Click here for a video version of this review: https://youtu.be/GVpLobxMQLw
_Terrace House: Aloha State_ is the follow up to _Terrace House: Boys and Girls in the City_ a Netflix show that we binge watched and are now kinda obsessed with. We went straight from _Boys and Girls in the City_ into _Aloha State_.
The set up is the same and so we once again get to be a fly on the wall and watch six people live in an amazing house, and go about their daily lives. As with the previous iteration, people can move out whenever they want, and if they do they are replaced by a new member. There is no game aspect to it, it is literally reality TV. The difference this time though, as you might have guessed by the name, is the location. This one is based in Hawaii.
This means there is a lot more English used in the show and a good portion of the housemates are part Japanese and part American or Chinese or Portuguese and so this adds to some very interesting interactions. It also leads to one of the most boring and one of the most annoying housemates we've seen so far. But this season also had two of my favourite characters, and another that I wanted to get know more, so overall it was good fun, and we again found ourselves watching many episodes back to back to back.
I didn't find this quite as engaging as the _Boys and Girls in the City_ season. The various group combos in _Aloha State_ were a lot less active in the house and apart from the last few episodes there were no big moments of high drama. Where it shines is in showcasing some amazing spots in Hawaii, and a number of very cool restaurants and bars.
The highlight of the whole thing though was the five commentators. At several points during each episode we leave the house and hear what the panel has to say about the goings on in the scenes before, and they are so hilarious. Whether its their comic reactions to events, or their imaginations running away on them, or their surprisingly raunchy innuendo, they had us in stitches so many times. They are a key part of the show, and in my opinion, just as important as the housemates.
This is a real fun show, and for anyone cooped up in a pandemic related lockdown, its the perfect way to pass the time and reminisce about the old days when we were allowed to go outside.
