Another week, another dating reality show is out. I am Solo’s first episode has landed, and the familiarity of the format feels impossible to ignore at this point. The series brings a group of single men and women together with a simple goal: finding someone they could date to marry. And what else will a dating show be about? Cooking? Obviously not. Men and women enter the same environment and begin to know one another without any distractions. These “contestants” are nothing but non-celebrity single men and women (thank god no celeb/influencer) who were called. Since they are ordinary people, you can expect a lot of awkward and important conversations taking place between them. How much of it is genuine and how much is scripted, only time and other upcoming episodes will tell.
I Am Solo starts as a good show, but whether you will like it or not is something that depends highly on your taste. We have already seen so many reality shows revolving around dating that, at one point, this one won't manage to impress you. The makers have put their best into making it a good show. The conversations that take place between the anticipated couple are a lot about similar upbringings, shared values, etc. Some of us might like it, some of us might not. And this time around, I feel the main reason for disliking it is not because the show is badly made. It is simply because the format feels too repetitive to watch again. I feel the dating industry is saturated. We have reality shows and fiction shows based on modern dating and finding love. Again, I am not sure how many of us will still be interested in watching others fall in love.
Having said all that, there are some good things about I Am Solo. What caught my attention in particular was the authenticity with which it was shot. Most dating shows have contestants wearing good clothes, and the setup is in a fancy location. Here, that is not the case. The contestants, conversely, look authentic with real emotions that come out of them. Safe to say, in terms of entertainment, one can expect conflicts and scenes of jealousy. On the surface, things don’t feel staged. But as I mentioned before, how much of reality shows can be believed depends particularly on ourselves and the media reports that resurface later.
The first episode felt a little slow. Things took their own sweet time to unravel, and it became slightly boring to watch. But since it is only the first episode, we can give I Am Solo the benefit of the doubt and see where things head in the upcoming episodes. To conclude, if you are someone who thrives on reality shows and loves watching them, I Am Solo is what you should watch to get another dose of entertainment. But if you are tired of watching something like this, be sure to explore other releases for this week.
Final Score- [7/10]
Reviewed by - Neerja Ch
Follow @NeerjaCH on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times