A Review of ‘Forever Summer: Hamptons’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

There was a time, where ‘day in the life’ reality television dominated the airwaves. Because there was something incredibly alluring about settling in for a half an hour to an hour and just… observing the lives of people in environments we knew nothing about. Because that really did make us privy to worlds we simply didn’t understand and helped us to learn more about the human condition as well, since you always learn more, from walking in another person’s shoes. But just like that, when Laguna Beach and Jersey Shore went off the air, that seemed to be the end of this type of show. Replaced instead with shows that were a pure evolution of the original. 

But as this era of peak television continues to chug along, networks are starting to ponder upon resurrecting those types of shows. For the demand is there and the vast number of networks out there could easily put together a reality series in this vein that reflects the times and once again offers up an unfettered look into life in unique places, and well, Prime Video is a network that quickly jumped at the chance to make that happen. For last week, their brand-new series, Forever Summer: Hamptons, made its debut and well… this is a series that indeed harkens back to those classic reality television shows. For this is a story that plunges us into the everyday lives of college students during their summer vacation and in keeping with the tradition of this type of show, they’re not the average college student.

Instead, these are folks that are mostly natives to the Hamptons. The popular vacation getaway that so many hold in high regard, and well, this is definitely a world that most of us know little of, giving us fascinating insight into what life is like in the Hamptons. For we are able to learn, that despite the well-known decadence of this part of the world, life does more or less continue like normal out here. Which is wonderful since it somewhat removes the mystique of this iconic place, reminding us that there are indeed some experiences that we share in together. Such as working summer jobs and dealing with dating drama and everything in between. Because that’s just part of the human experience and that is a twist that definitely draws you into this world.

However, make no mistake about it, this is an old school reality TV show at heart. That means there needs to be something that separates it from the rest of the ‘day in the life’ reality shows and ironically, setting it in the Hamptons is how that comes to life. Because at the same time, these folks grew up here, and grew up around money and have a vastly different perspective on life and thrive in a different environment. Which leads to plenty of fascinating moments for certain, and it also features, some unique conflicts. Such as how the folks that grew up in the Hamptons… are quite protective of it and oddly have a bit of disdain for the tourists from the city that spend their summers in this lovely place. 

But of course, there is so much more to this show than a grand exploration of the Hamptons and the fascinating perspective it presents us with. There are of course, relatable conflicts that take place here and hopes and dreams are expressed and rightfully so. For this is a coming-of-age story as well, one where everyone begins to grow and see the world in a different light. As to how exactly that goes down, we won’t spoil here, since it is better you experience that firsthand. And the best news of all, is that you can do that right now. For season one of Forever Summer: Hamptons is available to stream on Prime Video, and if you’re a fan of this kind of show, we certainly hope you give it a look… so you can see what life looks like in an iconic part of America.

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