Love Con Revenge

I'm giving this a higher than usual rating for this type of show. It doesn't have the same drama or fun as Catfished (it is more serious at times on the subject). They try to create that effect of Catfished at times, but the episodes maybe longer, and there's less focus on investigating who the person really is because in this case, he's not a catfish in the traditional sense; we already know who he is. Although they have to do some investigation. As a result, you miss the drama of the reveal.

The Tinder Swindler host Cecilie Fjellhøy is clearly doing her best, though she doesn't seem quite as confident on camera as private investigator Brianne Joseph, who comes across really well. The episodes focus on one woman and her experience with a romance scam. Then move onto another. I like how the victims of this get support from the hosts.

It's definitely worth watching, as this is an issue that needs more awareness.

The show highlights that the women targeted (I know men are as well) but these women are just as attractive and successful, if not more than, the men they meet, which challenges stereotypes. The amounts of money involved are quite high, though not unbelievable, and it's insightful to see how scammers actually operate, especially since so many of these scams today are carried out through messaging and AI.

Love Con Revenge was exceptionally well-crafted; however, I do have a concern about how the stories were segmented. Each story consisted of two episodes, but a new one would be introduced in the middle of an ongoing episode, which I found quite peculiar. Nonetheless, the series offered insightful interviews and engaging narratives overall. This unconventional structure did keep viewers on their toes, adding an unexpected layer of intrigue and keeping the momentum alive. The series excelled in weaving complex character arcs with seamless transitions, which made the shifts less jarring once you acclimated to the rhythm. The interviews, in particular, provided depth and context that enriched the viewing experience, offering glimpses into the minds of both the creators and the characters. Despite the unusual format, "Love Con Revenge" managed to captivate its audience with a fresh take on storytelling, making it a memorable and thought-provoking watch.

The price of my Netflix subscription is going up AGAIN on 1 October, because, apparently, someone has to pay for Love Con Revenge, and it sure isn't going to be the fraudsters.

Cecilie, the original Tinder Swindled, returns to our screens to team up with Brianne, a private investigator, to help hapless women bring their fraudsters to justice and supposedly "close that chapter", so they can find true love again. This could have been a great series, except what we get looks staged and polished to within an inch of its life; every twist is suspiciously convenient and every resolution neatly wrapped. In a show about con artists, the audience is ironically being manipulated by the production itself.

-2 points. Cecilie. Her involvement adds little. The series would have been stronger with Brianne at the helm. Cecilie's personal bias as a love-fraud victim overwhelms the narrative, turning too much of it into her story rather than those she claims to help.

-2 points. Victims' learning curve. We never see whether these women actually learnt from their experiences. Bridget, for instance, gushes about a new man she's dated for mere months, insisting he's the "complete opposite of Ricky." Really? After a few months, how can she possibly be sure?

-2 points. The fraudsters' backstory. No effort is made to explore their families or histories. Every criminal starts out as an innocent child, and more often than not, abuse or neglect shapes who they become. Humanising the fraudsters wouldn't excuse their actions, but it would at least provide a balanced perspective, rather than the black-and-white morality tale we were fed.

-2 points. No expert insight. A forensic psychologist or narcissism expert could have explained red flags to the audience, so they don't end up in similar situations. Instead, Cecilie offers her own perspective, but even she projected her desires onto her fraudster and ignored glaring signs. Love cons are a tango - there are always two people on the floor.

Final verdict: Love Con Revenge isn't so much a documentary as it is a con job in itself. Just like the fraudsters it covers, it may leave you feeling played and annoyed, as I did.