REVIEW: Mistresses Season Two Premiere “Rebuild”

Attractive men, questionable life choices and the endearing bond between four friends are all back in perfect form with Mistresses season two premiere.

“Rebuild” kicks off eight months after the events of the season one finale. In our catch up, we learn that Savi’s just completed her rehab and is officially “back,” but as we see she’s not entirely sure what that means. We also discover that — like her friends — Savi has made some surprising choices. This includes staving off her return to the firm and finally making a choice between Harry and Dominic. April has fully moved on from her own love triangle debacle, but the electronic matchmaker she’s moved on to isn’t any better. It looks like there’s not much to report on in her search for Mr. Right until the appearance of an old friend helps light April’s romantic fire.

Instead of office make out sessions and complicated hook-ups, Joss has developed into a more settled — and mature — role. Being an adult isn’t as glamorous or easy as it looks though and her green-ness shows after she attempts to snag an affluent client. Meanwhile, Karen remains the most troubled, having sought out counseling to deal with Sam’s death, Elizabeth’s emotional warfare and losing a love that was never really hers.

As we see throughout the episode, Savi, April, Joss and Karen are certainly rebuilding. As a result of their reinventions and restorations, the series experiences a large and enjoyable tonal shift. On a good day, an episode in season one was exciting and seductive. On a bad day our favorite ladies found themselves in rather stomach churning predicaments. The premiere is mostly the former, with a little more fluff and a lot more (healthy) fun.

That doesn’t mean things are easy breezy for everyone, a reality best illustrated by the set up of Karen and Savi’s storylines. And to be honest, without the occasional bit of character distress the show just wouldn’t be the same. The series stayed true to itself in this way as things were said and looks were given that will certainly lead to hazardous decisions down the road.

At the same time, the show seemed aware of the fact that it has 12 more episodes to really go there. Instead of flying out of the gate with guns blazing (much like last summer’s premiere), Mistresses opted for the slow and steady wins the race approach to start off the season. The choice to lay off on the super heavy and life altering worked out, making “Rebuild” one of Mistresses best hours. The episode offered us a chance to see each character in a different element and to see each woman in a new way.

Savi is out of the office and officially separated from Harry, both major sources of her dramatic (and personal) tension last season. By somewhat removing them from the equation, our post-rehab wonder woman becomes the episode’s most refreshing element. Her new relationship with Dominic also feels like the right way to “start again,” but as we later see her feelings for Harry aren’t quite gone. And so in spite of her choice, the love triangle may (read: will) persist leaving us to wonder whether Savi wants a second chance at life or just her old one back.

Season two’s premiere offered a smashing glimpse at the (artistic) woman April was. As we watch her open up, her willingness to fail romantically acted as a wonderful way to illustrate her own growth. The old may have been holding Savi back, but the emergence of a friend from her past loosened April up… and offered her the romance she was looking for. What could be more fun than making art and making out?

Joss perhaps made the most noticeable change, having started her own party planning business. She is taking something she’s rather good at on a personal level and using it to pursue a passion. Ultimately she fell short, but like April her growth was a welcomed and delightful change. Joss is far more than a pair of pouty, fast talking lips. She’s driven and committed. Whether she knows it or not she’s on the path to success.

Karen’s life is the most affected by the events of last season’s finale, but even she has grown into something new. Karen now works in an emergency room — still able to affect change but at a far more healthy distance. That is until she encounters a young female patient who appears to be a victim of domestic violence. In time we see that the young woman is actually suicidal. Karen moves to get her the help she needs and reaches out to counsel her on a more personal basis. It may look different than last season, but the threat of getting too close is back in the air.

In spite of all the changes, “Rebuild” still managed to be all the things we loved about season one.  New partnerships and new identities are in the cards for everyone as each woman noticeably grew. Things aren’t fairytale perfect for these women and who knows if their choices will work out in the way they want. What we do know is that the Mistresses premiere started another season of sexy and surprising fun off on the right foot.