Mistaken as the Mistress: A review of the outrageous new vertical drama
Vivian (Paige Rowland) comes home early to celebrate her son Noah's (Thomas King) engagement party. His fiancée, Mia (Paulina Cossio), mistakes her for his mistress, resulting in Vivian's public shame and abuse.
Title: Mistaken as the Mistress
Release Date: 2025
Platform: Reelshort
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ / 5My Review:
I have discovered the joy of watching vertical dramas, folks! Vertical dramas - AKA microsoaps - are live-action series, usually consisting of 50-64 mini episodes, all about two minutes in length, and ending with a shocking cliffhanger that compels you to keep watching. They are called vertical dramas because you watch them on your phone, in the 9:16 aspect ratio.
After Variety announced that the creative minds at Procter & Gamble had created a microsoap called The Golden Pear Affair, I became intrigued by the idea of short operas and had to see for myself what the fuss was all about.
I sampled several vertical dramas, including the outrageous Baby Please! Don’t Come Home for Christmas and Dear Husband, Delete My Number! (I kid you not! These are actual titles!) But the first microdrama I watched from beginning to end was called Mistaken as the Mistress.
First, Let’s Talk About The Main Cast:
There’s Mia, the nasty-tempered golddigger, played to campy and devious perfection by actress Paulina Cossio.
Next is Noah, Mia’s wealthy and great-looking husband-to-be.
And last, but not least, there is Vivian, Mia’s beleaguered, would-be mother-in-law, played by the always lovely Paige Rowland, one of my favorite former soap opera actresses. (Paige is the primary reason I tuned into this particular show.)
Now, Let's Break It Down:
Just before her wedding, Mia sees a video of Noah in a clinch with a svelte blonde. Immediately assuming the hot blonde is Noah’s secret mistress, Mia goes on the attack!
Fueled by jealousy and goaded on by her mean girl bridesmaids, Mia physically accosts and humiliates Vivian in front of all of high society. She refuses to see reason, even as mounting evidence screams that she is dead wrong about Vivian.
I enjoyed the rivalry between Vivian and Mia. Vivian was the sympathetic heroine to Mia’s wicked antagonist, two character archetypes all good soaps need. The two women were oil and water, giving me some serious Krystle vs. Alexis vibes. Everyone else, including handsome Noah, seemed to fade into the background whenever they were on screen together. It was like the clash of the titans, and both actresses really committed to their roles. I would love to see them face off again in the future on another series. Or better yet, give us a Season 2 of Mistaken as the Mistress!
This chaotic little show was over-the-top AF, but I mean that in the best way possible. Sometimes you just need to lose yourself in some reel melodrama and forget your real woes for a while.
I consider my first real foray into the world of verticals a success. I will admit the action did lag somewhat in the middle, as Vivian and Mia both vied to impress Noah’s uppity grandmother with opulent gifts. I am not ashamed to admit I wanted to see another knock-down, drag-out fight scene. Bickering over who gave the best presents? Nah.
'MatM' offered a fairly satisfying conclusion, but as I mentioned above, I would love a Season 2.
I have discovered the joy of watching vertical dramas, folks! Vertical dramas - AKA microsoaps - are live-action series, usually consisting of 50-64 mini episodes, all about two minutes in length, and ending with a shocking cliffhanger that compels you to keep watching. They are called vertical dramas because you watch them on your phone, in the 9:16 aspect ratio.
After Variety announced that the creative minds at Procter & Gamble had created a microsoap called The Golden Pear Affair, I became intrigued by the idea of short operas and had to see for myself what the fuss was all about.
I sampled several vertical dramas, including the outrageous Baby Please! Don’t Come Home for Christmas and Dear Husband, Delete My Number! (I kid you not! These are actual titles!) But the first microdrama I watched from beginning to end was called Mistaken as the Mistress.
First, Let’s Talk About The Main Cast:
There’s Mia, the nasty-tempered golddigger, played to campy and devious perfection by actress Paulina Cossio.
Next is Noah, Mia’s wealthy and great-looking husband-to-be.
And last, but not least, there is Vivian, Mia’s beleaguered, would-be mother-in-law, played by the always lovely Paige Rowland, one of my favorite former soap opera actresses. (Paige is the primary reason I tuned into this particular show.)
Now, Let's Break It Down:
Just before her wedding, Mia sees a video of Noah in a clinch with a svelte blonde. Immediately assuming the hot blonde is Noah’s secret mistress, Mia goes on the attack!
Fueled by jealousy and goaded on by her mean girl bridesmaids, Mia physically accosts and humiliates Vivian in front of all of high society. She refuses to see reason, even as mounting evidence screams that she is dead wrong about Vivian.
I enjoyed the rivalry between Vivian and Mia. Vivian was the sympathetic heroine to Mia’s wicked antagonist, two character archetypes all good soaps need. The two women were oil and water, giving me some serious Krystle vs. Alexis vibes. Everyone else, including handsome Noah, seemed to fade into the background whenever they were on screen together. It was like the clash of the titans, and both actresses really committed to their roles. I would love to see them face off again in the future on another series. Or better yet, give us a Season 2 of Mistaken as the Mistress!
This chaotic little show was over-the-top AF, but I mean that in the best way possible. Sometimes you just need to lose yourself in some reel melodrama and forget your real woes for a while.
I consider my first real foray into the world of verticals a success. I will admit the action did lag somewhat in the middle, as Vivian and Mia both vied to impress Noah’s uppity grandmother with opulent gifts. I am not ashamed to admit I wanted to see another knock-down, drag-out fight scene. Bickering over who gave the best presents? Nah.
'MatM' offered a fairly satisfying conclusion, but as I mentioned above, I would love a Season 2.
Commence battle royale, Part Duex.
There is a decided downside to watching microdramas, and unfortunately, I learned it the hard way. Most of, if not all, of the microdrama sites cost $$$. I mean, I guess I understand it; they have to pay the light bills somehow. But the thing is, they don't always tell you up front about the fees. Instead, they reel you in by giving you access to the first dozen or so episodes, and then, they tell you that you can "unlock" the rest of them by purchasing "credits". The credit system is strangely complicated, and honestly, it’s pricey. Fortunately for us broke people, there is a free option! Simply watch the ads on their app that come along every few episodes. It is a bit of a pain, but it's worth it if you really want to see how your show wraps up, without draining your pocketbook.
Finally, Let’s Dish:
I’d love to hear your thoughts on vertical dramas. Have you watched any of them? If so, which were your favorites? Do you have any series recs for me? Most importantly, do you think you will ever watch Mistaken as the Mistress?
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