“Silly. Much too silly.” – M. Python
I finally caved and gave the CW’s Ringer a look. I’ve been dancing around it from the very beginning. I’m wary of series whose plot hinges upon One Great Mystery week in and week out. Part of this is that I have the attention span of a gnat. The other part is that I over analyze everything and I can’t help but wonder at what point the Mystery should have been revealed, but is instead is cobbled into a convoluted cluster for the sake of stretching into another season.
Let’s be real, how long can the Ringer twins keep this silliness up?
Sarah Michelle Gellar plays the dual roles of Bridget and Siobhan. You know how sometimes when you see a set of twins, you dictate a pretty and a less-pretty one based on minor facial discrepancies and nuances? No? Just me? Wow, I’m a jerk. And Siobhan and Bridget aren’t those kinds of twins. I’ve found that that easiest way to tell them apart is that Bridget is the one who usually looks confused and Siobhan is the one who usually looks inordinately pleased with herself.
When perpetual problem child, Bridget, witnesses a murder, the mob wants to gift her with a nice pair of cement hooker heels. Bridget is, understandably less than enthusiastic about this gift and flees to the twin whose life isn’t a total trainwreck… on the surface.
Siobhan fakes her own death and like a good neighbor, State Farm, I mean Bridget, is there to resume her sister’s identity, conveniently hiding from the mob and inheriting a whole new set of problems.
Watching Bridget attempt to navigate the ultra-chic world of her twin is quickly proving to be my favorite aspect of the show. My favorite excuse for her bizarre behavior, “I’m recently sober,” is adorable and it works on so many levels!
And she’s shacked up with Mr. Fantastic himself! Hello, Ioan Gruffudd, hello! It is my own personal interpretation that he’s totally rocking blue spandex under those designer suits. And Andrew could totally use some superpowers after this week’s episode, where his own daughter teamed up with her teacher and her bestie from the wrong side of the tracks to scam him Wild Things style. I’m still waiting for the bloodbath denouement. Just give it another episode or two. I’m good at this game. Have you been reading my Being Human coverage? Well why the hell not?
I see a weekend of mainlining Ringer reruns in my future and if you drag your feet like me when it comes to latching onto new shows, you should probably pencil one in for yourself. Don’t give me that “how good can it be, it airs on the CW” crap. CDubs gets a bad rep and I know, I know Smallville was an abomination, but that was technically the WB’s fault and you know what? It was pretty decent in the beginning. Yes it was. I’m willing to admit that, even as a comic snob (Birds of Prey, however, was wretched).
Ringer certainly has the potential to turn ugly, but right now, it’s like The Parent Trap, as directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and that, my friends, is awesome.
This piece originally appeared on TV Geek Army.