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Family Secrets and Lies: The Darlings Reveal Both on "Dirty Sexy Money"

There's a certain vindication in being right that just can't be beat.

I'm talking, among other things, about this week's episode of Dirty Sexy Money ("The Watch"), which I devoured last night. It was another brilliant installment of this fast, slick, soapy drama and, this week, presented an equal amount of over-the-top fun (Jeremy faking being a struggling artist in order to keep Sofia) along with a complex emotional story that painted in some of the backstory between Letitia and Dutch, along with the reveal about which Darling scion wasn't Tripp's biological child.

Sure enough, my hypotheses so far this season about Brian being Dutch's child--which, yes, would make him Nick's brother--proved to be right on the money. It's only ironic that the hateful, spiteful Brian, who lived his entire life trying to drag Nick into misery and despair and who painted Dutch as a beggar at the feast, would in the end not even be a Darling. It's only fitting, given that the first time we met Brian he was refusing to accept Brian Jr. as his son and a Darling heir, a revelation which now seems foolish as neither of them have any real claim to the Darling name or fortune.

It was heartbreaking that Letitia kept the truth from Dutch as well as Brian, truly believing that she was doing both of them a favor by leaving them in the dark as to their real relationship. Instead, Brian felt alienated and cast out from his own family and never felt as though he fit in. The revelation of Brian's true parentage has also cast a pall over Tripp as well; despite his claims that the knowledge hasn't tainted his love for Brian, it's clear that it has. Whereas he would have rushed to help Patrick or Karen if they were in the same predicament, he insisted that they let the law handle the matter of Brian's custody claim as well as his possible prison sentence for attempting to bribe that arbitrator.

I never thought I'd come to feel sympathy for Brian, but this week's episode definitely managed to do just that. The scene at the church between Nick and Brian was one of my favorite of the series so far as it was so fraught with emotion and the unsaid between them. It also had its own morbid levity as Brian once again told Nick that he hated him, only to finally accept Dutch's watch, which Nick tried to give to him. The scene that followed, in which Brian said his goodbyes to Brian Jr. (a.k.a. Gustav) was heartbreaking, as the emotionally crippled Brian couldn't bring himself to tell his son that he loved him, instead giving him the watch (continuing its generational path) and telling him to keep it set to New York time.

Sigh.

Next week on Dirty Sexy Money ("The Nutcracker"), Nick uncovers Karen's tryst with Simon Elders, which threatens to derail a Darling family tradition and unsettles Nick more than he can admit; Brian tells Tripp he wants to leave the ministry and work for him instead; Juliet falls for her visitor from the Seychelles; Carmelita is convinced she's being followed; and Lisa helps Jeremy impress Sofia with his art, but was that them locking lips in the promo? I can't wait!

Comments

Anonymous said…
This show has me hooked. It's soapy but also funny and wonderfully dramatic at times. The "Gustav" storyline started out hilarious but quickly became something more serious and bittersweet, allowing us to see a different side to the usually callous Brian. I do hope that Brian Jr. and his mother come back into the picture at some point as I feel there's still more to that story.
Carrie said…
That scene at the church. Oh, that scene. It was lovely.

I also love how Carmelita is never a punch line or treated with anything less than a three dimensional character that deserves respect. Big Shots (and many other shows) should be taking notes.
TxGowan said…
I really do love this show.

I knew I was hooked when I realized how mad I was getting at both Karen and Lisa for their behavior. Karen for her obvious designs on Nick (and Leticia is helping? What's THAT about?) and Lisa for not believing that Nick will always do the right thing. Makes it pretty interesting that we saw that kiss between her and Jeremy in the preview.

Unfortunately, though, the twins are starting to get a little stale for me. I liked the previous storyline, but the one with Jeremy and Sofia isn't doing much for me (which isn't to say Sofia isn't. yowza.) Maybe it's because it's not the twins in the storyline and Juliet seems to have been pushed to the sideline? I dunno. That's a minor nit for what I consider to be one of the best shows of the new season.
Unknown said…
Sympathy for Brian? A man who seems to have forgotten about his other children? Not yet.

I don't understand the reasoning that has Brian not being a Darling? His mother is certainly a Darling with as much claim to the fortune as Tripp, so how is Brian not a Darling as well?

I like that it seems paranoid, sanctimonious Lisa will make a boo-boo next week. Heh. (BTW, I don't usually like short hair on women, but it looks great on her.)

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