An Undercover Bunny, a False Relationship and More Threats. Review: The Playboy Club - "A Matter of Simple Duplicity"

Season 1, Episode 3 – “A Matter of Simple Duplicity”

Air Date: Monday, October 03, 2011, 10/9 c on NBC

Rating: ★★★★★

An Undercover Bunny, a False Relationship and More Threats. Review: The Playboy Club - "A Matter of Simple Duplicity" 1

A sneaky Bunny Doris (Carrie Coon) as she eavesdrops on a conversation

Carol-Lynne (Laura Benati) hires a new bunny over Billy’s (David Krumholz) objections; Janie (Jenna Dewan Tatum) and Max (Wes Ramsey) fight over the lie she’s been keeping; Alice’s (Leah Renee Cudmore) husband Sean (Sean Maher) takes it upon himself to set Nick (Eddie Cibrian) up in an effort to become Nick’s campaign manager; and Johnny Bianchi (Troy Garity) tells Maureen (Amber Heard) “You’re the last person to see my father alive. One way or the other, Maureen, you’re gonna tell me what you know.” While this sounds like an interesting episode of The Playboy Club, it leaves a lot to be desired.

I suppose for younger people who may not know Gloria Steinem—yes that Gloria Steinem—went undercover as a Playboy Bunny in 1963 and wrote an exposé of what went on behind the scenes, the story of an undercover bunny is quite salacious. For me, not so much. It’s obvious from the minute Carol-Lynne introduces Bunny Doris (Carrie Coon) to the Bunnies (who immediately take her under their wings), something isn’t right. My suspicions prove to be spot on when Doris excuses herself and places a call to someone named Jacobi saying, “Hey, it’s Doris. I’m in. Don’t worry, nobody suspects a thing. I’ll find out exactly what we want to know.” I was highly annoyed when, within the first 28 minutes, Carol-Lynne figures the whole thing out and Bunny Doris is gone. Or so I thought, until her two-part exposé, “Bloody Bunny – A Murder Tail” comes out in the Chicago Daily News. Based on a mere eight hours as a Playboy Bunny, it’s amazing she amasses that much information. Or figured out Janie’s story for that matter.

As Sean tells Nick, “It’s 1961 but a lot of voters are still stuck in the 50s. They wanna see you with their idea of the right girl.” Miss Frances Dunhill (Cassidy Freeman) is the daughter of one of the richest men in the city and the woman Sean fixes Nick up with, almost immediately proving himself worthy of being Nick’s campaign manager. I instantly smell trouble on the horizon. Why would such a beautiful, statuesque woman agree to something like this? Well, she has a secret agenda of her own which is revealed by the end of the episode.

An Undercover Bunny, a False Relationship and More Threats. Review: The Playboy Club - "A Matter of Simple Duplicity" 2

Johnny and Nick discussing Bunny Maureen

While Carol-Lynne assures Nick she’s ok with him dating Frances, she is already incensed when she sees Nick and Frances dancing to Lesley Gore’s (Colbie Caillat) “It’s My Party.” Caillat does a perfect imitation of Gore, including having her back-up singers flinging scarves around during the performance. (Check out the real Lesley Gore performing the song here.) But Carol-Lynne is no dummy. She follows Pearl’s (Jenifer Lewis) advice, “You every bit as upstanding as that fancy little rich bitch and he gotta know that,” and gets Jimmy Wallace (Joel Gretsch), Nick’s opposition, to take her to the restaurant where Nick and Frances are dining. Nothing like instilling a little jealousy in your man! I like Pearl. She may be the Club’s seamstress, but she’s smart and calls it like she sees it. I’d like to see more of her.

Speaking of Carol-Lynne, Benati is the best part of The Playboy Club. Her musical numbers blow me away and she’s the only character I’m truly invested in. I’m not sure why Carol-Lynne is so hung up on Nick because she certainly deserves more. And as for Nick, I’m trying to figure out why people like Cibrian so much. His performance lacks any depth. During his supposedly dramatic scenes, he has a stupid, blank look on his face while saying his lines. Other times, he’s grinning from ear to ear. I do love those dimples though! That appears to be the extent of his acting abilities. As for his storyline, I’ve seen no reason to become invested in the character. All he does is hang around the Club. We never see him in his office, in court or doing anything that would actually make us like him or root for him. He is so one-dimensional, it’s beginning to get on my last nerve.

Favorite lines:

Frances: “Politics is a man’s game. If a girl wants a seat at the table, it has to be as someone’s date.”
Johnny: “Beautiful women are the most dangerous thing in the world.”

Additional thoughts:

I’m tired of the storyline between Maureen and Johnny Bianchi. How many times are the writers going to have Johnny threaten Maureen before something actually happens!? I’m hoping this will come to a conclusion next week since Maureen stupidly gets into Johnny’s car at the end of the episode. She just has to do things her way.

An Undercover Bunny, a False Relationship and More Threats. Review: The Playboy Club - "A Matter of Simple Duplicity" 3

Nick tries to talk Johnny out of using his gun to find out what Doris knows

I have the sneaking suspicion there’s more than meets the eye where Nick and Johnny’s relationship is concerned. I know Nick used to be a fixer for the Bianchi Family, but why does Johnny say, “Why do you care? What are you, the loyal son all of a sudden?”

Wasn’t it fun watching the Bunnies dance to Little Eve’s “Locomotion?” They even get in train formation and sing into their hairbrushes.

So far, David Krumholz has been extremely underused. He’s lucky if he gets four or five lines per episode. I’d love to know more about Billy, especially the gambling the writers have mentioned once or twice now.

I have to mention the cheesy dialogue. Nick, speaking about dating Frances: “It’s all for show.” Carol-Lynne retorts, “And the show must go on.” To use a famous Valley girl statement, “Gag me with a spoon.”

I haven’t given up hope yet that The Playboy Club will become an interesting series I’m willing to watch each week. If the writers would give some depth to the characters, it might make a world of difference.

Tune in to The Playboy Club Mondays at 10/9c on NBC. For more information on the show, go to http://www.nbc.com/the-playboy-club.

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Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!