60 Days In: Narcoland

This is def not how the real world is. I was a user, husband a dealer, (both "out of the game" and non users currently) but being from this and been in it, none of this feels even remotely real and unscripted. You can smell.the cop.on all of them from a mile or more away. This ain't gonna work. Being honest, so folks don't get hurt out there ... If this was even real at all.

60 Days in Narcoland is the epitome of all the cheesy & corny reality shows. Like most other reality shows, this program is so cut up (no pun intended) that one wonders how these scenarios played out versus how the show portrayed it. It reminded me of why I don't watch "reality" tv. From the Typical camera cuts with the overdone dramatic, tense music to repeating the same scenes repeatedly, this show pulls no stops. However, I will give it some credit because It was interesting watching how awkward the undercover people were. The only thing that kept it halfway interesting was the dude who was planted in the jail. His awkwardness was so cringing worthy that it made it somewhat entertaining. Whoever came up with the bright idea to place ex-junkies with junkies deserves a gold medal for ignorance.

Being a recovering addict or a cop does not make one qualified to be an undercover operative. Even worse, two of these people had never done drugs and had no law enforcement background.

Why were these people even cast for this show?

How on earth did they not educate the cop (in jail) about how to fit in with drug users? On the reunion episode he stated that he was surprised how easily the inmates were able to sus him out.

So no one educated him on what drug addicts look like or behave?

And then there is the woman living in the trailer park. Someone is shot near her trailer so what does she do? Takes her camera and goes outside (at night) to walk trails (alone) looking for information.

What?

Either this whole show was scripted...down to the inmates.

Or A&E is criminal for irresponsibly allowing these people to be put in harm's way.

Several of these people are lucky to be alive.

This show is a disgusting display of how little value the entertainment industry values people and cares only about ratings.

Exploitative, incredibly dangerous. The editing is ok- otherwise we wouldn't make it through the first 10 minutes. 2 episodes in and I'm horrified- there's no regulation here.

The 'talent' is risking everything for the producer's profits. I turned it off when the couple was introduced- they walk into a trailer and announce how 'disgusting' it is.

These are real life living situations where people from disadvantaged backgrounds scratch out a method of survival. And camera operators catch a tiny, handheld slice of the interaction.

Putting recovering addicts back into an environment of addiction cycles is irresponsible. Dazzling the people with shiny cameras and hidden mics is low-level, industry trash behavior.

There is essentially no story here. Addiction and poverty are a really boring lifestyle. The scoring is one of those stupid bulk-purchase 'soaring' punctuated riffs over and over again in an attempt to disguise the fact that nothing really happens.

A modern Roman Colosseum where low income and addicted persons are thrown to the lions because they are ultimately expendable. A disgrace, A&E.

The undercover nonsense is downright unwatchable. Richie or whatever his name is is so awkward and if you're any big time dealer, you could sniff him out in 5 min. Jackie thinks she's working for the fbi and really she knows bare minimum street smarts. The jail scenes are alright but overall it won't give you that fix, we all want.