'Cashmere Mafia': Who Is Buying Thigh-Firming Cream? Ninjas?
New York is gorgeous when seen by limo, isn't it? Sigh. Zoe gives her husband child-care instructions, indicating the apparent absence of a new nanny. Because really, why else would a man on this show be involved in rearing his own children? Bobby booty-calls Juliet from London and tells her he'll be in town to see her soon. Mia gives good publisher at a meeting until her assistant reveals that Mia hasn't told her mother about the breakup yet. At lunch, Caitlin reveals to the ladies that both her newfound friend-of-Etheridge status and Mia's dumped-by-Jack status are on a new Gawker-lite website. They all suspect that Cilla Grey is behind the leaks.
At work, Zoe is horrified when her assistant Katherine (looking utterly fierce, I don't care what Zoe thinks) is allowed to tag along on a business trip. Caitlin's boss wants to know who the gay in her department is: she's thinking the chica in accounting with the bushy eyebrows. She also points out the zit on Caitlin's forehead as being problematic for a cosmetics executive which, thank God...I really thought it was just a dismal failure on the part of the hair and makeup staff of the show. It's a prosthetic pimple! Whew. Davis springs a surprise visit on Juliet in her office, attempting to rekindle their romance. She dismisses him after getting an updated number for Cilla, with whom she schedules a meet. Mia is furious when her men's magazine offers up a cover featuring a man being eaten by a female executive. I'm furious that she's wearing burned-out velvet lamè
Bobby surprises Juliet at the hotel she runs, telling her he hasn't been able to get her off his mind. She sets up a rendezvous with him for the following evening. Meanwhile, in Boston, Zoe, Katherine, and a male coworker woo a couple of young internet moguls. Katherine makes the sale with a combination of rate-cutting and rack-showing; later, Zoe sees her drunkenly follow the coworker into his hotel room. The next morning, Zoe offers Katherine some very prescient advice about becoming intimate with married male colleagues. It's actually quite a nice little speech about how quickly women who allow themselves to become sexualized in the workplace find themselves...without a workplace.
Caitlin rocks some Balenciaga booties and a leather skirt while walking through the park with Mia. Aww, urban hike! At lunch Mia shows the ladies the prospective cover and asks for their opinions. Juliet confides to Zoe that she's concerned that Cilla and Davis' relationship wasn't quite as meaningless as Davis made it out to be. Davis has gotten the family tickets to see "Cyrano" on Broadway, conflicting with Juliet's previously scheduled affair. She calls Bobby and tells him she just can't allow herself to be with him. Mia tells the art director of the men's magazine to kill the cover. Caitlin and Alicia go out on another date, while Zoe avoids Katherine's calls. When she finally picks up, Katherine reveals that she and Male Coworker had been lovers, and that now that she's been demoted she is seriously considering a lawsuit. Juliet, while grabbing some sleeping pills from Davis' travel kit, discovers a box of matches from a resort in Anguilla that had been their special place. Clearly he's been there more recently than she has. And you and I, faithful viewers, know who has been there with him.
Mia and her classic quilted Chanel purse and her curled? ponytail? tell the art department to run the cover, along with a very special letter from the publisher. (BTW, hair department, I let last week's faux-bangs debacle slide. That doesn't mean I didn't notice. Don't push me.) Zoe chastises Male Coworker for demoting Katherine and tells him to clean up his own mess. Or look into getting neutered. Juliet gives Cilla the terms of her truce: she'll make sure Cilla gets into the Arbergast if she shuts down the blog. Juliet then races to Bobby's hotel room and ravishes him. Yay! Oh wait, no. She makes it to second base then becomes hysterical: she can't do it. Zoe, dressed like a freaking Pilgrim, goes to soften the blow with Katherine and learns that Male Coworker has promoted her instead of firing her. At drinks, Mia shows off her editor's letter and her quartz door-knocker earrings. The letter is bad. So are the earrings. Juliet strips down to her Agent Provacateurs and tells Davis that they're even.
Next week - everyone betrays everyone with everyone!
What did you think, my darlings? Would you let Lucy Liu's stylist anywhere near your hair? Whose wardrobe would you most like to inhabit this week? (Hint: Caitlin) Aren't you a little disappointed we aren't done with the whole slutty-assistant storyline? Dish!
I want to give this show a shot, considering the climate, and more than likely, I will give this show a shot, due to the climate. But ... I've been a bit disappointed so far. I guess when the BBC has a similar show (Mistresses) that's more dramatic, more engaging, better stories ... it's just hard to really like this. I can stomach a level of clichedness (if that's a word) in these shows (such as the mid-30's woman who has had relationship problems and decides to "try" lesbianism). But ... it's just the way this show is done. It's so cliched, so overdone. I'm sure there's people like this out there ... but these characters don't seem real outside of Zoe. I think they should build a stronger storyline about a working mother succeeding. THat's something I would care more deeply about. I'm not a big Lucy Liu fan, but that character has some potential if they would let her show more "real" emotions, instead of these random outbursts (which I perfectly understand happens, but show some more tender alone moments. the closing was good. it offered a glimpse on the character and the issues she dealt with). I like Miranda Otto and Bonnie Somerville, I also like Lourdes Benedicto, but there's nothing there that really gets me into it. Sure, the Bonnie Somerville character seems like the Chandler of the show, the initial filler, but cramming that storyline ... sure I'm sure it happens, but it's just too much.
Short of it is, I want to see some more "real" moments. I can stand cheesiness and cliches, but I want to see how these people deal with troubles personally, how they react. THis show reminds me a lot of Big Shots. Like Big Shots, this is a show built on cliches and thus cheesiness will exist. Like Big Shots, I think the focus should be on the character who most reverberates (Michael Vartan's single dad thing - although his kids sure disappeared on that show). One of the better moments in Big Shots was the absolutely ridiculous fight MIchael Vartan had with the new boyfriend of his ex-wife's at the birthday party. It was good because the following scene gave us a sense of the character.
I don't want to see some overblown Hollywood-esque character (the Dylan McDermott character bugs me on Big Shots a bit although they did make it better, and the Miranda Otto character here just doesn't ring with me). From these types of shows, I want to see successful people deal with their daily problems and how it can consume them.
I fully agree. But do you see the common thread through your comments? Writing. The writers are wanting more money for their work but is their work worth it? There are very few shows on today that display any real talent at writing. Could our schools be at fault? Youngsters don't read as much as they used to. Could that be it? I think the writing of "Shark" is clever and literate. Whether or not you like the show, would you admit the writing is good?
Um ... I don't really watch Shark. Don't know if there's another Tony that posts here. I watched Shark a bit last year, more during it's early stages, when it was feeling things out. I liked it enough ... for a procedural. Just noa big fan of procedurals in general.
I think there is some good writing on TV. Maybe not full episodes, maybe not full seasons. Part of me wonders if the big 4 would be better off following cable channels and doing tight 13 episode arcs and perhaps splitting it into 2 seasons, somewhat like what they are rumored to be thinking about for 24 (the issue for 24 being, well 24 ... but I think it's a decent idea for other shows).
I think that writers are too constricted on the big 4 as well. NBC shows have shown some freedom, but NBC doesn't stick with it's shows long enough. CBS has sort of become the home of procedurals, ABC has somewhat become the home of, well, whatever these grey's/desperate/cashmere/big shots type shows are categorized.
I think one of the things is that serials lost their momentum this decade. It peaked for a bit, and then fell off. I think serials offer the ability to weave complex, but good, storylines, but the problem is, I don't think people have the patience to wait. Guess with all the options people have, they just don't have the desire for it, which is a shame.
A lot more I could say, but don't have time right now.
I want to like this show. I like all the actresses and the premise is not bad. However Miranda Otto and her pseudo-Marcia Cross impersonation is irritating me a lot! Speak normally woman! I love Frances O'Connor, but neither Lucy Liu or the newly gay girl (forgot her name - come to think of it I have trouble remember ALL the characters names!) are particularly well rounded characters yet.
I'll give it a bit longer - if it lasts - but I thought this episode was weak. It needs more wit and verve.
speaking as a writer, you have NO IDEA how impossible it is to get things past the network. believe me, we know when it's cheesy, but we have to eat. we try the best we can to sneak real moments in... some networks and studios are easier than others. but there's so many levels of approval... you have to get your work past people who have NO credentials and say the same bull**** over and over again: "she's not likable enough. where's her victory. this seems too "slice of life!" it's very frustrating. since the conglomeratization of the media, there's endless development people who basically force you to either make cookie cutter crap, or not work at all. DON'T BLAME THE WRITERS... (well, not all of them. some of them genuinely suck).