize with and root for him before the other shoe drops.

Another thing I worry about with this show (and with all of the shows in this feature, except Terra Nova) is that I wonder what sort of shelf life it could have. How long can they keep this mystery going? How long can they have Bridget keep this secret, while continuing to make it interesting? I'm not saying it's impossible, but there is an inherent challenge to shift the focus of the show the longer it goes on.

Out of the four shows I will be writing about, this is the one that is probably the hardest to join in on at this point. But don't worry, it's in the midst of a winter hiatus, so you have a few weeks to catch up on the season (and since CW is pushing it pretty hard, I wouldn't expect a mini marathon to get new viewers up to speed.