Dirty Sexy Money

Well, this has been my least favorite episode so far of the show, but it's still decent. Jeremy and his twin sister argue over their birthday part and then decide to throw two separate parties. In the end, they figure out that they just wanted to be together for their birthday. Tripp decides that giving the twins their 25 million will be postponed because they are wasteful. Meanwhile, Kenny is trying to get into a club. I thought both story lines weren't that interesting. Meeting Simon Elder was interesting and so was the whole argument about the money. Overall, another solid character development episode but not that good of a story.

Nick Finally meets Simon Elder who turns out to be billionaire he also learns that Tripp and him have had a past. It's the Also the twins 25th Birthday and they are still fighting over the fact that Jeremy is still seeing Natalie, So the pair end up having their parties at different venues.



Later Juilet finds out that Natalie might not be pregant so she tells her brother, he finds out for himself. Meanwhile Brian Snr comes clean about Gustoff is actually his Real Son Brian Jnr. Karen starts black mailing Patrick into making her boyfriend join his Golf club

Another solid episode. No real action to speak of, at none with real consequences except Fr. Brian's disception is busted. The other members of the family have their characters and personal situations explored once more. Ive come to face the fact that this series is going to be mostly about demonstrating the world of the Darlings, which is fine by me. But a lack of any real intensity means that it isnt going to pound you with excitement. I expect though that the season end will have a beautifully placed ending with a hook for the next season - maybe even Nick finding out who the killed his father (which will obviously not be the case for the next season).



Back to this episode, and I do admit that the writers do a good job of sucking you into this makebelieve world. The pace of the episode is a tad below medium, but the eccentricities of the Darling children make a great setup to see them fall. Isnt that what we want?



The main plotline here are the twins parties and eventual realisation of their excessive spending for nought! Frankly it falls a little flat to be the mainstay of an episode. Nick meets the mysterious C, but we only get an inkling of what happened with Nick's dad.



Karen Darling is just oozing **** Im really going to loathe that character. The fun the show is having with Pat jr. and the he-she lover is fantastic. never have thought hed have the balls to play such a storyline!



The complex web of family life develops into a really good platform that Im sure will make successive plotlines take this to the next level.



For now its a good episode, but better is yet to come.

So far this show has been great to watch and continues in the same vain this episode. The twins have been a personal favourite of mine cos they epitomise the rich kid thing that seems so common in the press today. I mean come on you fall out with your best friend because they stole your bangs, that's just ridiculous and childish but then again Juliet is a child.



As last episode revealed that one of the Darling children was fathered by Dutch (Nick's Dad) then your mind is on that through the episode. Of course it wasn't revealed last episode and frankly won't be for a few I reckon but you can't help but wonder. Tripp's reaction makes you suspect the Twins this episode (although my money is still on Brian the priest) as he seems to react slightly abrasive towards them but at the same time as taking away their 25 million inheritance he lets them have there 2 million dollar parties each.



The parties themselves were a highlight this episode as one was on the walkway of the Brooklyn bridge and the other a French renaissance powder wig party, (guess which twins party is which?, lol). Completely extravagant and what's betting no one made their own costume for the latter.



Other things this episode was everybody's favourite priest Brian (not, lol) being put in the s**t by Brian Jr (a.k.a. Gustav) when he reveals to Brian's wife who he really is. That's a great scene as Brian finally gets what is coming to him when she asks for a divorce. It was nice to see him when he moved back in with his parents to take the smaller less comfortable room with the bunk bed just to be with his son though. Finally we feel sympathetic for the character.



Lastly, Nick gets to know Simon Elder and it transpires that his father Dutch might just have been about to defect to Elder's camp before his plane crashed and he went missing (I still don't think he's dead). This is important to the main ongoing plot but the least interesting thing this week with everything else going on.

I have been sticking with this series waiting for an episode like this one. It was great to see so many things happen which are pivotal to the base plot of the show. Brian having to admit his indiscretion to his his wife and family, and NOT blaming it on Brian Jr. was a big moment. However, it also showed that Brian has not grown up any more than a 7 year old has. He and Brian Jr. are at the same point in their emotional development. The scenes with Nick and his wife showed how working with the Darlings has changed both of them. I am glad the writers chose to go in the direction of Nick getting back to the reasons he agreed to do it in the first place - CHARITY. It seems Simon has something to do with this. Whether it was manipulation or genuine concern remains to be seen



It was great to see the twins renew their relationship. They need one another as it appears it will be difficult for them to trust anyone else. I am not certain Jeremy's desire to get a job can last. BUT, the sincere manner in which Tripp tells him he is proud was amazing. It would be nice to see one of the Darlings grow up. At this point I believe that Karen is a filler character. It seems that she is there merely to put Nick's marriage in jeopardy. She is obviously not interested in her own fiance. I certainly hope the writers close that chapter quickly.

It was good...the plot didnt reall advance all that well. I think this episode had a lot to do with character devolopment, not as much at looking at the mystery behind "C". I was kind of hoping for a bit more answers to his character then what we were given in this episode. We learned he was about to start working with Peter Kruases dad before he died, but other then that there conversations seemed pretty filler. The birthday thing threw me off. The siblings both get mad and basically turn good, whcih makes me wonder why they needed the severeal episode of build up to get to this moment where everything just crumbles over stupid stuff...but maybe that was the point. I thought the priest and his son are both amaing actors in this episode. Overall, it was your average Dirty Sexy Money episode. One of those episodes that meets your expectation level at the nose.

I am surprised that Brian Jr. came clean so fast to the wife and her reaction to Brian's cheating and lying was perfectly done. I also liked Brian coming apart before Nick, something he didn't want and Nick trying to help the man who's always hated him. At the same time, you sensed Nick somewhat enjoyed having the upper hand with Brian for a change and his attempts to get back with his wife will make for good drama. And once again, kudos for the casting as you really can believe these two are father and son.



I am surprised Natalie lied like that but it led to the great dynamics of Juliet and Jeremy. Once again, I'm amazed at how well Armstrong has lifted Juliet above a simple Paris knock-off and a fully fleshed character who truly loves her brother and doesn't want him hurt. It's a major move for her to admit she's not ready for so much money and even more for Jeremy to ask his father for a job, finally ready to become a man at last. All the acting was well done, especially Sutherland so angry with Jeremy after the party but proud when his son finally stands up for himself.



The stuff with Karen trying to get her fiancee into the club was mostly filler as was most of the plot of Lisa's painting but it did pay off with Nick realizing what he had to do to keep himself from turning into his father. So a great episode that expanded plotlines (anyone else see the way Tripp talked about Juliet and Jeremy being different from the others while Laeitia looked guilty?) but also pushing Brian, Jeremy and Juliet along into finally growing up. Hopefully the show can grow even further along into a wonderful drama.

Five episodes in and I have been thoroughly enjoying this show on many levels. This one however really shines above the preceding four. The plots laid out are moved well down their various paths, but much more importantly we see several simultaneous character developments that really demand the viewer takes even some of the less enjoyable characters seriously, and maybe even twists the previous perceptions about them right around. Simon Elder takes Nick for a short ride in his car, the police had contacted him after Nick told them what he had found. He knew Dutch and obviously knew him much better than he will admit, but he wont elaborate. He says he and Nick are the same - trying to make the most of the advantages life has given to them and share that good fortune with the less fortunate. He will talk to Nick about his dad and the Darlings at dinner - and they agree to meet later. As he gets out of the car and it is driven off he sees the number plate - a straight "C", and realizes this has to be the C Nick has learned of from his Father's briefcase.



Nick makes a statement at dinner about how his day tomorrow will just be another day of running around after the Darlings instead of doing his charitable work. This sets the stage nicely for what comes later.



The twins are planning their 25th birthday party, only they cant agree on Natalie coming, and the resulting fight leaves them wanting two separate parties instead of one together. But no way are they going to split the million dollar budget - they demand that much each! When he meets with Tripp, Nick learns that the twins are about to inherit a further 25 million each from Letitia's side of the family. Tripp says the twins wont do anything wise with the money, that they are different, a not so subtle hint at their probable different lineage.



Jeremy meanwhile is discussing plans with Natalie on how he is going to spend his 25 million with her and their new baby, after he's put Juliet to shame with the better party. Unfortunately Juliet overhears him tell Nick that Natalie is pregnant while making plans for his party at Nick's office. Nick is concerned at the news but Jeremy says he's ready to change, ready to be sensible. Just obviously not quite yet, he still wants his party on the Brooklyn Bridge.



The Party budgets are now twice each what they were going to be just for one, and Nick advises Tripp, who feels rather than pull the rug on the party budgets they should be let free to do whatever they want as he plans to delay the inheritances to them both to teach them a lesson. Nick thinks that's wrong, that Tripp should take time to sit down with them and show them what they are doing and what the results will be, to teach them rather than letting them just do it. Tripp says that wont work that it's too late, seemingly indicating he has given up on them now as just being a lot cause.



Juliet's friend Astrid tells her how Natalie had needed a tampon at a party - not easy if she is really pregnant.



After an unfortunate event at dinner Brian is forced to dictate the merits of truth and honesty in front of his son, scaring Brian Jr into telling Mei Ling Hwa who his daddy really is. This sets off a chain reaction where Brian admits everything and Mei Ling Hwa says she wants a divorce.



Patrick is forced against his will to make moves to get Karen's fiance Freddy membership into his exclusive club so he can hold his bachelor party there, under threat that Karen will otherwise tell his wife all about his "special friend" if he doesn't. When he learns Karen is going to have lunch with his wife he panics and runs to Karen, who tells him he has nothing to worry about so long as Freddy gets into the club.



And so at pretty much half way into the episode everything is kind of following it's usual pattern of character portrayals more of less. And its here that this episode turns the whole season around. Brian goes to see Nick, he wants Nick to be ruthless with the divorce, he wants to fight for the kids. He is angry and wants to hurt her. Then in a moment he loses it and breaks down, admitting he has made a mess of everything. The side of him we have seen glimpses of is totally revealed, open, vulnerable and scared to death that he will lose everything that means the most to him in the world. Nick convinces him to go ask her again for another chance.



Juliet doesn't use her new information against Jeremy, she calls Nick, and Nick is immediately visiting Jeremy to tell him not everything is as it seems and Natalie can't be pregnant. He wont believe him, it's just Juliette trying to get at him, but when Nick says Juliette loves him and she wouldn't make something like this up, we see it dawn on Jeremy that maybe he's been wrong, and we also see that his happy go lucky attitude maybe really was changing after all, as glimpses of the realization that maybe he isn't going to have a baby strike him and maybe he didn't realize how much he wanted things to be different. He says he will just ask her to her face.



At his party he is totally not himself, While the two parties go off, Nick has dinner with Simon Elder, who confirms he is C. He tells how his father had been his friend and his sounding board, giving him a lot of advice, mostly how to survive being insanely wealthy and how not to let it kill you out of extravagance.



Brian visits his wife and explains he hid the truth out of fear of losing her, and once he'd started he just couldn't stop. He loves her and he wants another chance. She is obviously moved but angry and wants him and Brian Jr out of the house until she works out what to do.



At Juliette's party she's told how cool it must be to finally have her very own party and not have to worry about sharing one with her slut magnet brother. She comments Yeah it rocks, but is totally unconvincing. The one guy that she has feelings for at all she has asked to the party and now sees him making out with one of her so called friends. She cant take it and leaves distraught to go find her brother, a starling revelation of the real bond she feels between them totally against everything so far portrayed.



Natalie admits she's not pregnant, she really thought she was but once she found out she wasn't she just couldn't tell him. He feels betrayed, he kisses her and pushes her away telling her to stay away from him and he walks off. Dinner is over and Simon and Nick walk down a city street, trailed ever so not unobtrusively by Simon's security car. Simon asks how Nicks charity work has been going and Nick admits it isn't - he just hasn't had the time thanks to the Darlings. Simon tells how Nicks father told him how the Darlings money all around him and the life it allowed made him lose track of himself, and it lead to losing his wife and Nick. Nick sees Simon must know more than he is telling and pushes him for what his father really did for him. Simon just says his dad had seen the need to do more for those that needed it and had been just about to come and work for him - when his plane had crashed. Nick surmises Simon thinks Tripp killed his dad, but Simon wont be drawn to answer saying only he thinks Nick should be making time to do what he really went to Tripp for, and that if he cant he should work for him instead, to finish what his father started. He leaves telling him "There are lots of ways to lose your life Nick, all at once, or one day at a time." Nick is left standing on the street, realizing that no matter what the answers about his dad really are, he himself is not doing the things that are perhaps the most important.



Jeremy has lost it at his party - almost naked he has taken to the railings directly above the moving traffic on the bridge with a microphone. Juliette has made it to his party and is yelling at him in concern as he addresses the crowd saying some came for the free booze, some to hook up and some maybe even because they like him, but he cant know because thats the problem with having all this money and spending it in this kind of way - you can never know. He staggers and nearly falls off the bridge as he breaks into a slurred version of All by myself, and the sirens sound and the police arrive to take him down.



Brain has brought Brian Jr back to the family home - to his old room to be precise and Letitia comments it's odd having all the children back home, like they are all getting another chance. The two Brian's are left sitting on their bunk beds as dad tells his son he did the right thing, and without being able to see each other they both adopt the same sitting posture with their head down on one hand - priceless!



Nick has rescued Jeremy from the police and at home in Tripp's office Tripp is going off at him about how he has done nothing with his life but disappoint him. Jeremy is indignant he knows he's done the wrong thing but hes also angry that all he ever gets from Tripp is criticism. Tripp says to Nick we shouldn't delay the inheritance we should terminate it entirely. Jeremy stands up to him and says do whatever you like I simply don't care so long as I get out from under you. "I wish that I could be someone you loved dad, I wish that, but I cant, I cant - I can just be me, I know that's not good enough for you" And he leaves in tears. Nick says he has to admit he doesn't know how Tripp can call Jeremy irresponsible when he refuses to be responsible with him. Tripp says "This is between Jeremy and Me" "No it's not, because I'm here to tell you why you're wrong - it's wrong what you're doing to him Tripp, you're trying to scare him into being what you want him to be. Is that what money's for - to try and scare people? You're losing Jeremy Tripp, you're losing him one day at a time, you'll wake up one morning and find him gone".



Tripp is left sitting by himself, realizing maybe for the first time just how he has approached his children as he mulls over the same words from Nick that Simon has just given to him as spoken by his father.



The next morning the two rival twins are together on the balcony. There is an obvious closeness and appreciation of how much they mean to each other. Juliette says shes not getting her money either - shes told dad she doesn't need it, she can wait 5 years. Jeremy asks has she ever though what maybe life could be like without all the money - like a little more normal. She says "I think you can be as normal as you want to be - and that can be pretty spectacular" and they embrace. Jeremy talks to Tripp and says he's sorry for saying what he said and for getting out of control. He says hes not there to try and get his trust money back. Ever suspicious Tripp goads him as to what it is he does want? A rocket? The Hubble telescope? "I want a job" "A job?" "Yeah I been thinking lately and I should get a job right?" "Young man (starting to cry), you have just made me... truly proud".



Nick ends the episode in his office seeing some people that have applied for a grant for kids playgrounds and as he gives them a check he is interrupted by his assistant telling him Tripp Darling is on the phone for you. "Tell him I'll call him back - What? I said I'll call him back"



"Thank you so much you have no idea how much this money can change our organization. Actually I do, but I'm giving it to you anyway..." An absolutely riveting episode. Nick learns that he has to take hold of his own life and do what he promised himself he would, or that money that can do so much good will only wrap him up and strangle his life. Tripp learns that no matter what the full pedigree of his family might be, they are his family and that if he treats them as individuals and not failed copies of himself they just might surprise him. The twins learn that they really need each other more than they though and Jeremy's character grows up and understands that there is so much more to life than spending money and falling over out of it. And Brian learns that accepting his past just might be the way to having a real future.



I really like this show up to episode four, now I am really becoming quite enthralled by it. I could never miss anything with Donald Sutherland in it which is why I came, but now I'm here I come back for many more reasons and after this episode this really has become my surprise hit show for this season. ABC have just ordered three new scripts, so here's hoping they too can see the incredible mix of storyline and acting talent they are sitting on.