A serial killer who stalks his prey on a dating website, that’s predictable. But a girl who goes on dates with suspected murderers in order to catch them red-handed, that’s the attention-grabber.
The new MTV show “Eye Candy” centers on Lindy, a skilled hacker who joins forces with the NYPD Cyber Crimes Unit after a serial killer becomes obsessed with her and starts to destroy the people in her life.
I have a love-hate relationship with this show. There are amazing, emotional scenes but they are dulled out by frustratingly emotionless actors.
Yet, I keep coming back for more. The sole strength of the plot makes the show pleasurable to watch.
I love the fact that the writers are willing to take risks and do the one thing viewers hate most, killing off characters that the audience have emotionally invested themselves in. Unfortunately, after claiming Lindy that means all of Lindy’s boyfriends are also in deadly trouble. It is hard not to get attached to some of the show’s attractive cast, but with the unpredictability and ruthlessness of the show’s antagonist serial killer, you never know who is next.
This psycho-killer steps it up in every episode, cutting off fingers, gouging out eyes and pulling out teeth, sparing no mercy to anyone who comes in the way. I do not like all the blood and gore, but the production team has really dedicated the serial killer to his role.
Each death creates a wave of shock and raw emotion that drags through another week until the next episode, when viewers might experience the same aftershock with other characters. It’s frustrating that no matter what events unfold, there is no feeling of emotional connection with the characters. Their moments of grief are too short and their feelings are unreadable.
Still, the writers are able to shock the audience with plot twists time and time again.
In my opinion, the supporting characters are the most intriguing and diverse. Lindy’s roommate and best friend Sophie is bubbly, wears her heart on her sleeve and owns a night club. Sophia’s other best friend Connor is manipulative, while Cyber Crimes Unit Sergeant Catherine is generally nice. They both seem to have dimension of personality.
“Eye Candy” gives insight to the mind of a sociopath, as well as perspective on our society’s obsession with perfection. All the victims craved perfection, so they manipulated the angles and filters of their online dating profile pictures. The serial killer craves perfection as well, so he kills them once he sees their faults.
The MTV attempt for a youthful thrill feels out of place with such mature crimes and consequences. While I’d recommend this show to anyone up for a thrill, the lack of emotional complexity makes it frustrating to watch for those who prefer a realistic approach.