UnREAL Review: Fly (Season 1 Episode 6)

UnREAL is probably the most surprising series of the summer.

I hopped on board a little late in the game, but I managed to binge-watch the first five episodes in record time. Can you blame me? This is the side of reality television we all kind of knew existed, but not necessarily to this degree. UnREAL follows the producers and contestants of a series that looks an awful lot like The Bachelor.

At first, it just feels fun and a bit voyeuristic. But the show quickly turns dark as the producers manipulate the contestants in the worst possible ways.

And that’s an understatement.

This week’s episode, “Fly,” shows the consequences of that manipulation. In the previous episode, “Truth,” Shia replaces Mary’s medication in hopes of getting her to loosen up. Why? For the ratings, of course! Here’s the thing: this a show where the protagonists are pretty awful human beings — even when, like Rachel for example, they try not to be.

We don’t like to talk about mental illness, and we definitely don’t like to talk about domestic abuse. That’s what makes this episode — and really, the show — so important. Through the lens of a reality television show, it’s somehow a little easier to present those issues.

Shia’s disrespect for the importance of Mary’s medication has dire consequences, but she’s not the only one to blame. Quinn is particularly motivated to keep Mary on the show thanks to her dysfunctional relationship with Chet. They make a bet about whether or not the suitor, Adam will keep her around after the family date.

Rachel works her magic to make it so, which involves more manipulation at a sickening level.

What a great idea to bring in Ashley’s abusive ex, in hopes that Adam will defend her. It’s wrong on so many levels. The psychological trauma is bad enough, but let’s not forget that all of this is taking place during the “family date” which is already entirely uncomfortable, seeing as Ashley’s young daughter, Lilly Belle is now a part of this game.

And that abusive ex? He’s Lilly Belle’s dad.

He’s also basically the worst guy on the planet, and he knows just how to push Mary’s buttons to make her doubt herself… and her existence.

Kudos to Ashley Scott, by the way, for a completely captivating performance as a slowly unraveling Mary.

If you watched this in real time, you saw that at nearly every commercial break, something big was going to happen in the last thirty seconds. But who really thought this is where we would go?

Mary climbs on the roof with every intention of jumping. And she does exactly that.

I have a lot of thoughts on what happens next, which we see a bit of in the promo below. Take a look if you want to know whether or not Mary survives, as well as how that answer affects everyone else on the show.

Are you loving UnReal so far? Share your thoughts about this episode in the comments below!

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UnREAL airs Mondays at 10/9c on Lifetime.

Ashley Bissette Sumerel

Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.