(S01E06) Where would Swingtown be without parties? Every week seems to revolve around some kind of get together; it's becoming predictable. This week it was a country club charity function, and while it was hardly a scene as fraught with sexual tension as some of the other scenes in previous episodes, Tom and Trina did wind up in a three-way.

The menage a trois, which was rather graphically depicted, was not the most interesting aspect to Tom and Trina's marriage. The more we get to know these two and their open marriage, the more we see that they really do love each other and enjoy their partnership. But they also take full advantage of the freedom of the lifestyle they've chosen.



Tom may be jealous of Luke, Trina's high school boyfriend, but he can't forbid his wife having sex with him as long as Trina invites Tom to join in. They live by a code and it was great to see that Tom may seem cool on the outside, but in reality he's struggling with their choices.

Janet continues to evolve and blossom, which is a nice switch. Susan is becoming more her true self, which is not the corporate wife that Bruce wants, but it's Janet that yearns to be a society wife. In the fake country club, ladies auxiliary world, Janet bubbles. Her Martha Stewart-like skills with a tomato juice stain makes her the center of attention and she's a star. By the end of the party, she's pasting mementos in her scrapbook as if the event was her debutante ball.

Susan is stuck in the middle again, unsure how far she wants to go socially, unsure what her authentic self truly is, and unsure about which wallpaper swatch speaks to her. She and Bruce are still out of synch. His expectations for her seem to always take her by surprise, and when she compromises to please him, he's always surprised. I'm sensing a pattern here.

My heart aches for Roger. He's the ultimate nice guy who finishes last. His boss agrees that he's earned a promotion to management, but the company is cutting back so Roger is let go. Fired. Dumped. And the irony is that Roger is glad because he's been miserable selling Mutual of Omaha (remember The Wild Kingdom?) insurance for 12 years. In another close moment, he shares his true feelings about losing his job to Susan. Will he ever tell this woman that she's his soulmate, not Janet?

Other points of interest

-- Tom and Trina's open marriage is looking better and better. Maybe it's the way they're playing it. They are in love most with each other, even if they have sex with others. I liked their airport game, and when Tom reveals, "I secretly prefer Mary Ann to Ginger."

-- For a change it was the men's fashion that was really fun. At the fundraiser, the tuxedos with ruffled shirts, huge bowties and wide lapels were way cool. While Bobby Darrin was singing "Call Me Irresponsible," I swear I could smell the Hai Karate.

-- School's over for Laurie, which means she and Doug can become a couple. Her inability to give an oral exam on authenticity because she was lying about her love for Mr. Stevens was not very subtle. All the talk about self-expression was bound to end up in a kiss.

-- Melinda, the women's libber working in the all-male world of stock trading was a refreshing character. She's smarter than the guys. Bruce is stunned that Melinda had sex with Moreno in exchange for half the betting pool on who she'll have sex with first.

-- Good songs, "Rock the Boat," "The Good Life," Neil Diamond doing "Cracklin' Rosie" and Bette Midler's "Do You Wanna Dance."

-- Great line, when Luke makes a pass at Trina, she kisses him then explains that Tom and she have an open marriage. "My wife and I are a package deal." They are, too. But we never see if the men cross swords -- THAT would be an interesting situation. Like on Entourage with Drama and Turtle.

-- It was really sad that the advertising for Swingtown has evaporated. All the commercials were CBS promos, PSAs, CBS DVDs and Time-Life music. This is a bad sign for this show's future.