NBC
(Season 2, Episode 1 – Season Premiere)
I loved Lipstick Jungle when it premiered earlier this year, and I love it even more now. Part of that is the stellar casting of Rosie Perez, a publicist hired by Victory to re-brand her business and help her move forward.
Perez’s character, Dahlia, is a blunt, fast-talking chick who can spew the one-liners like nobody’s business. When Nico lamented her crumbling marriage, Dahlia suggested getting some work done “down there,” to tighten things up a bit. “Botox has moved south,” she said. “Way south. They’re shipping collagen down to the delta.”
Then she followed it up by noting, “Every guy has gotta be the superhero. He’s gotta be Batman in that cave.”
You know, with lines like that delivered in Perez’s heavy Brooklyn accent, I’m expecting big things in the weeks ahead. I’ll definitely be paying attention any time she’s on-screen.
The core cast is great, too. Brooke Shields is a longtime favorite, I glommed onto Kim Raver during her 24 stint, and while I knew nothing about Lindsay Price before this show, she and the other two women work well together. They all have distinct personalities, and I’m betting most women can identify with one of them.
For me, that would be Brooke Shields. Like her character, Wendy, I’m also trying to juggle family and work (if only I looked like her). In tonight’s episode, she decided to spend more time with her daughter, Maddie, who’s graduated into the fake I.D. years. Wendy also managed to hop into the shower with her hot husband, Shane, played admirably by Paul Blackthorne. Fans of The Dresden Files can rejoice that he’s found a home in this series.
Wendy is also dealing with the arrival of her opinionated mom, Joyce, played bitchingly by Mary Tyler Moore. She’s in town to get her career back on track — not an easy task when your competition is decades younger.
As for the rest of the storylines — SPOILERS AHEAD! — Nico is shocked when her husband, Charlies, dies during a double bypass. Even more shocking is the arrival of his pregnant girlfriend. Still, I’m glad he died (is that bad to say?), because now it paves the way for Nico to reunite with her steamy photographer lover, Kirby, played by Robert Buckley. There’s no denying they have blazing-hot chemistry.
And Victory, still smarting over the fact that Joe moved on so quickly after their break-up, finds herself renting studio space in one of his buildings. I never really felt the sparks between Lindsay Price and Andrew McCarthy, but maybe that’ll change in the weeks ahead. I’m guessing it’s not quite over between them.
I can’t wait to see what happens next week. Could this be the show to finally satisfy my Sex and the City cravings? Let’s hope so!
Clacked by Jane Boursaw 
on Sep 25, 2008 @ 00:44 EST5EDT
