TLC's "Match Me Abroad" offers viewers a glimpse into the world of Americans seeking love beyond their borders. While sharing similarities with the popular "90 Day Fiancé" franchise, this show presents a unique take on intercultural relationships and the challenges of finding love in unfamiliar territories.
The Premise: Love Knows No Borders
Similar to the original "90 Day Fiancé" series, "Match Me Abroad" focuses on Americans who want to settle down with someone from another country. However, unlike that long-running hit, the people featured are all singles still looking for a match. They believe that they will have a better dating experience searching for someone in another country. The daters enlist the help of a few professional matchmakers who specialize in intercultural connections who set the Americans up on a few dates with people who possess the traits and beliefs of their ideal partners.
The show follows several people who have decided to look for love outside the USA. They use matchmakers who are local to the countries where they're looking for love. We watch them iron out the kinks and navigate the dating scene while trying to understand a variety of matches who may or may not understand what they're talking about.
Cultural Clashes and Stereotypes
As expected, a few of the cast members experience culture shock because they went to another country with very little knowledge of it and its traditions. This adds awkwardness, as the cast doesn’t know how to react or what’s normal for these different cultures. One of the most compelling aspects of that series and those like it, though, is when the cultures begin to blend. The individuals figure out how to compromise in a way that makes them have a collaborative, not combative, relationship. Match Me Abroad is still at the stage where the Americans are just in the process of finding someone to date. Eventually, we should see the culture shock die down and more blending of cultures.
However, the show has faced criticism for perpetuating stereotypes. Some viewers feel that the American singles have such a narrow view of what men and women from their respective country of choice are actually like. They are looking for a complete stereotype! It's actually pretty offensive and adds to the overall awkwardness of the show.
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One reviewer noted, "Coming from a moroccan woman, the way they are styreotyping us and using us is really discusting. The palestinian woman went to morocco to pair young morccan women with old white dudes who has a certain idea of moroccan women and fetishizes us. Next time she should pair them with middle eastern people and leave us alone!!!!"
The Cast: A Mix of Archetypes and Personalities
TLC loves a good archetype for its reality TV shows. Some of the cast of Match Me Abroad remind me of people I’ve seen repeatedly on the 90 Day franchise. There is a reason the network loves these cast members: they deliver certain expectations. But, Match Me Abroad also has some archetype that aren’t that similar to those in the 90 Day realm, which adds some excitement to it. Despite seeing a lot of these types of participants before, I am still engaged and invested in their journey. They may seem similar to others in the TLC dating show world, but they could just end up surprising us and being very different.
Many viewers find themselves rooting for the cast members, hoping they find love and overcome the obstacles in their path. Overall, Match Me Abroad is full of likable, or at least tolerable, cast members. None of them seem like they’re going to reach the same level of infamy as any of the 90 Day stars. Most are likable or inoffensive enough that you root for their journey. You want them to find love and overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of that.
Drama and Entertainment Value
90 Day Fiancé thrives on drama. The show has so many brutal breakups, fights, wild moments, and conflict, and not just between the couples. The drama is part of what makes the franchise so successful. However, for people like me, who preferred the early seasons, when the conflict and drama didn’t feel as excessive, Match Me Abroad may be a nice substitute. It has drama that feels minor, or not as intense as some of the 90 Day conflicts. Of course, if this show evolves and has more seasons, I am sure the drama will increase. For now, though, I am enjoying it showing some conflict, but not a lot of drama.
The show has potential to be entertaining but misses the mark. Maybe if the producers spent some time showing the sites and scenery of the amazing countries and cities that are singles are spending time in, it would distract from how completely socially inept and icky they are.
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One reviewer humorously compared the show to a "plane crash," stating, "You know everybody likes to go on YouTube and secretly look at the plane crashes. This is a new version of a plane crash."
Criticisms and Production Practices
Some viewers have raised concerns about the show's production practices. One reviewer, who knows a contestant personally, claimed that the editors and producers took comments out of context, skewing the general impression. Any quirks in contestants are emphasized to the point of making them seem like idiots; other times, small positive traits are made to look like they are saints.
Social media is cashing in, the producers even fabricated some scenarios. The line between fact and "reality" is blurred; scenarios might not be entirely fabricated, but they are strongly "nudged" in the direction the show producers want, not allowing for a very natural progression. Again, this is a given in this day and age for reality shows, but that doesn't make it acceptable.
Commitment and Accessibility
90 Day has many spin-off series and continues to add to them. It also has after-show content, specials, and even Discovery+ exclusives. It’s a lot of commitment to watch everything 90 Day Fiancé. The episodes themselves are also kind of long. Match Me Abroad is a new series so the commitment is very low.
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Viewer Ratings and Opinions
| Aspect | Rating | Summary of Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Entertainment | Mixed | Some find it highly entertaining and cringe-worthy, while others find it uncomfortable and offensive. |
| Cultural Sensitivity | Low | Criticized for perpetuating stereotypes and narrow views of foreign cultures. |
| Cast Likability | Moderate | Many viewers find the cast likable and root for their success, while others see them as emotionally stunted or narcissistic. |
| Production Quality | Questionable | Concerns raised about editing practices and fabricated scenarios. |
| Drama Level | Moderate | Less dramatic than "90 Day Fiancé," which may appeal to viewers who prefer less intense conflict. |
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