Below Deck's the best • Traitors betrayed me • Couple to Throuple • Lover, Stalker, Killer
Dear newsletter friends,
I suppose it was inevitable that my beloved The Traitors would have a disappointing episode eventually, and that arrived for me last night.
The first half—great! That twist—ugh.
I think what I didn't like is the same as what bothers me about some Survivor 2.0 twists: they alter the fundamental game.
I don't want Survivor to take away someone's vote, or undo the results of a challenge, and I don't want The Traitors to take away the one tool the faithful have: the banishments.
I still love and recommend The Traitors, and hopefully we'll get our Survivor winners vs. Bachelor showdown next week.
🥵 Four reviews
Peacock:
Bravo:
Paramount+:
🔪 True crime
🥰 A note on support
If you clicked the upgrade button in the Sunday reality TV preview message—thank you!
Alas, the payment page probably defaulted to an unchangeable $4/month, even though I said you could name your own price. 😩
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💬 Comments of the week
On my review of an old Food Network show, Janet wrote:
I expected more. Customer service was non existent, the chicken fingers were burnt and too hard to eat and the chocolate milkshake looked like chocolate milk. Needless to say we got a refund. I will never go back
On my review of A Real Bug's Life, Andrea Wrote,
Thank you for your work on this.The story lines can be dopey, as you said, from an adult’s perspective. But this series is for kids. My fourth grade and kindergarten grandchildren are intrigued in a way they are not from typical documentaries. These little films (maybe call them realistic fiction) are giving them respect for bugs and better understanding of ecosystems. ...
On this review of Feud, Jen wrote:
I am enjoying it quite a bit so far just for the indulgent travel to a far off time and place (and societal class, TBH). The sets and costumes are near perfection and I am especially in awe of the hair and makeup. I did notice some of the language SDB mentioned but was not completely thrown out of my time travel trance until Capote’s mother showed up. Only then was I reminded that this is not just my fantasy come to life, but Ryan Murphy’s as well, and I was grateful to live in the streaming age and be able to skip ahead.
🗞️ Reality TV news
Survivor 46’s cast, who will face ‘moral dilemmas’ 🤨 and ‘new twists’ 😭
Kandi Burruss is leaving The Real Housewives of Atlanta, perhaps just for a "break"; she said "they allowed us to sit around for a little too long, but during that time I had started working on a lot of other things."
The Braxton family—Toni, Towanda, Trina, Tamar, and Ms. Evelyn—will be back on WE tv in The Braxtons, which will premiere later this year and sounds like Braxton Family Values 2.0.
Deb Antney, the music mogul who launched the careers of Nicki Minaj and Wacka Flocka, among others, will search for a new female rap star in Deb’s House, which will be on ALLBLK this summer, the network announced at TCA.
Eddie Jackson, host of Christmas Cookie Challenge and Outchef'd, and judge on other shows, is staying with Food Network after signing a new deal.
A drunk driver hit Duff Goldman's car, injuring him and his driver. Duff wrote on Instagram, "it’s gonna be a long road to recovery, and for someone like me who makes a living with my hands you can imagine that this is no joke. There’s no excuse for driving drunk. None."
🤩 I recommend
This Bravo show, for so many reasons
This show, for the surprising spiciness and drama only
That's everything for this week. Have a great weekend!
best,
Andy
🌄 This is issue 369 of reality blurred’s weekly newsletter, first sent on 9 February 2024, and it misses Captain Lee on Below Deck.