Now that RFL is over -- final thoughts? autopsy of the details, etc.

Now that RFL is over and done -- I'm interested to hear what everyone thought of the show as a whole.

Break it down for me, peeps. Especially those of you who watch other reality TV 'looooove' shows. RFL is really the first one I've bothered to watch.

Meanwhile, here are some of my thoughts on the genre generally and RFL in particular:

The genre: I have tried to sit through a whole bachelor/bachelorette episode. Can't do it. My eyes about roll out of my head. I've decided it's really not for me, in the same way that dating via internet dating sites is not for me. Obviously it works for some people, but to me, it just looks like a series of train wrecks, and a lot of rubbernecking over that. I don't know why they call it 'reality' TV -- seems more like 'idealistic' TV to me. Meh.

RFL specifically: Three guys was probably one guy too many. And there were too many bells and whistles going on -- the barbie boxes, the 'garden', etc. With 2 guys you might at least get enough time for each group to see more/a deeper story line. Another thing, is that the rules seemed to be constantly changing with respect to eliminations (getting to save someone, then not getting to save someone, going to the garden with the ones the MMs picked, then having the guys pick, etc.). It just makes things messy and inconsistent.

On the plus side, 2 out of the 3 couples are apparently still together after what, a year? So that at least is a silver lining.

With respect to the sleuthing, that was pretty fun to watch you guys do, even if it did kind of devolve into the internet version of interpreting tea leaves for signs toward the end.

I probably won't go on to watch the bachelor/bachelorette stuff after this, because RFL has pretty much confirmed for me that this stuff just kind of makes me cringe and/or makes me want to find the contestants, shake them, and ask them, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING? Haha. Oh well. Fun while it lasted. :)

I loved the matchmakers. Forget the gimmickry and the need to surprise us with the ending. Forget the cheesiness and the need to string women along and break their hearts. Just do a serious matchmaking show with one or more of the matchmakers. Let them take turns each week, and set a guy or gal up with 4 or 5 dates and plenty of advice and see what happens. If they did this for 16 contestants, I bet they'd wind up with 5-6 genuine couples and I'd watch.

Y'know what? I kind of loved the MM's too. I and I'd probably watch a show like the one you describe above, ESPECIALLY if they used 'real' people in it, not just CEOs, Rock Stars, and Beauty Pageant Queens.

I would love to see a real love story emerge between two people I could totally relate to as 'normal' -- average looking, average salaries, etc. And without all the crappy gimmicks and scripting.

maighread wrote:Y'know what? I kind of loved the MM's too. I and I'd probably watch a show like the one you describe above, ESPECIALLY if they used 'real' people in it, not just CEOs, Rock Stars, and Beauty Pageant Queens.

I would love to see a real love story emerge between two people I could totally relate to as 'normal' -- average looking, average salaries, etc. And without all the crappy gimmicks and scripting.

That, i would watch! I'm going to hunt for the Millionairre Matchmaker somewhere "On Demand". Unrealistic, most folks aren't rich, but they only have 1 rich guy and maybe 3 ladies... Oh wait what am I saying .. NEVER again. I got too crazy waiting for the episodes.

Here's my formula:

1 Male lead (no from Texas!) and 1 female lead (Sara L.!)
Two matchmakers (Matt and other lady w/curly hair not Amber)
No studio audience
No dollhouses/elevators/garden
Host ... Hailey!

Over all, it was just another reality-type dating show, albeit with a different format and different twists and turns. I'm a die-hard Bach/ette fan and like that franchise much better.

BTW only one of the couples is still together. On another thread it was revealed Ben and Angela broke up.

The thing I really liked about this show was that the ladies were picked with the three guys in mind, whereas for the Bachelor the ladies are cast before they lead is even picked. I think the matchmaker aspect points toward a greater success rate, but Ben and Ernesto didn't seem that invested, maybe because Tim was the only one without a prior connection to Eva?

That said, it doesn't surprise me that Tim and Jenna are the only couple together. She was my pick for him from the beginning. I think they both bring out good things in each other.

I hated the studio audience, the elevators , the stage scaffolding dollhouse, and the garden. The gimmicks detracted from everything.

What I did like were the matchmakers. I'd love a show built around the matchmakers going out there and... matchmaking. They should flip the whole concept on it's @ss and do a " real" reality show for finding love, without manipulations, gimmicks and false drama.

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We are all hoping for Sara as the next Bachelorette. And many have contacted people within The Bachelorette franchise to get the ball rolling. For years now we have said we wanted someone new. Sara would be a perfect fresh face.

I liked the match makers. But what I didn't like was the advice that they would give to the girls. While the others were on stage. To me that just thread information into the other girls as to what they needed to do. To step up their game.

I do not like 3 guys. It was to much bouncing around. And you really didn't get to learn much about the girls. They had their few key girls in mind. And every one else was just air time. Filling up air space. I felt Ben and Ernesto took the back seat to Tim. That was totally unfair. Am I surprised that they didn't work out with their chosen one. Not at all.

I can see why this isn't in Bachelor form. Because you really don't see the actions between the contestants like The Bachelor.

Would I enjoy another show like this. I don't know. I would prefer to see Love In The Wild come back. They were hugely successful with many couples coming out of the few seasons it ran.