MTV
As a fan of MTV's The Hills, I had been looking forward to the series finale. In the past, when my daughter asked me if the reality show's cast were actors, I answered that they were not, but that they were simply reality stars who let cameras film their everyday lives. But, after viewing the final episode's surprising twist, I realize that I may have given her the wrong answer.
In The Hills' last scene, former couple and castmates, Kristin Cavallari and Brody Jenner (son of Olympian Bruce Jenner) say an emotional goodbye before Cavallari rides off into the sunset on her way to new adventures in Europe. As Brody watches her leave, the backdrop behind him falls and what seemed to be a Hollywood neighborhood is revealed as a Hollywood studio lot with lights, camera and action! The camera pans over the lot as Kristin's limo stops and she runs out to give Brody a congratulatory hug and someone yells, "That's a wrap!"
Huh? What? It's all been fake? Were they really just acting the whole time? Was the show's most honest act letting us in on the true reality that the show was not actually real? Now I'm no dummy -- I watch a lot of reality television, and I know that many of these shows are heavily scripted and that scenarios are set up, but I like to believe that the people themselves, and most of their relationships, are not completely created solely for the sake of the show.
The Hills originally revolved around Lauren Conrad, a former cast member of MTV's Laguna Beach, but when Lauren left in season five, the manipulative Cavallari -- another Laguna original -- took her place as the show's star. That's when the show truly began to feel more manufactured than real. There didn't seem to be much of a reason for Cavallari being on the show except to start trouble, and she was clearly hired to do just that. And though I knew that the show's producers played such a large part in the stories on The Hills, I still did not like the ending.
In the end, I wasn't so much insulted by The Hills' finale twist -- described by producers as a wink to viewers -- as I was annoyed. We all know that wrestling is fake, but could you imagine if they yelled "Just kidding!" at the end of each fight? Half the fun of The Hills is feeling like you know the cast and believing their emotions. Knowing that so much of the show was outright fake was not "a wink"; it was a letdown.
What did you think of The Hills finale? Chime in below!
Like This? Read These:
- The Hills' Stars: Then and Now
- Kristin Cavallari: I'm So Glad The Hills Is Over
- Kristin Cavallari's New Man? Cameraman from The Hills
