THE WIFE HE MET ONLINE (2012 TV movie) 5 out of 10 stars Time to Read: 3min

 Unlikable protagonists, and a villainess you'll root for...

THE WIFE HE MET ONLINE (2012 TV movie) 5 out of 10 stars Time to Read: 3min

BASIC PLOT: 

Georgia Maricett (Sydney Penny) is a woman with issues, but she's determined to put them to rest, and start a life with her new husband, Bryant Meyers (Cameron Mathison). Unfortunately for Bryant, there are some things he doesn't know about Georgia, like how she tried to set her last boyfriend's house on fire, and how her mother died under mysterious circumstances.

Bryant is consumed with Georgia, and misses some of the red flags he should be paying attention to. His ex-wife, Virginia (Cynthia Preston) is more intuitive about the situation, and she's determined to find out if her suspicions are correct. She wonders why Georgia did not invite one single person to her own wedding? Georgia seems to have an excuse for everything, but that's not enough to quiet Virginia's unease.

The final straw is an altercation between Megan (Emily Burley) , Bryant & Virginia's daughter, and Georgia. Megan won't tell Virginia exactly what happened, but a mother can tell when something's off, and Virginia is sure something is not right here.

She begins an exhaustive deep dive into Georgia's former life. Can she uncover Georgia's enigmatic and shadowy past in time to save her family's future?

WHAT WORKS: 

*SYDNEY PENNY DOES HER USUAL GOOD JOB WITH WHAT SHE'S GIVEN Sydney Penny is great as Georgia, an unbalanced woman with an ax to grind. Her slow movements, leading to bursts of rage, really work here.

*THIS MOVIE PRESENTS PSYCHOLOGICALLY VALID POINTS PRESENTED IN A MELODRAMATIC WAY Every man in Georgia's life has let her down, and then cut and run, starting with her father. Men don't like to face this fact, but the statistics don't lie. When there's a crisis in families, men run. This is what's happened to Georgia her whole life, making HER TOO SYMPATHETIC! If Bryant really loved her, he should get her the help she needs, not dump her like a piece of trash. He also shouldn't lie to her about working so closely with his ex, or anything else. If he didn't love her that much, he never should have married her to begin with. It's a believable trope because we all see it so often, but it does make the protagonist (Bryant) very unlikable.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK:

*ALL OF THE PROTAGONISTS ARE UNLIKABLE, INCLUDING BRYANT'S YOUNG DAUGHTER, MEGAN Georgia overreacts when Megan (Emily Burley) uses her laptop, but she's not wrong in saying Megan should ask first, before using it. And what's with this kid flipping out like Georgia's after her with a knife, when all Georgia did was tell her to get some manners? Megan actually calls her mother at work, because she's told to ask before using a laptop? And then she forgets the whole thing, when Georgia buys her off with a video game? It makes Megan look spoiled, greedy and histrionic. It's ridiculous, and again, it makes Megan, unlikable, not Georgia.

*BRYANT TELLS GEORGIA HE'S NOT A LIAR, but literally 30 seconds before, she caught him in a lie about working with a woman he slept with! Bryant (Cameron Mathison) is a liar, and Georgia is not wrong in assuming men lie when there's something to lie about. Again, this makes the "protagonist," Bryant, unlikable, and the "villainess," Georgia, more sympathetic. That is the opposite of what you should have in a good melodrama.

*BRYANT SAYS TO GEORGIA "I WILL NEVER ABANDONED YOU LIKE YOUR FATHER, OR LIE TO YOUR LIKE YOUR MOTHER." But, you guessed it, he does both! Are we supposed to root for these people? Because I'm not. I hope Georgia kills 'em all! They're a pack of spoiled, self-serving, selfish, solipsistic creeps!

*SHE'S NOT MRS. GEORGIA MEYERS! This is just a pet peeve, but if she was Mrs. Georgia Meyers, she'd be married to Georgia. She is in fact, Mrs. Bryant Meyers, or Mrs. Meyers, or Georgia Meyers, or even Ms. Georgia Meyers, but she's not married to herself. I wish people would learn proper title usage! And while we're at it, why does Virginia (Bryant's ex-wife) still have his last name, even after she's remarried? That's not right either.

*VIRGINIA, BRYANT'S EX, USES A FLIMSY PRETEXT TO SNOOP INTO GEORGIA'S BACKGROUND Virginia (Cynthia Preston) acts like the "fight" Georgia had with her daughter Megan, is enough of a reason to violate Georgia's privacy, and go after her. Again, she makes it seem like Georgia did something wrong when she told Megan (Virginia's daughter) to get some manners, and ask before you use someone's laptop. This is not unreasonable behavior, but everyone acts like she committed murder by disciplining Megan a little harshly. It's not enough of a reason to call seven people, violating Georgia's privacy, and injecting herself into her ex-husband's marriage. Calling Georgia's ex is more than stepping over a line, it's a deal breaker. To make matters worse, it's not even a good source of information (who speaks kindly about their ex?). Virginia is a habitual line stepper, who's behavior needs to be checked. Why doesn't she understand her investigation into Georgia's past, could cause serious issues with Bryant, the father of her child? Why doesn't her new husband tell her to back off? This is just more lazy writing from Christine Conradt. And again, Virginia's behavior makes the "protagonists" unlikable, which is a cardinal sin in this type of melodrama. (Side note: How did Virginia get a copy of Georgia's resume to know whom to call? Just another plothole.)

*THIS IS A COLLECTION OF THE MOST UNLIKABLE PEOPLE YOU'LL EVER WATCH The whole theme of the movie, from EVERYBODY (except Georgia) is, if people don't serve your needs, throw them away. There's no compassion, understanding or loyalty from anyone. Virginia throws Bryant away, Bryant throws Zenya and Georgia away, etc etc etc. It's a group of people who believe in disposable relationships, and there's not one likable character in the whole movie. The sad thing is, this movie could have been a great melodrama with some tweaking from Christine Conradt, but it just didn't get it.

TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION: 

*If you like made-for-tv movies, and you like rooting for the villainess, then definitely give this a try. I would also recommend this to fans of Sydney Penny. She's the standout here, and gives a worthwhile performance. It's a fun time waster, with some entertaining moments. However, if you like the good guys in your movies to be honorable, or if you like your movies rooted in reality, then give this a pass.

CLOSING NOTES: 

*THIS IS A MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE, please keep that in mind before you watch/rate it. TV movies have a much lower budget, and so your expectations should be adjusted.

*I HAVE NO CONNECTION TO THE FILM, or production in ANY way. This review was NOT written in full, or in part, by a bot. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews (less trolls and fanboys), and better entertainment. Hope I helped you out.