The Hills
- TV-PG
- 2006
- 7 Seasons
-
3.6 (10,929)
The Hills was a reality show on MTV that aired from 2006 to 2010. It focused on the daily life of the main protagonist, Lauren Conrad, and her circle of friends and enemies. Lauren dealt with career woes and drama with friends and boys. The show was something that most young women could relate to on one level or another. Sure, most young women didn't have the wealth and privilege that Lauren and her friends and enemies had, but they dealt with the same types of issues. Boys that don't call, jobs that don't work out, friends who stab you in the back, and having to choose between love and career are problems that many young women face. In part, Lauren became a blank canvas for many young women, and when she left, the show suffered. You could identify with Lauren's problems and struggles, so you almost could imagine yourself in her shoes. Her pain at Heidi's betrayal hurt, because you, too, knew what it felt like to have a friend abandon you for a guy you thought was a terrible person. You grieved with Lauren when things didn't work out with Jason, the guy she gave up a summer internship in Paris for, because you, too, know what it's like to try to decide between your career and your love life. In the last season and a half, the show went off the rails a bit due to Lauren's departure. Suddenly, there was no one to identify with anymore. Heidi had gone overboard with plastic surgery, something you couldn't understand. Lo was always one of the most normal in the group, but unlike Lauren, she didn't open herself up to the audience much, and her love life was mostly played out offscreen. Kristin never made you forget that you were watching an actress, someone who was playing out a role onscreen for your entertainment, rather than a young woman with real problems and struggles. And so, as The Hills came to an end after six seasons, it was with a whimper, not a bang. Without Lauren, the show felt aimless, and no longer felt like it was based in any kind of reality, not even a reality where you're watching rich, privileged young women in their twenties deal with their problems.
