This show might be the one

By Sammy Park
Staff Writer

Illustration by Isabella Frescura
Illustrator

3.5/5

In a sea of reality TV shows about finding true love, MTV’s ‘Are You the One?’ is a fresh take on an otherwise overworn genre.

The show features ten boys and ten girls who are paired together after a series of personality tests. Throughout the season, matches are revealed one by one. And with a one million dollar prize if everyone finds their match, motivation is at an all time high. The show embraces the ridiculousness of reality TV with wacky names like the Trojan sponsored ‘Boom Boom Room’ and the ‘truth booth.’ However, the show still retains its entertainment value and can even be emotional at times

Contestants on ‘Are You the One?’ are definitely not chosen for their strategic abilities.  Most seem more enticed by the prospect of hooking up and partying than the million dollar prize. If the show chose regular, sane people, it could be condensed into five episodes. But the 20 straight out of college party animals in an island setting ensure consistent entertainment and are the true life of the show.

Despite its overdone premise, the show does serve as a excellent guilty pleasure. Some of the more stable couples inspire support for their blooming relationship and legitimize ‘Are You the One?’ as a dating show.

Emotional instability and rowdiness are encouraged on ‘Are You the One?’ and the calm, mature couples are seen as boring. With every episode having a new love triangle, there is no shortage of drama. Catfights and fistfights over meaningless disagreements are regular occurrences in the house.

‘Are You the One?’ is a slimeball of emotion and drama but retains some of the romance it promises. The search for the perfect match provides new storylines and subplots each week, and is definitely worth a watch for TV romance fans.