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| Synopsis: Power, privilege and
family money are a volatile cocktail.
Living proof of this are the Darlings of New York City, so absurdly wealthy, they put the "upper" in Upper East Side. This preeminent family are always getting mixed up with the wrong people and finding themselves in the middle of bad situations. It'll take a miracle to take care of the legal and sometimes illegal needs of the Darling family. That miracle comes in the form of Nick George. As a boy, Nick watched his father surrender his freedom and family as the Darling's trusted consigliere. Nick grew up in a troubled household where he was always second to the overpowering Darling family. Burned by his own boyhood encounters with them, he vowed never to follow in his father's footsteps. The idealistic Nick did a 180-degree turn and became a lawyer for the disadvantaged. After the mysterious, sudden death of Nick's father, family patriarch Tripp Darling offers Nick the opportunity to inherit the responsibility of protecting the Darlings' secrets. The job, with an ungodly salary, will allow Nick the freedom to be an altruistic do-gooder. But he discovers all too soon that his new position requires him to be an all-around problem fixer, hand-holder, therapist and public relations expert. The powerful and persuasive Tripp Darling, owner of vineyards and homes around the world, lives with his beautiful, graceful and posh wife, Letitia. While they symbolize the charm and all-Americanism of old money, they also embody scandal and have spawned five grown, troubled children. The oldest is Patrick Darling, the attorney general for New York. He's a handsome and commanding man whose political star is quickly rising. There's just one problem -- he has a transgendered girlfriend who won't go away, and this potential senatorial candidate needs Nick to fix the situation. The sexy, stunning and thrice-married Karen is the eldest daughter, a socialite who runs the family foundation. She lost her virginity to Nick, a fact she isn't shy about telling her newest fiancé. A self-described loser in love, Karen still looks to Nick for help in her personal life. Brian Darling is a man of the cloth, working in the Episcopal church. He loathed Nick as a kid and loathes him still. When Nick's father was alive, he spitefully accused the man of trying to infiltrate a family he didn't belong in, and now feels that Nick is attempting the same thing. But now Brian needs Nick's help in sweeping a problem under the rug -- an illegitimate son. The youngest siblings are Juliet and Jeremy Darling, twins in their 20s. Juliet is a petulant, spoilt celebutante who longs to be taken seriously as an actress. Should a taxi driver, an autograph seeker or anyone else upset her, she will snap at them her favorite retort, "You're poor!" Jeremy is frequently seen in rumpled clothing, hung over, smoking cigarettes and pleading with Nick to get him out of a jam. He's completely oblivious to the concept of relative suffering and unable to conceive of a life worse than his, despite his obscene wealth. He fears he's the family disappointment and that his father hates him. As Nick handles the whirlwind goings-on of the Darlings, his sensible wife, Lisa, is a patient partner in parenting their young daughter and gets a kick out of the Darlings' lavish parties. But lately she has gotten the sense that Nick is drifting away from her, specifically in the direction of the alluring Karen Darling. The billions of dollars possessed by the Darling clan have created
a great American family -- and those same riches might also demolish
it. The money Nick earns as their personal lawyer allows him the freedom
to do some good for society. But as he finds himself racing to plead
with cops, hush the tabloids and furiously try to wipe the mud off the
esteemed Darling reputation, Nick wonders if he has gotten the chance
of a lifetime - or a life sentence. (Courtesy ABC Entertainment, 2007)
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