Ringer, S1E1 — Pilot

That's not creepy at all.

That evening, at the “fundraising thing,” Bridget and Andrew are listening to a lovely operatic solo, sung in something other than English. I’m guessing by the full-size model of a whale that’s hanging from the ceiling, it could be at a natural history museum? Bridget is wearing the smashing red dress that we saw in Siobhan’s closet earlier, and she looks like she’s enjoying the music. Andrew is also looking fine in his tux. As the soloist continues, sinister music starts to play under it, and we see a shadowy figure in a long black coat watching Bridget from the back of the auditorium. It is, in fact, a rather cliché shot: he’s standing by a staircase, and Bridget gradually becomes aware of his eyes on her. She slowly turns around, becoming alarmed when she sees him. When we zoom in a little closer on the mysterious figure’s face, he doesn’t seem all that sinister, but he is rather fixated on Bridget.

After the show is over, Bridget and Andrew are walking arm-in-arm through the crowd of wealthy socialite types. Andrew comments that it’s been years since she’s worn that red dress, and that it looks perfect on her. Bridget smiles. It is a lovely dress, and of course SMG makes it even more lovely. Andrew asks if he can get her a glass of champagne. Bridget tries not to be too awkward as she asks for water instead, since she has a headache. Good move, Bridget.

Andrew departs, and Bridget sees the mysterious man from earlier staring up at her from the staircase. She frowns and starts in the opposite direction, but the man follows her. He’s played by Kristoffer Polaha, by the way. You might know him from Life Unexpected or some other recent stuff. I know him from an episode of Dollhouse, or as the huge creep Billy in that one episode of Angel.

Bridget has fled to an out of the way corner of the museum, which is of course the perfect place for the man to meet up with her. She looks behind herself. When she turns around, the man is right there — and she barely has time to gasp before he’s pulled her to himself and started kissing her. Anyone surprised?

I have to admit, I'm distracted by how pretty her little red clutch purse is.

After the commercial break, Bridge finally manages to extricate herself from the guy and demands to know what the hell he’s doing. “I just wanted to show you how much I missed you,” he says with a smile and a slight Southern accent. “Gemma said you were going to be here tonight.”

Bridget looks shocked. “Henry?”

“Relax,” Henry says, for indeed it is he. “Andrew can’t see us.”

“This is too much,” Bridget murmurs, but Henry says that what’s too much is that he hasn’t seen her in a week. He doesn’t mind that she went to the Hamptons for a while, but then when he went to her hotel, she “just stared at him from the balcony like a crazy person, and now this.”

Bridget tells him that she can’t do this and starts to walk away, but Henry grabs her arm and says she can’t go until she tells him what’s going on. What a first-class jerk. So far, I see nothing redeemable about this character. I’m sure that more will be revealed as the show continues, but ugh. Bridget says that Andrew is waiting for her, but Henry doesn’t care and doesn’t think she should care either. When she insists, Henry says fine and to meet him at the hotel on Thursday at noon, when the nanny will have his kids. Really, the guy is a prize.

When Bridget tries to say she might be late with the traffic from the new apartment, Henry frowns and points out that the apartment is two minutes from the particular hotel that he names. He says ‘Siobhan’ is making him nervous. “Hey,” he says gently, “I want to see you.”

Bridget finally tries for a smile and says, “Okay. I’ll meet you there.” Henry smiles and tells her that nothing has changed on his end. Wellll, a few things have changed on Siobhan’s end, dude. Sorry.

Back at the Martins’ apartment or suite or whatever the heck you call it, Bridget is trying to undo the hook on the back of her gorgeous red dress, but has trouble and asks Andrew for his help. He helps, but then walks away quickly. Bridget frowns and asks him if everything is okay. He says it’s fine.

They're both so pretty - can't they get along?

“I thought–” Bridget starts, and Andrew asks tiredly what she thought. “I don’t know,” Bridget says, “that we were– cool?”

“Cool?” Andrew scoffs. “What are we, twelve? Of course we’re not ‘cool’.”

Bridget points out that he seemed so happy at the gala, and Andrew says it was an act. “This is your game, Siobhan. I’m just playing by the rules.”

“What if I don’t want to play games anymore?” Bridget asks. “Why can’t we just be nice to each other, for real?”

Looking at her in confusion, Andrew asks, “Who are you?” Bridget tries not to look too alarmed as she asks him what he means. “You’re just so … different. Relaxed, and agreeable, and…”

“And you don’t like it?” Bridget wonders.

“No, I love it!” Andrew answers, with a heartbreaking smile that vanishes quickly. “I just don’t believe it.” Then he walks out of the room, leaving Bridget looking lost. I’m glad Andrew noticed differences. Also, the chemistry between him and his not-really-wife is crackling.

As Bridget takes off her jewelry and puts it away later on, she pulls out a photo from the jewelry box. She looks absolutely devastated when she sees her sister holding an adorable little blonde boy. On the back, it’s labeled “Siobhan and Sean, 2005.” So who was Sean? Siobhan’s kid — or Bridget’s? As she tries not to cry, Bridget repeats her “Mistakes aren’t tragedies” mantra, and then we’re in Brooklyn at a meeting. At first I assumed this was a flashback to when Bridget was first getting sober, but after a second viewing I figured out that no, Bridget just found an NA meeting near her. I guess that’s good.