OK, deep breath, here we go: “Ringer” (8 p.m. Central Tuesdays on The CW) — the previews of which feature long monologues by Sarah Michelle Gellar, making it clear this is a show you have to pay attention to in order to know what’s going on — is off and running. Or at least briskly walking. As you already know from the advance buzz, it’s in a film-noir style (cool), it’s a soap opera (not so cool), it has lots of great actors (cool) and it’s about a mismatched set of twins — one a former stripper and recovering alcoholic; the other a rich, manipulative brat (not so cool).
To be honest, my first episode impression is that “Ringer” is a more-stylish, better-acted version of “Gossip Girl” and I could live without it. But it’s too early to judge: This show is not structured to hook you after one episode, it’s structured so you’ll gradually become more and more intrigued until at some point you can’t wait to see what happens next.
It’s certainly not at that point yet, but the premiere has its engaging moments. And it passes the first big test: It’s not too convoluted to follow.
I was worried that I’d be confused about which Gellar character was which, but that’s not an issue: Gellar mostly plays Bridget, the earthy, down-and-out sister, who is visually signified by wavy blonde hair and working-class clothes like men’s plaid shirts. After Siobhan — the rich sister who wears stylish dresses and keeps her hair in a prim bun — seems to commit suicide by jumping off a boat in the middle of nowhere, Bridget — who is targeted by a killer because she’s the only witness to a crime (which occurs pre-show, so you didn’t miss anything) — takes over Siobhan’s life.
Granted, they are identical twins, but you’d think people who know Siobhan — like her husband Andrew (Ioan Gruffudd), secret lover Henry (Kristoffer Polaha) and best friend Gemma (Tara Summers) — would realize she’s not Siobhan. Fortunately for Bridget, every time she needs to know something about Siobhan’s life, that info falls into her lap and she’s able to avoid an awkward explanation for why she’s acting weird. For example, Henry comes right up and kisses her, tipping off the nature of his and Siobhan’s relationship. And Siobhan sheepishly admits to Bridget that she never told her husband she had a twin sister; apparently — and conveniently for this premise — she never told anyone.
Frankly, I’m not complaining about the life-switching going a little too smoothly for Bridget. “Ringer” can be enjoyed like a big extended episode of “Quantum Leap”; suspend your disbelief about the body-switching so you can enjoy the good stuff.
That good stuff should include some moody noir cinematography and maybe some shots of people standing in the rain and talking earnestly, but there’s not a lot of that type of thing so far. Nestor Carbonell, as the FBI agent trying to track down Bridget, fits the noir style well. I enjoyed the scene where he and Bridget (he thinks it’s Siobhan) are talking on a park bench; it’s slow and simple and we’re allowed to let it sink into our bones noir-style. Another decent noir scene finds Bridget talking on the phone to her AA sponsor Malcolm (Mike Colter), her one link to her old life. As she gazes down from the balcony, she sees a mysterious man — later revealed to be Henry, Siobhan’s lover — bathed in streetlight and looking up at her.
But for the most part, I only know “Ringer” is noir because the ads and early reviews have described it that way. It doesn’t feel consistently neo-noir like, say, “Veronica Mars.” Really, it’s more of a slow-boil soap opera, what with Bridget on the run from her old life, Siobhan faking her death, a shaky marriage or two, an illicit affair and a dogged FBI agent.
Although the characters are a bit shallow so far, the all-star cast helps matters considerably. So I’ll give “Ringer” another week or so. If my first impression doesn’t improve by then, I might have to dump it.
What were your thoughts on the first episode? Are you interested to see where the story goes, or already bored with it?