Ringer

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Season 1
User Score
6.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 96 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 61 out of 96
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 96
  3. Negative: 17 out of 96
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  1. Xmas
    Dec 30, 2011
    10
    The first 10 episodes of season 1 were amazing. Ringer is brilliantly mixing different kind of formats. At first you might think it is only a Soapy Drama because of all the shocking twists and turns but quickly you will see the show has a unique touch in the television landscape with a strong visual identity thanks to dark lightings and confined sets. Its Thriller / Film Noir aspect isThe first 10 episodes of season 1 were amazing. Ringer is brilliantly mixing different kind of formats. At first you might think it is only a Soapy Drama because of all the shocking twists and turns but quickly you will see the show has a unique touch in the television landscape with a strong visual identity thanks to dark lightings and confined sets. Its Thriller / Film Noir aspect is really compelling, respecting all the different genre codes (a complex lead role with a far from brilliant past surrounded by strong and important supporting roles dealing with murder, adultery and treason, a fourth-rate cop manipulated by a femme fatale, night scenes, wet sidewalks, oversized sunglasses, trench-coats, firearms...) It is a great quality, mature series (especially for The CW) with amazing established actors such as Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Grudge, Buffy), Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four, King Arthur), Nestor Carbonell (The Dark Knight, Lost), Jaime Murray (The Deaths of Ian Stone, Dexter) and Jason Dohring (Deep Impact, Veronica Mars). I can't hardly wait for the next episodes!… Expand
  2. nbc
    Jan 8, 2012
    8
    Compelling and intriguing. The show keeps you interested in coming back each week to find out what happens. Sarah Michelle Gellar plays both characters very well.
  3. Skorfer
    Oct 13, 2011
    10
    Tal vez las actuaciones no sean las mejores, pero la serie es entretenida y atrapante, esta claro que no va a quedar en la historia pero cumple con su función con creces, entretiene y con buena calidad...
  4. Jenniferx3
    Feb 1, 2012
    10
    This show is awesome. I love the concept, and I'm always wanting more from Sarah Michelle Gellar. I think she plays her roles really well. I am a true fan of this show and hope it runs for a very long time. I also like the rest of the cast, and how each has their own problems but somehow it links to the whole story line.
  5. markk
    Sep 15, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I love the show! i cant wait for the rest of the season! i really really like Ioan Gruffudd! i think its great for him to do american television and i love his character so far. love love love Sarah Michelle Gellar (Prinze). omg so great to see that beauty come back! The show first started off a little corny and slow for me, but after the 3 commercial i was hooked. i cant wait to give the rest of the season the run down. i know it can only get better from here. with awesome producers and writers the show will pick up great. I love the shots, the scene cuts and the stylization of the filming. Adding that twist of glamor in the clothes and characters with mystery always makes me weak in the knees.… Expand
  6. s1rude
    Sep 20, 2011
    7
    All credit goes to SMG, as without her channeling of her early career peaks as Buffy and Kathryn from Cruel Intentions, this would be little more than an edgy nighttime soap. But the writers have just enough noir-ish ideas and the rest of the cast is game enough to assist Gellar's double duty into making this cool enough to follow regularly.
  7. hoops2448
    Sep 18, 2011
    7
    It's true that everyone has been talking about this show as the return of Sarah Michelle Gellar but whats more surprising is that she has returned on top form, showing off her ability to carry two different characters while making them seem completely realised and different from one another. The main draw has to be Gellar's performance as Bridget/Siobhan because when it comes to storyIt's true that everyone has been talking about this show as the return of Sarah Michelle Gellar but whats more surprising is that she has returned on top form, showing off her ability to carry two different characters while making them seem completely realised and different from one another. The main draw has to be Gellar's performance as Bridget/Siobhan because when it comes to story Ringer stumbles with too much time being devoted to the next twist and not enough time devoted to character development with the supporting cast severely lacking in personality making it hard to remember why you should care or for that matter why you should remember their names. Hopefully this soapy mystery will slow down in later episodes so that the characters can be developed fully as there is obvious room to shine for Ioan Gruffudd's Andrew and Kristoffer Polaha's Henry.… Expand
  8. Jimmouix
    Sep 21, 2011
    10
    See Sarah Michelle Gellar again is very cool ! I was waiting for this all summer long and i am not dissapointing ! The show is excellent, i already love it ! Not only because she is in but also because the story is exciting ! Can't wait to see the episodes ...!!
  9. larrybird
    Sep 28, 2011
    8
    Intriguing! I would like to know what will happen next. I hope the series will run long, with good flow and plot. Loved Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy.
  10. bluejeanqueen
    Oct 7, 2011
    10
    Great show! Acting and storyline are A+. I am left wanting to see more at the end of each episode and not wanting to wait a week to find out what happens next!
  11. 21430miguel
    Sep 15, 2011
    8
    It was good! And i see potential on it! Sarah is good! The story line is kind of soapy but if twists are added it could be something that can be addictive!! I think that all hope falls on Sarah's shoulders...! If she pulls off a great character it will kick ass!
  12. RodrigoGGLOVER
    Sep 13, 2011
    10
    This is one of the most exciting shows I have waited for... I love Sarah Michelle Gellar and I know I will LOVE this show!!! can't wait any longer!!! 7 hours left for the premiere! This will be amazing! I totally like it already.
  13. frankmars
    Sep 18, 2011
    10
    Sarah is finally back! A bit disappointed about The Lying Game stealing its thunder but Ringer soars to another level for both production and acting (and no teen trashy dramas...). Will be definitely watching it! Good luck Sarah!
  14. Gio86
    Sep 27, 2011
    0
    Its a cheesy soup opera that belongs on daytime. Gellar´s acting is very wooden and you never end up believing that she is playing two different characters(she has trouble with one). The dialogue had me laughing at times, the plot lines are unbelievable even for the most gullible of viewers. Ultimately its a show you want to like but it falls flat on just about every angle.
  15. TVCritical
    Dec 31, 2011
    0
    What was only touted as the new face of television Noir in the wake of Veronica Mars fame has only been a true disappointment this show can only muster up enough strength to be a fourth rate soap opera. This show lacks the sly smart Noir of Veronica Mars or the soapy charm of Dynasty or Twin Peaks. The worst part of this show is that it suffers from Extra Horrible Writing, TerribleWhat was only touted as the new face of television Noir in the wake of Veronica Mars fame has only been a true disappointment this show can only muster up enough strength to be a fourth rate soap opera. This show lacks the sly smart Noir of Veronica Mars or the soapy charm of Dynasty or Twin Peaks. The worst part of this show is that it suffers from Extra Horrible Writing, Terrible Casting, & Mediocre Acting.â… Expand
  16. JennetP
    Oct 5, 2011
    6
    With all respect to the critics, "Ringer" is not film noir but film de violette. A labyrinthine melodrama that celebrates improbability and demands that actors chew not only the scenery but also the props, the costumes, and a few hapless extras, "Ringer" should be unwatchable. It's somehow better than the sum of its parts, though. Is it saved by the casting of Sarah Michelle Gellar asWith all respect to the critics, "Ringer" is not film noir but film de violette. A labyrinthine melodrama that celebrates improbability and demands that actors chew not only the scenery but also the props, the costumes, and a few hapless extras, "Ringer" should be unwatchable. It's somehow better than the sum of its parts, though. Is it saved by the casting of Sarah Michelle Gellar as twin train-wrecks? No: in fact, the show could have saved a lot of money--and time in the editing room--by casting a pair of inflatable dolls, who might also have proved more expressive. I had to laugh when a catty friend told Poor Twin Posing As Rich Twin (PTPART) "Your botox is better than mine," which is supposed to be funny because PTPART hasn't had botox but is actually funny because Gellar has quite a limited range of facial expressions regardless of which twin she's playing. And that line offers a key to the admittedly modest appeal of "Ringers," which is that the show (unlike some of the characters) doesn't take itself too seriously.… Expand
  17. dudeperson
    Sep 14, 2011
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In a nutshell: bumpy start, but lots of potential.
    Despite being a big Sarah Michelle Gellar/Buffy fan, I watched the pilot with low expectations. And after watching it last night, I wasn't too thrilled with it. I didn't really like the basic premise(*minor spoiler*)-that she felt she "had no choice" but to take over her sister's life was a bit much. However, I feel like the show has a lot of potential. I'm not really all that invested in the plot, but mostly in the cast. SMG's acting was very good, and the other characters interesting enough that I'm curious to see their backstories.    … Expand
  18. Kadeemluvmusic
    May 13, 2012
    9
    I hate it when some shows are going to be canceled. Ringer is just one of them. I thought the CW wanted Sarah Michelle Gellar to bring the "cult" back in TV. But with low ratings, really? Ringer was more like a mashed-up thriller between Supernatural and The Grudge. But ever since Buffy ended its run in 2003, she continues to become a popular staple in movies, but I haven't seen her on TVI hate it when some shows are going to be canceled. Ringer is just one of them. I thought the CW wanted Sarah Michelle Gellar to bring the "cult" back in TV. But with low ratings, really? Ringer was more like a mashed-up thriller between Supernatural and The Grudge. But ever since Buffy ended its run in 2003, she continues to become a popular staple in movies, but I haven't seen her on TV in years until she made a comeback from her former home (UPN/WB merged into CW) and Ringer was a classic yet soon-to-be cult classic. I hope fans should boycott the network for canceling the series. R.I.P. Ringer, You Will Be Missed! By now, I hope Joss Whedon could make another Gellar action show without the CW's help. I could still watch reruns of Buffy on Netflix.… Expand
  19. Akkhar
    Sep 17, 2011
    7
    Ringer is a good neo-noir Mystery Thriller . Sarah Michelle Gellar was awesome as well as Ioan . This show has some secrets that can be shown in a very different way . And different is what we look for . The Pilot was good but there were some boring times that they should cover up . The boat scene was not good at all . it didn't look realistic but it had that noir look which helped theRinger is a good neo-noir Mystery Thriller . Sarah Michelle Gellar was awesome as well as Ioan . This show has some secrets that can be shown in a very different way . And different is what we look for . The Pilot was good but there were some boring times that they should cover up . The boat scene was not good at all . it didn't look realistic but it had that noir look which helped the scene not to become the worst !â… Expand
  20. GBear
    Mar 28, 2012
    10
    Originally rated this show an 8. It definitely needed some time to develop as it's not your average show. Ringer is now in the top of my list and I'll be sad if it doesn't get another season as the story gets better every episode.
  21. Lucky14
    Oct 7, 2011
    7
    Well, I'm pleasantly surprised. Having seen the previews and knowing it had been pushed off on the CW, I was expecting a minor disaster. Although a majority of the reviews had been positive, I can see the criticisms of the negative ones and find them fair. The opening sequences with Gellar playing both twins ultimately worked, but it is unfortunately because only one of the twins actuallyWell, I'm pleasantly surprised. Having seen the previews and knowing it had been pushed off on the CW, I was expecting a minor disaster. Although a majority of the reviews had been positive, I can see the criticisms of the negative ones and find them fair. The opening sequences with Gellar playing both twins ultimately worked, but it is unfortunately because only one of the twins actually feels human. Siobhan comes off like a stock character, her ending moment even suggesting a Cruella DeVille cartoon caricature. Hopefully a redeemable character can be fleshed out with appropriate flashbacks and future screentime or this will become an unforgivable flaw in the series. Gellar fares much better as Bridget pretending to be Siobhan, spending a majority of the episode as a deer in headlights trying to assess the tangled web of her sister's relationships with the people in her life. Better yet is Gellar as Bridget, with the shining moment of the pilot being her AA confession as a troubled woman on the verge of breakdown seeking amends. Aside from Gruffudd as Siobhan's husband, the supporting roles didn't have much to do. The only pairing I was disappointed in was the scene between the FBI agent and Bridget-Siobhan. I would have liked to see more playfulness and mysterious undertones there on Bridget-Siobhan's part. Having said that, they seemed to have assembled a perfectly capable cast and I look forward to watching them stretch once the breakneck speed of the pilot wears off.

    Setting up a high concept show like this is a tall order. I found the script largely successful with its jumping around and glossing over what I figured would have been key sequences. The dialogue was just fine, the character roles and relationships were presented nicely, but I could have done without the revelations at every commerical break. I have a feeling that's going to be a running theme throughout this show, too. Direction wasn't anything too special, but the sets and cinematography were impressive. There were some beautiful, if not obvious, sequences that hinted at film noir genre staples from the past. I especially liked the overhead shot with Henry and Bridget-Siobhan at the gala. The special effects with the twins were pretty damn good, but there was a greenscreen on a boat that was one of the worst I've ever seen. One obvious addition with the CW switch is the intrustive soundtrack. I sincerely hope they cut a majority of the soundtrack for score in the future, because that was distracting.

    It's foolish to put too much stock into the pilot episode, especially with this one which was greyhound paced. The true test will be in episode 2, because honestly I have no idea how the subsequent episodes for this show are going to play as of now. There's no way they can keep up the pace of these storylines without nosediving into daytime soap territory. The show will turn into something special if it allows the characters to drive instead of the plot. I'm judging this pilot on two criteria - it successfully set the tone of the Ringer world and its players (minus Siobhan) and it piqued my curiosity for more. Pilot = success. The next few episodes will determine whether the show is or not.    … Expand
  22. Movie2talkabout
    Aug 7, 2012
    5
    The pilot came off too heavy and the episodes to come did not follow. Lack of consistency. All fuss over dry material. Not worth the time or money. However, SMG is the same girl we all loved in Buffy and did give her character the enticing persona.
  23. spacelobster
    Nov 16, 2011
    7
    this is definitely an entertaining show to watch. i may not be up there with prison break or lost but it certainly keeps you coming back. i may be watching it mainly for smg but if there is nothing wrong about that. ringer is an interesting thriller/mystery/drama show in its own right and i will watch at least until the first season finale.
  24. SwarleyStinson
    Apr 23, 2012
    8
    Its good to see serialized, plot twist based, TV come back when its pretty much dead these days. Yes, the show is quite soapy and in a few episodes the plot twist at the end and the follow up to the previous plot twist at the beginning are the best bits and nothing that good happens in the main part of the episode. As a whole though it does have a very interesting story that makes you wantIts good to see serialized, plot twist based, TV come back when its pretty much dead these days. Yes, the show is quite soapy and in a few episodes the plot twist at the end and the follow up to the previous plot twist at the beginning are the best bits and nothing that good happens in the main part of the episode. As a whole though it does have a very interesting story that makes you want to keep watching. There are a few stupid things like the fact the cops never even consider for a second that it could be the other twin and when they find a fingerprint on something it only comes up with one of them when of course they have the same DNA but there are not enough to be a big deal. Also and there are some awkward moments, as usual for this kind of show, when she gets caught and comes up with a BS reason to explain things but its not a big issue.
    Overall there are a few small flaws but its still quite moreish and better than a lot of the mediocre shows at the moment cos TV land doesn't want to take any risks and makes everything episodic, procedural and samey.    … Expand
  25. A_Northerner
    May 7, 2012
    6
    Set in upper class New York, Ringer's story revolves around two identical twins both played by Gellar. On the run to avoid being killed, Bridget takes her sister Siobhan's place in wealthy New York in order to stay alive when she believes Siobhan has killed herself. However, as it pretty quickly turns out, by doing this she unwittingly inserts herself into her sister's devilish schemes.Set in upper class New York, Ringer's story revolves around two identical twins both played by Gellar. On the run to avoid being killed, Bridget takes her sister Siobhan's place in wealthy New York in order to stay alive when she believes Siobhan has killed herself. However, as it pretty quickly turns out, by doing this she unwittingly inserts herself into her sister's devilish schemes.


    The story is dizzying with twists and turns and it can be slightly convoluted with the same actress playing two roles on top of flashbacks of each role. It can take time at the beginning of a scene to work out which character is being portrayed by Gellar. Helped at first with Siobhan hiding out in Paris, this challenge only increases when she moves back to New York.

    Weighing in at a ridiculous 22 episodes, Ringer is definitely several episodes too long yet as the story lines finally begin to be wrapped up towards the end of the season, there are some strong episodes and twists aplenty as the scheming and backstabbing takes its toll on several characters. Serving as executive producer, Gellar managed to recruit a strong supporting cast including Ioan Gruffudd and Nestor Carbonell (Richard from Lost). Ringer features a very contemporary soundtrack which fits well with its glamorous New York suburbanite settings.

    There were times I doubted how much scope remained in the story for any future seasons but with the final revelations the writers set the scene for a second season of sibling squabbles. However, the future of this show remains in doubts as a second season is yet to be confirmed.    … Expand
  26. battlemasters84
    Apr 5, 2012
    10
    With lots of twist and turns, ringer is one of the best drama shows I've seen. With some shows you can tell what's going to happen but with this show your never sure, and that's what makes me keep watching. If i could describe it using three words they would be "Exciting, dramatic, un-predicable"
  27. DaneM
    May 13, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Before proceeding, I want to warn new viewers that the show has been canceled after season 1. So far, I haven't seen any word of a continuation.

    That said, this is one of the best shows I've seen in a long time, but it's much to "brain-intensive" for most viewers to grasp--especially including film critics, which tend to be extremely conditioned to normative paradigms in film entertainment (to the detriment of the industry and its customers, I think).

    Caveat: the pilot episode was certainly fun, but it wasn't nearly as good as what followed. There were some technical problems that I spotted.

    1) The plot was phenomenal! Nearly everyone who reviews this show seems to think that the plot is full of "dead ends" and non-sequiturs. It isn't; TV viewers are just conditioned not to think (at all/much) while watching TV. Yes, near the beginning, and until the various plots fully unravel, it's very difficult to understand the "whole picture," but if you think about it, it becomes clear that it's "by-design," and that the show is made better for it. Personally, I'm a big fan of brilliantly convoluted plots and reveals that play out like the convergence of a fugue. Ringer does this, but it's apparently too much for a typical viewer (and certainly a typical film critic) to handle. I'm extremely disappointed that this show was canceled, mostly because the writing was so good.
    2) The acting ability in this show is far "above-par." Not one of the characters in the show--AFTER their story came out--was unbelievable to me. Most shows are filled with a lot of characters played by people who obviously didn't understand the lives of such people; this show is different in that respect; whether or not the actors really "knew" such lives, they made me *think* they did. Sarah Michelle Gellar finally proved to me that she could really--REALLY--pull off something more serious than Buffy the Vampire Slayer--and she did it IN SPADES. Playing essentially 4 different characters (2 Siobhan and 2 Bridget versions) and making me think it was actually 2 people acting their own, respective roles had to be an immense challenge for an actress. In my estimation, most actors/actresses that appear in popular film are not actually very good at it (they're just pretty and given good roles and/or coaching/directing); SMJ has herein demonstrated that she's better than that.
    3) As a person with a good bit of technical understanding, I'm perpetually irritated with the absolutely stupid way in which computers are handled in film. In Ringer, however, this was (surprisingly) not the case. First, the people giving technical security advice actually gave good advice! Security at work, for example, is nearly always stronger than security at home--even if you can access your work files from home. When an important flash drive was swapped with another drive, the "dummy" drive didn't magically contain some crazy virus or other technically implausible thing; instead, it contained "garbage data," which looked like it was produced by the output of "cat /dev/urandom" (on a *nix system; Windows can produce such output via some easy-to-find utilities), and was thus unreadable and untraceable, but not technically challenging to produce. Also, one piece of incriminating evidence that came to light wasn't phony data, alone, but an *algorithm* to make phony data look like real data. (This is the sort of thing that would be required to pull off any kind of financial "book-cooking" scheme with minimal employee knowledge, while making everything look great to those who look at the generated data.) In brief, I greatly appreciated not being made to cringe every time an actor sat down at a computer.
    4) The character development was very good. Yes, it's slow, and no, it's not as obvious as we're conditioned to expect. Most shows essentially give us caricatures, rather than characters, so when a truly believable "human being" character shows up, we tend to think it's "boring" or "bland". Ringer got a lot of grief from reviews for this, but I see this slow-building, believable character development as a great strength. As above, most of the characters don't make any sense until you understand their backstories. Once you do, however, they make a lot of sense, and their present and future motives become quite clear. Also, unlike most shows, the characters tend not to suffer much from what I call "Stupid Main Character Syndrom" (SMCS)--the tendency of writers to drag out storylines by making main characters act stupidly for no apparent reason, other than that the plot demands it. There is a little bit of this, but it's much less of a problem than in most shows. (Nikita, I'm looking at you.)

    All-in-all, this is a great show that CW was completely daft to cancel (especially because, to my reading, the ratings in most relevant demographics were trending upward, not downward). *sigh*    … Expand
  28. Rfa
    Jul 28, 2012
    10
    Sarah Michelle Gellar returns to take the nostalgia from Buffy, and even better, now twice, playing twin sisters on a show that was supposed to be a success if it was not on the wrong network, the cw, if it were on the CBS show for sure would last several seasons.
  29. perraco80
    Aug 13, 2012
    10
    Desde mi punto de vista algunas tramas eran previsibles pero otras me han sorprendido, buen doblaje por parte de Telecinco....

    Me gusto mucho y me gustaría saber como termina :(
  30. blackneptune
    Sep 23, 2018
    10
    'Ringer' is such a wasted opportunity for good television. For a show that featured amazing actors, most notably Sarah Michelle Gellar as a double, and a good mysterious story, the cancellation was a real major disappointment. Shame shame shame!

Awards & Rankings

93
#93 Best TV Season of 2011
27
#27 Most Discussed TV Season of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 29
  3. Negative: 2 out of 29
  1. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Mary McNamara
    Sep 13, 2011
    60
    Skidding through twists and turns aplenty, the intentionally soapy plot generates a lot of fun froth, but Gellar has a hard time playing one troubled and complicated woman, much less two.
    Read full review
  2. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Glenn Garvin
    Sep 13, 2011
    80
    The CW's tale of an evil twin and an even eviler twin, is devious doppelganger drama at its best.
    Read full review
  3. Philadelphia Daily News
    Reviewed by: Ellen Gray
    Sep 13, 2011
    40
    I'll admit that between the CW and ABC Family, I'm having trouble keeping track of the duos who've been separated at birth, switched at birth, given up at birth and in the case of Ringer, apparently just found themselves drifting apart into different worlds, but by halfway through tonight's pilot, I felt as if I'd seen this one before.
    Read full review
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