Villainess Review: Stacey (Secrets on Sorority Row)

The first of back-to-back days of sorority-based thrillers on Lifetime gave us Secrets on Sorority Row, which began with a flashback to 1997, when Michelle and Kelly were pledging to the Epsilon Theta sorority, which was led by Stacey. The hazing ritual centered on excessive drinking, and after Michelle and Kelly were accepted, the latter ended up falling down a flight of stairs and to her death. Fast forward over 20 years, Michelle--a psychology professor--is dealing with her teenaged daughter, Quinn, pledging to the same sorority, and also dealing with threatening letters from someone referencing Kelly's death.

Michelle and Stacey, along with fellow sisters Gretchen and Myra, were all sworn to secrecy, though Gretchen developed an on-and-off drinking problem since then. Michelle adamantly voiced her desire to confess everything, though Myra and especially Stacey wanted Michelle to keep quiet. The threats continued and later mentioned Quinn, all the while, Michelle sensed that someone was in her house, and tripped over the stairs in a haunting incident. Later on, Gretchen was shown at Kelly's grave sobbing over her death and voicing her guilt and plans to tell everything, only to later pick up a nearby bottle and fall back into her familiar vice, resulting in her being killed when her car crashed.

Suspicion fell towards Kelly's then-boyfriend, Lucas, with Stacey repeatedly pointing the finger, leading to Michelle deciding to hold a public memorial service where they would reveal the truth, while also find out if Lucas was the actual culprit. As Michelle learned, Lucas' ability to use his hands had vastly decreased, due to the fact that he shot himself in the head after Kelly's death, so he was eliminated as a suspect. Even after being told this by Michelle, Stacey still believed Lucas was behind the stalking, and when she gave the eulogy, she denounced Kelly as a reckless drunk and blamed her for her own death, which disgusted Michelle and angered Lucas.

Michelle had learned earlier that Kelly and Lucas had a daughter, and the climax revealed that their daughter was Lucy, Quinn's best friend. It was also revealed that Lucy had been behind the threatening letters, and she was at the sorority house attempting to kill Quinn after drugging the other sisters. Michelle arrived and voiced her remorse and sorrow over Kelly, and convinced Lucy to hand Quinn back to her, but after doing so, Lucy was knocked out with a paddle by Stacey--whose actions shocked Michelle.

Stacey informed Michelle that she was saving her from Lucy, just like she saved her from Kelly, with flashbacks revealing that Kelly's death wasn't an accident--she was intentionally pushed down the stairs by Stacey, as Kelly was going to go public with the sorority's hazing rituals. Flashbacks also revealed that Stacey tracked Gretchen to Kelly's grave and placed the bottle near her, causing Gretchen to drive drunk and be killed in the crash, and Stacey was in Michelle's home and tripped her on the stairs. Stacey claimed that she killed Kelly to protect the sorority, and committed her recent villainous actions for Michelle and herself, while later pleading with Michelle to cover for her. Michelle informed her former friend that she told the police everything, resulting in Stacey's arrest.

Words cannot state how elated I was with the film's villainess, but I will definitely try. Stacey was played by Lauren Buglioli, who was in her third Lifetime film this year, after Brutal Bridesmaids (as Holly) and Friendship Never Dies (as Lucy Hayden). I had wanted Buglioli to finally play a Lifetime villainess, and after playing a (surviving) victim of a villainess in Brutal Bridesmaids, and the heroic mother of a villainess in Friendship Never Dies, Buglioli finally turned heel in this film as Stacey, a murderous and ruthless villainess hellbent on covering her tracks. I can't help but love her villainous attire in the flashbacks; it was definitely fitting for her character's heel persona. I knew if Buglioli had the chance to play a villainess, she would shine in the role and she did just that. She truly portrayed Stacey's self-serving nature to perfection, and the reveal saw Buglioli portray Stacey's ruthlessness and insane delusion in very stellar fashion.

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