TV Watch: Hustle Versus The Riches

I had previously compared The Riches and Hustle, two very different shows about con artists, to musical styles. Last night was somewhat interesting though as the Rich family pulled off a real long con (the most ambitious thing they'd ever tried) - in a very similar style to the early episodes of Hustle.

On the other side of things, Hustle is struggling with its third season. The actor who played Mickey Briggs is gone and Mickey's confident and calculating methods of handling complicated cons is sorely missed on the show. Danny Blue's character still had a lot of growing up to do before assuming a leadership post - something the show had repeatedly made clear and is now seeming to conveniently forget. The first two episodes of the season hardly feel like the same show and the rationale for Mickey's absence is rather paper thin.

They're still very different shows - but it is always interesting to see where they intersect. I can't say this episode of The Riches was as good as a season one Hustle heist, but it came close. Maybe Hustle should be trying to learn a few new tricks to navigate out of its current mess.