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Sometimes I’m drawn to a TV series because of the name behind it.
For example, anything by Shonda Rhimes, JJ Abrams, Ryan Murphy, Lee Daniels, Michelle and Robert King or Ava DuVernay, I will generally watch.
The same goes for Marc Cherry. I’ve been a fan ever since, “Desperate Housewives”. He bowled me over with “Devious Maids” and now I’m addicted to “Why Women Kill”.
Season two of the period drama, which is set in 1949, recently debuted on M-Net. And, once again, he does a wonderful job in baiting viewers with his wonderfully-etched characters and ingenious storyline.
This time around, he changes tactic by making a dowdy housewife named Alma Fillcot the anchor. He finds her in Allison Tolman, who viewers will remember from “Good Girls”, “Castle Rock”, “The Twilight Zone” and “Emergence”.
And she knocks the role out of the ballpark.
He has found another delightful gem, too, by casting Lana Parrilla as Rita, who is the Queen Bee of the local garden club. The trophy wife of Carlo Castillo (Daniel Zacapa).
This instalment follows Alma’s misadventures as she tries to get into an elitist society club.
A frumpish housewife, she yearns to be a social butterfly.
Sadly, all anyone remembers her for is being the wife of the local veterinarian.
Getting Rita’s stamp of approval means everything to her.
As she attempts to join this new circle of “friends”, a dark revelation throws a curveball into her plans.
Meanwhile, Rita has her own drama going on.
She’s worried her actor lover Scooter (Matthew Daddario) is being unfaithful.
As such she hires Vern Loomis (Jordane Christie), a private investigator, to follow him.
Rita is also annoyed when Carlo’s daughter moves in to take care of him after a mishap.
The plot thickens when Vern, despite confirming her suspicions, decides against telling her the truth as he’s grown fond of waitress Scooter has been secretly dating.
There’s plenty of devilish drama and scandal as the women juggle their own struggles while keeping up appearances.
As always, Cherry plants plenty of intrigue, sarcasm and twists to keep viewers on tenterhooks.
“Why Women Kill” season 2 airs on M-Net (DStv channel 101) on Mondays at 9.30pm.