Don't let the title of ABC's new sitcom fool you. Malin Akerman may be young and beautiful, but that doesn't mean she's a "Trophy Wife" and nothing more. Akerman stars as Kate, the third wife to Pete, played by Bradley Whitford. And while she's a one-time party girl, she takes her new role in his life seriously, as she tries to connect with his children and not be driven crazy by his ex-wives.
Since Pete has children with both Marcia Gay Harden's Dr. Diane Buckley and Michaela Watkins' Jackie, both women are still a huge part of his life. The aggressive and straight-laced Diane especially doesn't seem all that impressed with Kate.
“I always wanted a husband and family. I just didn’t expect to meet them all in one night," Kate said at one point in the chaotic pilot. While the other wives are a challenge, she's struggling just as much to connect with Pete's children. But there's a heart at the center of the madness, and a sweetness about Kate that's hard not to root for. In other words, she's way more than a "Trophy Wife."
Even Akerman herself has been on a campaign to prove that the show's title is misleading. Seems to be a bit of a trend for ABC, coming up with offensive names for their sitcoms. They never could get America to move past the name "Cougar Town" and give that show a chance.
“The title is meant ironically, because as "Cougar Town" has proven, America loves ironic sitcom titles, HitFix's Alan Sepinwall wrote ironically. "I don't love the pilot, but the raw material's there for a very good comedy.”
TV.com's Tim Surette agreed regarding the show's potential, particularly praising the cast. "'Trophy Wife' is off to a great start," he wrote. "If things stay somewhat consistent, [it] should be one of this season's surviving shows. Now go give your family a hug."
Can "Trophy Wife" shake off a bad title to find an audience for ABC? Tune in on Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET to give it a chance.
TV Replay scours the vast television landscape to find the most interesting, amusing, and, on a good day, amazing moments, and delivers them right to your browser.
Related
Before You Go
