The 90 Day Fiancé franchise is in crisis, with viewers more critical than ever, and it could have something to do with the abundance of conflict and lack of actual love stories. Fans have reported feeling more and more bored by the show and its spin-offs, citing the constant fighting and unlikable couples that are featured. When producers and cast members stir up drama on purpose, it starts to erode viewers’ interest in the show’s storylines, and the franchise might want to consider a change in direction.
Fans have always had complaints about the series—even the ones who love the franchise. However, this season of 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? seems to have pushed viewers past a tipping point. The problem isn’t just that the current cast is annoying (though to many fans, they are), it’s that each couple seems less plausible than the last, and it’s starting to become a major problem. Many fans are sick of every couple in the current cast and are desperate for the franchise to introduce new, non-infuriating cast members.
Drama on the show has reached an all-time high, to the point where some viewers think the storylines are fabricated—or at least heavily exaggerated. From the squabbles between Andrei, Libby, and the Potthasts, to calls for Angela Deem’s explosive fights with her husband Michael, viewers are clearly reaching their breaking point of how much drama they can handle. This season seemed to operate by Murphy’s Law—anything that could go wrong among the cast has, and it’s gotten old.
In its earliest seasons, 90 Day Fiancé was a story about couples finding love despite great obstacles. Sure, many of the couples had their issues, but by the end of the season it became clear that deep down they loved each other and the K1-visa process had been worth it. Couples like Russ and Paola, Danny and Amy, or Kirlyam and Alan were cast members fans could root for because while sometimes problematic, they at least genuinely loved each other. However, in current seasons and spin-offs, even the couples who seem to still be in love are always seen fighting and in conflict.
The pendulum has swung from love story to full drama, and it’s ruining the franchise. Other relationship-based shows like The Bachelor franchise work so well because they balance the romance and conflict, so viewers get a bit of both. When it tips too far to either side, fans start to lose interest—too much drama and viewers won’t care about the couples, and too much saccharine and the show becomes uninteresting. Right now on 90 Day Fiancé, the couples have become less compelling because they’re always fighting. It’s predictable, boring, and unrealistic.
Most of the 90 Day Fiancé stars are on social media, and fans who follow them know that there’s a lot more fun and love in the relationships than the franchise portrays. The drama-mongering on the show has gotten so bad that many fans are accusing the franchise of scripting scenes and storylines. Some viewers have reportedly stopped watching the show, and it’s not hard to see why. If the franchise wants to retain the fans it has left, it should include both the good and bad from the cast members’ relationships.
