Too Hot to Handle premiered its online reunion episode on Friday, May 8. Former contestants joined on a Zoom call to reunite with Lana, talk about their love lives, and compare the shows that they've been watching. The pandemic hasn't seemed to have marred the group's cheerful attitude or how they bonded during filming. The guys mentioned going to Vegas on a trip before the shutdowns.
A Netflix original, Too Hot To Handle was one of the first shows to have a virtual reunion. Other shows, like Survivor and RuPaul's Drag Race, held their entire finale online. A so-called omniscient AI named Lana was a fan favorite, and showed up on the Too Hot To Handle reunion, but it was a great opportunity to catch up with the contestants that viewers had grown attached to. Fans had mixed opinions on the prize money being split among the contestants with no discrepancy shown for breaking the rules.
Elle talked about spoilers for the show in question. Desiree Brunch serves as the host as the cast signs on They mentioned that one pair, Nicole and Bryce, were so happy to meet on the show, have gotten an apartment together and will move in soon. On Instagram, they made that pronouncement official. They call it friendship, and it is one heck of a bond. Meanwhile, another couple, Harry and Fran, show off their matching tattoos and are staying in contact, "very cute" lightning bolts in Lana's words. Lana thinks it's not so cute to have your partner's name tattooed across your forehead, though Fran begs to differ. The two announced their engagement, much to the others' surprise. Time will tell if that relationship lasts beyond the afterglow of the show.
Many shows are doing cast reunions, from The Office to Parks and Recreation. Even the original Hamilton cast got on the act, singing the opening song for one lucky viewer on Some Good News. Some are profitable for the networks that organize them, while others are just feel-good and done to bring joy to millions of Internet users. People are desiring connection, and these recorded Zoom calls seem more personal.
Too Hot To Handle ended up inadvertently predicting some of the issues that would come up with pandemic quarantines, self-isolation, and shutdowns. While people can stay close together, as the cast members and contestants did on the retreat, they also have to keep their distance for the common safety. During the reunion episode, everyone admits that they are working hard to occupy their time and pick isolation partners from among the friends they made. They agree that the show was fun to do and worth doing again.
What's more, the show is a social experiment in showing how if enough people follow the rules of an established yet absurd facility, then everyone can still benefit despite the consequences that others bring. The parallels to real-life are much starker in the middle of shutdowns. Additionally, the hope that rulebreakers can't destroy an established common good is unsettling and reassuring at the same time as we see people arguing about how to handle the current pandemic and being rather rude to the medical professionals trying to save their lives. Even if we have more than a few bad players, enough good players in real life can ensure that everyone benefits. This may mean that more than a few viewers want to shout at them for not having common sense, which can be understandable.
Nobody's perfect, not even Lana. Too Hot to Handle has established that we are flawed and sometimes that can literally cost us money. Maybe, however, there is still a chance to find happiness after.
Source: Elle