The Villain Edit Takes A Dark Look at Reality TV Romance

Who can you trust when the camera is always running?

My reality TV show watching tends to include baking and sewing competitions. I admit that I haven’t been watching any for months, since my usual watch partner is on the other side of the country with a baby. It’s not just how the seasons run the risk of becoming gimmicky or that your favorite judges switch seasons. The other question is what goes on behind the scenes to manufacture that narrative.

The Villain Edit asks if any love involving reality TV can actually be real. It’s easy to make up a story for a novel or movie, but quite another to act out someone else’s script and attach it to your life. Jac Matthis writes stories involving love, but she doesn’t know what is and isn’t real when producers demand interviews over wine and spirits. If she doesn’t figure it out soon, her season may not leave her with anything.

The Villain Edit by Laura Devore

Jacqueline Matthis doesn’t have a lot going for her with a cancelled book deal and no income in New York City. She’s also single and drifting, both financially and emotionally. So why not do a reality show that makes The Bachelor look like a cozy tea party? If she does well enough on the 1, where a male lead will…