So I watched the first episode yesterday. I'm not sure if I'm gonna keep watching but whatever, here are some thoughts.
First of all, what's up with the tragic lighting in the confessionals? It makes everyone look rough as ****, even though they look much better in the other scenes. The prince charming guy is such a void of charisma and he's not very attractive to me. Most of the guys aren't, come to think of it, but maybe they're just not my type? Lance Bass is a terrible host and every interaction between him and Robert came across as very fake. I also thought most of the guys were quite boring, with Robby and Danique being the only exceptions. They make good TV but we all know they won't stand a chance. I'm also curious as to what made Brodney so closed off as he already knew Robert from before. I wonder if he knows something we don't (apart from all the mess that has been exposed about the guy, of course).
There was so much unused potential in this episode that it made me frustrated for the producers. I really liked the twist with Robert posing as a contestant, but he was a nervous, boring mess. Instigate some ****! Test who's really worth having around! Make it entertaining! The first mini challenge with the hash tags was boring and the suitor reveal just felt so anticlimactic. They could have played up the drama much more. The only thing close to entertaining was the 'fight' between Sam and Robby, but even then they acted like it was so much more than it actually was. This could obviously change in the episodes to come, but I don't think they're allowing this show to become as messy and fun as it could be.
I feel like going for a bachelor kind of format for a gay dating show was the wrong choice. I think the people who are bound to watch a gay dating show tend to be more well versed in reality tv and watch for the potential messiness, not this idea that true love could come out of it. We're not the same kind of housewives that tune into The Bachelor and Bachelorette and we know how fake these shows are. I think a more VH1-esque of approach would have been better suited for the intended audience, especially with everything that has come to light about the main guy. Who cares about this white picket fence heteronormative dream of Robert when his personal messiness is much more entertaining?
I'm curious to see for how long this show can stay around. People will definitely tune in to the next few episodes just because this hasn't been done before, but time will tell if this format can survive its own audience.
Edit: Sorry for the novel by the way.
As a media student I watch all of my shows like this, but I usually have an outlet in real life to get all of this out. I don't know anyone who watches this so I had to do it here.
I bet that is why Brodney was so turned off by him, he probably knew he was an escort
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He's a beautiful man though. I think he'll be around for a bit. 