Ringer Versus The Lying Game

The fall 2011 television season brought viewers two new series in which the main character assumes the life of her identical twin sister. The CW's Ringer stars Sarah Michelle Gellar as Bridget Kelly and Siobhan Martin, estranged twins who have a very brief reunion before one of them seemingly drowns. Alexandra Chando stars in ABC Family's The Lying Game as Emma Becker and Sutton Mercer, teenage girls who recently learned about each other and are secretly keeping in touch.

New television series Ringer and The Lying Game are about someone who takes the place of her identical twin. The shows have similar concepts that are executed quite differently.

How are Ringer and The Lying Game similar?
Both Bridget and Emma are on the run from the police, although for different reasons. On Ringer, Bridget was set to testify in a murder trial, but she got scared, knocked out her guard, stole his gun, and ran. The Lying Game's Emma took off from her foster home after being set up; because she rejected the advances of her foster mother's creepy son, he framed her for theft.

On both shows, the less fortunate twin takes the place of her well-to-do sister. Unfortunately, the ruse backfires. No matter how good their intentions are, things don't go as planned. Besides the expected problems trying to be someone else without getting caught, the characters end up in unanticipated dangerous situations that keep viewers guessing from the edge of their seats.

How do they differ?
Ringer's Bridget fled Wyoming and went to get help from Siobhan in Manhattan. While out on a boat, Bridget fell asleep and woke up to find Siobhan missing--and her wedding ring in a pill bottle. Bridget dove into the water but never found her. Since Siobhan had kept Bridget's existence a secret from everyone, Bridget was able to impersonate her sister with no one, including Siobhan's husband, realizing what was happening. This was a mistake that could cost her life.

On The Lying Game, Sutton met Emma at the bus station with the plan already in place. She wanted to head to California to find their birth mother and expected Emma to impersonate her. Sutton's adoptive parents and sister have no clue; neither do her best friends, although everyone can see that she's not acting like herself. The exception is her secret boyfriend, who realized immediately that something was wrong and confirmed it with a kiss. Emma had to confide in him, and he agreed to help keep the secret. No one realized that the plan would prove dangerous.

Who is the intended audience?
Ringer is clearly intended for adults and is a much darker show than The Lying Game. There is subtle humor, but this show is primarily a thriller.

In contrast, The Lying Game appeals mainly to young adults, although it can also find an audience with more mature age groups. The main characters are in high school, which means there's plenty of teen angst. However, there is a mystery surrounding the twins' birth mother, and they're determined to solve it.

Fans of suspense may be interested in both shows. Ringer airs Tuesdays at 9:00 pm Eastern on the CW. The Lying Game airs Mondays at 8:00 pm Eastern on ABC Family.