Okay, so I was in the process of getting caught-up with General Hospital, but then Tuesday rolled around and marked the return of Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy!!!!!
) to network television and ya'll I got totally distracted because THIS is where all the soap has gone.
Warning, if you haven't watched the series premiere of Ringer yet, I about to spoil it for you with in-depth gushing about the pilot.
So, we've got identical but estranged twin sisters Siobhan (dude, what is with the popularity of that name recently?
It sounds like a type of fabric and is spelled ridiculously) and Bridget. Siobhan is a New York City socialite and Bridget is an exotic dancer who is also a six-months clean recovering addict. Oooh, I love an well-done evil twin storyline.
Bridget had the misfortune of witnessing a murder and is scheduled to testify against a very unsavory character in the near-future. Not liking her chances of making it past trial, even with the protection of FBI agent Nestor Carbonell (I'm sorry, I still remember him from Suddenly Susan and it's hard for me to take him seriously), Bridget makes a break for it under cover of darkness and goes to visit Siobhan in New York.
The sisters haven't seen each other in six years, and the source of their rift seems to be the death of someone called Sean, who later turns out to be an adorable blonde cherub in a photo dated 2006. "Making amends" is step nine and Siobhan assures Bridget that all is forgiven between them.
At her house in the Hamptons, Siobhan tells Bridget that she has never mentioned having a twin to anyone in her life, shortly before the pair embark on a fateful speedboat ride. Awaking from slumber, Bridget finds a prescription bottle of sleeping pills containing her sister's wedding ring, but no Siobhan
. Assuming that her sister has committed suicide, and still fearing for her own life from aforementioned unsavory character, Bridget decides to assume her sister's identity. More soapy perfection.
And this is where it gets really fun, because watching Sarah Michelle Gellar play Bridget who's pretending to be Siobhan while knowing absolutely nothing about her life, is highly enjoyable
. She doesn't know that Siobhan and her husband Andrew barely tolerate each other (or why) and it's amusing watching her try to catch up to speed on their dynamic when he tells her she looks like she's lost weight, treats her like an errand-girl, and then asks her suspiciously why she's being so agreeable.
Then, there's Siobhan's best friend Gemma who confides her suspicions that her husband Henry is having an affair, right before Henry ambushes Bridget at the opera, kissing her passionately and making it clear that Siobhan is the one he's been stepping out with. Apparently, this is not merely a physical affair, at least not on his part.
FBI agent Victor Machado shows up in New York to question Siobhan about sister Bridget's whereabouts, and is suspicious when Siobhan has the same sarcastic humor as Bridget did.
Then there's Andrew's teenage daughter Juliet, who moves back in with them because she got kicked out of boarding school for doing drugs. This provides an additional area of concern for recovering addict Bridget.
A phone call from Siobhan's OB/GYN reveals that she was pregnant (making her suicide all the more tragic), a fact that a surprised Bridget accidentally gasps out in earshot of Andrew. I guess they must have been having sex occasionally in spite of the chill between them because he doesn't seem incredulous. Henry on the other hand, is certain the baby is his and wants to claim paternity.
Best friend Gemma leaves a voice mail "I know who Henry is having an affair with, meet me at the loft", when Bridget arrives, she is menaced by a masked thug
with a crowbar. Using her best Buffy-moves, Bridget manages to shoot and kill the intruder. Reaching into his pocket, Bridget discovers that her sister Siobhan was actually his intended target, not herself as she had originally assumed. The plot thickens.
Across the world in Paris, the phone rings and a very much alive Siobhan answers "we have a problem" the man on the other end of the line reports . . . . .
Consider me hooked!