This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The quick take on The CW's new drama "Ringer" (Tuesday, 8 p.m., CW/Ch. 30) is ...
• Great to have Sarah Michelle Gellar back in a TV series.
• Unfortunately, she's back in "Ringer." Which is far from great..
Gellar, who built a cult-hit legion of fans starring in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" from 1997-2003, plays a pair of twins in this mystery/thriller that's confusing and not particularly thrilling.
Bridget Kelly is a recovering addict who's under FBI protection in Wyoming after witnessing a murder. She panics before testifying and runs off to New York to see her estranged twin, Siobhan.
Siobhan appears to have a great life - handsome husband (Ioan Gruffudd), tons of money, great homes. But there's more than meets the eye, and Bridget turns out not to be the only twin in trouble.
The sisters take a ride in Siobhan's boat. And when Siobhan disappears (huh?), Bridget decides to assume her identity. Which is not the joyride she thought it might be, because Siobhan's marriage is in shambles - maybe because she's not a faithful wife - she doesn't get along with her stepdaughter.
Oh, and there's an FBI agent (Nestor Carbonell) hunting for Bridget.
Maybe "Ringer" is headed somewhere, but the pilot is sort of a muddled, uninteresting mess. And, as much as it pains me to say it, Gellar's performance doesn't seem to distinguish much between Bridget and Siobhahn. Or Bridget pretending to be Siobhan.
I'm thinking - hoping - it has more to do with the material than it does with Gellar.
Whatever the reason, "Ringer" isn't good enough for Gellar. More importantly, it's not good enough for viewers.