The Arrangement

I'm not usually one for incredibly dramatic soap opera shows but this one pulled me in. At first glance and in any advertisements, it looks like a stereotypical Hollywood soap opera of a 15 year old's imagination. To my surprise, it was not. There are definitely scenes that have that feeling, but they are few and far between.

The show follows a Hollywood star, with a past of his own, offering a struggling waitress a contract for fortune and fame and 10 million dollars if she will agree to date, marry, and have a future with him, among other stipulations. Obviously she agrees, or else there would be no show, and the story begins.

The show then begins on a complicated and twisted path that leaves the audience guessing and holding their breath for whatever comes next. The actors make the story believable and interesting and are enjoyable to watch on screen. While slightly predictable, the show offers an inside look at Hollywood and an exaggerated "true" story of the real pitfalls.

I found it incredibly interesting binged all twenty episodes in a few days. I'd say give it a chance if you're trying to figure out if you want to watch it or not, but give it a few episodes to develop.

Kyle West is an actor whose name can turn (almost) any film into a box office success. He meets a young wannabe actress, Megan Morrison, not long after he is left at the altar. She finds herself similarly at the end of a relationship.

They hookup rather quickly and before she knows it, he suggests marriage. But the offer comes through agents and appears to be sponsored by West's agent--played by Michael Vartan--who is also guru, puppeteer and fixer to the star. Lurking behind it all is the Institute of the Higher Mind, a cult-like organization with an image to protect.

If much of this sounds patterned after the life of Tom Cruise, it may be.

The show touches on issues like celebrity privacy, how the film industry treats women, and creating your own destiny. A great deal of its appeal depends upon how much the viewer enjoys the main characters and the actors who play them.

Three episodes in, the plot is somewhat predictable. Will it tell a story with emotional depth or will it be a soap opera piece, putting its caricatures through the usual moves?

Every single scene looked like a setup for a porn scene. All of the elements are there-- cheesy lines, shallow plot, beautiful and perfectly proportioned women and men that are nice to look at (with mediocre, but not horrible, acting talent), with some bikini moments and plenty of flirting. They seem like they're just a step away from throwing it all down and going at it, but then each scene just ends, and it transitions to yet another scene that appears to be another setup for porn. I'm too old for that stuff, to be honest, so I held my finger over the fast-forward the whole time expecting to skip over something that never showed up.

The conversation does get a little risqué at times, but compared to other PG-rated shows, this one is mild.

Overall probably not worth spending your time with.

I like it! I am not ashamed to say I really like it. It kept me entertained and left me wanting more like every show should. I love the chemistry between Megan & Kyle. At first when the whole Institute of the Higher Mind came into it, I was a bit skeptical but it works for me and I enjoy that part of the story line as well. A binge worth series. Can't wait for season 2.

I thought the premise of the show would be interesting, and found the first few episodes engaging, so I stuck with it. I'm glad I did. It's a good show - a bit cheesy at times, and some of the supporting actors are annoying, but now in season 2, it's still fun to watch.

I'm not a fan of the primary actress, but it works and is entertaining. Good, soapy, cheesy, entertaining fun.