Too Hot to Handle Season 4 has finally hit Netflix – and it’s just as dramatic as ever. Based on past seasons, it can really be too hard to handle for viewers, and this season is more of the same – especially when the cast seems to make horrible decisions and disappoint the talking cone “Lana,” who gives them instructions.
After all, Lana does drive a tough bargain: no kissing, touching, heavy-petting, sexual activity, etc. of any kind for their whole summer, when all of the singles think that they’re coming onto a fun show that’s all about getting wild and making out. Plus, the cast is made up specifically of those who would be least likely to enjoy a sex ban. Then, Lana throws them all together in a fun beach house with $200k on the line.
Every time someone breaks these “sex ban” rules, they have to pay Lana’s price. This decreases the total prize fund amount, which also lets down your fellow housemates who are hoping for the money.
It’s nice that this series mixes things up from season to season. In Too Hot to Handle Season 4, they told the contestants were appearing on Wild Love, a fake show hosted by Mario Lopez. This stopped the cast from guessing what show they were really on, since Too Hot to Handle gained so much fame. There are also new challenges like the “red button” which tests whether or not contestants trust their partner, new workshops like the punching a bag to take out emotions, and new twists, like couples spending a sex-free night in the suite very early on, only to lose $50k later for doing it in the bathroom.
Sure, Too Hot to Handle Season 4 may be a way to reach social media clout fast, but it has a surprising track record. Some couples actually stay together for a little (at least for two months post-premiere), and some are together to this day, so it’s worth noting that something in the show’s formula must be working. In a way. It’s also a reality TV formula that riffs on classic tropes, like a bunch of singles living in paradise, but adds a new twist with the sex-ban.
However, there’s a lot of room for improvement. It would be great to see some more representation in all forms on a show like Too Hot to Handle. Also, as exciting as all the drama is, sometimes it does get old to see a bunch of new people come in halfway and see half the house turn their heads to “new connections” that last all of a day. Then, the ending is usually predictable because it’s almost always someone who is in a couple (as if that necessarily defines the growth you may have made in the house), and someone who was here from the start.
Why bring all these people in here if they don’t even have a shot at the money? And since the prize fund is a “smaller” amount than they start with, it must be a bit frustrating to watch people who barely tried until the end be a real contender for the cash.
It’s almost like you can predict exactly how to get on this show and succeed: at first, seem like you can’t keep your hands off someone else and lose some money; then, proceed to pay attention to the workshops, lose some more money; finally, have some deep conversations and stay loyal to your partner in the villa. There you go! That is basically an ensured victory.
While Too Hot to Handle Season 4 is definitely a show reality fans will find appealing (at least to throw on in the background), it’s getting slightly predictable and boring, and they may need to mix things up again to keep it fresh for seasons to come.
