*Disclaimer: Contains spoilers about “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” seasons one through three*
Watching TV is one of my favorite ways to wind down. I grab a snack and just watch one of my favorite shows, which I think is a great way to end my day, personally.
I do have a guilty pleasure: trashy reality TV.
I’ve always been drawn to it. Watching “Dance Moms” was my awakening to this genre of TV. I wasn’t a dancer growing up, so I wasn’t too interested in the dancing as much as my classmates, but I enjoyed watching the moms and Abby Lee Miller bicker.
Other shows like “Mama June: From Not to Hot,” “Say Yes to the Dress,” and “1,000 lb Sisters” helped me realize how much I like these kinds of shows. Something about TLC’s commercialization of these shows makes them wildly appealing.
Right now, I’m binge-watching “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” since the third season was just released on Hulu. This one is the definition of “trashy,” but I can’t not watch it.
Let’s do a quick rundown of what’s happened leading up to season three:
In season one, the MomTok group is introduced, and they all come with their own baggage. Mikayla is chronically ill, Layla is about to be divorced, Mayci’s first husband was killed in a motor vehicle accident, Jen is in an emotionally abusive relationship, and Whitney is emerging from a cheating scandal.
Jessi and Demi don’t have major issues until season two and three. However, Taylor Frankie Paul’s baggage is the reason SLOMW started: a swinging scandal.
All of the women have something in common as well, and most obviously, they’re all Mormon.
Each season has a different issue that is kind of seen throughout the entire season. In season one, it’s the aftermath of the swinging scandal, and Layla gets divorced. Season tw,o it’s Whitney trying to re-join MomTok while Demi is wreaking havoc on the rest of the women through shady lies. In season three, the most recent season, Jessi is cleaning up the aftermath of her affair.
The amount of unnecessary drama is insane, but I love it.
There was a time I felt ashamed about watching these types of shows. I never liked reality TV like “The Bachelorette” or “Love Island,” but if there is heavy drama, I’m locked in. It makes sense, sort of. It makes sense in a way that it’s more than straight drama throughout the entire series.
A lot of good reality shows don’t have 40-60 minutes of drama. There are usually a couple of spots that don’t relate to it or give the viewer a break. Granted, the majority still is drama-filled to keep the genre alive.
It’s genuinely entertaining to watch reality TV. There’s definitely a show for everyone; you just need to watch a few trailers.