RINGER Recap: ‘She’s Ruining Everything’

The second episode of RINGER has arrived, and I have to be honest GMMRers (Should I call you RINGERs? This just sounds odd), my enthusiasm for the show dipped this week.

I still like the plot, but I can’t get over some major plot holes that are developing. For instance, riddle me this: How can a woman so tiny (remember they could not stop emphasizing this last week) move a dead body?

Yeah, I don’t think so.

But the major issue I’m having is that I have no sympathy for any of these characters. Bridget’s kind of dumb, as is Malcolm, Siobhan is uptight (not to mention, possibly trying to kill her sister), Andrew is naïve and a bit controlling, Henry is a liar, Gemma is whiny and Juliet is spoiled. The only character I have remotely any interest in is Victor; while he may not be Mr. Sunshine (and not the sharpest tool in the shed) , I sympathize with him because he’s just trying to do the right thing — and all these damned people are making it so difficult for him. Have I turned into a stone-cold, Siobhan-esque bitch? I would like to think not. Instead, I think the show needs to give us more of a backstory on these characters — especially Bridget — for me to like them more.

And no, I don’t want to see any more flashbacks that keep emphasizing what a drunken failure Bridget was. I want something else that gives me some idea of who she is because, quite frankly, she is ruining everything.

The episode begins where the first left off. Bridget is in the loft, just having killed the intruder who was apparently looking for Siobhan. She calls Malcolm and leaves him a message, telling him what has happened. But she then comes to the conclusion that leaving somebody a voicemail revealing you’re a killer probably isn’t the smartest move, so she erases the message.

Of course, Bridget then hears somebody trying to get in the loft, so she puts a tarp over the dead body. Gemma comes in and sees the damage Bridget and the intruder have made. Thinking that it’s the contractor’s fault, she says she will have to hire a new contractor — delaying the construction and giving Bridget a few days to deal with the body (or so we think).

Gemma tells Bridget that she confronted Henry’s nanny, whom she believes he is having an affair with, only to find out the nanny plays for the other team. Gemma still has no idea that Henry and Siobhan were having an affair, so Bridget’s in the clear for now.

Bridget goes home and goes through Siobhan’s things, grabbing what she can (gun, credit cards, scarves?) and putting it in a bag. Andrew comes in and tells her that he and Juliet got into another fight, and he doesn’t know where she is because she won’t answer her texts. For someone who supposedly loves his daughter so much, really Andrew? Texts?

The next morning, Bridget leaves to go to the loft when she runs into Juliet coming home. Juliet is hungover and knocks over a vase as she’s talking to Bridget. Flashback time! It’s nine years earlier in Lake Tahoe, Nev., and Bridget has just drunkenly knocked over a beer bottle in a bar. Because no one offers to give her a ride home, she has to call Siobhan to come get her because Siobhan is apparently the only person who cares about her (still no sympathy from me).

We next see Andrew in his office, where we’re introduced to his business partner, Olivia. I immediately dislike her because I just associate her with Lila from DEXTER, but I’ll give her a chance. Okay, not really because she will always be Lila to me. Anyway, Olivia and Andrew are discussing a cocktail party they are planning along with Siobhan, whom Olivia is kind enough to let pick out the napkins.

Bridget goes back to the loft to get rid of the body. She’s in a bit of a pickle as to what to do with the intruder when she sees a saw left by the contractor. These DEXTER references just keep coming. But no, Bridget does not have a Dark Passenger, and she abandons the idea when her phone starts to ring. It’s Malcolm, and Bridget tells him what she has done. He tells her to call the cops, but she can’t do that because she’s a fugitive. She also can’t go to them as Siobhan because they can just trace the gun back to Bridget. He tells her to leave and meet him somewhere, which she eventually agrees to.

Bridget is about to leave the loft when someone knocks on the door. It’s Victor, who sees her shadow under the door, so she has no way of avoiding him. She quickly gets out of the loft and locks it, denying his request to use the bathroom (those cops and their coffee!). Of course, he really just wants to talk to her, but she leaves, saying she has to go to a doctor’s appointment.

Victor gets one of his work underlings to pull a file on Andrew and Siobhan, and aside from the fact that Siobhan’s favorite movie is THE NOTEBOOK, it’s not too interesting — except there is information about the murderer Bridget is running away from? I’m not too clear on this. Victor doesn’t trust “Siobhan,” and he suspects that there’s something in the loft she and Andrew are hiding.

Gemma confronts Henry about an affair. He vehemently denies it, convincingly avoiding any of Dwight Schrute’s signs that he’s lying (avoiding eye contact, perspiration, covering his face). Well done, Henry! But then Gemma pulls out a hotel key the dry cleaners found in Henry’s suit. Not so well done, Henry.

Bridget, preparing to leave, goes to the bank to withdraw money from Siobhan’s account. While Siobhan didn’t have much in her checking account, she did have an emergency bank account that Bridget closes. Bridget leaves with the cash, and as she is on her way to the airport, Andrew calls. A pipe has burst in the building where the cocktail party is being held, so he wants to move it to the loft. Andrew has already told the landlord to let the event planner in, so Bridget has to put her plans on hold as she goes to get rid of the body.

She gets to the loft, and after convincing the event planner and workers to take a break, she puts the body (which has been put off to the side apparently without anybody noticing it’s a body) in a decorative trunk. How, I ask? How?!

Bridget is again about the leave to meet with Malcolm when she runs into Juliet. Juliet’s on her way out for a night on the town, but Bridget tries to convince her to take it easy and lets her know that Juliet doesn’t have to be this person. Juliet doesn’t believe Bridget’s sincere concern, so she leaves.

Bridget goes to the cocktail party to make sure no one sees the body. (Side note: The loft looks pretty awesome.) Gemma is getting drunk and telling Bridget that she wouldn’t trust Olivia with her husband (of course, Gemma pretty much can’t trust anyone with her husband). Bridget goes into a different room to get some air or something, and Henry follows her. He wants to know what he did wrong, but Bridget has to leave him when she sees blood leaking from the trunk. As she’s trying to unassumingly clean it up, Victor interrupts her and asks if they can talk. Aside from some boring architectural history, they don’t get too far before Gemma starts fighting with someone and Bridget tells him to leave.

As Andrew is giving some big speech before everyone, a phone starts to ring. How dare he be interrupted! Everyone wants to know where the ringing is coming from, when someone somehow figures out that it’s coming from the trunk. Bridget says she will figure it out, and she’s able to get the phone off without anyone seeing the body (except, it seems, for that random guy lurking in the background). He gives Bridget a creepy stare before joining everyone for Andrew’s speech.

We don’t get to see Andrew’s speech (damn!), but we do get to see Olivia telling Bridget that getting pregnant was a “nice move” in order to hold on to Andrew. What a nice lady. Gemma comes up to Bridget and apologizes for making a scene. Bridget suggests that Gemma leave Henry, but Gemma just can’t because she still loves the guy (yeah, still no sympathy).

Back at home, Andrew tells Bridget that she was great at the party, and he feels for the first time in a while as though she is on his side. He adds that she doesn’t want her to go away again, but that’s too bad because Bridget gets up in the middle of the night to leave him for good. Of course, she’s stalled for the millionth time when she sees Juliet throwing up and crying in the bathroom. We see another flashback to that night at the bar, and Siobhan has arrived to get Bridget. Siobhan is fed up with Bridget and calls her selfish before giving her money for a cab. Back in present day, Bridget comforts Juliet, which Andrew sees and probably further convinces him she is on his side.

The next day, Bridget calls Malcolm to let him know she won’t be leaving after all because people need her, or Siobhan, there. I guess we’re forgetting about that whole someone’s-trying-to-murder-Siobhan situation. When Malcolm gets this message, he’s in a parking garage of the community college where he works. A SUV pulls up right behind him, with the guy who’s chasing after Bridget in it, and Malcolm just stands there. Ummm, move? Luckily, a student runs up to Malcolm to turn in a late paper.

In Paris, we see Siobhan try to get money out of her bank account, but surprise! It’s gone. Siobhan is not happy about this, and she calls someone and says, “She’s ruining everything. It has to get done — sooner rather than later.”

In the final scene, Bridget goes back to the loft to move the body, but the body’s gone.

Some observations:

– Why is no one, besides Andrew, questioning Siobhan’s sudden sincerity?

– Andrew seems to be falling back in love with “Siobhan,” but I’m curious as to why he hasn’t tried to sleep with her. This is going to have to be dealt with at some point, and it’s going to be awkward.

– I don’t think Andrew’s having an affair, but it seems this could happen at some point.

– What’s with the creepy guy? I think he probably moved the body, but how is he connected to Siobhan? Is he even connected to Siobhan?

– Do you think Siobhan was even referring to Bridget in her phone call? She could have also been referring to Gemma, Juliet or Olivia … or maybe someone else.

What did you think of RINGER? Are you still watching? Are you, like me, now more than ever excited for Jason Dohring to come on?