By Avery Ballmann | Staff Writer
A wannabe comedian, fashion designer, model, insurance agent, IT employee, divorcee, closeted gay man and newbie barista come together to give Austin a try in Netflix’s new reality show. “Twentysomethings: Austin” is a cheesy, light-hearted and addicting show that documents the journey of eight strangers from across the country and their move to a new city. Throughout 12 episodes, the young adults (Abbey Humphreys, Isha Punja, Bruce Stephenson, Michael Fractor, Natalie Cabo, Raquel Daniels, Kamari Bonds and Keauno Perez) navigate through relationships, sexual orientation, careers and a new city, but in the end, only some will choose to stay.
I watched this series in a matter of two days, but I am one to have a guilty pleasure for cringey reality shows and become obsessed with the people featured. What also drew me in is that this was based in Austin and it was cool to see the familiar places they experienced for the first time.
The boys’ and the girls’ houses are next to each other, and they share the same backyard and pool, which is where most of the drama happens. What makes this show so addicting is that it is relatable to the college experience. Many of us are thrown into a dorm with random people that we’ve never met. What ends up happening is relationships begin to blossom and change irrevocably happens for the good and the bad.
Another aspect of this show that I find entertaining is that some people in the boys’ and girls’ houses start relationships with one another, but not all of them last to the end. This show especially highlights the struggles of dating in your 20s and what kind of situations and emotions that entails. It also showcases the battle between career failure and success and how that determines decisions in a young adult’s life. This show takes a plot twist at episode six where things begin to change rapidly for the housemates.
“Twentysomethings: Austin” is an easy watch with minimal effort required. Each episode is about 20 to 30 minutes and it is pretty easy to follow. The group explores Austin’s coolest clubs, restaurants and music scenes while keeping the audience updated on their experiences by the secret confession tapes they record every day.
Ultimately, this show was relatable, which brought me a lot of comfort. It brought aspects that made what most college students are going through normal and not impossible. I will say that 12 episodes were not nearly enough for me. There is no update if Netflix will make another season of “Twentysomethings: Austin” or if it will include the same roommates, but they are active on their social media if viewers want to be updated.
I would recommend “Twentysomethings: Austin” to anyone going through a vast amount of change. Feeling lonely is a normal wave in everyone’s college journey. Whether you’re new to Texas and relate to their experience, or you and your roommates can’t decide on what to watch, give this show a try and see what you think.
