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Since TLC's Unexpected first premiered on November 12, 2017, there has been speculation on whether the show was as true to reality as it appeared. Fan theories and stan accounts have popped up all over social media and there are quite a lot of opinions.
'Unexpected' Ratings Have Taken A Nosedive
At its core, Unexpected is a documentary-style series that follows teen parents on their journeys through pregnancy and parenthood. The show was met with critical acclaim during its 3rd season, however the success was short-lived as ratings for the 4th season plunged a whopping 66%.
With the show nearing the end of its 5th season and the "Tell All" episodes just around the corner, only time will tell how the conclusion to this most recent installment of the show will be received. Until then, fans and critics of the show alike have taken every opportunity to find answers to their questions about the show. One of the most pressing questions is the show's authenticity.
Fans Believe The Show Is Scripted
As always, Redditors waste no time in calling out moments of the show that seem inauthentic or "off". In a post asking r/TLCUnexpected how much of the show is thought to be scripted, the replies were quick to flood in. One Redditor was quoted saying, "Everything Tyra says during interviews. You can tell she’s either reading something or recalling her script." Ouch.
However, a handful of comments came in defense of the show and didn't get any hint of inauthenticity. One reply reads, "I don't think it's scripted at all. I do think that most of these people have a light that they want to paint themselves in and they're trying to behave a certain way in front of the cameras."
And of course, there were replies that were split down the middle. Towards the bottom of the page, one commenter replied, "I don’t think they tell them exactly what to say, for the most part. But it’s definitely scripted in that they create storylines for them to get footage and capitalize on any/all drama." Overall, while opinions were coming from every facet in the realm of possibility, most of the community members in the subredit agree that there are multiple aspects of the show that are either scripted or heavily edited.
The Reason Why TLC Scripted 'Unexpected'?
Fans of the teen parents enjoy watching the ups and downs of their lives play out in "will they or won't they?" scenarios. Such is the case with the on again/off again relationship between McKayla and Caelan. However, some fans have also suspected that there are greater forces at work at TLC headquarters.
One fan posted in the subredit suggesting that the show scripts scenes to be more dramatic in order to bank on viewers "hate-watching" so they can receive higher ratings. Cast member Jason Korpi is universally despised within the fandom, and it's no surprise that he's usually the main topic of conversation when it comes to the show. It's been suggested that his scenes with his girlfriend Kylen Smith were significantly altered and edited to make him come off as meaner and more incompetent than he really is. This could also just be wishful thinking, seeing as how almost nobody wants to believe that he really is that horrible of a boyfriend in real life.
However, if this is a real strategy that TLC has conducted, it's one that has the potential to backfire. One Redditor commented on the matter saying, "I've watched reality TV ever since the Flavor of Love days. This is the first show that I want to watch, but had to give up. I felt socially irresponsible giving him a platform and actually sick watching how he treated her."
Fans are gearing up for the "Tell All" episodes set to air on Sunday, June 5th, as it marks the finale of season 4. With that, some of them are catching up with the previous seasons, so they don't miss a single detail about the young parents or their children. Facts and tidbits about the cast and their endeavors on and off the show have bridged the gap for fans who are eager to see more explosive moments between each other. It seems as though, regardless of whether the show is scripted or not, Unexpected will still draw audiences from all over the world who want to see how the season is going to end and if there are any new surprises down the road for these teen parents.