Television Review: The Starter Wife
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this dramedy isn't for kids.
Although it pokes fun at Hollywood, it rides a fine line
between embracing and rejecting Hollywood values. The very
skinny main character makes jokes about her weight, alluding to
the constant desire to be thinner. Money -- who has it, who
doesn't -- is a constant theme. And some characters sacrifice
friendship in the name of ambition. Some scenes include frank
talk about sex, and there are brief passionate clinches, as
well as some drinking, smoking, and swearing.
Families can talk about how the media depicts Hollywood and the
movie industry. Do you think the people who live and work there
are as materialistic and image-obsessed as TV shows and movies
imply? Families can also discuss the similarity between
Hollywood politics and high school. Why are people so attracted
to the "in crowd" when it can be so painful to deal with? What
does it take to step outside of a powerful force like Hollywood
(or a certain clique) and still feel good about yourself?
THE STARTER WIFE takes a funny, somewhat critical look at Hollywood through the eyes of Molly Kagan (Debra Messing), whose studio-boss husband dumps her for a younger woman. Messing is charming and funny as Molly, who must examine her life and values after being "let go" from her role as Hollywood wife. As she slowly learns who her real friends are and makes tentative connections with people outside the catty world of Hollywood, Molly builds herself into a better person. But this new person still cares about what people think about her, as well as the size of her butt. Molly tends to let men take the reins all too often, and she can be a pushover when it comes to her egotistical, obnoxious power broker of an ex-husband, Kenny (Peter Jacobson).
Starter Wife is at its best when it's taking an inside look at Hollywood and its fickle ways. The show makes fun of the industry town's shallowness with sharp wit (Molly talks about worshipping at the Church of Perpetual Upkeep, for example).
Less successful are the show's forays into mystery (a handsome stranger saves Molly's life and asks her enigmatically if it's a life worth saving before diving into the surf) and "real" life (Molly befriends a UCLA student and a Malibu Colony security guard who's in danger of getting evicted).
With its talented cast and irresistible premise, The Starter Wife is lots of fun ... for adults. Typical Hollywood decadence and backstabbing make the show decidedly iffy for kids, as do mature topics like addiction and affairs.
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