'Trust Me's' Double Whammy

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

So, it's taken me most of the day to figure out what I wanted to say with regards to the two new episodes of Trust Me that aired back-to-back this week.

And, I'm still not sure.

The show has slipped into being too predictable for me, and I'm afraid the scenarios in this week's eps weren't much of an exception.

First episode: Conner bonking the marketing director of a big time account the team needs to secure in order to survive ('cause we recall they lost Arc Mobile). Turns out she dumped the last agency because ... uh, the relationship didn't work out.

Gee, we couldn't see that coming, could we?

No offense on Amy Pietz's portrayal of Diane the Dish, but the minute she slithers in and starts flirting with everybody, I'm like, "So, this is going to end with her sleeping with Conner, then dumping Conner, then ruining the account for Mason."

And for the most part, I was right.

Except in the end, when the boys actually stick it to Diane and turn one of Conner's midnight romps with her IN to the actual advertising campaign - which she fumes over but is outvoted by HER boss.

I swear, she was even more paranoid schizophrenic than Sarah.

And annoying.

Seriously, does Conner actually think anything through?

Second episode: Conner and Mason - whilst on assignment in the middle of Nowhere Nebraska studying focus groups for aforementioned Diane's account - run into Conner's former art director partner.

You know, the one before Mason.

Whom he apparently ditched some years back when he realized the guy had zilch-o talent but didn't have the cajones to actually own up and say it to his face.

And Stu (remember Stu?) fired him.

Well, fast forward to Conner feeling all guilty for how it all went down, and thus, gee we couldn't see that coming conning Mason into hiring him onto the team only to have his work be just as bad as it was a decade ago, and Conner still not having the cajones to man up to get rid of him.

Now there were a couple of charmers in these episodes - mostly concerning Sarah Clarke's Erin (again). Seriously, I really can't get enough of the scenes between her and Eric McCormack. They have got some true husband-wife chemistry if I've ever seen it.

And Sarah's attempt to get Rolling Rock (yes, the beer) to become one of Mason's accounts was funny - especially in her attempts to keep it secret and/or speak in the-crow-is-in-the-barn code.

And Conner's former partner really WAS a decent guy. Kinda made you feel bad he had been lead to believe he really had talent to work in the advertising industry. He almost seemed TOO decent to be part of the insanity.

And the first episode finally gave us (er, me) the magic Mason/Conner moment showing why they should even BE together: they are a really good team when they want to be.

But really, I was left mostly underwhelmed again by what was on display. It continues to be a shame, too, because I think the cast gels really well together. All the actors get that rapid fire delivery of lines, the quick pacing of the scenes, the never-ending source of energy required to work in advertising.

Unfortunately, the show is just stuck on the Mason has problem/Conner tries to fix problem/Conner makes problem worse/ya-da, ya-da formula that plays too much like a one-trick pony.

**PROGRAMMING NOTE: Next new episode of Trust Me airs on March 31st, with two back-to-back episodes beginning at 9 p.m. You can learn more about the series by visiting the Trust Me Official Web site.