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'Cashmere Mafia': Because the suburbs are alcohol free
I can admit it, I'm not the target audience for Cashmere Mafia. Maybe that's why I don't quite understand the show, its characters, or their predicaments. Let's take a close look the plots tonight and exactly where I can't possibly fathom what takes place. Maybe you'll be able to point out to me exactly where the sanity that I can't find actually lies.
First up tonight, Juliet's storyline. How is it that Davis doesn't understand why he's been booted out of his "happy" home? So far he's cheated on his wife repeatedly, lied about stopping cheating on her, and then hid the fact that his hedge fund was going broke and that he was going to take his family down with the company. Those actions are completely the actions of someone who wants to stay with their spouse.
Sure, his wanting to move to Westchester in order to stop his teenage daughter from drinking and smoking pot and to help prop up his floundering bank account and marriage could work. He lives in Bizarro World, right? I assume he must if he actually believed that such a nonsensical plan had a snowball's chance in Hell of succeeding. Most of the reasons why it wouldn't work are obvious and I'll not delve into those, but in case the last one isn't – high school kids in Westchester (and I here I speak from first hand experience) do in fact have access to alcohol (not that I partook, but it was there if I wanted it).
To be fair, that's all her husband that I didn't understand. Her reluctance to call a divorce attorney though was all her. Yes, she grudgingly started down the road, but I can't imagine why she would want to stay with her slime-ball of a husband. I get that she wouldn't want to send her kid to boarding school, the daughter seems nice enough, and boarding school is for problem kids, but that was completely overshadowed by her reluctance to take Davis to the cleaners. Thank goodness she may finally have seen the light on that score.
Moving on, why would Zoe tell this man, Nicholas, whom she works with via videoconferencing, he is referred to as the "work husband" among Zoe's friends? Wasn't it just a couple of episodes ago that she yelled at Eric, her actual husband, for daring to want to redesign the kitchen of someone who had a crush on him? She wasn't necessarily wrong about that, that's something I figure has to be decided on a couple by couple basis, but she can't get angry about that and then flirt with Nicholas. And, she was flirting with Nicholas.
Zoe was even dumb enough to broach the subject, without getting angry, about whether or not Nicholas had engineered for them to be in the same hotel for the night (her anniversary). I'm of a mind that such things aren't brought up. Especially sitting in the same hotel room with the colleague in question on your tenth anniversary. Zoe had the good sense to leave, but I don't believe Nicholas's protestations that it was the client and not him that sent them out to South Hampton. Plus, the fact that there's "a rumor" that he'll soon be back in New York permanently meant the storyline isn't over.
I'd get started on Caitlin, who is not quite sure of her sexual orientation, having her current girlfriend, Alicia, inform Caitlin about her pregnancy, but I can't really even fathom how to begin that discussion. The real question that has to be answered in that storyline is if Alicia did this after starting to date Caitlin or before. If it was before I think it's completely excusable, if it was after, well, maybe not.
Sam, the somewhat famous, name-dropping, playwright going after Caitlin I do understand, and I even understand her liking Alicia, but I absolutely would have gone to the party for Tom Stoppard hosted by Diane and Mike with Sam. What I wouldn't have done is smooch with the playwright just outside of the restaurant where the playwright's producer and Alicia were eating dinner. It just seemed like tempting fate. As it turned out she'd already been seen by Alicia, but it was still asking for trouble.
Then there's Mia. Mia I understand best of all, but that's quite possibly because she is the most clichéd. Not being able to get over the "one who got away," having a family that desperately wants her to date someone from of her own ethnicity, and having an overbearing boss. (I don't necessarily have those things, but I totally understand them) are well-used storytelling tropes. Then, tonight, she fell for an incredibly younger man, who just happened to be a nanny (or "manny" if you prefer). That too is a cliché (and it is if it happens with a guy or girl dating a much younger person). Her feeling totally better and more calm after having sex with the half her age manny is also a cliché. I don't approve of clichés, but I understand them (perhaps because I've seen them so many times before).
A quote and a question:
- Caitlin's remark about Mia's brain surgeon - "Maybe he's a cunning linguist," was a great line. I totally loved it the first time I heard it in Tomorrow Never Dies when Moneypenny said it to James when he was sleeping with the Danish woman.
- So, is it me? Does this just not speak to me because I'm a man, or does it not work for others too?
What is me, definitely, is everything that's written over at The TV and Film Guy's Reviews.
Well I loved episodes 2 and 3, but since then I think the show seems to be working to alienate viewers (and I'm their target audience!). Totally agree with your comments on all the characters especially Zoe and Caitlin, my favorite in general, but they pissed me off this week.
In defense of ABC I think the Alicia pregnancy was only written in because Lourdes Benedicto is pregnant in real life.
Nikki | Feb 7, 2008 3:45:00 AM | #I love this show, totally hooked. Okay, so it's not Shakespeare. Duh. BTW, why are guys writing these reviews? Double duh...
I'd watch Mirando Otto in anything. Love Lucy and Frances. Somerville, um, ewww.
Give the show some time.
Jane | Feb 7, 2008 11:27:41 AM | #Jane, I am not a guy :)
Josh was just filling in for me this week. I'll be back next Wednesday....
I don't get why such a smart decisive woman (Juliet)can be so weak when it comes to her husband - I LOVE her - I LOVE when she threatened her affair - I wanted her to go through with it - but, the reality is that while we don't get it, that is because we are not as good as she is. Her family/daughter comes first.
Michelle | Feb 7, 2008 1:25:43 PM | #Josh,
Alicia's 3 months pregnant and they've been dating for only one month so I also think it's excusable that she didn't tell Caitlin sooner. I don't think that's something you just blurt out during the first few dates! Besides, some women wait until after the first trimester to even tell family and friends. Love poundage...lol! The actress was totally showing!
Now maybe you can answer me this: when did Mia have sex with the manny? They got caught making out and Mia ran after Zoe to apologize. Are we to assume that she went back to the manny afterwards? I didn't get that impression...
J | Feb 7, 2008 1:31:01 PM | #Why can't a guy write a recap of the episode? Where is that written? Is the male point of view just completely and totally irrelevant? If you prick me, do I not bleed?
Josh Lasser | Feb 7, 2008 2:14:02 PM | #No offence Josh but one reason a guy can't write a recap of this show is because you totally didn't mention any of the outrageous clothes or over the top jewelry. Like Juliet's blue dress with a cape attached and a skirt that fanned out like a parachute every time she moved or the massive inca necklace she wore with it. Or Mia making me laugh out loud by announcing she fancied walking home in those impossibly high toe crunching pumps of hers and that gold suit with the weird jacket. Not to mention the orange cape she had on for the meeting in the park which totally overwhelmed her.
Neither did you mention that Mia and the surgeon (whose name I can never remember) kept having rather chaste kisses but when Mia and the manny were snogging her red lipstick was all over her face which is a first for TV I think. Women are always so perfectly made up even after a make out session. As for going for the younger guy in the first place - he called her 'awesome'! Now that's happened to me and I can hardly describe the feeling of how good that makes you feel to have any guy say that to you and mean it. Forget the dinners and flowers, one really great compliment works for most women!
I'm glad that Zoe and her husband got together in the end - I really don't want the writers to split them up in favour of a cliched storyline.
As for Juliette - maybe it's something with high powered women being told that we really can't have it all, at least in the eyes of TV writers. Isn't this almost the same storyline that Sarah Walker from Brothers and Sisters has? Being blindsided by a husband at the divorce lawyers?
Lourdes Benedicto is so much more than three months pregnant - how daft do these people think we are or do the actresses not mention their pregnancy until the last possible minute?
I loved that Juliette wanted to pull strings to get her daughter into public school - talk about being out of the loop of the real world!
I caught this show last night after skipping the last few. Yeah, I still hate it. One character I do like is Zoe. She is the only one of the four who is sympathetic. I'm glad she didn't try anything with her office husband. I can't stand Juliet, nothing about her seems real. Mia is frustrating. She keeps doing one thing then going off in a completely different direction. I thought she liked her surgeon, didn't she? Don't get me started on Caitlin. Nothing there makes sense. If I decided to dabble with a same sex relationship, you can bet it would be over in a flash if she told me she was pregnant! I did think she looked great with Sam. They should dump her bi storyline, it's totally unbelievable.
Anne | Feb 7, 2008 3:38:33 PM | #This show has some potential, but it's bogged down by some awful plot lines. I actually think one reason for its terrible ratings is because people thought that it was a "gay" show. If you remember all the promos for it, the commercials prominently featured Caitlin's kiss with Alicia. If this was a show for guys, that would have been a ratings booster, but not on a show for women. Now they seem to be pushing that storyline aside, but it is probably too late. I don't see how this gets renewed. They should have just had a show revolving around Zoe.
Maggie | Feb 7, 2008 4:13:28 PM | #I tried to like this show. But, I just don't think it's in the cards for me. I leave it to those of you who find it fun to watch.
Jen | Feb 8, 2008 2:58:45 PM | #I disagree with most of the comments and review and actually love this show. I find Davis and Juliet mostly infuriating but aside from them I like the characters and the storylines I find believable in that people do stupid things all the time, we don't always think through everything.
And this show is so much more interesting than Lipstick Jungle. I actally look forward to this show, and was bored through LJ.
I disagree with most of the comments and review and actually love this show. I find Davis and Juliet mostly infuriating but aside from them I like the characters and the storylines I find believable in that people do stupid things all the time, we don't always think through everything.
And this show is so much more interesting than Lipstick Jungle. I actally look forward to this show, and was bored through LJ.
Solly, your review was great btw, I love the show, its not meant to be brain surgery and I'm okay with that, the whole bi- thing with pregnancy is a little off and I hope they fix that, but other than that I always enjoy the show.
GG | Feb 14, 2008 3:31:27 PM | #Solly, your review was great btw, I love the show, its not meant to be brain surgery and I'm okay with that, the whole bi- thing with pregnancy is a little off and I hope they fix that, but other than that I always enjoy the show.
GG | Feb 14, 2008 3:31:39 PM | #I love the show. I can totally relate to it. I think it speaks to many different type of women in today's society. I especially like the fact that there is a gay storyline, not all women are straight. It is funny and charming.
Becky | Feb 16, 2008 5:18:36 PM | #I love the show too. I find that the 4 distinct personalities are fun to watch. This is not usually the type of show I watch, but I think that it is great.
Juliet is awesome because of how she takes care of herself against her husband’s attacks. And she refuses to allow her kid to go to boarding school. Who said that woman can't be successful and great moms.
Zoe is great; alright she flirted with work husband. I can forgive that; she can't be perfect six episodes one mistake.
Mia finally decided to give back the ring and move on to man that can love her even if she is more successful. Thank GOD. How many women out there hold back for men?
Caitlin, I am a lesbian, and yes lesbian relationships are that complex. They really really are. I like the story line because in the beginning it was sweet, nice, and innocent. A lot of women fluctuate between men and women especially when they come out later in life. That is extremely believable.
All in all it’s my new favorite show.
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