Once Upon a Time: Stephen Moyer in The Starter Wife
By ZZ on Mar 12 2010 | 25 Comments »Our friend latbfan continues her journey through Stephen Moyer’s video repertoire with her latest review of “The Starter Wife,” a television miniseries that originally ran on the USA Network in 2007. Make sure you visit the second page as there’s a vast collection of screen caps for your drooling viewing pleasure.
Stephen, not in Baywatch, fortunately
Stephen Moyer is Sex on a Stick
My path to the “Starter Wife” was as arduous as the Wizard of Oz-inspired nightmare that opens the series. Thank goodness for drunken online shopping, or I would’ve continued to believe Louisiana was an alternate universe where the “Starter Wife” existed, but Stephen Moyer simply wasn’t in it (if you’ve ever been to Louisiana, you’ll understand why that theory isn’t completely insane).
For those of you just as confused as I was, there are TWO “Starter Wife”s. The one I’d dvr’ed on several different occasions, only to tediously fast forward through it because Stephen Moyer was nowhere to be found (while not entirely accurate, insert a mental image of me growling and hurling objects at the television), is the television show. Stephen Moyer is in the original mini-series (2007). This is not a minor distinction, fan(g)s…
I haven’t read the novel (written by Gigi Levangie Grazer) the show is based upon, but I’m going to go ahead and assume it wasn’t nominated for a Pulitzer (although the show was nominated for several Golden Globes and Judy Davis won an Emmy for her role). I needn’t worry about boring anyone with the intricacies of the plot because there are none. Nor are there spoilers I have to restrain myself from revealing. There are no surprises, no gut-wrenching drama, nothing upsetting or disconcerting, nothing that lingered after I’d turned off the television. But despite its complete fluffy-frothiness, and the fact that I had a difficult time feeling any empathy for characters who live in a world where the greatest tragedy is being snubbed by a judgmental hostess at an over-priced restaurant, it’s a really fun romp.
There are serious issues briefly acknowledged (like alcoholism, suicide, betrayal, and guilt), but the series moves along at a brisk and cheerful clip. The plot is simple: Molly (Debra Messing), the pampered wife of a Hollywood studio executive, is forced to redefine herself after her husband (Peter Jacobson) leaves her for a younger woman. She is surrounded by an entourage of friends that provide her (and the audience) with laughs: an older alcoholic (Judy Davis), the ubiquitous gay-designer (Chris Diamantopoulos), the turn-coat who comes to see the error of her ways (Miranda Otto), the plucky and delightful minority (Anika Noni Rose – who was my favorite), and the head-honcho Man of Power (Joe Mantegna) who offers Molly everything she thought she wanted.
Now this is hot ladies, have the slow motion button ready!
Adrift in this grotesque sea of vanity and materialism is Sam, played by a tan, sandy-haired Stephen Moyer, who spends much of the series wearing only red swim trunks (seriously, wardrobe people – have you not heard of Speedos?). Existing on the fringes of this society in a self-imposed exile, Sam is much more than merely eye-candy for the rich and famous. There’s a raw edginess to the character that Stephen Moyer plays beautifully and convincingly, which leaves little wonder why Alan Ball was interested in him for Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer did the Starter Wife just before auditioning for True Blood). He could do a follow-up lecture series for young actors on the art of filming outdoor sex-scenes (insert artfully strewn leaves instead of organic peat moss), and who can resist a man with that chest who says things like, “And if it makes any kind of sense in your life, I would love to make love to you”? (I’ll unabashedly raise my hand and say yes, it makes perfect sense.)
The ending is tied-up as neatly as a bow on a box from Tiffany’s, and I say run with it, fan(g)s. Sit back, grab your mom or daughter (because it didn’t air on HBO or Showtime, so as soon as a scene’s about to get juicy, the screen fades to black), open a bottle of wine, grab a towel to sop up the drool, and enjoy.
Have you seen The Starter Wife? What’s your opinion of the series? Leave your comments below!!!
You can buy The Starter Wife on DVD at the Amazon link.
| Title: | The Starter Wife |
| Year: | 2007 |
| Starring: | Debra Messing, Judy Davis, Chris Diamantopoulos, Stephen Moyer, Peter Jacobson, Joe Mantegna |
| Creator: | Gigi Levangie |
| Directed by: | Jon Avnet |
| Network: | USA NETWORK |
| Website: | http://www.usanetwork.com/series/starterwife |
| Plot: | An ex-wife of a Hollywood studio boss starts her life after her divorce. Based on the novel by Gigi Levangie Grazer. |
Lovely review. Its a pity I can’t get over my pathological loathing for Debra Messing to actually watch it. All the shirtless pics are much appreciated, I have this urge to rub my face against his hairy but not too hairy chest. Dribble.
Hubba, hubba. On my lord, pure wow factor. Just love this water scene and his dirty blond locks…I will have a nice dream tonight
Thank you latbfan for the great review and ZZ (?) for the screencaps – they look great. Stephen looks uber handsome and sexy in those two pics from the opening – must have been around the time of filming the TB pilot by the looks of his hair. I wasn’t a big fan of the dream sequences, but I liked the parody of “From Here to Eternity’ for obvious reasons.
I know it’s not an exact parallel, but I can’t resist this comparison:
In process of saving a life, a woman meets and falls for an unemployed handsome, mysterious, serious and sexy man with a dark secret who lives outside of regular society. He loves her for who she is but worries about whether he can change his lifestyle to be worthy of her and live up to her expectations. After he leaves she turns to a taller powerful, rich, funny and successful businessman who gives her gifts and status but who might want her for selfish reasons. Meanwhile earnest sexy guy fights back to win her love. In the end she ends up with…?
Thank you Wiwa, unfortunately the screencaps have not the quality I’d wish, but it was a pleasure to see so many good shots of our man.
Personally I don’t think the Starter Wife was that bad, it had its moments, and Sam Knight was delicious. I think Debra and Stephen had great chemistry. really, not the best Stephen project but entertaining enough.
Great review latbfan!
Great review Lat and great screencaps ZZ. I didn’t know who Stephen Moyer was at this point and didn’t bother to find out, but the epi’s with his character Sam in them, we’re the only ones I watched. The man has always been a pleasure.
This show was so bad…Stephen could not even save it! That’s F*’d UP!!
I never watched the show, but I, being a hopeless fangirl of course, downloaded some (cough lots cough) of Stepen’s scenes. He was just smoking hot as Sam. He looks good with that tan, shirtless, with that muscled and sun-kissed body gleaming under the heat of the ocean sun, with those thick locks of hair drenched with salt water, legs flexing as he walks along the soft sand on the shore’s edge…one wonders where he is heading. To you? To me? Stop the scene before you’re disappointed, thats the trick to keeping the fantasy (delusion) going as long as possible.
I’m not a fan of beach kootchie, but there are exceptions. *sigh*
wonderful review! Stephen was great as Sam!
You know when I watched this plot was not at all what I was interested in. It was to me an average made for TV movie. I just nearly lost my shorts when I saw SM – thought he looked so damn hot that I just fast forwarded to his scenes. And I watched it a couple times. It was all about drooling over him. I think he looks his absolute best in this show – all tanned with the mussed up hair and those eyes and shirtless. When he made the comment about whether hers was a life worth saving – I’m waving oh me, me – you’ll make it worth it.
I only saw one episode and it was the TV series, so no SM!. I have watched the video clip and seen all the caps and it is “Oh my God” time!! That man is SEX ON A STICK!!!
He was looking so good! Glad he did not stay for the show otherwise we would not be talking to each other now on the Nest or elsewhere, as, you must all know by now, Bill brought me into True Blood!
I was watching ‘The Starter Wife’, kind of half-heartedly, until I honed in on Steve’s scenes–with Molly on the beach, kissing her, etc. I remember thinking, “I don’t know who he is, but that is one fine-looking man? ” Could hardly believe it was the same guy playing Bill; he looked and sounded so different. So glad he ended up on TB, although I loved his Starter Wife character, Sam, and his minimal wardrobe on the show. I particularly enjoy the scene where he’s chasing the golden retriever, who runs onto the deck of a beach house where Molly’s staying. Molly ends up putting a bandaid on the “boo boo” on his shin–and there’s this amazing close-up and slow pan up his leg to his face–YUM!!!
I could go on and on; I think I have all of his scenes and where they’re located on the DVD–he just looked so good, tan, blond, and fit. No wonder Anna fell for him, since that must be how he looked when they first met.
typeoneg, I bet Anna could not believe her luck when Stephen walked into that room on that fated day!!!!
Ooooh, even though Steve has commented numerous times on this is how he looked when he met Anna for the first time, I never pictured Sam. Silly me. No wonder Anna holds his arm in that territorial way of hers every time they go out. She’s prolly always saying under her breath, “Steve is MINE”!
Thanks for posting my review, ZZ, and making it so pretty with all the lovely photos. I love the dream with them kissing in the sand… I want that swimsuit she’s wearing… He really is a morsel as Sam.
Thanks to you dear!
I love the scene where they are in bed after first time and they are joking. He gives her those small caresses with his nose and it’s so hot!! http://www.trueblood-news.com/wp-content/gallery/2010-stephen-moyer-the-starter-wife/stephen-moyer-starter-wife-sc-76.jpg
That’s actually my all-time favorite SM-mannerism – the way he nuzzles/smells. He does it with Sookie right before that first bite, when he holds the baby in Lilies, etc. It’s so primal yet tender, and the fact that it happens in such vastly different projects and different scenarios makes me believe (beyond a shadow of a doubt) that it’s just something he does, not directed. He smells… It’s… *bites lip* a lovely habit… And it conveys a complexity of emotions better than any other gesture I can imagine.
It is a thing he does!!!!!! I’m on my SM weekend watching everything there is to watch with Steve on it (doctor’s order, my Moyeurism is getting worse after the awards season)… and you are absolutely right, he does the thing with the nose quite often… and he is soooo dreamy!!!! He is meant to do the cuddeling scene, I mean he is so playful and sexy and tender all at the same time… he always has great chemestry with his leading ladies, they look comfortable and at ease…
I agree. Remember reading an interview with him, where he said he didn’t really care for perfume; he prefers a woman’s natural smell. Already knew from other interviews that he has a great visual sense, for camera angles, etc. I’m guessing he’s a true ‘sensualist’, drawing pleasure from all five senses. Great review, btw.
What can I say, ladies? You are all spot on. I gotta get this DVD! Just love seeing Steve tanned with chest hair. I will put aside my feelings about Debra Messing, not hate, but kind of meh. The only thing I loved her in was “Ned and Stacy” (probably mostly because I just love that Thomas Haden Church).
When I was telling my friend in Florida about TB and Steve, she was not impressed until I said he had played Sam in “The Starter Wife.” Well, what a reaction: “Omigod, he is gorgeous!” I think she’s now a TB fan, LOL.
I am not a big fan of blond men and this just goes to prove that Stephen looks good in anything. I have not watched this serious yet but now have been inspired to rent it. Thanks guys!!
Lovely review latbfan! Thanks for getting the caps together ZZ! Y’all work fabulously as a team. I remember watching this show before TB sort of in the background. I do remember seeing SM and thinking, “huh, cute guy” but that’s about it. Much later, could not believe that the same dude was Bill Compton. Had to go back and watch Starter Wife again just to be certain.
Thank you very much. I love this serie (season 1 only with Stephen). He was so perfect and BEAUTIFUL in this show. For me it’s the show where he is the most beautiful.
Great review Latbfan… and wonderful screencaps ZZ!!!
I saw this for the eye candy and for the candy only, Stephen looks ridiculously gorgeous in that show, I mean, the hair, the bod, the tan (is it getting hot in here?) he is simply beautiful in it… and his character was the only one with the head on his shoulders… and he was a homeless guy!!! So you can imagine the rest of the team… but even though the obnoxiousness and arrogance of Molly’s friends (and Molly herself) The Starter Wife wasn’t half bad a series, her friends magically solved all of their problems, at the end she did the right thing (what women usually do), she picked the right guy (what women usually don’t), it was ok. Debra was very convincing as a tv producer betrayed wife (no tracks of Grace Adler anywhere around) and Steve was as magnificent as the plot and the script (a poor one btw) allowed.
Thanks Lat for the excellant review of the Starter Wife. ZZ the screencaps are perfect!!!!!!!! Love them all.
I truly enjoyed the “Starter Wife”, yes it was mostly about poor pampered spoiled women who never have to work a day it their lives except to lift a finger to make a spa appt., and good thing cuz they probably F*cked up their nails doing it.
But the writing was clever and they introduced other more serious topics. Divorce for one. Also Alcoholism and its consequences, for Sam and for Joan. Joan by the way was my favorite character next to our sweet tortured Sam. Notice, how Stephen really rocks playing the tortured soul with the heart of gold??? Great actor and talent, not to mention dreamy in a pair of red swimmers.
I also got a bigkick out of Rodney. I thought he was clever and fun. A great addition.
My daughter watched it with me and absolutely loved it. She then watched it again. Now she says she wants to watch it with me again when she is in town. I taught her well!
I caught 2 epis of the show (not the miniseries) and that was enough for me. Didn’t have the mojo at all of the mimiseries, and of course , no Stephen.
Please keep the reviews coming. Really enjoy them.
I’m going to have to watch ‘Starter Wife’ again soon, as I usually do now, by fast-forwarding through to all Sam/Steve scenes. I have so many favorites…just remembered one of them, where Sam is actually in something besides the red trunks. Sam is working late at his new job, and Rodney spots him, comes over to talk. The exchange between them was pretty funny, and Steve was rocking the shirt and tie thing…absolutely gorgeous.