Part Reality Competition, Part Social Experiment

atlasmb

"Twinning" takes twelve sets of twins and pits them against each other in a winner-take-all competition for a $222,222.22 prize. The host is Angie Greenup.

The twins are secluded in a house during the show. Sounds like "Big Brother", right? But the first episode reveals the first twist: the twins must live on opposite sides of the house. Yes, there is a "blue house" and a "green house" and the twins are separated from each other. It's an unexpected reality that immediately shows the difference between twins and other siblings. Not only are these twins co-dependent, they are "twindependent", a term that describes one aspect of their unique relationships--their remarkable bonds. Some of these pairs have never been apart for more than a day or two in their lives. In effect, separation puts the pairs under duress, which might explain why life in the houses feels more like "Real World" than "Big Brother". Conflicts and fights arise and emotions run high.

But that is not the reason I really enjoy this show. It is because it explores (and exploits) the amazing bond between identical twins. These twinsets are very diverse. You have Ukrainian sisters, Long Island princesses, stocky virginal brothers, etc. But each set of twins is very close.

In each episode, the teams compete against each other in challenges, separated from their twins by a wall. The competitions are ingenious, always requiring teamwork for success. The winning teams are allowed to spend a day in both sides of the house--the ultimate reward for two twins that long to be with their other halves. They also get to nominate the teams that must compete to remain in the house.

The two nominated twin teams go head to head in a "Twin Off", where they must exactly match their twin's answers to various questions, like "If you could go back to any year, what year would you choose?" They often channel each other's thoughts with a spooky consistency. They also have common behavioral traits and clothing choices. (But the show also exposes the differences in the twins, which are just as interesting as the commonalities). The losing team must leave the house.

Like most reality games, their are social strategies and competitive strategies. You can expect flirting, deception, unlikely friendships, and strategic alliances.

score 9/10

atlasmb 14 September 2015

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3316598/