PILOT REVIEW: Mistresses

MISTRESSES

Starring: Alyssa Milano, Yunjin Kim, Rochelle Aytes, Jes McCallan, Brett Tucker, Jason George, Erik Stocklin

Developed for American television by KJ Steinberg
Teleplay by KJ Steinberg, Directed by Cherie Nowlan

Mistresses is a soap opera based on a British series of the same name. The show centers on four female friends (Alyssa Milano, Yunjin Kim, Rochelle Aytes, and Jes McCallan) involved in extramarital and scandalous affairs. All the women are at varying levels of success and happiness in their own lives but have each other to cry to and share secrets with. Rounding out the main cast are three men in their lives (Brett Tucker, Jason George, and Erik Stocklin).

THE GOOD: There are some good performances here. I like Alyssa Milano in pretty much anything back to Who's the Boss? and she is solid again here. The show is actually less steamy than it may have led you to believe (more on that later). The storylines are interesting for the most part, particularly Yunjin Kim's potential affair with the son of her former and now dead lover (which was also an affair). That storyline has the most intrigue and mystery and potential danger in my eyes.

THE BAD: This show's promos were actually pretty misleading. The pilot was bookended with some very steamy scenes but in-between it was a soapy melodrama and that appears to be more of what it's going to be. The truth is that while there are decent performances, there's not enough to save it from being just another ABC soap. In recent years, we have seen soaps turned on their heads by adding in revenge elements (Revenge) or political elements (Scandal) but this just doesn't bring anything new to the table. Maybe the hook is the adultery? But that happens pretty much every week on Scandal anyway and that show is a lot more involved. It's all gloss and no substance in this show.


BOTTOM LINE: While not my cup of tea at all, I can see why this is a summer show on ABC because it fits the network's brand and the feel of a summer show quite well. The problem is that there just isn't much to it yet it seems like it wants to be taken seriously. It might have been better if it had simply been a steamy show or a more carefully constructed relationship drama but instead it's a slightly awkward hybrid. And Alyssa Milano still needs to find a show with more substance.