Hills: Season 5 Part 1

Sometimes I miss the proverbial good old days when there was a strongly defined line between reality and fiction; well at least on television, sure there has always been series that could be described as realistic but that is defined as emulating reality and not intended to be reality. Of course there are people who are less able to differentiate between the two but fortunately there have been great strides in mental health treatment. In recent years there has been what can only be describe as a deliberate effort to blur the lines between fact and fiction allegedly for the sake of entertainment. The so called reality series have gone beyond proliferating on all tiers of your cable lineup, they have exploded. Hardly a month goes by without at least one announcement for a ‘daring new level for reality television’. Please note the excited adjectives do not represent my personal feeling of the genre in general. Some of the blurring is subtle and may be necessary from the more practical demands of producing a network television series. In other cases it is blatant that the producers are selecting cast members with a high certainty of conflict and arrange for circumstances to arise to ensure what they would term ‘good television’. If it wasn’t for the pretense or reality these shows would still appear to be exactly what they are; prime time soap operas. Now there is nothing inherently wrong with that; there is a valid reason why soap operas can last for decades. The format is a proven successful way to tell a prolonged story. What seem to really irk viewers are the obvious signs of scenes being staged such as wardrobe or makeup variations within a single set-up. One of the most notable of this relatively new genre is ‘The Hills’ from the network previously known for music videos; MTV. There is one little interesting aspect of the series that gives it a rather unique place in television history. Spin-offs have been around since TV began but this series is a pseudo reality show spun from another like series which itself was created in response to a fully scripted prime time soap. First there was ‘The O.C.’ about a group of overly privileged teen with more libido that parental supervision. MTV saw the success it had and decided to blend it with a reality format giving rise to ‘Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County’. A few of the characters, I mean people that show highlighted became breakout stars on their own and after graduation from high school moved out to this, their very own series.

The show has generated more than its share of controversy for the previously mentioned production methods but this seems to have only increased the loyalty of its fan base. Several of the cast members have gone on to almost constant attention with the tabloids even though the underlying talent id dubious at best. The most recent season available on DVD is the first part of season five. Like many series a mid-season break has become standard. The fundamental plot lines are developed along the basis of the ever shifting friendships, animosities and other relationships between the central and extended cast. At the epicenter of the action are Lauren Conrad better known simply as LC and her ‘frienamy’ Heidi Montag. For a series like this the audience expects a polarization with a hero and nemesis to cheer and jeer. Here the general consensus of the fans is the lauded white hat is awarded to LC while the one everybody loves to hate falls to Heidi. She has been following her dream to become an actress, later modified to include singing while LC has been going after a career in the fashion industry eying her own line of clothing. The pair of for the most part estranged when. Much of the second part of season five will deal with another friend in the mix, Kristin Cavallari. She had been close to Lauren although more recently they have been estranged by did run across each other at the wedding of Heidi to Heidi married her boyfriend slash manager Spencer Pratt.

This season saw the usual merry-go-round of relationships. Much of the season deals with the great deal of melodrama surrounding the impending nuptials of the tabloid darlings, Spencer and Heidi. Like most wedding preparations the list of guests is critical; more so when every little conflict is recorded and broadcast for millions to watch. The series dies hit the benchmark required for this type of series fairly well. It was crafted to achieve that goal. Yes, this is a guilty pleasure and most likely staged but just goes with the flow and get into it.

Posted 09/30/09