The Arrangement

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.

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?

The characters are pretty much the cliche LA actors trying to make it successfully in Hollywood. But the stories & themes running through each episode as these characters reveal themselves to the audience are dynamic. Some are very unique as the storyline slowly introduces IHN and how it operates. There are several programs like IHN in the USA and abroad & the writers pull from them I assume. It's refreshing to have such a unique storyline. Each character's backstory is revealed slowly & as I'm binging s2, there is so much more depth to these people. The suspense, lies, & passion of these characters are even better than s1. I'm only half way through but I hope they go on for s3. I saw the titles of the remaining episodes so I think I know what's to come but something tells me that there will be more & I'll be surprised. I didn't really know the 2 main actors. I was drawn to the show bc I'm a huge Michael Vartan fan! Loved that Lexa Doig from Aurora Teagarden series movies on HMM was also in a main role. Now, I know all these other amazing actresses & actors. If you have the opportunity to binge this show from the beginning.... do it! I like how the show writers really move the story along. Between each show is often a time jump of a few weeks or months. But you aren't left wondering what happened in between tho bc the story just moves right along. Kudos to the cast & crew!

My little hypothesis on the origin or inspiration for this plot line....loosely based on Tom Cruise & "S'logy"?!?!?! I've heard the rumors that he had a 10 year contract with NK to keep him as the dreamy actor we all loved in the 80-90s when all the rumors about his sexuality & etc started showing up in the tabloids. Their union boosted her career & gave him cover. Note, they adopted children but after divorcing had kids of their own with their next spouses. Just a thought. He then went off the rails as he continued with "S'logy" then all of a sudden he's jumping on Oprah's couch smitten with Katie. My poor "Joey", Katie. She was pulled in & I often think of what Meagan is going through & wonder how Katie got herself out etc. Don't get me wrong, I love Tom Cruise and majority of his movies. I am really excited for the Maverick movie next summer. But I was honestly not attracted to him, like swooning over him as a teen etc. He has just been in so many amazing movies that became blockbuster hits. This show is nothing like his life but there are some similarities. I also think of EST, then Landmark Forum, now just Landmark I think. I attended Landmark forums & classes in 2014. They were pretty amazing but financially I couldn't continue to hang with them! :) But I did gain from the weekends & courses & learned a lot about myself. Just how the characters are clearly benefiting. I can see the up sides & down sides of IHN. It's tough to know if Terrance is sincere or completely shady! Maybe both. I'm intrigued enough to keep watching. If you are still reading, thanks for sticking with my rambling.

This was a really nice surprise. I had no idea what it was when I started watching, and at first I thought it was gonna be another sappy, romantic, fanfiction-y sort of thing, but I'm so happy it wasn't. I actually really, really liked it. The amount of romance and suspense combined was right up my alley, and I think most of the actors did a really great job. I didn't really know any of them beforehand, and so I also didn't expect a lot from them. I could've, though. They had me convinced. I watched all 20 episodes in 1.5 days, and my only regret is that the show got cancelled. I'm a fan.

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.