101 - Pilot *Spoilers*

[therichesadmin]

The Riches - Pilot - Spoilers

Written by: Dmitry Lipkin and Eddie Izzard
Directed by: Carl Franklin and Peter O'Fallon

First aired on FX on March 12, 2007
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The first episode of "The Riches" set the stage for an interesting and shocking new TV Drama/Comedy show.
The Pilot introduces us to the Malloy family. The Malloy's are Gypsies or Travelers.
The plot starts out with the Father (Wayne) and the 3 kids working an old high school reunion and steeling peoples wallets and jewelry. While Wayne puts on a good show on stage, rambling about the good old times, his beloved children are snatching whatever they can.
The Mother (Dahlia) is to be released from prison, and the family is on their way to pick her up, with an old beaten up RV loaded full of stolen wedding gifts. While the 4 are wondering which gift Mom would like best, the Sheriff pulls them over. A fake epilepsy attack and a hefty bribe later (the Sheriff takes all gifts), the 4 finally manage to pick up Dahlia and drive to their Camp site (a large gypsy community).
Apparently inbreeding is not a big concern and the marriage between Di Di (the oldest Daughter) and a seriously genetically impaired specimen of another powerful Gypsy family has been planned without Wayne's consent.
He chooses to steal the community cash stash and makes a run for it.

At this point the show starts to get a very interesting twist. Wayne and his family is being chased by another Gypsy family in their own beaten up RV, when a Rich couple is pushed off the road by the other guy, who subsequently flees the scene.
After determining that the couple had died, Wayne decides to push the car in a lake, but not before taking possession of the keys to their new house.

Apparently the couple had bought the house online and had never before been in the area. When the moving trucks with all the Goodies arrives, Wayne has made up his mind. He assumes the identity of the dead man and settles into the suburban environment of Edenfalls.

Between the drug addiction Dahlia is hiding from her family, the bad sex and a lot of mix-up, Wayne and his family fit into the suburbia surprisingly well. He easily pulls of his disguise as Liar (suburbian for Lawyer) and hangs out with his new upper class friends.

The show's black comedy and drama is a surprisingly refreshing mix in the forever dull TV lineup.

[Dahling]

Great summary! There is also a good one here.