TV REVIEW: Mistresses “Boundaries” Is A Little Bitter and A Little Sweet

A solid follow up to the Mistresses season two premiere, “Boundaries” put each woman’s new identity to the test. While only one had a genuinely good time, each made important breakthroughs on their individual roads to happiness.

This series can get a tad heavy at times and for one character the tension rose to a considerably uncomfortable level. The episode’s overall pacing and tone, however, remained  snappy and amusing, even the parts that caused a bit of hair ruffling frustration. Savi, April, Karen, and Joss not only had their personal boundaries pushed, but those of their relationships as well.

Savi’s storyline perhaps explored both facets of this the best. Unlike that of her fellow friends, her battle was a two headed snake. After having made the choice to come back and work at the firm she learns that she has to share her office with another lawyer. This might not be so bad if her new roomie, Toni, wasn’t so… “ambitious.” She is not just that way when it comes to her case work either.

Savannah’s sexy, pushy and slightly off-putting neighbor has an interest in Dom. An interest she is passionately vocal about it. Toni’s flirty nature in and out of the boardroom makes Savi — and us — rightfully uncomfortable. She and Dom are in a relationship and though it’s secret, there are still boundaries. Couple that with Savi and Dominic’s history and you have the perfect storm. Toni’s behavior becomes a serious issue for the new couple and Savi is sure to lay out all her qualms over it. It’s their first real hurdle as a couple, but it’s a pretty big one. This makes their reunion smooch all the more welcome, but their relationship is a secret no more as Toni catches them in the act. It’ll be interesting to see if Toni sees this as the deal-breaker it is or treats the discovery as ignition fluid for some not-so-friendly competition.

Speaking of competition, Joss experiences a little of her own. Harry and Joss have partnered up for her party-planning business and while it initially seems like a good idea things go south fast, leaving Joss to wonder whether the joint venture was a serious mistake. After Harry helps them snag their first client as a duo, the long line of issues begin, starting with the fact that their client is easily manipulation, scatter brained and totally infatuated with Harry. Other problems on the list? Well, Harry’s pretty bossy (both in and outside of the kitchen). He can also be somewhat inconsiderate and seems like he’s competing to be “in charge” in a situation where there is no single leader. Meanwhile, Joss has trouble communicating her discomfort with Harry sidelining and time-crunching her. Instead she lets it fester which is not good for her partnership’s health.

As Harry executes his menu, she darts around trying to make the perfect party on a wing and a prayer. In the end it all works out, but similar to her sister’s episode arc, words fly like bullets between the two before the new duo steps into their dynamic shoes. Last season these two characters had a pretty enticing chemistry that remained largely positive. It was great seeing a new side to this endearing pairing and hopefully their growth will continue. Not only do they make a smart business partnership, but it’s nice seeing a healthy non-romantic relationship between a man and a woman on the show.

Pictured (L-R): YUNJIN KIM, WILLIAM RAGSDALE — Photo by: ABC/Anthony Michael Rivetti

It seems the writers have some sort of vendetta against Karen as she keeps up that cringe-worthy storyline tradition. Just as we see her settle in with a new patient, an old enemy reappears challenging the emotional and psychological progress she’s made over the last eight months. Who could have that much power over Karen? Well, that would be none other than Elizabeth Grey. Grey is up for parole and the idea of her getting any kind of freedom is enough to send Karen into panic attacks. Savi recommends that Karen go and give a statement against her release, but when she gets there she has to look fear dead in the face.

Karen and Elizabeth have a heart-to-shaky-heart, with both women seeing the toll their mistakes have made not just on themselves, but on each other. Karen also realizes that she’s not afraid of Grey anymore. Her realization gives her the confidence to accept private clients again, this time at her home. While the Karen and Elizabeth scenes were strong, they were terribly uncomfortable. So much so that it is debatable whether the questionable outcome was worth it. Yes, Karen has her confidence back, however, bringing her clients into her home — when she already has such a separation issue — reeks of trouble. How many times can Mistresses play this storyline for our favorite psychiatrist. Ideally not more than once.

April had the most fun of everyone this week and between the taste testing and body painting with Daniel it was hard to believe the season one version of her ever existed. April was so caged by her emotions and previous relationship that we never really got to see her happy. And though her spending 48 straight hours with sexy smoldering wasn’t hard on the eyes, it did seem a bit odd considering how strongly the show has built her relationship with her daughter. This was ultimately what made the two part ways — almost permanently.

Their fling seemed to be going strong until April dropped the kid bomb. In the moment Daniel seemed hesitant about the revelation and we, like April, assumed he was too good to be true. In the end though Daniel surprised both us and April after he sent the product of their painting rendezvous to her shop, along with an encouraging note. It seems that after all the man trouble April’s had in the past, she may have found the one. Will her “curse of the perfect man” rear its ugly head again though? Could Daniel be in this for something else or is he in for the long haul?

In the end, “Boundaries” was a great episode to watch. Each character had their season’s storylines solidly set up, we got some hot and cold action, and most of the tension was resolved with only a few cliffhangers to keep us wondering. Mistresses, once again, nailed it.

Catch new episodes of Mistresses every Monday at 10/9c on ABC Network.