If you’re anything like yours truly, and you’ve already seen all the dramatically messy, brain-rotting Netflix reality TV shows to exist, what’s one more? Especially one where a handful of the fan favorites – or not so fan favorites – all come back together under one villa roof, ready for chaos and drama to ensue. Just a warning: there are spoilers ahead!
Season one of Perfect Match instantly cemented the series as a success on the Netflix charts, and a flop when it comes to relationships. After all, the first winning couple broke up shortly after; Georgia cheated with another Netflix reality star, and she also said her winning partner, Dom, was totally different off screen than he was on the show. This season really isn’t much different, as the stars who claimed they changed haven’t really, and by the time the series is over, most of the couples don’t find success.
Still, one thing this series has going for it is drama, and, wow, is there a lot of it. The show’s structure is basically the same as the first season: Netflix reality singles are put in one house and have to “match” with someone at the end of each night. Otherwise, they are sent packing. These matches change more than viewers can blink, as there are also “compatibility challenges” in each episode, and the winners get to bring in new singles, shaking things up.
One of the most interesting concepts in the show is the Boardroom, where the winning couple decides who to bring into the house and who to send people on dates with. This is at least juicy, if nothing else, because it lets us see their match-making, which is kind of fun, especially when people start creating chaos.
The show, at least, doesn’t offer a monetary prize so much as a trip where the winning couple can solidify and explore their bond further. Offering prize money would be a horrible choice; obviously, no one would really be there for the love, but to win the money. Still, it’s clear that there’s more to gain outside of cash, and that’s clout. It’s hard to tell who’s there for the right reasons, when this isn’t anyone’s first rodeo, and some people come across as more genuine than others. This season also brings in some fresh faces from shows like The Trust: A Game of Greed or Surviving Paradise, who end up being some of the best cast members, and it mixes up the pairings a bit.
But it’s still Perfect Match, which is usually riddled with Too Hot To Handle and Love is Blind alumni, specifically one infamous Harry Jowsey, who really hasn’t changed much. Shocker! It’s honestly hard to watch some of these people get played by others, when it might seem obvious what’s going on, not to mention it’s only a few short days, but many of the cast do experience real, strong feelings within a short time frame, and all of the switching up seems cruel.
Another aspect is, of course, social media. We’ve found out much more than what we see on-screen, including which members were left out of cuts and what fans think of the various lies that were told on the show. Some cast members also posted live reactions to the series airing, as there were scenes they’ve never seen before. For example, Dominique and Brittan, two of the women in the villa, said they matched and explored the potential between them, but it wasn’t aired at all. That brings in another discussion about diverse representation, and just how much reality shows like these don’t value it. In season one, they did show Francesca and Abby have a relationship, but many people claimed it was due to Francesca’s fame and buzz, and not because Netflix actually cares about representation, which is definitely a valid point.
Overall, if you enjoy reality TV, Perfect Match is slowly becoming a staple. It’s Bachelor in Paradise but with people from different Netflix arenas interacting, which leads to even more messy drama. It’s very entertaining, but there will be moments you might feel bad for some of the cast, and others where you question what the hell is going through their minds. Does the show work to find love? No way. But does the formula work? It clearly does, as far as watchability – it’s one of the top series on the streaming platform right now, even if any participants are yet to find their actual perfect match.
