https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojWYrjcXaYI&t=1s
Season 1 |
Episode Guide
Like A Woman Possessed
Love & Other Bruises
Ruffling Feathers
Cold Feet
Hotbed
The Crying Game
Blurred Vision
In Too Deep
Marriage is hard. My own marriage lasted 4 months whilst by contrast, my Grandparents were married over 50 years. The dedicated commitment to one person, sharing everything you have with another is a very special bond and walking down that aisle is something many women dream of. Extreme Engagement sees two Australians, PJ and Tim, traveling the globe for a year to find out whether they should really get married or not after Tim proposes to her. Despite some questionable commentary toward the customs of various indigenous tribes, Extreme Engagement eventually grows on you, with the final episode rounding things out with a beautifully written and satisfying ending.
Split across 8 episodes, this non-scripted reality show sees PJ Madam and Tim Noonan leaving the city for a year and heading out to the great unknown to experience marriage customs the world over. With narration from both Tim and PJ, Extreme Engagement mixes handheld cameras with face to face interviews in the moment to capture all the emotion, frustration and drama along the way. While a nice idea in theory, at times PJ’s retorts toward customs – including eye rolls and lackadaisical remarks toward tribal customs – could easily be construed as disrespectful. I have no doubt there will be some people put off by the way this is portrayed but it’s also worth noting that people say a lot of things under extreme stress that they later do regret.
Tonally though, the series does reasonably well to keep things lighthearted with the overall idea of “will they/won’t they” injecting just the right amount of drama to keep you watching through to the end. This ultimately forms the core ideal of the show, with many of the arguments, disagreements and heartfelt moments stemming from this big question mark. As mentioned before, this really comes to a head in the final episode where Tim and PJ make their mind up about marriage, given everything they’ve learnt, and engage in a beautiful ritual, one way or the other at the end.
Extreme Engagement is ultimately a show that you’ll either love or hate. The shaky cameras and close-up interviews give the series a rustic reality-TV feel while the random bites of commentary toward the various tribes’ customs could easily offend a lot of people too. Having said that though, Extreme Engagement does enough to make for an enjoyable watch, flaws and all. It’s not the best show out there but it does enough to make it worth checking out if you can get past the rocky start in the first episode.
Click Here To Go Back To Our TV Show ReviewsÂ
-
Verdict - 5.5/10
5.5/10
These comments seem very superficial and insular. If you watch the episodes you will see that PJ did embrace the various cultures eventually and Tim did tend to do extreme and dangerous things without making sure his body or mind was ready for them.
I thought PJ was very tolerant. She was subjected to extreme temperatures, potions she had no idea of the content of, rituals where she was supposed to become possessed or possibly insult the people they are visiting as well as all manner of other ceremonies that were not well explained and looked dangerous.
While this might be fun for a few weeks, this went on for a year and PJ participated in each segment fully. It made an interesting reality show. I am not sure whether it improved their relationship. Neither one had the time or energy to create their coupledom which was the original purpose of the exercise.
These two individuals are traveling the world and insulting everyone’s culture. PJ is shallow and very privileged while Tim is childish and insecure. They need a big reality check.
Beyond nauseating and narcissistic. Only advice I’d have is DON’T WATCH IT and fingers crossed that PJ dumps that overgrown child wanting to be treated as a “man” (obey me!) but is just a chest-beating neanderthal so far beneath his fiance it’s upsetting. This show is a perfect example of colonialist-mentality, so if you want to see privileged people crap on indigenous cultures, this one’s for you!
ugh what a total disgusting waste of film. The beautiful cultures travelled are amazing but such a shame that a totally fake, scripted, shallow, pathetic fame grab was overlayed. My husband of 25 years are thinking we could replicate the idea but interweave a love exploration story rather than a counselling session gone wrong.
@Lisa not sure what you’re talking about… they are Australian – not American. Why just jump to that conclusion?
Only a few episodes in and it seems they do have some naive moments but these different cultures seem to enjoy inviting the world into their home and showing them their ways. I think they are both good sports about trying to adapt.
I have only watched the first minutes of the first episode. And I already find it so disgusting how they(PJ) approach the remote people they visit. Slyly saying some denigrating things about their lifestyle and food and laughing because..of course they don’t understand. It’s better to show them it’s strange to you, than to pretend you are good and then say mean things. It’s insulting.
They both had their selfish moments. It showed me how Americans are so selfish or where they are from are selfish both of them. Many things weren’t that serious because the other did the same thing. They belong together because their both selfish, but want an adventure.
I truly feel sorry for PJ. Whole documentary all about what Tim wants & expected from his future wife to fit into his cup. I believe the Chinese fortune teller telling her the best advice to run as far she could & save herself from a controlling man. I believe PJ deserve someone better & who also would listen her wishes in equal way.