14 Reality TV Moments That Were Better Than Scripted Television In 2023
Although "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad" are now in the past, an argument could be made that thanks to shows like "Succession" and "The Bear," we are still in a golden era of TV. That golden era isn't limited to scripted fare, either. As 2023 has made abundantly clear, many of the reality TV programs currently on the air give the best dramas and comedies a run for their money.
Whether it's the intense machinations of a competition show or the jaw-dropping revelations on a long-running docu-series, 2023 has given us a veritable cornucopia of incredible reality TV moments. In order to compile this list of the best of the best, we consulted the experts (ourselves) and considered not just the moments that stood out, but also the ones that rival what the scripted world has to offer. We gravitated toward moments that illuminated complex characters, kicked off incendiary drama, and delivered in ways only reality TV can. They may not all be pretty, but they are all deliciously entertaining.
These are Looper's picks for the 2023 reality TV moments that were better than scripted television.
Cirie Fields pulls off a nail biting final betrayal and wins The Traitors Season 1
Of all the stars among the cast of "The Traitors" Season 1, the contestant most diehard reality TV fans had their eye on was Cirie Fields, widely considered to be the best "Survivor" player to never win.
After being selected as a traitor during Episode 1, Cirie sails through the game thanks to her strong relationships with faithfuls Andie Vanacore and Quentin Jiles, reaching the final four with her allies and fellow traitor Arie Luyendyk Jr. from "The Bachelor." At the final four, all contestants have the option to either end the game there or vote another contestant out. For the faithful to win, they must eliminate every traitor — if there is even one traitor left in the game, they get all the money.
At this point, Andie and Quentin have no idea that there are still traitors left, and they both vote to end the game along with Arie. Had Cirie done the same, she and Arie would have split the prize pot and walked away victorious. However, Cirie isn't content to share her winnings with late-comer traitor Arie. She elects to vote off another player, which is a major shock to both all the other contestants and to Cirie fans at home. Of the four seasons on which Cirie played "Survivor," she made it to the finale without cinching a victory three times. Her play on "The Traitors" could have easily resulted in another last-minute loss.
But this time, things go exactly as Cirie planned. Arie eliminates himself and Andie and Quentin celebrate their assumed victory, not realizing that their closest ally actually won all the money for herself. After pulling off the ultimate traitor move, Cirie walked away from the Scottish castle having set the bar sky-high for future players. - Robert Balkovich
30 Rock's MILF Island becomes reality 15 years later with the premiere of MILF Manor
"The Simpsons" gets lauded for prophesying political and cultural events, but credit where credit is due: 15 years ago, "30 Rock" created a parody of a TV show called "MILF Island," which skewered the vacuous and cutthroat nature of 2000s reality competition series. Then, in 2023, TLC aired what is essentially the real-life version of that parody.
"MILF Manor" cast nine women between 40 and 60 years old and stuck them in a Mexican villa to date younger men — but they neglected to tell them that the dating pool would be comprised of their fellow cast members' 20-something sons. An Oedipal nightmare rebranded as a dating show, "MILF Manor" required the cast to participate in hair-raising challenges, like blindfolding the women and asking them to feel up the shirtless men to see who could identify their son the fastest.
As expected, the show was mostly reviled, scoring a 14% with critics and a 35% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. But it did set what one writer for The New Yorker referred to as "a new low for reality TV, perhaps even a rock bottom." Unfortunately, there weren't any winners, not amongst viewing audiences, nor amongst the contestants, as most of them chose to walk away from any burgeoning romances they started developing on the show. However, the mere fact "MILF Island" became actualized is a sort of victory unto itself. - Ilana Gordon
97-year-old Dick Van Dyke is unveiled on The Masked Singer to the shock and delight of everyone
After so many celebrity reveals over the years, few people were likely expecting there to be any major surprises when Season 9 of "The Masked Singer" rolled around in February of 2023. But the show provided one of the most heartwarming — and morbid — moments of reality TV this year when host Nick Cannon unmasked The Gnome during the season's premiere episode to reveal entertainment legend Dick Van Dyke.
It's hard to say what everyone was expecting Van Dyke to look like at 97 years old but the reaction to the reveal elicited pure joy and shock from both the audience and the panel. The joy is understandable, and Van Dyke told EW he attributes the shock to the fact that "I think some people thought I was dead."
During his performance as The Gnome, Van Dyke sings "When You're Smiling" by Billie Holiday, and while Robin Thicke is certain his voice sounds familiar, the panel's guesses of Dustin Hoffman, Tony Bennett, and Robert De Niro all miss the mark. When the mask finally comes off to reveal Van Dyke — who looks absolutely phenomenal with a thick head of white hair and the same electric blue eyes that helped him light up technicolor screens — the panel can't contain themselves. Nicole Scherzinger sobs and Ken Jeong proclaims that the unmasking is the "greatest reveal ever," telling Van Dyke he is one of the reasons he got into comedy.
The whole segment made for surprisingly affecting television, and it's always nice to have a reminder that not only is Dick Van Dyke not dead, he looks and sounds better than ever. - Ilana Gordon
Zack and Irina make a catastrophic attempt to connect outside the pods on Love is Blind Season 4
The 4th season of Netflix's "Love Is Blind" is full of shocking turns and gasp-inducing moments. But out of all the storylines presented by the modern dating show, perhaps the most difficult to watch is Zack Goytowski and Irina Solomonova's post-pod attempt at connecting in Mexico. The couple got engaged despite about a hundred red flags, including the fact that Zack also formed a strong bond with fellow constant Bliss Poureetezadi (whom he later married after coming to his senses). When Zack and Irina finally do finally meet, it is obvious from the first moment that Irina is not attracted to him, even going so far as to say that he looks like a "cartoon character" to his face.
What follows is one of the most uncomfortable post-engagement trips in the show's history as viewers watch Zack and Irina fail miserably at bringing the connection they had in the pods to the outside world. If anyone thought for a moment that they would make it out of Mexico still engaged, that idea is put to rest during Episode 5 when Irina covers her face with a pillow while Zack tries to have a frank conversation with her about their relationship. She was wild for that one. This drove home an important point: you can't marry someone you don't want to look at.
In the end, Zack clearly felt that he'd made the wrong choice proposing to Irina over Bliss, and Irina clearly wasn't attracted to her new fiancé. After days of arguing and building emotional barriers, the two reach an impasse, which results in a breakup conversation that is more blisteringly honest and uncomfortable than anything you'll see in the world of scripted TV. - Emily Zogbi
Freevee's Jury Duty gives James Marsden the role of his career and creates a new star in Ronald Gladden
Described as "The Truman Show" meets "The Office," Freevee's "Jury Duty" is an improved docu-comedy series where only one of the cast members — project manager Ronald Gladden – is not in on the joke. Though the show takes place inside a real courthouse, the "trial" it covers is completely staged, and every person Gladden interacts with is a paid actor.
Gladden emerged from the show as a star thanks to his empathetic relationships with his fellow (fake) jurors. The crew threw all kinds of staged conflict and comedic setups at Gladden and he surprised them — and us — at every turn. By the finale, he came away not as the show's fall guy, but as its hero — and also $100,000 richer.
And then there's James Marsden, who co-stars on the series as ... James Marsden, a stereotypically Hollywood version of himself. In reality, Marsden was sent to the jury as a kind of chaos-agent, meant to push Gladden to his limits. The actor's willingness to poke fun at his celebrity image helped make the whole experiment come together in a way most scripted comedies could only dream of achieving.
"It was a journey for us as much as it was for him," Marsden says in the final episode. "And every day was different. You couldn't anticipate how he was going to react. There is a high wire element to this ... You're flying without a net."
Even when the ruse is finally revealed to Gladden, he is surprised, but not angry. If one can glean anything from "Jury Duty" as the world prepares to step into 2024, it's that goodness exists and can be rewarded. - Emily Zogbi
Scandoval revives Vanderpump Rules
Part of what has always gripped "Vanderpump Rules" fans is how the cast members on the show swap partners within their own friend group as casually as they trade shifts at SUR. The exception to this tendency toward frenetic relationships has long been Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix, who started dating during Season 2 and appeared to build a solid life partnership together. But as the Season 10 narrative arc known to fans and laypeople alike as Scandoval revealed, looks can be deceiving, betrayal can come from all sides, and you should never trust a man who wears white nail polish.
News of Tom and Ariana's breakup started hitting outlets on March 3, 2023, but the trouble officially began two days earlier, when Ariana attended one of Tom's shows and was handed his phone after it fell out of his pocket. Ariana says intuition caused her to look through it, and what she found on the phone was visual evidence that Tom was having a sexual affair with her friend and fellow "Vanderpump Rules" castmate Raquel Leviss. What happened next — from Raquel issuing a restraining order against Scheana Shay for allegedly punching her, to Ariana and Tom's tearful breakup, to Tom trying to justify his actions on the reunion by accusing Ariana of keeping her shirt on during intimacy — made for some of the most compelling reality TV of all time.
Scandoval didn't just revive interest in "Vanderpump Rules" after a rocky couple of seasons – the events became a tipping point in pop culture, with brands offering Ariana deals, "Vanderpump Rules" cast members going on podcasts to offer their analysis, and people around the country tuning in for the fallout. Scandoval might have torn one relationship apart, but the story brought the rest of us together. - Ilana Gordon
Chrishell and Nicole's Selling Sunset feud comes to a head thanks to dramatic accusations
"Selling Sunset" has been seeking a villain since Christine Quinn left the show at the end of Season 5. And when Nicole Young joined the cast for Season 6 and immediately started beefing with fan favorite Chrishell Stause, the crown appeared to be hers for the taking. The Oppenheim Group agents definitely have baggage — both women have dated Jason Oppenheim, and Nicole claims that Chrishell has stolen some of her past listings — and friction between the two escalated in Episode 7 when Mary Fitzgerald suggested a girls' trip to Palm Springs.
Over the course of a poolside dinner, Chrishell's assertion that she and Nicole have squashed their issues proves to be incontrovertibly false when Nicole keeps digging at Chrishell, bringing up old social media drama and insinuating that Chrishell was controlling during her relationship with Jason. Eventually, Chrishell loses her cool and accuses Nicole of behaving like she is "on drugs" and of being "cracked out." Nicole leaves the dinner after the blow-up and Mary is left trying to defend Nicole, chastise Chrishell for going too far, and reckon with the fact that reality show girls' trips to Palm Springs always seem to end up like this.
After Nicole leaves, Chrishell tries to explain her accusation, saying that one of her first interactions with Nicole took place at Mary's bachelorette party, where Chrishell claims Nicole took a bunch of drugs and lashed out at people. Whether or not any of this is true is anyone's guess, but Chrishell's assertions bothered Nicole enough that she took a drug test afterward and told People that the whole experience left her feeling like she'd "just been hit by a train." Good reality TV will do that for you. - Ilana Gordon
The Ultimatum: Queer Love gets its own named scandal
Netflix's follow-up to "The Ultimatum," "The Ultimatum: Queer Love," brought together eight couples, all of whom had set an ultimatum: get hitched, or break up. Same as the previous edition, each couple got split up and paired with a new partner to see whether they truly wanted to stay in the relationship they arrived with or explore something else. During that process, Vanessa Papa stirred up some major drama with her trial marriage partner Rae Cheung-Sutton in a situation fans dubbed "Fingergate."
Vanessa broke a clear boundary she had established with her partner, Xander Boger, which was not to do anything physical with their trial marriage partners. This line is crossed early in Vanessa's trial marriage to Rae when the two share an intimate (and infamous) moment on their second night together. Based on the moniker for the incident, not much is left to the imagination when it comes to what happened in that trial marital bed.
The scandal leads to a major issue between Rae and her original partner Lexi Goldberg, resulting in several fights, tears, and, surprisingly, a proposal. While Rae and Lexi end up getting engaged by the end of the season, they are broken up by the reunion (like many of the other couples).
"If you're planning on potentially getting back together and getting married, you don't want to break that physical boundary," Vanessa explained in an interview with E! News. "So, that was where our boundaries lied, like, 'Don't do anything physical.' Neither of us did a good job of that but, you know." Xander similarly had a physical relationship with their trial marriage partner, but it didn't cause quite the same amount of scandal as Vanessa's infraction. - Emily Zogbi
Tom Hanks' niece has a breakdown after being eliminated on Claim to Fame
"Do you know who my [insert famous relative here] is?" is a phrase beloved by those blessed with Hollywood connections, but on the ABC show "Claim to Fame," contestants are required to conceal the identity of their celebrity relative in order to take home the grand prize. The show gifted viewers with one of the best reality meltdowns of the year thanks to contestant Carly Reeves, who gets eliminated during the Season 2 premiere after Hugo Wentzel (grandson of President Jimmy Carter) correctly guesses that her celebrity connection is her uncle, Tom Hanks.
Hanks is largely considered one of America's acting behemoths, but Carly's reaction to being eliminated from the show is equally deserving of a place in entertainment history. Carly's time on the show is brief, but when it comes to falling apart, she gives America everything she has: there is ugly crying, there is blame-shifting to her fellow contestants, there is a lot of yelling about the bench featured in the "Forrest Gump" movie poster, there is stairwell screaming, and hot mic sound bytes where she accuses other contestants of being stupid. It is, in short, a classic reality TV meltdown, the kind worthy of an Oscar acceptance speech if Oscars were awarded for TV temper tantrums.
Carly's reaction to her elimination was so over the top that some reality conspiracists suggested she might be performing for the camera in the hopes of securing future acting roles. But Carly assured TMZ that — for better or worse — her emotional response was completely authentic. Carly might not have inherited Hanks' acting skills, but the family clearly has a genetic predisposition toward drama and we are grateful they continue to share their gifts with the world. - Ilana Gordon
The Kardashians introduces a new insult comic to watch: North West
This year on Hulu's "The Kardashians," North West Kardashian has had viewers in stitches with her shady reads and off-the-cuff remarks. Her biggest inspiration? That happens to be her mother, Kim Kardashian. Throughout Season 4, North routinely roasted her mother, coming for everything from Kim's cooking skills to her job to her Met Gala look.
"Kourtney always says that North is my lesson on this planet," Kim says during the Season 4 episode "You're Spiraling." "It means that I'm supposed to learn even more patience. She teaches me patience."
Most notably, the episode "You Have Ruined Our Family" details Kim's preparation for the 2023 Met Gala, for which she was adorned in 50,000 real, freshwater pearls. The dress was designed by Shiaparelli's Daniel Roseberry. North, however, has some choice words for the look.
According to the budding fashion critic, the very real, very expensive pearls look fake. "It could be just a little bit better," North says plainly to Kim and Roseberry. "I like the pearls, I just don't like that it looks like from the dollar store."
It seems like Kim will be receiving those lessons in patience for years to come. - Emily Zogbi
Sammi 'Sweetheart' Giancola finally arrives at the Jersey Shore: Family Vacation
The reunion series "Jersey Shore: Family Vacation" managed to bring together the entire main cast of the 2010s reality TV phenomenon with the exception of Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola. That is until the second half of Season 6 rolled around. Having been coaxed back by Angelina Pivarnick, Sammi walks into the house after over a decade away from the cameras and having not spoken to her castmates since Deena Buckner's wedding in 2017. After a messy reunion during which most of the cast turned against her, Angelina had hoped to bring someone into the house who she could get on her side.
Much to Angelina's chagrin, however, Sammi is met with a warm greeting and happy tears from her former roommates. Little does she know that Sammi has clearly graduated from therapy. On "Family Vacation," Sammi demonstrates a superhuman ability to identify a toxic situation and address her issues head-on. The second Sammi walks into the house, she individually squashes whatever beef she has with the other girls: Deena, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, and Jenni "J-Woww" Farley.
With amends made, Sammi fell seamlessly back into the world of "Jersey Shore" and her decision to finally participate in the reunion series felt like seeing a prodigal family member return. It just goes to show: you can take the girl out of the Jersey Shore, but you can't take the Jersey Shore out of the girl. - Emily Zogbi
Jag Bains becomes Big Brother's first Sikh-Punjabi winner during one of the show's most memorable seasons
"Big Brother" aired Season 25 this year and to celebrate, producers decided to reward audiences with the show's longest season yet. This year's final three contestants — Jag Bains, Matt Klotz, and Bowie Jane Ball — stayed in the house for 100 consecutive days, which is more than enough time to drive anyone to the brink of both boredom and insanity. The show's producers threw a lot at the wall and not everything stuck, but Season 25 did manage to make history, and most of that is thanks to Jag.
Jag's casting made him the first-ever Sikh-American player to compete on "Big Brother" and his win made him the first-ever Sikh-American to take home the $750,000 prize. During his time in the house, Jag broke the record previously held by Janelle Pierzina and Michael Bruner for most Head of Household wins in one season by earning the HOH title ten times. And as if his "Big Brother" resume wasn't impressive enough, he's also the first player to have been unanimously evicted during the game, only to return and take home the win.
Matt's casting marked another milestone for the series: he's the show's first-ever deaf cast member, and his success as this season's runner-up is hopefully predictive of more inclusivity in future seasons. Other highlights from Season 25 include four multi-verses, three showmances, and two cast members — mother and son duo Cirie and Jared Fields — revealing their (mostly) secret connection at the reunion. Season 25 may have felt like it lasted for 25 years, but it certainly ended on a high note. - Ilana Gordon
A 13-year-old narrative arc comes to fruition on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
One of the most iconic moments from "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" is the titular dinner during the Season 1 episode titled "The Dinner Party from Hell." It's during that soirée that psychic medium Allison DuBois (there as a friend of cast member Camille Meyer) antagonizes Kyle Richards with harsh predictions about the future of her marriage while puffing on a gigantic vape pen.
"He will never emotionally fulfill you, but you will stay with him and he will take care of you," the psychic says of Kyle's husband Mauricio. "And as soon as the kids are bigger, you'll have nothing in common."
One of the reasons this moment resonated with fans is that compared to all the marriages held together with glue and delusion across the "Real Housewives" franchise, Kyle and Mauricio's seemed to be the real deal. Not only had they already been married for nearly 15 years before Season 1 even began, but they continued to present as a sturdy couple who had genuine affection for one another throughout the show. It made DuBois' grandiose prediction seem comically unsound.
But that has all changed with "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" Season 13. The lead-up to the latest season was rocked by reports, rumors, speculation, and eventual confirmation that Kyle and Mauricio are separating. On the show itself, the once affectionate couple now appear distant and at odds in ways that are shocking to those who have been watching since Season 1. During the mid-season preview, Kyle even says of her troubled marriage, "I want to feel happy and fulfilled," echoing DuBois' words from all those years ago.
It would appear that this narrative seed planted way back in Season 1 is now bearing fruit 13 years later in a way a scripted drama could only dream of achieving. - Robert Balkovich
The Golden Bachelor proves that shocking final roses are possible at any age
The first-ever season finale of "The Golden Bachelor" saw Gerry Turner choose Theresa Nist over fan-favorite Leslie Fhima in a decision that was a shock to just about everyone. While viewers might have assumed that this version of the popular reality dating show featuring contestants in their 60s and 70s would be more mellow than its youthful counterpart, the finale turned that idea on its head.
Before Jerry could propose to Theresa, he first had to call it quits with Leslie. On their final night together, he confesses to Leslie that he has fallen in love with Theresa and she is who he will choose in the end. This comes as a surprise to Leslie, who was so sure that she would be the one picked by Jerry that she confessed later she had already chosen an engagement dress to match their shared eye color. She also later reveals that she and Jerry shared a moment in the fantasy suite where Jerry said something that led her to believe she would be walking away with the final rose. "I was 100% certain that I was his girl," Leslie tells the cameras. Alas, that wasn't how things ended up playing out.
"The Golden Bachelor" proved to be a huge shot in the arm for the long-running television franchise. As reported by Deadline, the premiere episode set a Hulu viewership record for ABC unscripted programming, and the shocking finale earned over 9 million total viewers in the first seven days after its premiere. - Emily Zogbi
How did Looper compile this list?
The entries on this list were brainstormed and compiled by writers Robert Balkovich, Ilana Gordon, and Emily Zogbi. We considered not just our own personal favorite reality TV moments of the year, but also moments that captured the zeitgeist, whether they were written about by culture critics or debated by fans on social media. Additionally, we sought to include not just moments that were good on their own, but also ones that spoke to the power of reality TV and the ways in which it can offer a uniquely compelling viewing experience.
While there were many great moments that missed out on being included, the selections here also speak to the breadth of what reality TV has to offer. From the ongoing character dramas of "Vanderpump Rules" and "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" to the shocking endings of competition series like "The Traitors" and "The Golden Bachelor," we wanted this list to reflect the current landscape of the genre. We also limited the list to one entry per show. While we probably could have made a list entirely out of moments from Season 10 of "Vanderpump Rules," in order to spread the love, we consolidated them into one overarching topic.