Mistresses Season 4 Episode 1 Review: The New Girls
Jay Ruymann
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The ladies kick things off one year after Joss was held hostage, while Joss does some kicking of her own on Mistresses Season 4 Episode 1.
The premiere picks up with Wilson's trial – for kidnapping Joss and murdering Calista's husband – finishing up.
He's found guilty, but his mark is already left on Joss.
Did he seem insane? Other than the outfit and terrible wig, absolutely not. Wilson knew exactly what he was doing.
Joss
It'll be interesting to see how she's changed after all that happened in Mistresses Season 3. Being thrown into jail, framed by your friend, and having your life threatened can take its toll.
Can she remain the happy, confident soul we've known?
That's the question, but her fear is already getting the best of her. She calls the police on Harry when he surprises her, flinches whenever anyone touches her, and has bruises because of the kickboxing she's been doing.
What's the least surprising about this situation is she refuses to tell anyone. She won't admit to her fear; her friends don't know she's been kickboxing and getting severely injured.
She's thrown herself into her job which has had marvelous results, but she's resilient and stubborn, not seeing any of the therapists Karen recommended her to.
After the verdict is announced, Wilson gives Joss a haunting look. Could he somehow escape and come after her again? She'll have to face that fear, and the training she's undergone will be useful in protecting her.
Not much was said about how Joss escaped or what Wilson did to her. Her loosening the ropes enough to escape tells us a bit of how that occurred, but was it on purpose or an accident?
I believed Wilson when he said he never wanted to hurt her – she was just collateral damage – so could he have purposefully let her go? Could the killer have a conscience?
Joss has more than enough to worry about when Harry returns from his Food Network stint in Europe, but he comes back hiding something, and it's not just the watch – which was given too much focus.
Is that a sign of his misdeed/betrayal?
His proposal to Joss feels rushed, and whatever he told Marc can't be good for his future with Joss. Did he hook up with someone new while she was enduring the trial during the worst time of her life?
If it was me, I certainly wouldn't ever want to speak to him again.
Joss is going to go down a dangerous path, and becoming more reckless than ever would not be a surprise. I suspect the adrenaline is what's helping her overcome the fear, but adrenaline is an addiction, too.
April has moved in with Marc, Lucy has started high school, and April is losing herself.
After Marc proclaims he wants to follow his music career, April is angry because he's acting childish, a factor that could spark her interest in Marc.
I used to be an artist, but then I had a kid and put it on hold. And then I had the store and that became my life. Now Lucy is getting older and I'm just a crazy woman checking her daughter's Instagram account every five minutes.
April
April had Lucy when she was very young, and Lucy is so close to being an adult now. April doesn't know how to be anything other than a mom anymore, which could be why she's attracted to Marc. She's the one taking care of him.
She was going to support him while he got a psychology degree and became an addiction counselor, though with his new decision to pursue music, she's frustrated.
Part of it is because she's lost herself completely.
I used to be an artist, but then I had a kid and put it on hold. And then I had the store and that became my life. Now Lucy is getting older and I'm just a crazy woman checking her daughter's Instagram account every five minutes.
April
April's journey this season looks to be about letting go of some of the responsibilities she's forced onto herself as a single mother, letting go of Lucy and loosening the reins on herself and her passion.
Meanwhile, Karen has her daughter – sweetly named after Vivian – and Alec has taken off to participate in Doctors Without Borders.
Karen is a single mom, she's opened her practice again, and she's an author of a detailed account of her scandalous love affairs from the first three seasons.
We find Karen more stable than she's ever been, but that's not going to prevent her from gettin' down with someone else.
You're my nanny! This could not be more inappropriate.
Karen
This time, it might be with her incredibly handsome nanny, Robert, played by Jerry O'Connell. Robert is an aspiring actor, working for Karen while going to auditions on the side.
He almost put the moves on Karen. As his boss, she rejected him quickly, but it was clear she was a little interested anyway.
Karen hasn't been with anyone since Vivian passed away, and hopefully, she doesn't rush into anything. She's still fragile; she wrote her book to help with her own depression. She has an infant to think about, too.
It is on like Donkey Kong, Ms. Karen Kim, author/sex therapist.
Joss
Tia Mowry guest stars as Karen's new agent, putting her book on the path to success and opening the possibility for another book to be written. About what? Probably more of Karen's interesting love life.
It's just the three mistresses so far, but Harry's sister, Kate, will be returning to join the circle and start some trouble between Joss and Harry.
No one will take Savi's place, who is still not returning. No update on her life has been given, but that's probably for the best.
I started this show for Alyssa Milano, but I have to admit, Mistresses does so much better without her.
Her love triangle dragged the show down, and while I still think Joss and Harry's relationship is wrong, it works better than his and Savi's ever did.
Calista will be missed, but at least she's not dead.
We last saw her committing suicide, or attempting to, while locked up in jail, but Joss says she hasn't seen Calista since she was released from the hospital, so there's always the chance of her returning. Can Joss ever forgive her? Probably not.
It's a shame. Calista was a unique character, I would've loved to see more of her around Karen and April, but also in her work. She's so different from the other ladies.
Unfortunately, Jennifer Esposito's contract was for one year, making her return unlikely.
Are you excited for Kate to join the inner circle? What is Harry hiding from Joss, and how will it affect her broken state? Let us know your thoughts below!
You can watch Mistresses online right here at TV Fanatic to catch up, especially if you're having a hard time remembering the previous seasons or have never watched!
Jay Ruymann was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He retired in January 2018.
