Sarah Michelle Gellar's Forgotten Crime Thriller Is a Perfect Weekend Binge 14 Years Later

Published Sep 26, 2026, 8:03 AM EDT

Erin Konrad's love for everything entertainment dates back to elementary school when she became obsessed with classic Hollywood musicals. When she's not catching up on all her favorite television shows, she's advising her friends and family on what they should binge watch next.

She has her Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Creating content for Collider gives her the opportunity to combine her writing skills with her passion for television and movies. She spends her free time trying to beat her personal record of reading 137 books in a year and cuddling with her dog, Gracie.

There is nothing worse than a fantastic show being cancelled too early. The sting of some cancellations can linger years later — looking at you, Pushing Daisies, The Wheel of Time, and How To Die Alone. When a series gets axed after just one season, it can be even more tragic, especially if you're left wondering how the rest of the story would play out. Sarah Michelle Gellar will always be a legend for playing Buffy in the cult classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but one of her later shows got cancelled over a decade ago, and we're still not over it.

What Is 'Ringer' About?

Ringer premiered on The CW in 2011, airing alongside other YA classics such as Gossip Girl, 90210, and The Vampire Diaries. The crime thriller follows the story of Bridget Kelly (Gellar), a recovering addict who is trying to get her life back on track in Wyoming. She witnesses her boss, Bodaway Macawi (Zahn McClarnon, now starring in a completely different role in AMC's Dark Winds), committing a murder. Bridget agrees to testify against him, and is promised by FBI Agent Victor Machado (Nestor Carbonell) that she will be kept safe. But after several other witnesses end up dead, Bridget knows that Machado can't do much to actually protect her. She then escapes to New York where she meets up with her wealthy twin sister, Siobhan (also played by Gellar), who she hasn't spoken with in years.

At first it seems like the two sisters will form a new bond, and Bridget can start fresh. But on a boat ride together, Bridget wakes up to discover that Siobhan is gone. She assumes her sister has committed suicide and makes the bold decision to simply take over Siobhan's life. This decision sets off a twisted, toxic journey where Bridget must pretend to be Siobhan, all while truly knowing very little about her sister's life. Siobhan's husband, Andrew (Ioan Gruffudd), is cold and distant; she has a bratty stepdaughter (Zoey Deutch), and was also having an affair with her best friend's husband (Kristoffer Polaha). The only person who knows Bridget's true identity is her sponsor, Malcom (Mike Colter). Bridget's life gets even more complicated when she discovers that Siobhan was keeping a whole host of secrets, and there just might have been someone who was trying to kill Siobhan as well.

'Ringer' Is a Deliciously Fun, Twisty Thrill Ride

In 22 episodes, Ringer moves at a breakneck speed, with plenty of twists and turns in the storytelling. Even though there are twice the number of episodes per season as most shows these days, this network drama wasn't afraid to burn through storylines. This means that each episode feels fast-paced and results in tons of heart-racing moments. As Bridget learns more about Siobhan's dark, dangerous life and as she tries to continue escaping her own past, the storytelling always feels addictive. Even though the plot points can sometimes feel a little campy, this ends up only adding to the show's soapy appeal.

Ringer could have slid straight into cheesy territory, but instead, is saved in large part by its talented cast. Gellar comes alive in this dual role, with many opportunities for chewing the scenery. She also somehow perfectly portrays the differences between the sisters, so that it's easy to see which one she's depicting at all times. Gruffudd, Polaha, and Colter are all perfect as the men in Bridget's life who are making her lies and betrayal all the more complicated. Tara Summers also deserves a shout-out for her scene-stealing role as Gemma, Siobhan's best friend who is the most aware of something feeling off about Siobhan. Instead of leaning into the unbelievable aspects of the plot, these actors all work together to make Ringer's story feel intense and high-stakes.

Ringer's cancellation was announced in May 2012, a mere few weeks after the first season's finale aired. Fan petitions were immediately circulated since many viewers were outraged that they wouldn't get to continue with the show and its characters. However, The CW refused to budge, citing declining viewership, most notably after the holiday season, as the reason why the show would remain off the air. Later, Gellar revealed that she had turned down a Season 2 because she was pregnant and didn't think she could make a difficult production schedule work. We won't be getting any more new episodes of the series, but Ringer is still every bit deserving of a binge-watch, even if just to get lost in this fun, suspenseful series.