The 2023 Prime Video dating show Twin Love has been considered a “social experiment” with more emphasis being placed on the premise rather than the usual drama and titillation that is normally associated with shows of this sort. The idea of separating sets of twins, cutting off their contact from each other, and placing them into different environments to see how they respond, is a hook that does seem to have its roots in the realms of social experiment, rather than just getting beautiful people to hang out together. However, there will always be an audience for that kind of show, and let’s face it, the idea behind these shows is to get people to tune in and watch. But could there be a layer to this premise that is just a little more nuanced? Let’s examine Twin Love on Prime Video and find out what it’s really all about.
What is Twin Love on Prime Video about?
Nikki and Brie Garcia in Twin Love Season 1 Key Art | Image via Prime Video
Twin Love is a reality series and social experiment that presents us with ten pairs of identical twins that are separated from each other and relocated into two houses that have identical “casts”. The experiment follows how the twins react independently of each other.
The official synopsis per IMDb is as follows:
Ten sets of twins will be divided into two houses with identical casts, where they will start an intriguing and gripping search for love. The series will discover if their inherent similarities extend to their romantic desires.
The show explores how the twins make their potential romantic choices, and examines whether or not they are drawn to similar partners. For some of the twins, this is the first time they have had to work without the influence of their sibling, and the show, also hosted by twins Brie and Nikki Garcia, investigates how the twins function without the help, advice, and support of their sibling.
So, although at first sight, this is a classic dating show, underneath it all, there is a more subtle look at disproving some myths that we have about identical twins and their behavior.
How does the reality dating show work?
The twins in Twin Love are split into two different locations: ten move into the Garden House and ten into the Villa House. The twins are initially in a state of shock when they learn they will not be able to communicate, and it does appear as if some are more affected than others by this scenario, who become emotional and upset at the idea of not having their twin with them.
Interestingly, it becomes apparent to the viewer that the twins used for the show have not been involved in any long-term relationships in the past, and it seems that the main reason behind this is their preoccupation with their twin. It appears that the twins put their relationship with each other above their romantic interests, resulting in a co-dependency on each other. However, the show understands this dynamic, and deliberately takes steps to ensure that the safety net they have is removed, forcing them to focus on their new romantic relationship without sibling distraction.
Some are more comfortable than others with the development, and there is a lot of mileage in watching the twins interact without input from their counterparts, and the challenges that are prepared for the players are designed to ascertain whether they will perform similarly or know what the other one is experiencing. When a new set of twins is added to the game, it leads to the players choosing a partner, and the odd numbers mean someone is left out and eliminated from the show — and they have to take their twin with them.
The drama is also ramped up when footage from the houses is shown to each other, so the separated twins become privy to decisions that the other is making. It’s a devious play from the showrunners, which elevates the drama and also helps to explore how the twins react when they get some inside info on what the other is up to. The idea of how the twins respond to the situation is often more interesting than the dating side of the show and it is in those moments that the idea probably works best.
Are identical twins really identical?
There have been plenty of research papers written on the subject of identical twins, and the consensus seems to be that they may not be as identical as you might think.
Plenty of the studies involve understanding that although the DNA is shared, twins can have different fingerprints and medical issues, and genetic mutation when they are in embryonic development, no matter how insignificant, can lead to major differences between twins.
It seems environment plays a huge part in the development of twins, and oddly enough Twin Love seems to know that placing the twins into separate locations does seem to lead to divergent behavior. So it does seem that Twin Love manages to elevate the format by actually presenting us with a dating show filled with the usual hot-blooded beautiful bodies we are expecting, but layered with what could be considered a real “social experiment”.
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