Friday 7 October 2011

Revenge and Ringer: sexy and sophisticated.


Also devilishly complex and intricate.

I am highly impressed by two shows that granted, I was not particularly interested in at all when I saw their fall promos.

How wrong I was.

Um, all these smokin', smart, leading ladies? Bloody BRILLIANT. It is so refreshing to see women in the roles were traditionally males were the lead. On a side note: another show you should watch (if you're all into the power of women) is Fringe. Anna Torv plays the gorgeous and brilliant FBI agent Olivia Denham - and she certainly does not disappoint in the women-can-do-anything department.

Anyway, back to Ringer and Revenge.

I have to give it to them - these shows know how to suck you in. Revenge especially. How about I start there :)

What makes Revenge so appealing.

  • Emily VanCamp plays Amanda Clarke and her alias Emily Thorne. And what a convincing job she does too. The fact that she lost her father because he was framed and then convicted and then died only enhances her character. As Emily, she is sweet, mysterious and somewhat reminiscent of a sly cat. Her poker face is what drew me in at first - and then the way she would flip so suddenly to her alter persona, Amanda. Cold, hard, and vengeful, with little flickers of sadness and remorse, is the best way I can describe the Amanda underneath the mask. Riveting. I love it.
  • Victoria Grayson, played by Madeleine Stowe, is the wicked mother-in-law with a soul. Yes, I know, she's not the actual mother-in-law, but that's how her character is played. She is bitter against the world; mostly because of her cheating, lying husband, but also because she lost the one man she truly loved - David Clarke. You get a sense that she hides behind her money and expensive taste, all the while mourning for a life lost. Yet at the same time, she is fiercely protective of her son, and deeply suspicious of everyone around her. Especially Emily - and rightly so. Good work mummy dearest.
  • Jack Porter, beautifully played by Nick Wechsler, is the childhood friend. He seems like the one genuine character in the entire show; thus you feel sad for him when he has to sell his boat to save his dad's floundering business. And then his dad dies, so things are becoming even more tough. But still, there is a definite air about him - an air that draws Amanda back in and helps pull some of the 'Emily' facade away.
  • The other character I love is Nolan Ross, acted out by Gabriel Mann. I've never seen Mann in anything before but I like him. He is mischievous and a little suave - I especially like the tailored suits and shaggy blonde hair. He aims to help Amanda with her quest for revenge, all the while trying to pull her back out of her facade too.
  • The last character I like is Danny Grayson, played by Joshua Bowman. Besides being a bit of eye candy, he is the lost puppy, searching for his way in the world and trying to leave behind bad mistakes. I like him because he strikes me as honest, and I think in a show like this you need a couple of honest characters to keep from drowning in dishonesty. I do hope his 'death' at the start wasn't real; however I'm sure if he does die it'll be for a really intriguing reason.
Key moments in the first 3 episodes.

  • Sammy the dog remembers: I'm not sure what it is about dogs remembering their owners, but I always find the concept ridiculously appealing. It is classic but super sweet.
  • Declan [aka Eric from Gossip Girl]: Seeing Connor Paolo in this show made my heart skip a beat. I LOVE Eric in GG, and it was sad when they shipped his character to minimal appearances. He is definitely likable as the stubborn younger brother who 'just wants to fit in with the upper crowd'.
  • The boat named 'Amanda': Did anyone else think this was rather charming? I wonder what kind of an impression Amanda made on Jack. Obviously something rather large since he named his prized boat after her.
  • Bitch Victoria taking down Slut Lydia: Highlight of my WEEK. That take-down was priceless, and Gossip Girl-worthy. At a charity function? Giving away the painting from their living room as a reminder of her affair and shunning from high society? Impressive, needless to say.
  • The flashbacks: I always love a good flashback. These are good because they give you a bit of the background story, without giving away too much. It helps tie the 'revenge act' together at the end, because you understand why she picked this person to take down. My only hope is that they don't OVERDO the flashbacks - I like a little mystery to keep my day interesting.
  • The side stories: I like that it isn't just about Amanda's revenge and the plot around her dad - it's also Jack's story, and Victoria's, and a little bit of Danny's. I hope they continue to expand on the other character's histories, rather than just focus on Amanda's - though hers IS fascinating.
  • Cupcake scene at the end of ep 2: Amanda sitting there, lighting one candle on a delicious-looking cupcake, blowing out the candle and wishing herself a 'happy birthday'? Love it. Excellent scene, and way to end the episode.
  • The take-down of the Senator in ep 3: The red-dress lady? The changed script? Exquisiteness played out. It was an excellent act of revenge. My favourite thus far.
  • One final note - the CLOTHES: Gosh. I'd die wearing all those amazing outfits! Dresses especially. I love how when TV shows demonstrate the rich, they really do go upper class.

Overall, I really like Revenge so far. I'm not sure how they will go after the first season - but hey, it's early yet. I don't want to get ahead of myself :) If you haven't watched it yet, you should. It's definitely worth a night of staying-in.

I'll just make a couple of pointers about Ringer, because there's not as much going on - yet.

Ringer - Sarah Michelle Gellar is back.

  • Well. That just about says it all I think. Haha no, I am really proud of SMG for going in a very untypical direction for her. She plays twin sisters Bridget Kelly and Siobhan Martin, who at first, seem to be able to forgive each other for whatever monstrosity hides in their past - but takes a quick turn when Siobhan leaves Bridget in the middle of the ocean in her boat, and leads her to believe that she is dead. Bridget, on the run from the police because she witnessed a murder and doesn't want to stand trial against the killer, takes on Siobhan's identity and assumes her life. Truthfully, I think it was the story-line that drew me in more so than anything else. We see actors play twins and identical doppelgangers(Oh, Elena<3) all the time, but never do we see one twin that takes over the other twin's life, all the while the other twin is sipping martini's in Paris on some mission of her own. Fascinating!
Some side notes.

  • The drama: Oh, the drama! All the affairs and secrets! One nearly dies trying to keep up with it all. But it is ridiculously good.
  • I am sad for Andrew: I really like Siobhan's husband, and she was cheating on him with her best friend's husband. Firstly - what a bitch. Who does that? Horrible, selfish woman. And Andrew seems so lovely! But I have a feeling there might be some hidden skeletons in his closet. Just will have to wait and see.
  • Gemma - the ultimate best friend: This woman is awesome. She does absolutely everything for Siobhan, and the woman repays her by sleeping with her hubby. Oh, and getting pregnant with his baby. NOT COOL SIOBHAN.
  • The twist that threw everything off: When you find out Siobhan is working with someone who is still at 'home' and you can't think who it would be. Why are they upset Bridget is still alive? What's the deal there? Mystery.
And I think you've all probably had enough now :) They're just a few random thoughts and descriptions of these two awesome shows. You should go ahead and watch them now. Go! Go! *shoos you to your television*

If you don't already you should follow me on twitter: @jayneymoo or @janeymoo, either will do :) And have a chat! I like chats! Almost as much as I like mint chocolate biscuits. Yum.

3 comments:

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