"Here we go," a voice barks. "Let's give them what they want: ponies, princesses, romance, love. I don't know, it's all a bunch of crap anyway." It's opening night of Everlasting, and executive producer Quinn King is ready. And so are we.
So begins UnReal, a surprisingly fresh new series on Lifetime (yes, Lifetime!), that tells the story of the team behind a Bachelor-style reality TV show, Everlasting, while producing (and airing) a semi-satire of that very show. *UnReal'*s reality show has the suitor (charming not-actually-a-prince-prince Adam Cromwell), the contestants, a string of hopeful bachelorettes, and, well, the producers, a team tasked with manipulating what happens behind the scenes. And we get to witness, shy away from, and revel in it all.
The series begins not only with the opening night of Everlasting, but with showrunner Quinn (Constance Zimmer) bringing back Rachel Goldberg (Shiri Appleby), an intuitively brilliant field producer who had a meltdown during *Everlasting'*s last season. And, while the crew greets Rachel's return with some trepidation, in Quinn's eyes Rachel is the best—and you need the best if you're making good TV.
And good TV it is. At the heart of UnReal is Quinn and Rachel's relationship. Part boss, part mentor, Quinn coerces her team, Rachel included, to do whatever it takes—manipulation, drinking, pill-switching—to get a show, scenes, and characters worth seeing. And it really is. There's everything you might expect from a typical reality show—drama, tears, and a whole lot of backstabbing—but the show outside of the show, and the manipulation that comes with it, is an even more delicious thrill.
The show won’t return until next year, but if you’re looking for a quick fix before the fall, dive into UnReal. Here’s how to quickly catch up.
Number of Seasons: 1 (10 episodes)
Time Requirements: If you're anything like us, you won't be able to stop—and you'll finish UnReal in a few days. But, if savoring shows is more your thing, you could opt for one episode a night for 10 days.
Where to Get Your Fix: Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu
Best Characters to Follow: Quinn and Rachel, without a doubt.
Together, the pair are a powerful team, but they aren't always on the same side. They're boss and rescued employee, surrogate mother and, well, surrogate child, and, at times, puppet master and puppet. At times, they seem like friends, but Quinn never strays far from being the boss.
And, although the show has some more contrived moments or cartoonish characters (ahem, Chet), the relationship between Quinn and Rachel is a consistent thread from beginning to bittersweet end. Quinn brings Rachel back to the show, and, in the end, keeps her from leaving. And, next year, Rachel will undoubtedly do what she can to fight back.
Seasons/Episodes You Can Skip:
With only one extremely addictive season to binge, you have no real excuse for skipping episodes. After all, you have all the way until next year to catch up. But if you're in a rush for some reason (which is fine, whatever), you could skip a few of the earlier ones.
Season 1: Episode 3, "Mother" Rachel (Shiri Appleby) takes a break from the set, and we learn a little more about her real life. We meet her psychotherapist mother who seems to have analyzed—and challenged—the young producer (and women's studies major) her whole life. Quinn (Constance Zimmer) too faces her own demons when Chet (Craig Bierko) lands in the hospital, and his wife confronts the exec about their long-running affair.
Season 1: Episode 4, "Wife" Although we finally get a peek at Adam's (Freddie Stroma) vineyard and see Chet attempt to wrestle another man for Quinn, this episode isn't all that crucial for the rest of the show. In Everlasting, Adam cops to texting his ex-girlfriend to the fury of the remaining contestants, but all is forgiven when Adam says he's just trying to figure out, well, what's real.
Seasons/Episodes You Can't Skip:
The entire season is a masterwork of suspenseful storytelling with two stories—the unreal one of Everlasting and the real one of UnReal—running simultaneously. But, from a road trip to Faith's Mississippi hometown to a late-night confrontation between Adam and Rachel, the line between the intertwining storylines begins to blur much like the difference between truth and untruth. You won't want to miss any of the twists (so catch it all!), but these episodes are a must.
Season 1: Episode 1, "Return" In the series premiere, we meet "This Is What a Feminist Looks Like" t-shirt-clad Rachel, and we meet Quinn. We find out that Everlasting is a game played both by Adam and its contestants, but that the real gameplay will be determined, effectively, behind the scenes. Each producer is more deliciously manipulative than the next, even if *Everlasting'*s on-screen cast is somewhat bland. Just remember—it's all about true love, people!
Season 1: Episodes 5 and 6, "Fly" and "Savior" Neither of these episodes are our favorites by any means. They're difficult, heart-wrenching, and uncomfortable as they peer into a darkness not usually touched by, well, reality TV. And while certain aspects of "Fly" may seem over the top, even for UnReal, it turns out, oh no, they aren't. But, in order to fully understand the rest of the season (and grasp the somewhat overblown foreshadowing that leads up to these), these episodes are a must.
Season 1: Episode 10, "Future" Like with any good TV series—and especially one where a winner will be picked—you can't miss the finale. With the simultaneous Everlasting and UnReal finales, the episode is so action-packed that on a repeat binge we couldn't quite believe how much the series writers were able to pack in. But they did, and you'll watch. That's all we'll say.
Why You Should Binge:
It's great. No, really, it is. The show is an addictive, thoughtful, and hugely thrilling workplace comedy-slash-drama about two strong-willed and manipulative women who are trying to figure out their respective places in the world—and how much power they can (and should) truly wield.
And, much like our antiheroes, the show looks at the lengths that reality TV itself will go to get what it wants (you to watch!) at, seemingly, any cost. Because although reality TV may exploit women (or men) and manipulate its cast, it has come to dominate a very real part of our culture. Be it Survivor, The Real Housewives juggernaut, or Keeping Up with the Kardashians, we love reality TV.
We love the drama, we love the people, we love the false intimacy, and, crucially, we love believing that what we're watching is, to some extent, real. UnReal serves as our reality check, reminding us as a culture that there's a difference between what's real and, well, unreal, or manipulated to seem real. With the mastery of co-creator Sarah Gertrude Shapiro, who once worked on The Bachelor, Lifetime's series not only begs us to question what we see, but to realize that continuing to watch makes us complicit in the drama.
Best Scene—The Ending of 'Mother'
Although this episode is far from the best, the final scene is the epitome of UnReal, and may be the best of the series. After a visit to her parents where Rachel begs her psychotherapist mother for money, she returns to the show's set in emotional disarray. Quinn, meanwhile, has spent the night in the hospital with Chet—and has been called out by Chet's wife for, well, encouraging his infidelity. Frustrated with a night of useless footage, Quinn blames Rachel for the mishaps, although the boss put Shia (Aline Elasmar) in charge.
To please Quinn (in some ways, her second "mother"), Rachel cleverly pits Anna (Johanna Braddy) against Grace (Nathalie Kelley) by implying that the self-professed "hod-blooded Latina temptress" was talking smack about the "Ice Queen." Anna lashes out at Grace, Grace fights back, and, like any reality TV watcher would expect, a brawl unfolds. Rachel watches from the sidelines, and Quinn joins. Reveling in Rachel's mastery, the pair share a cigarette. The puppet has become the master, and the night has been saved—now that's good TV.
The Takeaway:
Don't always believe everything that you see, especially when it comes to reality TV. Oh, and, even in real life, the best things often happen behind the scenes.
If You Liked UnReal You'll Love:
A lot of things. You probably already know 30 Rock and The Comeback, but you might also like The Comedians, Sports Night, and, well, maybe The Bachelor.
