Is Perfect Match Scripted? Answered

Perfect Match, Netflix’s reality TV show about reality TV stars finding love, makes for entertaining viewing. But there’s been talk that the show isn’t as real as Netflix makes it out to be. So, is Perfect Match scripted? Here’s the answer.

How Scripted Is Netflix’s Perfect Match?

Netflix’s Perfect Match is not scripted. However, one contestant has alleged that the show’s producers and editors do deliberately stir up drama and use editing to alter viewers’ perception of events.

Speaking to Distractify, former contestant Savannah Palacio stated that while she made her own decisions on the show, and it was never scripted, she felt it was edited to portray her in a certain way.

“I felt kind of bad because none of our emotional connection or anything made it in the show,” she said, referring to her on-screen friendship with Nick Uhlenhuth. “And it felt not good that the show wanted to frame the Asian girl as being strategic when they were the ones asking me to talk about strategy,” she adds.

It’s not the first time the show’s legitimacy has been called into question. Perfect Match Season 1’s Francesca was accused of being a plant, with Redditors suggesting she was there to play the villain. It doesn’t help that Perfect Match’s cast is taken from other reality TV shows, so they likely know what’s expected of them or how to act to endear themselves to the audience.

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At the risk of sounding cynical, it’s not necessarily that Perfect Match‘s stars are on an earnest quest to find love. It may be that they’re there to be noticed, to elevate their profiles. Even if they don’t get the big prize, if people are talking about them, that can be seen as a win. And as far as the showrunners go, more drama can translate to more viewers.

A lot can be accomplished in the editing suite, too. Writer and presenter Charlie Brooker put together a great little video as part of his Screenwipe show. It shows how editing can change the mood of a moment, show someone in an entirely different light, and so on. The editor has an awful lot of power when it comes to reality TV shows.

So, the answer to is Perfect Match scripted is no, but don’t take what you see at face value.

Perfect Match Seasons 1-2 are currently streaming on Netflix.