Paramount+ Summary:
An anthology series that follows three women in different decades all living in the same house, as they deal with infidelity and betrayals in their marriages.
FYA Summary:
In the 1960s, Beth Ann can’t believe her husband, Rob, would be cheating on her, but she isn’t letting go of her man without a fight. Determined to confront the floozy waitress stealing him away, Beth Ann realizes she’s actually…kinda nice?
Two decades later, Simone knows she must be the envy of all of her friends, but someone hates her enough to let it slip that her husband prefers the company other men, shattering her perfect world.
And in 2019, a couple in an open marriage face a new challenge when Taylor decides to let her female lover stay in their home. Is three company or a crowd?
Familiar Faces:
Ginnifer Goodwin & Sam Jaegar as Beth Ann & Rob
Ginnifer was really born in the wrong decade—she seems so perfectly at home in the ‘60s aesthetic. There’s something about her that I enjoy watching, and she is the reason I started this show in the first place. Sam is best known from Parenthood, and I kept thinking he’s turning into a ringer for Aaron Eckhart with that jawline.
Lucy Liu & Jack Davenport as Simone & Karl
Come for Ginnifer Goodwin, stay for Lucy freaking Liu. She is hilarious as the self-absorbed Simone and wears those ‘80s costumes with absolute panache. You may remember Davenport as Norrington in the Pirates movies, and he is a delight as the catty and clever Karl.
Alexandra Daddario, Reid Scott & Kirby as Jade, Eli, & Taylor
Ah, the Annabeth from the bad Percy Jackson adaptation. I can’t get over how creepy her gaze is if you stare at her too long, but you can see why both Eli and Taylor become a bit obsessed with her. I’ve only really seen Reid in Veep (or as Anne’s hypocritical ex in The Idea of You), and for the entire show he kept reminding me of someone but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Kirby was in one of my favorite shows, The Good Place, and her lawyer character, Taylor, and Eli kept competing for the role of the most annoying character on this show.
Couch-Sharing Capability: Friends Or Booze, Take Your Pick
This is a Marc Cherry show, so things start off a bit silly and soapy and soon turn dramatic and silly and soapy. There’s even a clever title sequence and a narrator at the beginning and end teaching us a lesson for full DH nostalgia. This is the perfect show to have on while you’re doing other things but need background noise; after a few beats you can pretty much guess where each timeline’s plot will go so you can tune in and out and not miss much. But things do get a bit darker in the last few episodes, so you may want to have on hand either some internet friends or a buddy on the couch to dish about the sadder turn of events.
Recommended Level of Inebriation: Martini, Darling?
I can assure you the characters on this show would probably give you the side-eye if you didn’t imbibe. I feel like the martini is a classic that can work in any of the three time periods.
Use of Your Streaming Subscription: Perfectly Bingeable
I picked up this show because I kept seeing clips of it out of order on TikTok when Beth Ann tries to foil a date night between her husband and mistress. I won’t say it rocked my world or anything—in fact, for coming out in 2019, some storytelling beats felt a bit dated, like Marc Cherry was definitely still stuck in his Desperate Housewives era. Certain moments, like an attempted murder in a parking garage, felt like an homage to ‘80s soaps, but sometimes it felt like they should’ve made a more unique storytelling choice. Still, it wasn’t a bad way to spend a few days on the couch during the holiday, so it’s great if you’re looking for a one-and-done that’ll make you chuckle and roll your eyes in secret delight.
Season two featured all new characters and plots, so it’s low stakes if you want to stop or keep going!
