WARNING: Spoilers ahead!
Despite my belief that we’d completely exhausted the television genre of “island dating shows” by this point (I’m looking at you, Too Hot To Handle), as luck would have it, Netflix had one more program up its sleeve to welcome us into 2022.
Of course, I’m talking about Singles Inferno, the streaming service’s latest reality hit. Now, you might be thinking to yourself, “What’s so different about this island dating show, compared to the others?” Well, let me tell you.
Single’s Inferno is a South Korean dating reality show that follows a group of Korean singles stranded on a deserted island, nicknamed on the show as an “inferno.” To leave said “inferno,” they must pair up with another single to escape for a date night in “paradise,” a luxurious hotel away from the island.
The show begins with five men and four women (though in later episodes, new contestants are added to the group) who arrive on the island to find they are given a limited number of amenities, supplies and food items. They have to work together to prepare meals, collect water and they occasionally participate in challenges, where the winners get to choose other singles to spend more time with on a date.
One interesting twist about the show is that the contestants aren’t allowed to reveal their ages or occupations to one another until they are matched, and permitted to go to “paradise” together.
So, was it cringey? Of course. A little problematic? Sure. Did I still watch every second? You bet. My friends and I even held virtual watch parties for every new episode that came out.
If you’re a fan of the island dating show category, I’m sure that Single’s Inferno will be up your alley. But, even if you’re not, the show itself was still very easy to watch, and undoubtedly fun to comment on.
Once you’ve seen all eight episodes, check back in on my following takeaways from the show, and see if you’re in agreement with me!
- Despite the fact that their occupations were “hidden” from each other, I was disappointed to see that many contestants had similar careers, and some of them even knew each other from outside the show. I get it, you want nice-looking, successful people on the island, but when the majority of them are models or business owners, it takes away some of the fun in keeping it a secret.
- Yea-won deserved more screen time.
- Some of these people did not come prepared to live on a beach for nine days.
- What on Earth does Ji-a need to carry in her little handbags all the time?
- I would have enjoyed a “where are they now?” segment at the very end of the show, so we could know who is still together after filming!
Anyways, I suppose I’ll be holding out until Netflix drops the next beachy romance show. As unrealistic and dramatized as they are, it sure is refreshing to see people frolicking in nice weather without masks on. Ahhhh, escapism is a beautiful thing.
Happy watching! :)