'Dirty Sexy Money': Rage against the dying of the light

I sat down to watch this week's Dirty Sexy Money all prepared to lament the downfall of basically every character in the bunch -- how they're all  cynical, selfish, twisted, irredeemable and without honor. And then they all seemed to turn around and sprout consciences. Black may be white, up may be down, cats and dogs may be living together, but it definitely made for some interesting viewing tonight.

Shared custody of spoilers ahead...

Trouble finds the Darling family like a moth finds a flame -- and on this week's Dirty Sexy Money, the main source of trouble is hell-bent on revenge. And nothing short of that will do.

Wedding bells are ringing on Dirty Sexy Money this week. It's Karen's date with destiny, er, Simon Elder, and it's slated to happen at The Imperial, a.k.a. the Darling manse. Talking with Nick, Tripp blames himself -- despite the fact that spying on Simon Elder was Karen's idea -- for letting her "wander into that den of iniquity." Oh brother. Ladies and gentlemen, we have entered the latest episode of Sutherland Overacting.

While Dirty Sexy Money has been handling the "dirty" and the "money" part just fine, the "sexy" part has been lagging a little. Nick's been up on his high marital horse, Jeremy and Nola have been way too gooey, and Tripp has constantly stood by his unfaithful bride. Tonight, DSM finally dove into the deep end of incestuous waters. Everyone was swapping partners to and fro, sneaking dirty little kisses, having torrid sex, and coveting thy neighbor's wife. This is more like it.

Things have started to go a little haywire on Dirty Sexy Money. Everyone's manipulating everyone. Everyone's lying to everyone. Everyone thinks they can pull something over on someone else. Everyone is causing each other pain, and everyone is vowing to get even. It's like Peyton Place, but richer, meaner, and, well, dirtier.

Say this for Dirty Sexy Money: It's topical. This week, we had an election (and a ton of people running around wearing the "I Voted" stickers -- not exactly Obama v. McCain, but a nice touch), a mention of energy alternatives, a corporate takeover scheme and a guy who's lost his job and whose house was foreclosed on. There was also legal malfeasance, spousal betrayal, celebrity worship, and a runaway kid caught between fighting parents. So it wasn't exactly ripped from the headlines, but it wasn't too far off.

Tonight on Dirty Sexy Money, it seems as though everyone's wrestling with the truth and dealing with some kind of abandonment issues, or some kind of insecurity brought on by family (i.e., parental) trouble. Except Tripp, whose main problem always seems to be controlling his Machiavelli complex. Which, incidentally, he does incredibly well. He's like Don Corleone, only better dressed.

In the world of the Darlings and Dirty Sexy Money, no one's your friend and no one's your enemy -- they're just various combinations of both, and the end result is rarely what you expect. Which is exactly what makes it tiring to watch sometimes. Its charm lies in how it revels in the twisty-turny storytelling, and in watching genuinely pretty people do genuinely unpleasant things.

It's great to be back in the deliciously privileged, glossy, nasty, ne'er-do-well world of the Darlings and Dirty Sexy Money. And in typical DSM style, we jump right back into a scene whose roots we have to backtrack to understand. And it's on a yacht -- a grand birthday party thrown for Nick by his patron/real family.

Nothing is what it seems -- and honesty doesn't necessarily make you happy. That was the message I took away from tonight's Dirty Sexy Money -- and I'm pretty sure I got it right because they beat me over the head with it like Oliver Stone. More »