UnREAL Review: All In and Double Down
Olivia Popp
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After Hulu's surprise release of UnREAL Season 4 this summer, it was up to fans to jump back on the Everlasting bandwagon. Now, UnREAL Season 4 Episode 1 takes an interesting turn by letting Rachel run completely loose on the set of Everlasting, glammed up and ready to go.
Season 3 left Rachel in the dust after Everlasting suitress finally realizes Rachel's scheming ways and rescinds her job offer, leaving Rachel in the lurch. She decides to return to the show and the job that she does so well, but she's back, blonde, and isn't playing around anymore.
Hulu makes an interesting choice with UnREAL, and you can clearly see its handiwork right off the bat. It prioritizes shock value over quality -- ironically enough, like the reality shows it chooses to satirize -- very meta.
Hulu's attempt to change up the format of Everlasting is too much to handle in its first episode. Attempts to provide expositional information for which contestants were on what seasons of Everlasting -- and UnREAL -- are simply too complicated.
There's no room to create a nuanced understanding of the new iteration of the show right off the bat. Is there an UnREAL contestant flow chart somewhere?
The shock value of the first challenge, Hump or Dump, is mirrored in both viewers' expected reactions and the producers on the show. Rachel's glee over the success of the challenge is evident, but these traces of her depravity will no doubt show up even more later.
The first bits of it are already starting to appear, as Rachel wants to traumatize Maya with Roger all over again. This is the first step Hulu takes in sinking to a new low -- Rachel no longer contains the extent of her manipulation to the antics of Everlasting.
She's creating real-life trauma that is ultimately going to have a major impact on the lives of these women and contestants -- and it's appalling in a way that no longer satrizes The Bachelor and other reality shows, but takes its material and milks it for what it's got.
Oh. I get it. I'm not supposed to have a life as long as you don't have a life. Because that's what this season's about, right? That's why you wanted August and Rodrigo, and thank God you saved Jack, because to hell with being a producer. You're the suitress.
Quinn
Rachel spent all last season trying to redeem herself and claim that she was standing up for women, but she never did anything particularly impressive. Now, she's showing her true colors.
This is apparent throughout the entire season, but Hulu plants it right from the beginning. Rachel's potential love interests are nonchalantly dropped in the first episode, but it's up to viewers to find it.
Now that UnREAL is in Season 4, it's perfectly clear that Rachel will end up in a distructive relationship with Tommy -- the question is how and when. Because Tommy is Rachel's new partner-in-crime, Quinn being pushes to the side means that Rachel has more than one thing to worry about.
The show isn't done with Quinn and Chet's storyline, either. Yet Chet realistically takes up precious storyline space that could be better spent on Rachel and Quinn's tense relationship, as viewers have grown to treasure it through the past three seasons.
You are living in a fantasy where everyone is perfect, therefore fake. So good luck getting one of these fame whores to marry the real you, whoever that is.
Quinn
Rachel's desperation over winning back August is tired but ultimately realistic. After chasing countless suitors and contestants over the seasons, Rachel needs somebody, but begging men just isn't going to cut it. This season is about Rachel trying to find a man, but with her track record, all she should expect to find is Quinn's company.
After all, Quinn has been by her side the whole time. At its core, UnREAL is the tragic love story -- however platonic -- of two talented, troubled, workaholic women, and Hulu is beginning to lose that.
UnREAL Season 4 Episode 2 leans into the struggling relationship of Quinn and Rachel, but it's simply not believable. Why is Rachel leaning so heavily on Tommy's presence and simply brushing Quinn away?
Quinn clearly wants to help, and their relationship has always operated on a baseline mutual level of trust and respect in their lives and in their work abilities. Rachel turning to Tommy instead is both a betrayal for the loyal viewer and for Quinn.
Both Rachel and Quinn are the types of characters that a viewer hates to love -- but in different ways. Rachel's manipulative abilities are strangely alluring, while Quinn's command of power is what makes her so impressive.
UnREAL was never a one-woman show, but now, Tommy is taking some of the spotlight from Rachel. Hulu is diverting the show's attention to one too many characters -- in both contestants and producers.
Look, if you want to go all rock star and relapse, that's super cool, but wait until after the show, okay? 'Cause this isn't just your career you're shitting on, Alexi. It's mine.
Jay
Similarly, Alexi's storyline with Jay was already used last season, and UnREAL is unsuccessfully trying to extend its life. While Alexi was an interesting character, his return to the show is only marked by conflict with Jay -- and nothing else.
Jay already has enough trouble on his hands staying afloat on Everlasting, so why throw in a whole new show and a failed romantic interest? Jay's coke addiction doesn't even indulge the viewer with any interesting visuals either.
It simply makes the viewer feel sorry for Jay, and a high-functioning coke addict who isn't the lead in the story isn't going to make any waves.
The complications of which contestant is whom are starting to become slightly more clear, although it's still a mystery on who to root for. UnREAL enjoys using its characters and cutting them to never be seen again, so getting attached to any one character with a single-episode arc is useless.
It's also difficult to tell which characters Hulu wants to hang onto for the entire season, which makes it difficult to get into. Candy, Noelle, and Rodrigo seem promising, and it appears that the show wants to keep Alexi on.
August is clearly going to be a romantic interest for Rachel, even though the extent of his novelty has already worn out. Sofia's and Skye's appearances feel superficial and other women are barely onscreen for a few moments to even make a difference.
Okay, great show last night, everyone! But now I want tits out farther, dicks harder, and tantrums tearier! Candy is popping big, but Noelle wants to take her down, so we have to protect our little stripper.
Quinn
In the last episode, Quinn's pregnancy storyline wsa still unncessary, creating undue tension between Rachel and Quinn that never goes beyond a heated verbal spat. Now, the one interesting aspect of this episode is the discovery of the father of Quinn's baby.
This flips the script on the show in a way that cheap tricks on the part of manipulating contestants isn't going to do. It's a relatable, clever move that ties Rachel and Quinn closer together, but it's up to Hulu to decide what to do with it.
How do you think Rachel will respond to Quinn's pregnancy? How will Quinn respond? Share your thoughts on social media and answer in the comments below!
To catch up on Quinn and Rachel's final story, watch UnREAL online right now, and make sure to catch UnREAL Season 4 Episode 3.
Olivia Popp was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She left the site in September 2018.
