From hot steaming six packs to bodacious bodies, Too Hot to Handle is a reality tv show that has turned a lot of heads for Netflix watchers. In this show, young singles meet in a tropical island to mingle (without having sex at all) for a chance to take home $100,000. The thought of abstinence is the challenge for these sex-driven people, but the cone-shaped technology named Lana brought retreat activities to allow these guests to look deeper into their hearts and understand what they need in a relationship.
These guests are technically forced into a retreat to understand each other’s deeper motives in life. Originally wanting to have sex with each other, they refrain from having any sex because any sexual actions can deduct their prize of $100,000 by the end of the show’s season. The larger the sex act, the larger the penalty. The hope is that the guests would get personal growth instead of focusing on people’s bodies in the first perspective.
The show’s first season ended up being similar to Lord of the Flies when contestants are suspecting each other of losing money and making each other the criminal of every move. Haley from Florida who had a tattoo in a language she doesn’t know acts as a puppet master in having people play straight into her trap. Eventually, she was kicked off the season, but she frowned upon getting personal growth and emotionally connecting with others in the retreat.
It takes several days for the guests to seep into the serious part of the relationship. When they are forming meaningful bonds and understandings with each other, they learn about why a wall was built up with sex and pleasure. Often sex and pleasure is used to hide away their fears and insecurities about each other. A few guests have had terrible breakups. Instead of dwelling into the past, sex was a conventional way to let their stress go away. In season 1, many viewers have hashtagged Sharronda because Rhonda brought the best in Sharron to grow from his past relationship and open up to her. Even Rhonda was able to open up her experiences in having a son. They were a well-respected couple in the group who were accepting each other’s flaws and being the support system for each other when needed.
So Too Hot to Handle is not as sex-infested as everyone may have thought, but it was an entertaining and enjoyable watch that shows the audience that change can happen even to the worst of people. Whether or not the guests will get their partner at the end of the show, what matters most is their personal growth in respecting each other’s bodies and learning how to love without focusing on the physical contents.
