Tuesday marks the official start of the new fall season as Ringer (9pm on the CW) becomes the first new show to premiere on the major networks. It's also one of the most talked about thanks to star Sarah Michelle Gellar, who makes her triumphant return to TV after spending seven seasons as the iconic Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Her return is reason enough for many people to watch. Even her former Buffy co-star David Boreanaz is exciting, tweeting his congratulations to SMG. But is that enough?

Ringer is a fairly complex show as recovering addict Bridget Kelly (Gellar) finds herself on the run from some very bad men, so she reunites with her twin sister Siobhan Martin (also Gellar). Siobhan suddenly goes missing and, rather than call the cops, Bridget decides to assume her sister's identity, complete with a husband (Ioan Gruffudd), best friend (Tara Summers) and her best friend's husband (Kristoffer Polaha), with whom Siobhan was giving an affair.

The premise itself is a tad far-fetched, but there are big mysteries surrounding Siobhan's real life and what happened to her when she disappeared. Fans will definitely have to pay close attention.

My love of Gellar (and Polaha and co-star Nestor Carbonell) is enough to endorse Ringer, but part of me wishes the show was better. The writing is a tad convoluted and the show, as a whole, feels half-baked. The acting and production design are rough and unimpressive, especially compared to the things cable shows are doing. Then there's the basic premise itself, which is so preposterous that viewers will have to try extra hard to suspend their disbelief. How can anyone not realize that this woman is not really Siobhan?



I hope the show gets better and I hope fans tune in, but it will be interesting to see just how loyal the Buffy fans will be. If it weren't for the pedigree of the cast, Ringer would not be nearly as interesting, but perhaps star power alone will help sustain it.


What do you think? Leave a comment with your thoughts before and after watching to see if Ringer is everything you hoped it would be, or if it's a bitter disappointment.


(Image courtesy of the CW)