Ringer, S1E1 — Pilot

Rock Springs, Wyoming. Machado is now talking to Bridget’s sponsor, Malcolm, asking what his relationship was like with Bridget. “That’s one of the problems with being a sponsor,” Malcolm answers. “You get close.”

“How close?” Machado asks, as the two of them walk across a plaza in front of — maybe a courthouse.

“Let’s just say I regret it,” Malcolm says.

When Machado asks if he loves her, Malcolm stops walking and tells Machado that’s none of his business. Machado fires back that he finds it hard to believe that Bridget would disappear without contacting Malcolm at all. Malcolm insists that she hasn’t, and that he’s worried. “You should be,” Machado says, pointing to the front page article on the newspaper he’s carrying – “Macawi Case Declared A Mistrial”. “Because without her testimony, Bodaway is a free man. The guy’s ruthless — he killed his own brother. You better hope I find her before he does.” Sounds a bit like a threat, pal.

The CGI really was kind of awful.

Now the two sisters are out in a speedboat, at the beginning of a scene that’s already becoming infamous on the internet for bad greenscreen effects. It didn’t jar me too badly the first time I watched it, but it’s pretty noticeable. Bridget and Siobhan chat a bit. Then Siobhan says she’s going to get them some drinks. “So,” she asks, “are you still … dancing?”

“You mean stripping?” Bridget corrects dryly. “Nah. But I still work for tips. Waitressing.” I wonder if she uses the alias “Anne” at the restaurant. Siobhan, meanwhile, has returned with a bottle for herself and for Bridget. Bridget sighs and says that she doesn’t want to be the sister that Siobhan has to pretend doesn’t exist. Siobhan, her eyes hidden behind the giant dark glasses, just says, “Just so you know, I missed you, too.” Bridget looks happy. After what’s revealed in the rest of the episode, one wonders if there was more than one reason why Siobhan didn’t tell Andrew about her twin sister’s existence.

Time passes, and Bridget wakes up and wonders how long she’s been asleep on the boat (the motor is off). But there’s no one else there. Bridget looks around and sees a pill bottle on the floor. When she opens it, she finds it empty except for Siobhan’s wedding ring. Dun dun DUN! Immediately, she starts looking all around in the water, calling out for her sister — until she sees Siobhan’s scarf floating out there. “Oh my God,” she breathes, and tries to radio for help, to no avail. So she jumps right into the water, not even stopping to take her shoes or jacket thingy off.

Bridget swims out to the scarf and looks around, continuing to call her sister’s name. Even when she goes underwater to look, she finds nothing. And yeah, the greenscreen in the background is pretty bad, but if you just concentrate on the foreground, it’s not too distracting — to me, anyway.

Vain, much?

Next scene, presumably sometime later — nighttime in NYC. The song playing in the background reminds me of something by Ingrid Michaelson, but I’m guessing it isn’t. I like it, though. Anyway, ‘Siobhan’ gets out of the back of a fancy-looking car, dressed to the nines. She takes the elevator up to what I assume is the Martin penthouse, and upon entering is greeted by a giant black-and-white photo of Siobhan’s face. Okay. Siobhan is gorgeous and all, but I … still wouldn’t decorate anyplace I lived with a giant picture of my face, even if I looked like that. Bridget-as-Siobhan just looks a little sad as she stares at it. She walks past the picture — ugh, there’s the mirror thing again — and continues into the penthouse. Siobhan’s closet is full of expensive-looking, lovely clothing. There’s a red dress in there that looks quite familiar from promo shots for this show. Bridget is just standing in front of it when a male voice announces, “Siobhan, I’m home.” It’s Andrew, played by the sublime Ioan Gruffudd — and yay, they’ve let him keep something at least close to his native Welsh accent!

Bridget takes a moment to compose herself before she turns around and says hi. Andrew smiles, crosses the room, and then is obviously surprised when the woman he thinks is his wife kisses him on the lips. “Aren’t we friendly?” he remarks. Bridget tries to cover by saying that it’s been forever, but Andrew counters that two weeks is hardly forever. Andrew takes off his coat. “Have you lost weight?” he asks.

“Maybe a little,” replies Bridget.

“Hmm,” Andrew says. “You’re too thin.” The rest of their conversation only further illustrates that Andrew and Siobhan obviously do not have what could be called a happy marriage. Bridget asks him how London was, and when Andrew passes on the fact that he got that investor on board and Bridget congratulates him, Andrew gives her a look. “Were you being sarcastic?”

Bridget’s starting to get the picture even as she says no and Andrew looks skeptical. Then she starts to look hopeful again when Andrew says he has something for her — but it’s only the clothes he wants her to get to the cleaners. Heh. He takes off his shirt — ahem, let’s all pause there for a minute as you so desire — and goes to take a shower.