Outlast Mercilessly Booed For "Staged" Survival: Time For Netflix to Give Up?
It's not that often the internet is blown with discussions about Netflix reality shows, but this one is an interesting exception.
Outlast on Netflix was promoted as a survivalist competition from the very beginning, and viewers believe that is exactly what made the show so controversial.
The premise of the show states that 16 people are trying to compete for a chance to win a massive cash prize in the extreme Alaskan wild.
However, as soon as one starts watching the show, the lack of actual challenges and survival can be really confusing – to say the least.
However, even with the show turning out to be way darker and more twisted and making the executive producer Grant Kahler admit he didn't expect contestants to go this far, all the tension still felt staged – just like almost everything that the contestants had to overcome during their stay in Alaska.
Although it is illegal in the US to rig a game show, many viewers suspect Outlast was tweaked to get more drama in.
According to one of the contestants, Jill, many parts of the show were left out in the final cut which makes the show even more suspicious.
With no one significantly cold after crossing an ice-cold river, no real accent on the food, and equipment coming out of nowhere, people seem to believe that producers were more involved in the show than they are willing to tell.
"I couldn't make it past the stolen sleeping bags and the team disappears long enough for the guy to make an escape and cross the river. Really? You wouldn't just wait for him to have to come out?" Redditor jpr196 pointed out.
According to fans, it all sounds way too easy for a tough survival show.
"All that time a camera team is following the dude around, yet Delta team couldn't spot him because he put moss on his head. That's not even the only glaring clue this show is entirely faked, but it sure stood out," and another user, TempusFrangit, had to agree.
With the lack of challenges, lack of clear rules, and lack of fair play, Outlast ended up being another nasty reality, where people show off their ugly nature more often than their survival skills, according to fans.
It's a shame, considering how many viewers would be fully on board to support it if the show stuck to the initial idea and paid more attention to the details.
A great idea with mediocre execution turned out to be rather frustrating, but it can be a great lesson for Netflix in the future.
Keep an eye out for more news on whether Outlast will be renewed for another season with another set of contestants or Netflix will give it up completely.