PilotWatch Update 2: RINGER

The CW's RINGER just aired its third episode last night.  I gave its pilot a two-star rating (read my review here), and then in my first Update, I said that the second episode got even worse.  I also said that I would give the show one more chance to redeem itself before I gave up entirely.  So here I am to give you a second update.

Did it get any better?
After last week's tangential sidetrack into a slapstick body-stashing adventure, I am happy to report that the third episode was much better.  Maybe that in itself isn't saying much, as it's hard to go downhill from that, but this was also definitely my favorite episode so far.

The mystery got back on track after Bridget spent an entire episode trying to hide a corpse rather than finding out who he was or who sent him.  She finally gets around to that this week, trying to trace the would-be assassin's phone and temporarily suspecting Siobhan's husband Andrew of being responsible.  In my favorite moment of the episode, a mysterious someone called the dead man's phone and demanded that she leave it on a bench and walk away.  Bridget totally surprised me here by doing exactly the opposite, keeping the phone and running away.  Way to show some gumption there, Bridge!

Another plus in this episode was that Siobhan managed to appear outside of the last thirty seconds of the episode.  We got to glimpse her a couple times, seducing a man in Paris and then freaking out and prank-calling Henry when she figures out she's pregnant with his child.

By week three, the show finally seems to be finding its footing.  It combines ridiculously soapy plot lines and outrageous costumes (seriously, Bridget could've smuggled a few small children inside that coat of hers) with some genuinely dark moments (torturing a recovering drug addict by injecting him with the drug he's trying to quit? yikes...).  The show is still struggling to overcome some of its biggest clichés like the relentless FBI agent, the pregnancy subplot and the long-haired, evil gangster.  And by far the show's biggest drag is its unforgivingly boring storyline about investments and money and icy British bankers and...sorry, dozed off for a second.  It's in the moments when the show tries to be taken seriously that it's at its worst.  The writers should just give in to the show's ridiculously soapy nature and stop apologizing for it, and then maybe it could become an addictive guilty pleasure.  As of now though, it feels like it's still treading a dangerous line of wanting to be a veryseriousdrama.

I don't think this will ever become my new favorite show, but if the writers manage to stay away from embarrassing self-importance and give in to the trash-tastic nature of its plot, while simultaneously focusing more on the premise that got us hooked (the story and relationship of the twins) and less on the more cliché storylines, I can see myself continuing to watch.  Until I see where the writers are headed, however, I'm going to continue to reserve judgment.  Maybe it's just because I wanted so much to like this show, but I remain cautiously optimistic.

Verdict:
Getting better, but still reserving judgment.

What did you think, Fellow Addicts?  Is the show looking better or worse?  Or did you just love it from Day One?  Vote in the poll below and then hit the comments!

What did you think of Episode 3 of RINGER?