He may not have wanted to be part of the series if rumours are to be trusted, but James Packer's sad, lovelorn ghost lingered throughout the premiere episode of Mariah's World, the new E! reality series about pop diva Mariah Carey.
For a brief while, anyway.
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Trailer: Mariahs World
Mariah's World, takes viewers beyond the flashbulbs and fame and into the private life of singer, songwriter and mega-producer Mariah Carey.
It wasn't even five minutes in that we caught our first glimpse of his rich mug, beaming over champagne glasses aboard a fancy yacht (it had its own chess room) in Capri.
The episode followed Mariah as she fretted over her priorities: does she postpone her wedding to Packer, so she can focus on planning a concert tour of Europe?
![Meh, not any more.](/web/20161206192738im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/5/2/a/1/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gt51w8.png/1481009995653.jpg)
Seeing as the couple's breakup fuelled headlines for months, it wasn't much of a cliffhanger. Still, the show's poor editors had to deal with the billionaire-sized elephant in the room, and they did it mercilessly.
"I don't know, because he keeps asking about the dates... I don't wanna disappoint him," Mariah told Stella Bulochnikov, her entertainingly demanding manager, in a hasty scene where she debated cancelling the wedding. You could almost pictures James Packer in bed, tearily listening to Lou Barlow's Don't.
Mariah sauntered off to a private balcony, checked herself in the window's reflection, and dialled 'Lover' (or whatever James Packer is listed under in her phone contacts). Minutes later, she strolled back with all the acting chops that made Glitter such a cult favourite, blank-faced and droopy-headed.
"He's waiting for me to figure it out," she told Stella.
![Mariah Carey on a chez lounge.](/web/20161206192738im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/5/2/f/d/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gt51w8.png/1481009995653.jpg)
And that was it, Packer swiftly written out for at least the remainder of the episode.
And it wasn't too soon, either – we already know how that story ends. (An upcoming storyline, hinting at Carey's relationship with Bryan Tanaka, the singer's longtime dancer and her romantic post-Packer rebound, could prove exciting for people who read things like New Idea.)
More entertaining were the bizarre moments touching on the pop star's diva persona. I mean, it's cool that Mariah Carey rehearses dance moves till 4am, but wouldn't you rather see her sprawled on a chez lounge with a glass of pinot gris in one hand, casually throwing out droll remarks like a modern-day Mae West? Thankfully, I just described about 45 per cent of the show with that sentence.Â
The opener saw Mariah in Bianca Storm guise, her raven-haired "alter ego/nemesis" who you might remember from the bathroom brawl in her 1999 Heartbreaker video, which was coincidentally directed by Brett Ratner, the Hollywood filmmaker-turned-producer who now runs RatPac Entertainment with James Packer (small world, huh?).
Then there was Mariah getting four people to put her shoes on for her, and deadpanning things like "I have a rule which states that I will not be seen in fluorescent lighting without sunglasses."
There was also Mariah forcing her new assistant Molly to hook up Apple TV in her holiday apartment, 'cause she "can't sleep if there's no Apple TV" (a ringing endorsement for Tim Cook).
And you should see the way Mariah holds a pen, it's magical.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight last week, a "source close to the singer" says she felt she "dodged a bullet" following her breakup to Packer.
Viewers looking for something more watchable than an already resolved 'will they-won't they' storyline might feel the same.
Mariah's World airs on E! on Mondays at 9:30pm.
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