"Satisfaction" begins with Neil Truman (Matt Passmore) having a terrible day. To top it off, he happens upon his wife, Grace (Stephanie Szostak) getting it on with another guy. Neil discovers that the other man is a paid escort, Simon (Blair Redford).
Neil comes into possession of Simon's phone, including all his contacts. On a whim, Neil takes a call and manages to fill in for Simon with a client.
Neil's heart belongs to his wife and his daughter, Anika (Michelle DeShon), who is having her own issues. But he has dipped a toe into forbidden waters and he is fascinated. He meets a modern day madam, Adrianna, played strikingly by Katherine LaNasa. She offers him a job working for her, which he declines.
As Neil juggles the various aspects of his life--and dabbles in Zen meditation to cope--things get more complicated. He knows Grace is lying to him. He is lying to her too, but she doesn't know it. The web of deception allows them to seek answers outside the marriage while they try to save it. Can that approach work? "You never really know where enlightenment will come from," he says in a voice over.
I find the story, after two episodes, to be well written. This is a sexy show. And there is an air of mystery surrounding the entire storyline. The acting is good.
On message boards, I have seen comments about the characters not being likable, but I disagree. Though they may be confused, they truly care about each other. The dilemmas they face are real and not uncommon. They are living in a world that is recognizable to many who work in high-pressure jobs, who lose sight of what their family needs, who wish to find a balance that promotes happiness for themselves and those they love.
So far, the story is in a state of imbalance. It is difficult to know what will develop and how Neil and Grace will achieve some equilibrium in their relationship. At this early stage in the story, I am interested in watching to find out.
Update 8/22/14: As the story lines expand to include other characters, the show is getting more interesting.
