What’s Worth Watching: ‘Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce’ on Bravo for Tuesday, December 1

Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce, “Rule #58: Avoid the Douchemobile”
(Tuesday, Dec. 1, 10/9c, Bravo)

It’s probably inevitable that one of those horrific and ubiquitous-to-Bravo “Real Housewives” would pop up for a cameo on Bravo’s soap-tastic dramedy Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce. Like the channel’s equally dishy Odd Mom Out sitcom that premiered this summer, Girlfriend’s Guide skewers the Housewives conspicuous-consumption “reality” brand with scripted satire that feels way more real. So look past the self-serving Kim Richards encounter to savor the moment when a networking Abby (Lisa Edelstein) jokes knowingly with none other than Joss Whedon—perhaps doing a favor for his former Buffy producing buddy Marti Noxon, who developed this winningly biting rom-com. It’s also smashing to see Jean Smart, so fearsomely dour as the crime boss on the current season of Fargo, swanning fabulously as Abby’s imperious new mentor. (Talk about range.)

As the second season of Girlfriends’ Guide begins, Abby is recruited to join a very Bravo-esque lifestyle website cleverly named SheShe, where she’ll blog as the sexually self-empowered “new face of divorce”—an ironic assignment, given that she hasn’t quite severed ties with, or her passion for, husband Jake (an appealingly appalling Paul Adelstein). The new workplace setting is promising, if only because Abby instantly clashes with her new editor, Barbara (wonderful casting of Parks and Recreation scene-stealer Retta), whose own bitter divorce has her recoiling at Abby’s pitch of showing how “divorce can be fun.” Here’s hoping Abby and Barbara become girlfriends. She’d be a fun counterbalance to the rest of Abby’s awfully glamorous support group.