Drama: The Arrangement, This Is Us, Good Fight
Is marrying a Hollywood superstar worth $10 million if you have to get into bed with his cult?
The Arrangement Season 1 Fridays (from 26 May) M-Net (*101) 21:30
While avoiding anything that could attract even a whiff of a lawsuit, The Arrangement (2017- current) has fun playing with the rumour that a certain couch-hopping Hollywood star’s marriage was staged by his cult for a hefty cash pay- out to smoothe over his increasingly creepy reputation. And Tom Cruise isn’t the only inspiration: “We were inspired by rumours that we’ve all heard. We could probably come up with 10 couples that we’ve heard might not be real or might have been arranged,” says show creator Jonathan Abrahams. And by making up its own cult called the Institute Of The Higher Mind, The Arrangement is free to blend fiction, rumour, reality and scandal to create truly addictive TV.
WHIRLWIND “ROMANCE”
Josh Henderson (John Ross Jr in Dallas, 2012-2014) is perfect as leading man Kyle West. His face is handsome but blandly inexpressive, and his aggressive friendliness barely masks his ambition. It’s eerily familiar – as is his dedication to motorbikes and the relentless pursuit of success. Kyle moves fast once he meets struggling girl next- door starlet Megan Morrison (Christine Evangelista) at a casting for his film. The audition is secretly being run by the Institute Of The Higher Mind for a far more high profile role – of being Kyle’s wife!
DAMAGE CONTROL
Kyle proposes in episode 1, against the better judgement of Institute leader Terence Anderson (Michael Vartan, Michael Vaughn in Alias, 2001-2006), who is also Kyle’s catch-phrase-spouting handler, and Terence’s icy movie-producer wife Deann (Lexa Doig, Talia al Ghul in Arrow, 2013 - current). As hints drop about Megan’s scandalous past, it seems Terence may have a point. But the Institute’s farreaching influence and twisted techniques for isolating its adherents give Terence and his minions the tools they needs to get rid of any trouble Megan might cause – efficiently. And by season end, Megan’s going to realise how hard it is to escape her gilded cage when the door has been welded shut.