1. Survivor Ghost Island: This season has been a bit hit-and-miss for me. Some aspects of it have been truly compelling, with players making bold moves or entertainingly screwing up their own games (i.e. the epic downfall of Desiree, the sheer cluelessness of Chris, and the powerhouse duo of Domenick and Wendell). But many other times the show has been all too predictable, with the dominant Naviti tribe mostly just rolling over the Malolo tribe, especially once they gained an advantage in the numbers. The premise of the season, with new players finding and using idols and advantages from past seasons (with accompanying flashbacks) has been fun to watch, however it would be more fun if there weren't quite so many idols and if the players used them in smarter ways. Currently Domenick and Wendell are poised to easily slide into the finale (each has an idol), while Laurel and Donathan (as the last remaining Malolo members) have an uphill battle ahead of them if they hope to make it to the end. I would really like to see the other players find a way to take out the dominant duo before the finale. That would really make for some great tv.
2. RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 10 of the craziest competition on tv has been a real treat. The challenges are crazier (a fake trashy talk show, infomercials for fake dating apps), and there has been lots of drama between the contestants. The Vixen has picked fights with pretty much all of the other contestants, making the backstage aftershow really fun to watch (even if you feel a little sleazy while doing so). This week's episode, the classic Snatch Game, a takeoff of the classic game show Match Game where the queens impersonate celebrities, was probably the most entertaining so far. Monet Exchange as Maya Angelou and Aquaria as Melania Trump were laugh-out-loud funny, while Asia O'Hara as Beyoncé and The Vixen as her daughter Blue Ivy was an epic trainwreck. Overall my top picks to win right now are definitely Eureka (her fat-girl image and loud humor are always funny) and Miz Cracker (she's so quirky and unique). My least favorites are The Vixen and Kameron Michaels, who has been somehow sliding through the challenges so far. Since The Vixen and Monet are both weak in many of the challenges but really good at the lip syncs, which determine which of the bottom two contestants goes home each week, they have perhaps lasted longer than they should. But the show is always entertaining no matter who gets eliminated. One moment this week, when the queens, dressed in elaborate mermaid costumes, were wheeled backstage on carts by the crew to retrieve the cocktails waiting for them, was so bizarre that I laughed out loud alone in front of my tv.
3. MasterChef Junior: Most people would not believe me if I told them that this is the most compelling cooking competition show on tv. But it totally is. These 8-13-year-old kids have more talent than most adults 3 times their age, and their positive attitudes and support for each other is truly refreshing in the backstabbing world of reality tv. That's not to say that the judges can't be a little too mean sometimes, especially Gordon Ramsey and Joe Bastianich. But they are also supportive and helpful when the contestants get overwhelmed at times (they are just kids, after all). While most reality show cycles tend to drag on a bit too long, with too many contestants and only one elimination per week, I would suggest that this show has the opposite problem. With 2 kids going home at the end of each episode, it's unfortunate that one not-so-stellar dish has sent some of them home. Heading into the finale, there are currently only 3 contestants remaining: Beni, Quani, and Avery. Beni the tomboy (or perhaps transgender girl, I'm not quite sure) can do no wrong with the judges, so I'd kind of like to see them be a little more critical of some of her dishes to knock her down a peg (yes, I realize that I'm criticizing a kid). Quani has mostly sailed under the radar throughout the season, but he has stepped up his game massively in the last few episodes. But 8-year-old Avery, who possesses the confidence and level head of a much older girl, and who is now the youngest contestant ever to cook in the finale, is my pick to win (I would have picked little Italian Mikey, but sadly he is now out of the running 😢).
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