Lifetime
It’s been about 12 years since I sat down to watch a Lifetime movie (and maybe basic cable.) When my family finally got Comcast while I was in high school, and I would consume them like soap operas—my favorites being Girl Fight, starring Anne Heche, and Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleader Scandal, which I totally believe is why Harmony Korine selected Ashley Benson to star in Spring Breakers. As an adult, though, the reality genre has fulfilled my appetite for melodramatic TV. That said, it makes sense that the only thing that could lure me back to this ridiculous channel is a cast member from Vanderpump Rules.
After a stellar first three weeks competing on ABC’s Dancing With The Stars, Ariana Madix co-stars in Lifetime’s latest thriller Buying Back My Daughter, which airs tonight. This is maybe my favorite “revenge” opportunity that has come Madix’s way following Scandoval—even if she’s playing a cop regrettably named Officer Karen. I also love the juxtaposition of Madix and Tom Sandoval’s individual TV ventures right now. While Sandoval is scaling up mountains in sub-freezing temperatures on Fox’s Special Forces and getting axed from The Masked Singer, Madix gets to Olivia-Benson cosplay opposite a star of Deliver Us From Eva. (Although, Meagan Good’s recent role as Jonathan Major’s girlfriend has lost her some cool points.)
For anyone who’s dreading seeing Madix in a cop uniform, you should know that this is an extremely ACAB film. In fact, she’s really nothing like Olivia from Law & Order: SVU because she and her fellow officer are absolutely no help to Good’s character, Dana, after her daughter Alicia (Faith Wright) goes missing. Dana’s husband Curtis (Roger Cross) and her youngest daughter Cadence (Biance Lawrence) are also weirdly cavalier about Alicia’s disappearance, too, and get increasingly annoyed that she cares so much?? It’s actually comical. Anyway, the subject of Black girls and women being neglected by the criminal justice system and the media is apparently something the network is interested in. Earlier this year, actress-turned-Bravolebrity Garcelle Beauvais starred in Black Girl Missing with almost the exact same premise.