Too Hot to Handle

If you’re looking for a summertime reality show that’s just a straight-up sexy, trashy fun time, look no further than this ridiculous Netflix trifle. We can’t make the case that Too Hot to Handle has compelling characters you’ll root for, or bring sociological value along the lines of “Hmm, isn’t how these people behave interesting.” It just goes straight to the lizard brain. The show is a titillating guilty pleasure about sexy people obsessing over sex. It’s no deeper than that, which makes it sort of pure. It doesn’t require too much attention to watch, but it’s hard to look away. It’s just a pleasurable experience.

The thing that will keep you watching beyond the initial horny gimmickry, though, is that it’s funny to watch these people fail so mightily to exhibit even the slightest bit of self-control. They can’t keep their hands off each other (or themselves) even when thousands of dollars are on the line. Not only are they messing up other people’s money, they’re messing up their own money. They’re a bunch of immature F-boys and F-girls with the depth of a fruity cocktail. You can’t help but feel a little superior. It activates the judgmental part of the brain as much as the amorous one. Again, we’re not saying this show is good for you, but it is fun to watch.

It also moves at a faster pace than most reality dating shows, which is a welcome change. Many shows like this pad out their run times with excessive recapping of what just happened in confessional interviews or showing events over and over again, but Too Hot to Handle moves briskly. And unlike on Netflix’s other recent reality dating show Sexy Beasts, which has a new cast and the same format every episode, Too Hot to Handle tells its story over the whole season, which makes it very bingeable.