Reviews of Ringer

The reviews of the new TV series Ringer were moderately good to bad. I watched it and agree with the negative ones:

Television review:  'Ringer'

Sarah Michelle Gellar returns to TV in the CW's twin-themed thriller.

By Mary McNamaraThe return of beloved "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" star Sarah Michelle Gellar to television has sparked the sort of twitchy fan-ticipation previously reserved for a "Sex and the City" movie. But three minutes into "Ringer," it's easy to see why CBS passed the twin-themed thriller on to its kid sister, the CW. Skidding through twists and turns aplenty, the intentionally soapy plot generates a lot of fun froth, but Gellar has a hard time playing one troubled and complicated woman, much less two.Sarah Michelle Gellar in ‘Ringer’:  What the reviews say

By Sarah Anne HughesThe Post’s Hank Stuever wrote that despite the promising premise, “‘Ringer’ quickly downgrades itself to a fairly ho-hum night soap.”

“‘Ringer’ ... makes the calculated error of hurrying through most of its better plot twists in this first episode,” he wrote. “Further episodes now seem like a tedious and even redundant prospect.”

Hitfix writer Alan Sepinwall calls the show “stiff and dull, the characters (including both twins) thin, the situations laughable—even though it isn't trying to be campy fun.”

And AOL’s Maureen Ryan says: “Without the kind of sprightly, witty dialogue that 'Buffy' fans will recall from that show, Gellar's performances as Bridget and Siobhan seem a little wan, quite frankly.”'Ringer' Review:  Will 'Buffy Fans Be Happy?

By John KubicekMy love of Gellar (and Polaha and co-star Nestor Carbonell) is enough to endorse Ringer, but part of me wishes the show was better. The writing is a tad convoluted and the show, as a whole, feels half-baked. The acting and production design are rough and unimpressive, especially compared to the things cable shows are doing. Then there's the basic premise itself, which is so preposterous that viewers will have to try extra hard to suspend their disbelief. How can anyone not realize that this woman is not really Siobhan?Comment:  I found it witless, charmless, and soulless. I won't be watching to see if Ringer makes Bodaway Macawi, the evil Indian, a three-dimension character over time. I would bet a "double nickel" on the chances of that happening.

For more on the subject, see Murdering Indian in Ringer and TV Shows Featuring Indians.