First Class Season 1 Review – Another formulaic reality show about rich people flexing

Episode Guide

Our Parties Never End
Welcome To Aldo’s
You Will Enjoy the Date
This Is Absolute Madness
Do You Think I’ll Go Far?
I Can’t Put It Into Words

There’s a reason reality TV does so well. Whether it be The Kardashians, Selling Sunset, I’m A Celebrity or Big Brother, a good number of people are fascinated with seeing the day to day lives of different people – and the more dramatic the better. Somewhere along the way though, this translated across to finding rich socialites, obnoxious, larger-than-life personalities that boast unobtainable lavish lifestyles which most of us will never experience.

Sometimes that can be quite interesting but any interest is quickly squashed with tired, formulaic, soapy shenanigans that’s common fodder for this genre by now.

With Netflix reportedly spending £1 million to bring in the England football team wags for their own show later this year (why? Netflix, use that money to fund more animation like Arcane, c’mon now!) there seems to be no end to this factory line of “reality” TV.

Now, it’s worth noting that First Class has been billed as a “docu-soap” so it’s fair to say you should take what you see here with a pinch of salt. Some of these characters are flamboyantly thrown in to cause as much trouble as possible (looking at you, Archie!) while others are quite bland and forgettable.

So what is First Class actually about? Well, the series is set deep in the heart of Barcelona, where we’re introduced to all our main characters in the first episode. Essentially these guys all live their best lives in a “non-stop party” as they go about their jobs, setting up parties and hang out. It’s a rather chaotic affair, with the camera work flitting haphazardly between different scenes – especially early on.

There’s Alex Agullo, who works in PR and communications. He gets on well with Lucia, who is described as a “classy thug” early on. However, she actually has a pretty tragic backstory, which is explored more across the season.

There’s also Zaida Marquez, an interior designer, Marc Patsu, an art broker, and the infamous Archie, who boasts about stealing his mother’s credit card to pay for a trip. Make of that what you will. Rounding out this group is Aldo Comas, an artist who lives out in the countryside on his farm.

The first episode essentially serves as an appetizer for the drama that follows, with everything from big parties and social disagreements showcased in the chapters following that. There’s the usual array of arguments and big dramatic fall-outs, typified through the cliched form of whispers and badmouthing between each other’s backs.

It’s all pretty formulaic stuff but if you’re a fan of reality TV, you should find enough to like here. However, there’s nothing that stands out from so many others in this field either.

Aside from the bustling beauty of Barcelona, the show has absolutely no defining features. It’s your typical set-up, with a typical group of people that “live their best lives” with an typical cocktail of dancing, partying and, well, cocktails. First Class gets an F for originality but if you’re a huge fan of reality TV, this will probably get a pass for you. For everyone else, there’s nothing here worth sinking your teeth into. Avoid this one.

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