Denise Richards & Her Wild Things Recap: Role Playing

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Denise Richards clearly understands what I’m hoping for: Her opening remarks in this episode reference her iconic roles from the ’90s, such as Starship Troopers, Drop Dead Gorgeous, and Wild Things. Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worse after that. Instead of being disappointed that this show isn’t something else, I’m trying to embrace it as it is. However, if given a choice, I’d much prefer to hear about the making of those three movies rather than delve into overly manufactured drama. The plot seems to be focusing on some secret affair between Denise and her ex, Patrick Muldoon – subtly making Aaron uncomfortable with their relationship – but in reality, there’s no substance to it.

Aaron doesn’t appear to be envious; instead, he’s incredibly supportive. However, during his time on “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” Aaron acted more like a problematic “Housewives” husband by interfering with Denise’s castmates to defend her. On the other hand, on “Denise Richards & Her Wild Things,” it seems that Aaron has put his professional career aside to focus entirely on being Denise’s personal photographer. Given her reported earnings of $2 million per month from OnlyFans, this seems a rational decision.

Denise states that using OnlyFans has been empowering for her, as she finds it fascinating that people are still interested in seeing her at 54 years old without any clothes on. She also mentions that this has led to more movie opportunities for her. As Elise Elliot once said, “There are only three ages for women in Hollywood: babe, district attorney, and Driving Miss Daisy.” It seems that Denise is now being cast as a trophy wife, which she perceives as a victory.

Denise emphasizes again how much she appreciates Aaron’s support during her OF work, adding that he seems to understand men well. They both approve of Dorit’s comment about Denise’s jacket looking better upside-down. Apart from their photoshoots, Aaron is fine with Denise spending time with her ex, Patrick. The quartet of Denise, Aaron, Patrick, and Brooke gather for pickleball, an activity that, despite my complaints about the lizard memorial, seems to be more problematic on Bravo shows. During this game, Patrick loses his dental bridge, leaving him without teeth for the rest of the episode. However, he’s not homeless!

The pickleball game also provides a recap of Denise’s past with Patrick, a storyline I feel has been discussed extensively in previous episodes. Interestingly, Denise reveals that the “Schweet Babe” nickname was first used on the Starship Troopers set, which was new information for me. Patrick invites Denise to star in his upcoming music video, a song that’s supposedly not about her but about the woman he can’t forget. Denise is willing to participate, as long as she gets to portray a sexy role in it. Empower yourselves, ladies!

The majority of this episode focuses on the imaginary love triangle between Denise, Aaron, and Patrick, yet we briefly witness Sami obtaining her fresh post-nose job headshots. I found it intriguing when Denise asserted she didn’t want to be a momager while offering suggestions during the shoot and volunteering to wave a large fan to style Sami’s hair. However, the undercurrent of tension holds my attention more. Sami mentions being rejected by modeling agencies due to her OnlyFans career, which is her primary source of income. In a confessional, Denise criticizes this as a double standard, highlighting that she has received even more opportunities since becoming one of the top 1% of creators on OnlyFans. It’s apparent that Sami started her OnlyFans before Denise joined, and it seems she may harbor some feelings about how things have developed since then. I don’t necessarily expect to see mother and daughter arguing, but I hope the show delves deeper into the resentment hinted at in the premiere and hasn’t revisited since. Nevertheless, the second photoshoot scene of the episode is entertaining as well.

Denise and Patrick plan to catch up over a meal, though it’s unclear whether it’s lunch or something else. They always seem to be drinking as if it were past 5 p.m., but either way, they will discuss the details of their upcoming music video. Patrick inquires about his slurred speech due to his missing tooth, which adds a touch of charm. The video concept appears to be a typical narrative about a man reflecting on a woman he once knew and lost. In Denise’s scenes, we might see her in various emotional black-and-white flashbacks. Patrick describes the mood as both eerie and appealing, though I’m not sure it will live up to that description. Denise clarifies that she and Patrick have a longstanding friendship now, one that Aaron doesn’t feel threatened by. The show subtly hints at potential drama between them, even if there isn’t any. However, I suspect Charlie may have had issues with Patrick because, during their marriage, he might have experienced an excess of tiger blood-induced emotions.

In a different wording: Sami takes Denise to the location where a music video is being filmed, which is at Patrick’s sister’s house. It’s clever of Denise to wear a full HAZMAT suit to avoid staining the car seats with makeup. As for Sami, she shows great self-awareness as a “nepo baby” when she jokes about wanting to be in a music video despite her lack of acting, singing, and dancing skills.

Upon arriving on set, Patrick informs them that they will begin with a love scene on the bed. This wasn’t part of the original plan, but Denise agrees, especially since it involves only one kiss between them. Sami continues to express concerns about Aaron’s feelings towards Denise and Patrick’s relationship, given their past history.

This reminds me of Britney Spears saying, “It’s pretend. You’re an adult, you should know that.” And as Aaron explains again, he doesn’t get jealous of Denise and Patrick’s connection and is secure in his marriage. Everything seems healthy and normal here, so let’s move on, right?

It seems that Pat has feelings for Denise’s mom, as Sami reveals in a confessional, but it feels like the producers are encouraging this behavior. Denise and Aaron then share their thoughts on-camera about her kissing another man in a music video, with Denise suggesting that it wasn’t weird for him, but seeing her kiss someone else outside of work would be. However, this isn’t accurate, as Denise is the one who finds it strange. The music video and subsequent events suggest that I am not the intended audience, although I hope Patrick succeeds in his endeavor. The final scene shows a heated argument between Denise and Pat, which feels staged and doesn’t stand out from the overall dramatic performance in this episode.

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2025-03-26 05:54