“Earle Meets World” premiered on Sept. 4 on Netflix, following UM alumna Alix Earle and her family in their daily life. But is it actually good?
The show feels very fabricated compared to the content Earle usually creates. Due to the nature of her content, audiences are used to being close to her and following her every thought. But this style of filming creates a bigger distance between her and her audience.
This connection she creates with her audience through TikTok makes most viewers feel like they’re close to her; this is often referred to as a parasocial relationship. With most of the audience knowing so much about her life and her personal journey, it’s disappointing to see how “Braxton-centered” the show is. Even though Earle tried to seem like she was over their now-ended relationship, especially when the Tom Brady mentions appeared, in all honesty, it madeher appearmore desperate to get him back.
The show also paints Braxton in a new light. In her TikTok videos, he seems so nice, but the show portrays him as mean and condescending. Who wouldn’t respond to Thoma’s messages (Earle’s little brother)? The insight into why they broke up was interesting, even though it was not explored much.
Alex Cooper suffered a similar fate. It felt like the topic was mentioned to keep our attention, but it was never really explained. Her side of the story was not told, which left the narrative feeling incomplete. Still, the episodes are surprisingly long.
It feels like producers took the basic concept of “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” and tried to make it their own. The problem is that the two sisters lack the characteristic charisma the Kardashians have; their fights and family dynamics are much less interesting.
Still, the best character is and always will be Aisa, Alix’s dog.
There are scenes that seem real and many more that seem awkward and scripted. For example, when they tried asking the bartender for dating advice. Poor guy.
What does feel like a real insight into their lives was when they talked about sensitive topics like their mother’s cancer and how it might be genetic, or their father’s infidelity and their relationship with their step mother. In those moments, we see them as more than just characters.
I loved Val and Jenna’s cameo, but it would have been even better if they showed more conversations between them. It’s a friendship that they know has worked well on camera before.
What was poorly handled was the “firing Sally” issue. Sally Carden has been Alix’s long time best friend, who apparently could not handle managing her Snapchat account. Unfortunately, the show blasted her shortcomings as a plot device to move the story forward.
Even the name of the show feels strangely unoriginal. Earle Meets World is clearly playing on “Boy Meets World” and “Girl Meets World,” but the connection feels completely random. The title feels more like a catchy reference that producers thought people would recognize than something that actually represents the show.
“Earle Meets World” had the potential to be so much more. She already has something that most reality stars spend years trying to build: an audience that feels personally connected to her. The problem is that the show does not always know how to translate that connection to television. When Alix is simply being herself, the show is entertaining. When it tries too hard to manufacture drama, it loses the authenticity that made her famous in the first place.