Reviews & Ratings for
"Mistresses" More at IMDbPro »

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42 out of 53 people found the following review useful:

Get your head out of your ass

Author: lauryelathy from New Orleans, LA
3 July 2013

Listen, I get it. It makes women seem naive, vulnerable, blah, blah, blah. THAT'S WHAT I ENJOY WATCHING. I don't want to come home from a 12-hour shift to watch something based in reality. I want something fluffy and ridiculous. Perhaps there are others that disagree with me. That's fine. But I do believe that you all should take this show for what it is. It's a one-hour escape from reality. And yes, the plot is silly and the acting is a bit forced. But is there really a need to attack it for lacking a feminist viewpoint? I see the real world every day. I don't need to see it when I kick back with a miller light and a puzzle. I don't get all the reviews that this is putting women back "30 years" and is "demoralizing." It's a F*CKING ABC soap opera. Leave your far-left feminist ideology at the door and have some fun.

26 out of 33 people found the following review useful:

Double Standard

Author: jkriske1-951-190340
6 June 2013

I think that this show was pretty well done. It was the pilot after all, so it was bound to be a bit rocky to begin with, but I don't think that it deserves the bad rap that it has been getting.

One thing that I find frustrating is how so many people seem to think that this show is degrading, setting women back or just a terrible show in general because it shows women being sexual. It may not be with their husbands (I mean it's called Mistresses after all, did no one know what was coming?), but has no one seen Mad Men? Granted it is not on a cable network like AMC as Mad Men is, but I feel that this is a bit of a double standard.

Honestly, I didn't think it was all that racy. I thought it was a different perspective and it has some fun, suspenseful moments and I am interested in seeing them play out.

16 out of 17 people found the following review useful:

Love love love!

Author: gentleoceanwind
4 July 2013

A wonderful escape and not degrading to women at all! Portrays real relationships and life issues that many have and don't want to admit to the world. Funny how many trashy reality shows are popular, yet this sophisticated adult drama is getting scathing reviews. I really think its the title that turns people off, which is a real shame. Please give the show a chance and you might find yourself really enjoying a lovely, fun and captivating escape!

The casting and acting is superb! I'm a happily married stay at home mm for 14 years, joyfully loyal and watching this show feels FABULOUS! Like having a super interesting group of girlfriends with complex yet realistic drama. Thank you for the best and most entertaining show I've seen in a long time! :)

19 out of 27 people found the following review useful:

I'm surprised that I liked the first episode! *VERY MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD*

Author: Moviguy (moviman764@aol.com) from Chicago, IL
3 June 2013

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

First off, I have no experience with the BBC series that this is based off of, so this review is only for the pilot that aired on ABC.

What I was expecting after seeing all the ads for Mistresses was a steamy summer drama in the same vein as Desperate Housewives. What I got was a surprisingly low key drama series focusing on four women all affected by infidelity in different ways. While the title would suggest that all four women go on some super soft Skinemax affair romp, the actual show is not just about mistresses, but also the wives of cheating husbands, and even the wives who cheat.

The core stories follow a woman recently widowed who is having a hard time dealing with the loss of her husband, a psychiatrist who was having an affair with married patient, a woman whose marriage is starting to hit some major road blocks due to fertility issues, and a young woman who enjoys sex but not relationships. All of these stories have been done on soaps a thousand times before, and yet I found myself enjoying the first episode. Why? It moved quickly, all four leads were perfectly cast, and the writer and director all found small, emotional moments to help the audience connect with the characters on some level.

I have a feeling that the title, more then anything, is what is turning most people off of the show. That disappoints me, because the show is not condoning infidelity. It is not show the subject in a positive light. It's just mining it for dramatic material, just like any daytime soap opera or night time drama has for years.

Seriously, drop the judgments and give the show a chance. It's well acted and entertaining, with the same quality tech aspects you would expect from an ABC series. Is it high art? No. Is it an enjoyable night time soap that takes a high drama subject and handles it in a surprisingly low key manner? Yes. I enjoyed the heck out of Mistresses, and hope to see the series continue.

25 out of 43 people found the following review useful:

Fun!

Author: Togmonity from United States
8 June 2013

I really like Alyssa Milano and I was hoping this show wasn't just about a bunch of sluts... And it wasn't!

It's actually about relationships and I'm looking forward to next week. I hope the writing stays sharp and the plots stay interesting, and I hope there's not too much gratuitous sex. Please let it stay classy!

I think it was fun and I don't agree with the reviewer who said it sets women back. At all.

I hope the show explores some of the guilt that I imagine would be associated with having an affair. It will make the characters seem identifiable and human.

Please don't cancel this show!

5 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

Degrading to women? No.

Author: Frank Wells from Malaysia
1 September 2013

Many people seem to believe that this is a show about a bunch of sluts. Now, let me tell you. It is NOT. It was only the trailer of the show that made the show seem this way and already at the 4th episode, all the sex is decreasing. Yes, the later episodes squeeze in a small amount of sex but that's all. I don't get why other shows such as How I Met Your Mother with Neil Patrick Harris f*cking more than a thousand (or two hundred, I forget) girls is acceptable but four women having just one partner (each) makes this the most degrading show on the network.

Moving on, Mistresses is a well made ABC TV show and I think that it is one of the most underrated shows there is. The story follows personal problems of four women and how they deal with it.

Let me now judge on the storyline and structure of the show. I believe that it flows just nicely although Savi keeps procrastinating when it comes to revealing the baby daddy is pretty annoying (as it was first suspenseful). This show continues to surprise you as the season goes, dropping bombshells at you with well structured twists. I'm a fan of this show. The creators of ABC's Mistresses did well when they add pinches of comedy and spoonfuls of emotional scenes in the show in just the right places, making it a light-hearted as well as interesting.

Mistresses' greatest tactic to lure their fans to watch the next episodes is suspense and it's working just fine. This show makes you dodge between which character you like and who you want to live happily ever after and that's one of the smallest things that makes you love the show.

For example, I like Harry but at the same time I like Dominic, and so, this show battles your emotions and makes you like both characters then makes you choose between on (on who gets their happily ever afters) only to drop a sh*t-load of a surprise on you in the end.

The acting is acceptable. Alyssa Milano delivers the best performance from the four although they are good. Jes McCallan DOES need an acting coach though, honestly speaking. Anyways...

Well done, ABC! 10/10

20 out of 35 people found the following review useful:

An insipid collection of badly written scenes played completely straight

Author: mattstevens from United States
4 June 2013

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

What the heck was ABC thinking? Clearly they wanted to recreate whatever formula worked for the British original. Why wouldn't they? So what could go so horribly wrong?

From the moment it begins it is clear this is the anti-marriage show. It pushes a far left agenda and does it with all-too-serious acting to embarrassing dialog. Yunjin Kim is a personal favorite of mine, but she seemed befuddled by the script and her character. Her opening scene with Tom was so bad my jaw dropped and continued to drop as the show went on. "Oh! You're sick! You have cancer! Please make love to me!"

Every plot point is hammered home and every upcoming plot twist is being broadcast in advance. I knew Alyssa Milano (who's added weight was unsuccessfully hidden behind black clothing throughout) was going to cheat on her husband and bed her law partner the second they shared time on screen.

Does anyone not see a lesbian affair coming up between one of the all too pretty (aka Male Fantasy) house hunting lesbians and the younger sister? Why don't they just send out the obvious via Morse Code.

Poor Rochelle Aytes is saddled with the worst part. "Oh I am so sexy and drop dead gorgeous but my dead husband is haunting me by crank phone calls. He was the PERFECT husband so of course he would never cheat on me. Now excuse me while I continue to cancel dates with Jim Carey's clone so that I can cry with the girls." The writers on this turd deserve to be banned from Hollywood for life.

This type of show cannot work on Network television. It's too wanna-be steamy and sex filled for a commercial broadcast network where women have to sleep and have sex wearing their bras. This sort of content belongs on HBO or Showtime. Clearly the ABC suits want their very own Sex & The City in L.A. but instead they have The Naked Gun 4, From the Files of the Mistress Housewives. It's that bad.

7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Good themes and concept of beautiful California ladies bed life, and a watch for Alyssa Milano!

Author: Danny Blankenship from Petersburg, Virginia
25 June 2013

ABC's new prime soap is a watch for me because I'm a fan of the sexy Alyssa Milano(I remember her sexy colored bra wearing days on "Charmed"!)it focuses on the life and times of four beautiful California ladies. And the drama of bed hopping, affairs, guilt, regret, and secrets all so far have dominated the series. Savi(the still sexy Milano)is a high class and professional attorney who has a thing for her African American male co partner, and these little sessions can lead to a big secret. And then little sister Josslyn(Jes Macallan)a real estate agent who's a wild free spirit who plays the strange bedfellow games as she swings both ways in the bedroom even liking her fellow female kittens! Then just widowed April(Rochelle Ayees) feels a lot of pain and hurt from her dead husband's affair, and to round out the four is cute Asian Karen(Yunjin Kim)a counselor who's now dead patient and former love interest has a son who's interested in her! Wow it's all drama and complex with love, sex, and guilt, with denial, pain and secrets and a watch for any Alyssa Milano fan she's still hot!

4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

Very Good Show

Author: Patricia Moretti from LaLa Land
13 August 2013

As with any new show, the characters grow with each episode. I think this show is well written and I have looked forward to each upcoming episode. There is suspense, which is always a good tease. I do not like reality shows so this is a very welcome show as was Ringer with Sarah Michelle Geller but that one was canceled. Let's hope this one is not canceled! I do not think it puts women down or makes them look stupid as some other viewers have stated. They all have very successful careers and you cannot achieve that being stupid.

I do think it does show human vulnerability. People make mistakes, it's how we deal with those mistakes that matters and I think this show addresses exactly that. TV is for entertainment and this show is entertaining! So sit back, relax and enjoy!!!

5 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

What a let down

Author: raspick ssq from United Kingdom
18 July 2013

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Mistresses UK (the original BBC version) is one of my favourite TV shows. I have seen it so many times, it is that good. So when I heard that there was going to be a US version, I was so excited and I have been waiting for it to air for ages.

Sadly this version is such a let-down. One of the best things about the original BBC version was the chemistry between the actors; not just between the lovers but also between the friends and especially between Siobhan (now called Savi in the US version) and Dominic vs. Hari (now called Harry). The actors that play the parts in the US version are great individually but there is just no spark between them. In the UK version, the sexual tension within the law firm was built up to the level that it became so palpable, you actually began rooting for Siobhan and Dom (even though they were cheating). Here however, it just came about - garter...slap bang! and we are left wondering what the?!?

The same goes for the relationship between Dr Karen and Sam, her dead lovers son. In the UK version it was very well and richly drawn out with a lot of real emotional angst...from the funeral to the son becoming so obsessed about his dad having an affair before he died, to his search for his dad's 'mistress' and the mystery surrounding his dad's death while at the same time falling in love with Karen who against all odds (and moral conscience) falls right back in love with him. It was presented as being morally questionable (so, no, the show does not glorify infidelity as reviewers above seem to indicate, but shows how easy it is to fall for the wrong person and the real consequences of such a lack or lapse of self control) but it was done in a way that it was both sympathetic and believable. Not so with the US version where everything just looks shoddy and badly written.

In Mistresses US, Dr Karen and Sam are totally mismatched and their acting is horribly wooden, uncomfortable to watch and just plain weird.

But by far the worst offender is the character Joss, who, in the UK version was this well spoken, well dressed, beautiful, sexually liberated free spirit (latterly turned lesbian) and was a friend of the gals. In Mistresses US, she has become Savi's sister (why sister - total mismatch?) who dresses like a tramp and this breaks up what was already a strained dynamic (by that I mean that the 3 'friends' in Mistresses US do not seem to 'gel' at all...their relationship seems forced, like they are 3 acquaintances who meet up once in a while rather than what was 4 inseparable best mates in Mistresses UK). Also, the whole lesbian affair storyline here was just damp and spark-less...in the UK version it was meaningful, painful and believable rather than some sort of experiment that went wrong. Maybe there is more to come in the future about this.

There is nothing redeemable about Mistresses US. I have just finished episode 6 and I really don't know if it is worth continuing. Rochelle and Alyssa are great, but they've been let down by the script. Maybe if I had never seen (and seen again and then again) our version (UK) I would have taken to this but...I really don't know why they changed so much of it. It was already a masterpiece. If you haven't already seen the UK version, please do so, maybe even concurrently.

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