"Ringer" Season One Discussion Thread!

[RJDiogenes]

I think Secret Circle will, or could, get to the point where it stands on its own easily. It's certainly got a lot more meat than Ringer. Ringer really needs to be a thriller, something in the Alfred Hitchcock tradition. Otherwise I don't see much point to it.

[PhoenixHope]

Actually, I have to admit that Ringer is probably doing better (all things considered) in the ratings then The Secret Circle. Looking at the ratings, yes, Ringer is lower, but The Secret Circle is not even holding up as well behind The Vampire Diaries as Nikita did last season.

Though I still think all things considered Hart of Dixie is shockingly doing better then both Ringer and The Secret Circle, cause I think if HoD got even half the network love Ringer is getting then it might actually be a hit for them (not just something they call a hit), but the network is still focusing on Ringer, which I do kind of understand - HoD and The Secret Circle have Dawn's paw-prints all over them Ringer is the only show that doesn't have Dawn's paw-prints all over it, because Ringer was picked up by the new guy (Mark), so I can somewhat understand why he wants to make Ringer hit.

[RJDiogenes]

I'm surprised that Secret Circle isn't doing so well. It seems to have all the needed elements... i.e., young, hot bodies mixed with angsty drama and supernatural shenanigans... and it's done well.

[PhoenixHope]

I think part of the trouble might be that The Secret Circle doesn't feel like it's moving fast - where with Nikita it might've been just as slow moving, but because it was an action thing it might've "felt" like it was doing more then standing still.

On the other hand, I don't think it's bleak enough to be canceled unless it drops a whole lot more.

[PhoenixHope]

Ringer 1x06 "The Poor Kids Do It Everyday"

Episode Description
(From CWTV.com)

OPPOSITES ATTRACT - When Bridget (Sarah Michelle Gellar) cannot get in touch with Gemma (Tara Summers) she begins to wonder if something has happened between Gemma and Henry (Kristoffer Polaha). Juliet (Zoey Deutch) starts a new school, where she defends herself against the school bully and her teacher Mr. Carpenter (guest star Jason Dohring) comes to her rescue. Bridget asks Charlie (guest star Billy Miller) to do her a favor that could come back to haunt her, while Agent Machado (Nestor Carbonell) looks into Malcolm's (Mike Colter) disappearance. Ioan Gruffudd also stars.
Jerry Levine directed the episode written by Rob Doherty.

I know I'm probably the only one, but I think I'd like to see Bridget actually tempted to start an affair with Harry. Why am I the only one? Well, it seems like the rest of the viewers are ga-ga over Andrew while hating Henry. Mostly though I just want more Henry on my screen cause to me he's hotter then Andrew. Yes, I'm shallow. Really you had no idea, huh. Interesting. Well, that and I'd kinda like this show to stop trying to sell the idea that Bridget is a perfect Saint, cause she just ain't.

[RJDiogenes]

And a school bully plotline. I guess it is a Soap Opera.

[PhoenixHope]

Ringer 1x06 The Poor Kids Do It Everyday

Now THAT's what I'm talking about!

Of course, I admit I spent most of the episode thinking Bridget was again an idiot, but at first it wasn't bothering me much because for once the story was good enough that her being an idiot didn't stand out as the main thing going on. However, at one point (when I thought she was framing Henry) I may have yelled "you idiot!" at the TV, because Henry leads to Siobhan which leads to the affair being outed to Siobhan's family which Bridget absolutely does not want to happen. But it turns out she wasn't trying to frame Henry, she framed herself (Bridget, not herself as Siobhan), which is probably a good thing since Malcom may have at the very least told the bad guy that Bridget was in New York, and now the good guys and bad have a totally false Bridget trail to follow.

Now boys and girls if Ringer maintains this kind of storytelling I shall be staying with it, though admittedly I could do without the whole boring Julliet BS - I wish she'd just stayed with her mother.

Also, I was right - Henry wasn't guilty of killing Gemma it was Siobhan, or at least Siobhans mysterious male accomplice, though (of course) Siobhan regrets that it had to come to that, and you can just feel her misery over it - not! She's totally evil, and probably a full on psychopath.

Anyway, I'm also right that somehow Siobhan is keeping an eye on what's going on, and that's probably why Bridget being an idiot hasn't gotten Bridget in trouble yet, because clearly whatever Siobhan is planning depends on Bridget being (and dying based on the first episode) as Siobhan.

I also really like the fact that this episode sorta killed Saint Bridget, because up to this point Bridget was clearly trying to do what she thought was the right thing for her "dead" sister, and as she said last week (or some week) she never intended to be Siobhan forever, she was just trying to clean up the mess with Siobhan's family that Siobhan left behind. However, this week we see clear hints that Gemma was right - Bridget has been lying to herself, because I think if she intended to become Bridget again she would not have set up Bridget to take the fall for Gemma's death, so I don't think she intends to be Bridget Kelly ever again. And after having seen how screwed up Siobhan is, I personally thought it was nice to see that Bridget is (in her own way) just as screwed up.

Yeah, I know she's got the drug thing, but somehow (and I don't know why) I am having trouble believing Bridget really is a drug addict, despite how arguably well the show is selling the idea. It may be because when we see her in the pilot she just doesn't look rough enough, though (to be fair) we don't know how long she's been "recovering" so I just don't know, but for some reason I'm just not buying it, so it's nice to see Bridget being screwed up in a way I can actually see/accept.

[RJDiogenes]

It will be funny if she's actually losing her mind and coming to believe that she really is Siobhan.

[PhoenixHope]

So, first things first I just realized that the CW episode numbers for Ringer are different from the actual number of aired episodes, and so I looked around and the CW website listed the pilot as episode zero - I will keep numbering it by the actual number of episodes aired, but thought I should explain for those who might wonder why.

Ringer 1x07 "Oh Gwad, There's Two of Them?"

Episode Description
(From CWTV.com)

THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE - Still posing as Siobhan, Bridget (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is forced to reveal she has a twin to Andrew (Ioan Gruffudd) and Henry (Kristoffer Polaha) when Agent Machado (Nestor Carbonell) starts closing in. Henry becomes a suspect in the whereabouts of his wife, Gemma (Tara Summers) and Juliet (Zoey Deutch) starts partying to dangerous extremes. Meanwhile, Malcolm (Mike Colter) escapes and is on the run from his kidnappers.
Eric LaSalle directed the episode written by Pam Veasey.

[RJDiogenes]

Episode Zero? That's a new one. Was episode one the original pilot, perhaps, and then they went back and filmed a new one? I think something similar to that happened with Firefly.

[PhoenixHope]

Okay, so I didn't watch this episode until last night - this week I've been a bit busy trying to clean Halloween movies and shows off my DVR, because I had a back-log.

Anyway, I was not exactly thrilled with this episode, but it wasn't the worst episode of Ringer. Then with fifteen minutes of show left my local CW locked on a green screen for over five minutes, after which is came back only to lock seconds later on a black screen - thankfully that only lasted about three minutes so I got back to the show in time to see the pretty awesome twist/reveal.

Charlie Bridget's new NA sponsor is Siobhan's partner in crime. He's the one who killed Gemma, but he's pretending to help Bridget, while also (of course) pretending to believe Bridget is Siobhan.

Also, Malcom (Bridgets old sponsor) got away, or really was let go so he could hopefully lead the bad guys to Bridget.

So, yeah, while this episode wasn't dazzling at least the plot started to move a bit.

[RJDiogenes]

Wow, that's a pain in the neck. That's a big chunk of the show. I wonder how many people just bailed and never saw the endign.

[PhoenixHope]

Probably not many, or at least not enough to affect ratings, because mine is a very very small market, and not one of those large ones that affect overall ratings.

And, to be fair, it coulda been worse - last season it froze up and I missed like the last forty five minutes of a Hellcats episode. Also, last season there was one time a Supernatural episode, while not frozen, had really annoying sound issues for the first fifteen minutes of the episode. Seriously, I had to turn on the CC and watch the first of that episode muted, but at least in that case I was able to watch the messed up bit, but it was still annoying.

[PhoenixHope]

Ringer 1x08 "Maybe We Can Get a Dog Instead?"

Episode Description
(From CWTV.com)

IT'S COMPLICATED - Andrew and Bridget are told some upsetting news that also affects Henry. Juliet continues to form an unlikely bond with her teacher Mr. Carpenter (guest star Jason Dohring) and Malcolm shows up in New York, where Agent Machado confronts him. Meanwhile, Siobhan's relationship with Tyler (guest star Justin Bruening) is jeopardized.
Nathan Hope directed the episode written by Jay Faerber.

[RJDiogenes]

Nice title.

[PhoenixHope]

So, not really a review this time (I've been a bit busy today), and honestly while there's been some good twists and turns the show is still a bit boring.

I mean, the twist on how Bridget got out of being pregnant was good, though I was kinda hoping it would be revealed that Bridget was pregnant with Malcom's kid - Andrew would be in for kind of a shock when that baby was born, but oh well.

The twist with Bridget again unknowingly screwing Siobhan also nice. The guy Siobhan was seeing/using in France came to the states and met "Siobhan" so now he knows Siobhan is using a fake name and also married. I admit I was momentarily thrown when Siobhan didn't try to play the twin card, but since Bridget is basically wanted dead by the bad guys and alive by the good guys it does make a little sense that Siobhan wouldn't try to play the "I'm actually Bridget" card.

The twist on how Charlie doesn't want to kill again, and now will instead (probably) help Malcom also a good twist.

So there was some good stuff here, but the overall still manages to be more boring then interesting.

[RJDiogenes]

How did she get out of being pregnant?

[PhoenixHope]

In fairness that one wasn't much of a twist, but at the end of the previous episode Bridget fainted, and so this episode starts with her in the hospital and they (of course) want to check and make sure the baby's okay.

Bridget tries to wiggle out of this, or at least wiggle Andrew out of the room before it happens, but that fails, because Andrew is concerned (which I think most fathers to be would be, at least good ones) so he ain't leaving. And, of course, the ultrasound revealed no baby in Bridget's belly, so Bridget (actually thinking fast for once) says that she had some bleeding a few days ago, but thought that was normal. The doctor (or nurse) agrees that it can be, but then goes in to some spill about how maybe the baby was on (or outside) the uterine wall, and probably wasn't a viable pregnancy to begin with.

And that's where most (but not all) of the drama from this episode comes, though Malcolm brings some aside from that. But Andrew wants to try again for baby, and is deeply unhappy when Bridget doesn't want that. Henry (Siobhan's lover) actually gets in on the disappointed act, because he believes the baby is his (and based on actual Siobhan's actions probably is), and he's unhappy because he thought that once "Siobhan" had the baby she'd come back to him.

Oh, and bonus info - LOOK AWAY SPOILER AVOIDERS, though mostly I'm just SPOILING a coming guest star and not plot stuff.

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Later in the season (episode fourteen, I believe) Misha Collins will guest star on Ringer as someone from Siobhan and Bridget's past, and from the blurb I saw his character will be (or have been) a key player in the falling out between Siobhan and Bridget.

Is Misha a lucky bastard that's going to have SMG and SMG fighting over him? Hmm...

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END SPOILER

[RJDiogenes]

That's quite a threesome. Two Buffys and a Cass.

It may be difficult, though. "If the pizza delivery man really loves the babysitter, why is he spanking her?"

[PhoenixHope]

Ringer 1x09 "Shut Up and Eat Your Bologna"

Episode Description
(From CWTV.com)

LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING - Bridget (Sarah Michelle Gellar) begins to realize she is developing feelings for Andrew (Ioan Gruffudd), while Henry (Kristoffer Polaha) and Andrew's business partner Olivia (guest star Jamie Murray) bond over common interests. Malcolm (Mike Colter) is suspicious of Bridget's new NA sponsor Charlie (guest star Billy Miller) and Bridget makes an appointment with Siobhan's therapist (guest star Merle Dandridge), hoping it will help her discover some insight into her sister's life. Nestor Carbonell and Zoey Deutch also star.
Scott White directed the episode written by Bob Berens.

Well, at least maybe we'll finally start getting some real insight into Siobhan, but I'm not holding my breath.

[RJDiogenes]

They do have some interesting titles.

[PhoenixHope]

Ringer 1x09 Shut Up and Eat Your Bologna

It's truly weird, really. This episode revealed some things and moved the plot along, and it didn't totally suck, but the overall episode still felt boring as I watched. So, I can't call it the best episode of the season, but it is certainly better then a great many episodes of Ringer.

And to my delight sort of we learn some things about Siobhan this time around. Right now I'm really more interested in Siobhan (and honestly have been since almost the beginning) then I am Bridget. Anyway, Siobhan was on depression meds, but not for depression, but for paranoia. Makes sense, she clearly felt someone was out to get her, and given the fact that someone did actually try to kill Bridget thinking she was Siobhan... Well, what's the saying? It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you.

Anyway, after that she somehow found and teamed up with "Charlie" and through this we learn that Bridget didn't actually attack the cop who was guarding her in the pilot episode. "Charlie" (on Siobhan's behalf) encouraged Bridget to escape to her twin sister in New York. Poor Bridget didn't even steal his gun, he snuck it in her bag while she wasn't looking.

You know, this episode almost (almost) made me feel sorry for Bridget, because she really was (and still is) being played like a fiddle by her sister. Of course, she loses points because she's falling in love with her sisters husband. Who I still think was the one trying to kill her as the show started, because notice as the relationship between "Siobhan" and Andrew got better the attacks on Siobhan have all but stopped, and that's why he's still my prime suspect. See, if Olivia (Andrew's business partner) was behind this she'd be more likely to be trying to kill Siobhan now then she would've before. Same with Henry, so it's almost got to be Andrew or Andrew's daughter, and I think the timing fits better with Andrew then it does his daughter, because his daughter didn't warm up to "Siobhan" until much later, and this episode does reveal that prior to the relationship between "Siobhan" and Andrew improving Andrew may have not exactly been a nice man.

However, this episode proved me off/wrong in one way. You see, I thought Gemma was dead dead dead, and it turns out rumors of Gemma's death have been greatly exaggerated. And it doesn't really make sense. I'm sorry, but killing Gemma would've actually been the cleaner/easier option here, because keeping her alive risks exposure in more then one way. Gemma knows about Bridget, and could be assuming Bridget is the one who kidnapped her, which makes her way more dangerous to Siobhan's plan now. No, we still don't know Siobhan's plan, but we do know that for whatever reason it hinges on everyone believing Bridget is Siobhan.

However, I can maybe forgive this a bit, because it may be proof that Siobhan does actually have something remarkably like a heart. Huh? Well, this might be proof that no matter how low Siobhan has gone she still hasn't gone low enough to actually order the death of a friend.

Anyway, thanks to Malcolm it is revealed that "Charlie" is not the friend Bridget thought he was, though neither of them know he's actually working for Siobhan, they just know that he's pretending to be someone/something he isn't. And Malcolm comes thisclose to finding poor bound and gagged basement dwelling Gemma, but alas as the episode closes Gemma is still in the basement, so still only "Charlie" and Siobhan know she's alive. And I'm guessing this means she probably won't be rescued any time soon, but I could be wrong on that. However, it seems logical that "Charlie" will do the smart thing and move her to a new location now, because not only is he aware that Bridget is on to him, he'll probably soon become aware that she knows where he lives. Why? Well, Malcolm broke in to his house, and while he didn't extremely move anything he did move/touch some things, which will probably be a red flag for "Charlie."

So, while this episode revealed some stuff about Siobhan it still didn't reveal everything, and probably most importantly it didn't reveal how Siobhan is still living high on the hog in France while she's broke and her meal ticket recently dumped her. However, a downside (for Siobhan) is that Bridget probably has enough clues now to start suspecting that maybe rumors of Siobhans death have been greatly exaggerated. I'm not saying she should all ready know, or even be able to actually guess just that she does now have enough clues that I think it'd only take one more thing to wake her up to the fake that maybe (just maybe) Siobhan is not actually dead.

Anyway, despite not being the best show ever, I do believe Ringer is honestly starting to grow on me - like a fungus, but still growing. Not so much that I'll honestly be sad if it doesn't get a season two, but enough that I plan on watching the whole first season now, and until this episode that was iffy.

[RJDiogenes]

It's starting to sound like Soap.

[PhoenixHope]

Yeah, it's certainly not the thriller they promised up front, though I can't say if it's like Soap or not, because I don't recall watching Soap, but it's certainly more like a soap then a thriller.

[PhoenixHope]

Okay, yes, wee bit late this week, but blame the holiday. First I started decorating for Christmas but officially finish until today (basically I finished last night, but there was one string of lights meant for outside and it was just to cold to do them last night). Then the holiday itself, and did I mention that there was some Christmas shopping during the previous week? No, I'm not talking black Friday, because you could not pay me enough to shop on black Friday, but earlier in the week.

Anyway, I'm back now except for needing to get the Christmas cards ready to go... And the little glitch of needing the stamps to mail said cards, but I'll think of something.

Ringer 1x10 "That's What You Get Trying to Kill Me"

Episode Description
(From CWTV.com)

IGNORANCE IS BLISS - Henry (Kristoffer Polaha) begins to target someone as a suspect in the disappearance of his wife Gemma (Tara Summers) and realizes he must work with Bridget (Sarah Michelle Gellar) to find out more information. Malcolm talks to the police about his suspicion of Charlie (guest star Billy Miller), while Juliet (Zoey Deutch) develops an unhealthy obsession with her teacher Mr. Carpenter (guest star Jason Dohring). Meanwhile, Agent Machado (Nestor Carbonell) meets with an informant (guest star Amber Benson) back in Wyoming. Ioan Gruffudd also stars.
Stuart Guillard directed the episode written by Eric Charmelo and Nicole Snyder.

*whine* I'M BORED WITH JULIET! Seriously, Show I really am bored with her crap why do you keep pushing it? Anyway, the rest of the episode doesn't seem to bad.