I'll admit it, I am a HUGE Sarah Michelle Gellar fan... mostly because I am, was, and always will be a HUGE Buffy fan. So, when I saw that Ms. SMG was returning to the small screen, I was both excited and optimistic.
Well, imagine my chagrin when the first episode of The Ringer was widely panned by reviewers before I'd even had a chance to see it! Oh, the nightmare! Nonetheless, I determined to give it a shot. So, filled with hesitation, I summoned up The Ringer on my PVR and prepared to be disappointed... ha!
I've often said that low expectations are the key to enjoyment but I really think that I would have liked The Ringer regardless. At first glance, the show seems well cast, with an intriguing story line. The writing may be a bit mediocre but c'mon - it's only the pilot! Watching the 40 minute episode, I kept thinking to myself, what on earth are they all complaining about?
I feel like the show's greatest challenge, and Sarah Michelle Gellar's challenge even 8 years after Buffy, is that her fans will always see her as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Any other role and we are all saying to ourselves, "Why is Buffy Summers in this movie? Shouldn't she be in Sunnydale saving the world?" And unconsciously, we become unnecessarily critical about any work SMG does. But let's face facts - Buffy is over (I refuse to acknowledge the remake) and Sarah Michelle Gellar actually does deserve our attention. Don't believe me? Rent Veronika Decides to Die and get back to me.
Perhaps equally challenging is that the show stars Sarah Michelle Gellar as two characters, twin sisters no less - a cinematic trick that hasn't really been believable since 1961's The Parent Trap. I wish there was a way around this but short of finding actual twins who can both act, we are stuck with this dual-role dilemma. In the end, though, I think the storyline will justify our frustration.
Of course, we are only a week in and pilot episodes are rarely indicative of a show's real potential. Only time will tell where this show will go. In the meantime, I can only hope that the CW (and the overzealous Buffy fans - myself included) will give the show the chance to succeed.
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