Critic Reviews

Mistresses still passes the Bechdel Test; its strongest moments are when the women lean on each other. [30 May 2014, p.114]

Once past an introductory flow of steamy images--plenty of stripping and unzipping, couplings in darkened rooms--it takes no time to recognize the quality in this sharply written and entertaining saga of four women destined to lead exceedingly complicated lives.

The casting is key to make these fairly stock situations pop, all loosely revolving around questions of fidelity, although the title--like most everything else in the show--is a little bit over the top.

Mistresses doesn’t shoot for profound. It aims to be the “beach read” of television, and it does its job.

The acting ranges from adequate to awful. Milano and George have zero chemistry, and George’s sexy stud act, which has bankrolled his career, reaches its expiration point here.... It’s not nearly enough sizzle for summer.

The scripts are serviceable, although some lines land with a Richter Scale thud.

Tawdry but lacking a spirit of fun, Mistresses strives to be a guilty pleasure, but it's more likely to induce guilt than pleasure.

The problem with Mistresses may lie with the expectations it has set. If the sex isn't going to be fun, what is it going to be? It would be good if we found that out soon.

The stars--Alyssa Milano, Yunjin Kim, Jes Macallan and Rochelle Aytes--do the Four Musketeers thing pretty well, and all of them elevate the material. And it needs occasional elevating.

While the purpose of all of this is to urge you to skip this version and try to get your hands on the saucy British original, it's only fair to report that one of the four--Jes Macallan as Milano's unrepentantly slutty sis, a real-estate broker having it off with her boss--captures the Mistresses spirit of naughty fun (never without consequences).