Excluding their children who spy on them in the surveillance room, the eight single people of My mother, your father on TVA live the same reality TV experience as their juvenile classmatesDouble occupancy on Noovo, but without the abs pads and the completely “wrong” bad French.
Competitors of My mother, your father say “good morning” (argh, choose good morning, please) while sipping coffee from funky patterned mugs. Host Nathalie Simard visits them, walking in slow motion, to announce date nights, always funded by a sponsor—hello, Shop Santé—who plasters its logo all over the decor. And they chat while preening themselves in front of the mirror (embellished by Zorah cosmetics, hello).
The biggest difference between these two Cupid shows? The intentions and motivations of the main characters.
In My mother, your fatherthe candidates, who are aged 44 to 60, do not waste time browsing or tinkering with top 3 rickety. They open their hearts and do not shy away from vulnerable areas, as demonstrated by the ladies’ favorite, Maurice, 60, and Gaspé native Sandy, 53, during a date broadcast on Thursday night’s episode.
Over a glass of rosé, Maurice and Sandy discussed intimate topics such as the bullying they were victims of, their relationship with their bodies, their former toxic relationships and their physical complexes. It was a moving moment, between two mature adults who listen to and respect each other.
And no, this wasn’t “trauma dumping,” where a self-centered person unpacks all of their trauma and throws it at someone who never asked to take on so much negativity. Trauma dumping is something you avoid like a Pepito Sangria brush.
It is, however, perfectly fine and encouraged to reveal the truth, of course. But in measured doses and in the appropriate context. Not everyone is equipped to receive extremely heavy confidences.
My mother, your fatherwhich derives from the British format My Mom, Your Dadis not full of exotic travel or OMG-type twists. Which does not prevent love triangles from being built to the tune of Summer of ’69 by Bryan Adams. Which doesn’t stop the discomfort either.
You should have seen the stunned face of Jonathan, 44, when the blonde hairdresser Manon, 53, revealed to him that she thought he was 50. It is also touching when a participant like Alain, 60, confides that he is looking for one last relationship to grow old and end his life with the chosen one of his heart.
Since we spend little time on TV with them, much less than on OD, it’s difficult to get attached to the singles of My mother, your father. It even seems as if the children, all fired up and funny, are stealing the show and that it is them that we would like to spy on in a yoga position on a paddle board.
We should also identify people on screen more often. We sometimes forget their first names and we no longer know who is the father or mother of whom.
As in My mother, your fatherlove is not in the eyes of our friends from OD, but tomorrow morning, will they think about that?
Despite two evictions (Shaïna on Thursday and Stephany on Sunday evening) as well as a surprise departure, that of Étienne, 24, there is nothing peppery in this reality TV show. It is even rather bland as a mixed edition.
To return to Étienne Bernard, from Quebec, he was taken out of his villa for 48 hours, the time to settle a private matter. Then, he was brought back to the daily Thursday to announce to his roommates that a “personal situation” forced him to leave the adventure.
What happened so bad that Étienne packed his bags and disappeared from the show without even finishing his Salvatoré pizza?
Mystery and a ball of curly hair, like a broccoli cut. Both the production and the Noovo channel refused to comment on Etienne’s withdrawal, which is linked to a “personal and confidential situation”, according to the official press line.
Luckily, it was Anna, the 23-year-old nutrition student, who won the Mexico City getaway, where she finally got to eat “enchiladâsses,” after a tasty tasting of insects, including “croqrelles.” Yes, yes, croqrelles. Mustachioed paramedic Carl, 29, also stumbled over the word “croqrelles” as if it were a tongue twister like “the cricket of the creek cries its raw cry.”
PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE SHOW’S FACEBOOK PAGE
Carl and Anna
The smiling Félix, a 29-year-old software developer, had clearly not turned on the Mexican origins of Stephany, the 31-year-old cybersecurity expert who was born in Puerto Vallarta and has lived in Quebec for 15 years. “Stephany, she speaks Spanish so well. Her Spanish is almost incomprehensible because she speaks so quickly and with the local slang,” Félix was surprised, not the hottest spice in the pot.
Real estate broker Bilal, 29, showed a side — or facade, according to Carl — of his personality that has raised a series of red flags in the turquoise waters of the Riviera Maya. Of his possessive nature, Bilal first said: “My wife is my wife, my girlfriend is my girlfriend. The person I’m dating, I don’t share, no.”
Then, when Kristina complimented him on the tattoos that devour a good part of his body, Bilal retorted: “A woman is not beautiful with tattoos. You don’t put a bumper sticker on a Bentley.”
If I were real estate broker Catherine F., 27, who is currently dating Bilal, this is the kind of comment that would not pass the first inspection, that would confirm the fragility of the foundations and that would torpedo the entire transaction.