The idea for the show is actually genius.
It's like a reverse catfish. Just like Catfish seizing upon a contemporary phenomenon that will never go away as long as we have Internet, Trolls also exploits a vacuum addressing a real need out there.
However, whoever was in charge of this TV-series should find something else to do.
First off, they choose poor hosts. Not that they are completely terrible, but it looks like everyone were just lumped together and threwn into it, with no preparation or understanding. If the hosts had a minimum of natural skills or got some decent education and drilling, it could have been salvaged.
Second, it looks like they blindly are following the Catfish main show formula (with the exception of being deceitful towards the trolls in order to get them on), which doesn't work here. They should go about it completely differently. In fact, busting Trolls has the potential to be even more entertaining and educating than Catfish, with even bigger impact. But this show comes of as a half-assed effort.
They should have taken notes from the Swedish TV-series "Troll hunters" and its host Robert Aschberg. That's a successfull formula. Not only do this identical concept manage to keep it relevant, interesting, and engaging, but they also succeed in a double impact: The trolls are personally impacted (some break apart and change) and the risk of exposure manage to strike fear into Swedish trolls. And the victims get genuine vindication.
This show offers no consequence or redemption for the trolls, no real confrontation with their misdeeds, no satisfaction for the victims, no exciting dramaturgy from the start to the finish. It's mostly a big yawn. Whever they get close to any of this, it's accidentally due to the guests.
The hosts have no chemistry between them. Neither of them seem to be able to take respinsibility for carrying the show, like Nev (and Max) do. They don't seem to be really engaged with the subject or care about the victims. They just seem to be "at work".
The third show is the best example of this failure. Case in point:
The troll seemed happy to get promotion, the victim seemed left to her own devices fending for herself. When the gay host said, "don't worry, I'm here of you" or something to that effect (right before the confrontation), it was very unbelievable. If the troll had been an aggressive angry dude, you know he would have run for the hills before the victim would have blinked.
If the idea was that he should be the "people person" comforting the victims, and Charlemagne the "bad cop" barking at the trolls - both failed. The immature reaction of the gay dude (sorry, don't know his name) prior to meeting the troll was detrimental to the victim. If she had been more sensitive and timid, his annoying outbursts of "oooooohs" would have scared her even more from confronting the bully. Luckily for them, she had balls and tried to put her case through.
This is where Charlemagne failed. From being a tough guy all the way through, and alluring the troll to the scene with "bonding", he suddenly shut down and was only physically present. Even the Hardy boys Max & Neve are tougher on the Catfishes. Were the hosts actually afraid of asking tough questions? Charlemagne seemed more into bonding with the troll, "bro'ing" him before and after the confrontation. He should have stepped up and guided the event. But the complete lack of direction, just made the confrontation into an anti-climatic moment, where the poor victim did her best to put out her two cents, and the trolls went into bot mode repeating bullshit defenses. Even a half-wit would have been able to pick apart his excuses. Instead the poor victim was left to try to get through to him.
The hosts lack a minimum of pedagogical understanding, which is key to the failure on their part. They need to be on top of things, understanding all angles, reading the room, feeling the sentiments, taking charge of the developments. They seem totally unprepared with poor comprehension of the phenomenon they are making a show about.
At the end of the day, it is the producers responsibility to find the right people and/or to train them. Or find a director who can do this for them. Everyone in the chain has failed here, except the trolls and their victims.
If MTV ever reboot this show, they should try put up a host with psychological skills combined with one with investigating skills. That could be interesting, and they would be aware enough to prevent all the failures of this show.
The idea is still good, but like most media corporations I doubt the suits have the skills to recognize the potential to success or understanding the formula. Usually it happens accidental or they just buy up an independent exterior project that do know how to create something that works.
