Southern Nights Episodes 1-1 & 1-2 Review: Gettin’ Ranchy

Reviews, Shows

I wasn’t sure I’d be able to watch Southern Nights up here in Canada, but I’ve figured it out and have caught up on the two episodes that have aired.

Well. This show is certainly a hot mess, isn’t it? Click through to hear what I think and then head down to the comments section with your thoughts!

As you likely know, I’ve been a big fan of Sweet Home Alabama all along. I’ve blogged about the show and have interviewed cast members, and have always said that I like it better than another famous reality TV dating show that shall remain unnamed. And when the cast was announced for the spinoff show Southern Nights, I was intrigued – but hesitant, since I knew the show was styled after Jersey Shore. That’s not exactly my thing.

And, yeah, neither is this really. It’s a lot of drinking and drama and actual physical fighting, which is sort of a lifestyle I avoid. But hey, I guess I can still watch the train wreck on TV from the comfort of my home. I mean, you’re talking to a girl who’s watched two seasons of Bachelor Pad.

I like all the girls who’ve been cast on the show. It’s interesting to see their personalities come out more than we necessarily saw on Sweet Home Alabama, and they all seem like pretty nice girls. It’s the guys that aren’t really doing it for me so far.

Cody is in a relationship with Tristan – things didn’t work out between her and Tribble due to distance and, well, the fact that people who meet on reality shows don’t know each other that well, and now she’s dating Cody who she knew before the show. I like Tristan because she seems like she’s got a good head on her shoulders and she’s continuing to go to nursing school while she does the show.

Collin says he still has feelings for Devin (who is kinda-sorta dating a cute hipster named Kyle), but that hasn’t stopped him from bringing skanky Savannah girls back to the house. One girl puked on the couch twice and then stumbled into a cab with mascara smeared all over her face. Classy! I bet her mom is super proud. And then Collin invited her back the next day! Um, really dude? How is that helping you win over Devin? These people are young, drunk and stupid. That should be the title of the show!

I wasn’t really fans of Flex or Jersey when they were on SHA, and I’m trying to keep an open mind about them on this show but, come on. They’re not my kind of guys.

Landon is who I really have a problem with though, and it seems that pretty much everyone in the house isn’t a big fan of his. Let’s recap the atrocities of Landon thus far:

  • Landon made a HUGE deal to Paige over how he left his precious daughter to get to know her when he did Sweet Home Alabama, but then he left his daughter to do this show which is just about getting drunk and making bad life choices.
  • Landon got in a bar fight and wouldn’t go to the hospital even though a nursing student (Tristan) told him that it was really dangerous. Not only is he a father, but he’s a trained paramedic. He should know better, but he doesn’t because he’s basically a gorilla in human form. He grunts and says “I’m a man” and thinks that makes it all better. He also said his dad “never went to the hospital…until he had a stroke.” Does he not hear what’s wrong with that sentence? Of course not. Because Landon primarily communicates in grunts.
  • Landon has a crush on Cassie, one of the most beautiful girls of all time. So how did he express those feelings to her? By calling her “flabby” at the gym. Because he has the emotional intelligence of a four year-old.
  • Landon has officially ruined the word “cuddle” for me by being a huge creep.

OK, all that said there are some funny moments on this show that make it worth watching – mostly thanks to the girls, and their reactions as they watch the guys make fools of themselves. This is a guilty pleasure show for sure, but I’ll keep watching. What do y’all think?


You can follow Jill at her blog, couchtimewithjill.com, or on Twitter @jillemader Jill has been an avid fan of TV since the age of two, when she was so obsessed with Zoobilee Zoo that her mother lied and told her it had been canceled. Despite that setback, she grew up to be a television aficionado and pop culture addict.