Seven has a history of delivering wonderful Aussie drama, but will Secret Bridesmaids’ Business stick to the tradition?
Secret Bridesmaids’ Business opens with intriguing flashes of the wedding – the flower girl running, blood on the wedding dress, the flash of a knife… But just before we discover who might be the collateral damage, we pick up the story three months earlier.
Here we meet Melanie (Abbie Cornish Candy), a mother of two with the picture-perfect life, having a dangerous liaison with the charming and mysterious Jakob Novak (Alexander England Offspring). Her ideal world is about to spin out of control with her choice to cheat on her husband Michael (Dan Spielman The Code).
On her way to a party to celebrate her best friend, the easy-going Olivia (Georgina Haig Once Upon a Time), whose near-death experience with leukemia has made her determined to follow her dreams cancer free, Melanie meets up with Saskia (Katie McGrath Supergirl). Saskia, a fast-rising lawyer who’s relentless intelligent and fiercely loyal, is a wildly independent bisexual with an at-risk legal career.
Together, the three celebrate Olivia’s health in private before Olivia is proposed to by her partner Alex (Oliver Ackland The Slap), at the family’s vineyard. Alex seems like the perfect guy, but he’s hiding a secret too and it won’t take long before the truth is out.
In the first episode offered for review, the script by Andrew Anastasios ( Wentworth) is an engaging one with a complex narrative full of twists and turns. I quite liked the fact that all three of these leading women were all so different and are all hiding secrets that will reveal themselves as the weeks go on, culminating in the wedding we were so delightfully teased about in the opening moments.
The cast is full of big names that will certainly be a drawcard, but it’s the complexity of friendships that will make you stay as Cornish and the leads sparkle. Throw in the talents of Nicholas Bell (Wanted) and Annie Jones (Neighbours) as Olivia’s parents, and you have an exceptional cast list who deliver a masterclass.
Secret Bridesmaids’ Business is full of secrets that you’ll want to uncover, but the real question is what effect will these secrets have on those involved and what risks are they willing to take?
Seven has created something special that you won’t want to miss.
4.5/5 Stars
Secret Bridesmaids’ Business airs 9pm Sunday, 29 September and continues Monday & Tuesday.
