No wonder ABC has been reluctant to announce a season-two renewal for this show; ratings-wise, it’s been mediocre to bad week after week, and quality-wise, it isn’t doing all that great either.
The weekly cases have been so poorly executed, it’s a bore to watch especially when the clients are so predictable and one-dimensional from the start. One thing that struck me as odd is how Alice and Val’s clients seem to always end up being the bad guys, forcing them to turn on their clients “for the greater good”. If only the show actually examined the morality behind doing what’s right and doing what’s right for your client, the cases would be helluva lot interesting.
Even that twist in the end sort of falls flat in execution. It would’ve been much more powerful and shocking to reveal Margot as Alice’s faux-therapist if the episode wasn’t leading up to it with that Margot/Rhys scene earlier. I wish we’d seen the therapy scene first, followed by a flashback revealing Rhys showing Margot that Ben had been meeting with Alice, which drives Margot to somehow become the therapist. Even if the twist is a signature Shonda move, it’s still underwhelming and predictable. Needless to say, it’s exciting to see where this development leads us as I’ve been looking forward for an Alice/Margot faceoff since the start.
Also exciting is seeing the baddies accomplish another entertaining ploy to make millions of dollars off a young, rich gambler. Their entire heist was bucketloads of fun with Margot once again proving to be the best written character on this show so far, sneakily adding a bunch of security cameras into the table and watching everyone’s cards in the process. Reggie’s return proves to be lots of fun as well, but he doesn’t get to do much except be The Ringer, and I would much rather see him interact with Ben and Rhys in the future.
Another twist the show throws in is Rhy’s plan to become a co-owner of the Weatherby hotel chain in the States by making sure Teddy (the spoiled rich kid) misses the meeting. I still don’t see why he had to pretend to be drunk and intentionally sabotage Margot’s plan in the process (those cameras were certainly a ripoff though, amiright?), but it’s a small gripe in an otherwise terrific development. Rhys is here to stay, and I can’t wait to see him unleash a whole lot more of terror.
Bits & Scams
– Fantastic teaser with Alice and Ben waking up in bed and discussing what they’re going to do at work today like a normal couple, only for the discussion to turn pretty serious all of a sudden.
– Val and Dao are still a very boring couple. It’s obvious the writers forced this to add more complexity to the Val/Alice feud that’s certainly boiling up.
– The bad guys discussing how to go around stealing money is still the highlight of this show.
– I’ve come to hate every quirky, tech-savvy character on television this year (Arrow’s Felicity tops that list for sure), but Sophie is right up there as well. Her facial expressions are irritating as hell!
– If this show does get cancelled, I sincerely hope Mireille Enos headlines a better, more original show next year. Her onscreen presence is incredible.
Catchy Phrases
Rhys: Why is your way always the right way?
Margot: It’s not. It’s just better than yours.
Sophie: I did find some prescriptions for antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds.
Alice: Half the people I know are on those meds.
Val and Sophie: I am.
Alice: You are?
Val: How are you not?!
Margot: Boom, as Reggie says.
Rhys: Why would he say that? I mean, who talks like that, really?
Margot: He’s not coming because of his girlfriend.
Ben: To be fair, she is a supermodel
Rhys: See, this is why I don’t have a girlfriend.
Margot: Oh, is that the reason?
Alice: Pick a side. Until you do, we’re done.
Conclusion
The boring case weighs down an otherwise mediocre hour.
Chris Rating
B-