Can you believe it, 12 seasons in and what began as the most controversial reality TV experiment is now almost a totally accepted concept that creates the ultimate water cooler moments. All my friends watch and then we discuss in great detail so I thought I’d share my perspective on this compulsive series.
If you are looking for an explosive reality look are human psychology and why relationships are sometimes so difficult to navigate and maintain over the long term this is a wonderful TV experience to begin late and binge watch.
Why I’ve kept the spoilers to an absolute minimum here. You gotta watch for yourself. I took about 10 pictures while watching the last episode and coincidently all the faces were strained, worried, shocked or unhappy including the experts, Mel, Alessandra and John.
Each week the couples undergo relationship tasks, following a commitment ceremony on the couch, a sort of therapy session where couple decide if they want to stay or leave the experiment and at the end of each week they come together in a dinner party setting when each others relationships are scrutinised by the whole group, it’s usually when the sparks fly and my favourite part of the show.
Except this season has been dominated by in fighting in the group not between the individual couples where the action usually is but by girls who just can’t get along.
At the top of the list are Gia partnered with Scott and Bec partnered with Danny, two, too hot to handle females the men are very careful how they handle, knowing things could kick off at any minute. These two girls have been at the centre of the drama the whole season.
This week the tension at the dinner party was palpable as all hell broke loose after “receipts” proof of bad behaviour circulated around the group. Gia pointing the finger at Bec for a hateful group chat leaving Alissa unwittingly in the centre of the scrap once again and the experts dumbfounded by the women’s inability to get along.
It all started when Gia said Danny (Bec’s husband) said she was more his type, he denied it but since then no one has been able to move on.
Feedback week came and went, Gia was paired with Danny and she failed to show up, leaving the experiment and then making a surprise return for the dinner party.
But it was when Bec tried to take the upper hand with Danny, he’d had enough. She said be wary how you speak and he said be wary what you text to people. She said it was two months ago, he said I don’t care if it was 10 years ago. You don’t speak about people like that. Bec stormed out and Danny didn’t follow.
The one thing about this show is it brutally exposes the light and dark sides of everyone’s nature. How centred the individuals participating are, and how they are able or not to control the narrative when the cameras are rolling. When things go awry the wheels usually fly off which is what makes this series such a compelling and addictive watch.
When the honeymoon period is over, like for couple Chris and Sam and Sam chose to speak out about the couch session the week before, Chris didn’t take it too well, got defensive and a big rift was created in their relationship. The strain and awkwardness was palpable.
Even for Rachel and Steven the cracks are super apparent as a lack of intimacy and pressure from the group is causing Steven to pull away. Every time Rachel leans in to kiss him you can see the look of dread on his face. Not sure what that’s about or why he continues to stay but it looks like he’s just not that into her from where I am sitting.
Philip and Stella continue to cruise along but even their relationship looks a bit rocky after they confessed the intimacy had declined to zero, Stella not wishing to use contraception, him terrified of an unwanted pregnancy and the solution presented a drastic but reversible vasectomy put their relationship on the road to nowhere for me regardless of how much they paper over the cracks.