'Dirty Sexy Money': A very sexy season premiere
Oct 2, 2008, 01:37 PM | by Michael Slezak
Categories: 'Dirty Sexy Money', About Last Night, Fa-fa-fa-fa-fashion, Television
First of all, can we discuss Karen Darling's (Natalie Zea) dress at Nick's birthday party? Yeah, I know Simon Elder was all like "my new fuel can solve the energy crisis," but the greater scientific achievement was how that hella deep neckline plunge did not result in a wardrobe malfunction. No wonder all time and sound and breathing seemed to stop when she and Nick (Peter Krause) swept past each other with that meaningful glance. Sure, he'd seen her in her birthday suit (that + grappa = very thoughtful gift) earlier in the day in his office, yet somehow that the sight of her in that dress was significantly more scandalous.
Yet as much as I love love love Karen Darling -- I can almost hear her responding with a curt "Wow. Thank you. I think you're really neat, too." -- does anyone else find it totally obscene that she and her father have devised a corporate espionage scheme against Mr. Elder that involves her having sex with the guy? (Perhaps she's Tripp's favorite because, like him, she'll do anything to help the family business.) That final confrontation between Karen and Simon -- the one where he kept referencing her "Daddy" -- made me shudder a little, although I appreciate the fact that the writers remain staunchly ambiguous as to whether Karen's feelings for Simon are, in fact, real (see: returned vial of fuel) or if her character is a terrific actress with ice running through her veins (see: stolen crystal swan). And I was glad to see that crystal swan incident meant Simon doesn't quite have the emotional and intellectual advantage he thinks he does. Team Karen!
Yes, my "Team Karen!" t-shirt even applies when it comes to the darlingest Darling trying to wreck Nick's marriage. Yet while I grow tired of hearing Lisa grumble about the tug-of-war for Nick's soul, I don't think she deserved such an outpouring of indignation after he caught her smooching Jeremy on the sidewalk (although seeing him punch Jeremy's lights out in front of Tripp, then shrug it off like he'd just dropped a legal brief on the floor, was hilarious). I mean, how many times does a woman need to be stood up by her husband before she gets sloppy drunk and does something rash? You could argue that the "will Nick choose his own family or the Darling family?" conundrum is the very heart of Dirty Sexy Money, but it bores me to tears when Nick and Lisa debate it in the confines of their cozy (but decidedly unglamorous) abode.
Oh, speaking of sloppy drunk wives…goodbye Ellen (Bellamy Young). I had a sneaking suspicion the wronged political wife was on her way out (permanently) when she began the season turned up to 10 on the plastered/angry-o-meter. Where else could she go but down? Down to the bathroom floor, apparently, exiting the series not with a bang, but a tile-enhanced thud. How harsh was that scene with Clark opening the trunk, revealing the tip of Ellen's stocking-clad foot? Well, about as harsh as Tripp's comparison of his daughter-in-law's death to the lives lost while building the Brooklyn Bridge. I just hope the body count for Patrick's Senatorial aspirations doesn't also include the fabulous Carmelita (Candis Cayne); the show needs her (and her husky voice) back -- stat!
With so much drama packed into just an hour, you knew some characters were going to have to be shunted aside, and in this case, Letitia, Jeremy, and Lucy Liu's mystery lady (not to mention Nick and Lisa's perpetually absent daughter Kiki) paid the price. Still, Letitia's final act arrest means Jill Clayburgh will hopefully (finally) have something interesting to do (aside from clutching a rocks glass) next week, Brian's response to Tripp's request that he have a sit-down chat with his frequently intoxicated sister-in-law (“Why? You need me to get her recipe for Long Island Iced Tea?”) was my fave zinger of the episode, and Liu's limousine sex scene was, um, pretty racy for ABC, no?
What did you think of the season premiere? Is it time for the show to wrap the mystery of Dutch's murder and move onto another scandal? Do you think Karen is really falling for Simon? And will (or should) Nick and Lisa's marriage survive?
More on 'Dirty Sexy Money':
Behind-the-Scenes Photos from the 'Dirty Sexy Money' set taken by series star Glenn Fitzgerald
Behind-the-Scenes Video with Peter Krause, Natalie Zea, and Blair Underwood
The season 1 'Dirty Sexy Money' finale recap
Comments