I'm Sorry, But '90 Day: The Last Resort' Natalie Is Great TV

90 Day: The Last Resort is making headlines in its second season for all the chaotic reasons, and there’s no one bringing the drama quite like Natalie. Though her 90 Day Fiancé journey began with a different partner – and no, she’s not divorced from Big Mike yet – Natalie has been romancing a different man, Josh, on-and-off for years. The couple has been featured on various 90 Day spin-offs, but their inclusion in The Last Resort has raised criticism, largely because fans don’t understand why they were cast.

90 Day:The Last Resort is supposed to be a last-ditch effort to save relationships. The couples who appear are supposed to be close to calling it quits, like Kalani and Asuelu, whose infidelity was exposed last season before they ultimately chose to divorce. It makes sense why couples like Florian and Stacey as well as Jasmine and Gino were cast this season, since they always seem one step away from throwing in the towel. But for me, and I'm sure many fans too, Josh and Natalie don’t make sense, since it remains unclear if they’re even a real couple. Natalie’s recent admission that she’s never even been invited to Josh’s house further suggests these two were cast for the drama, not the authenticity. While that may defeat the purpose of The Last Resort, it makes sense to me in the context of reality T.V. There’s no denying Natalie brings the drama, and the ratings, so it makes sense why TLC chose to cast her in The Last Season – and we’re thankful for it.

Natalie and Josh’s Confusing Relationship

Though Natalie and Josh have been one of 90 Day Fiance’s recurring couples, appearing on many spin-offs and specials, their relationship remains confusing. Mike and Natalie’s relationship ended when she decided to pursue a career as a model and actress, and she began dating Josh, a talent agent, shortly after. Natalie says she moved to California to be close to Josh, even though he refused to commit, but his promise to help launch her career may have been motivation. She says Josh has promised to cast her in a movie, but I've yet to see Natalie on the big screen.

The more screen time he gets, the sketchier Josh appears to be. While Natalie has met his ex-wife – who gave off serious red flags – she’s never met his kids, let alone gone to his house. Josh admits to financially helping Natalie, which includes buying her a car and finding her an apartment. After three years together, Josh should know if he sees a future with Natalie, but his reluctance to move forward despite her insistence suggests he simply doesn’t want to commit more to her. This adds to the confusion over why they’ve been cast – how can Josh save a relationship that he’s not committed to?

Many fans remain convinced Josh is hiding something, and his lack of authenticity should’ve disqualified him and Natalie from being cast as a couple. But there’s no denying it creates intrigue and keeps viewers hooked as they want to figure out what’s up with Josh and why he remains with Natalie, despite her controversial behaviour and his seeming lack of care.

It could also be argued that the fact Natalie is legally married to someone else should’ve prevented her from being cast on The Last Resort. Or, maybe she should’ve come on with her estranged husband, Mike, to finally get some closure (and sign the papers, like he keeps insisting). But production probably loves the fact that it knows bringing Mike onto a 90 Day spin-off to confront Natalie would be great for ratings – who knows, maybe he’ll even appear later in the season. So, the potential that Natalie and her dramatic life bring explains why production keeps her around.

Why Natalie Is Reality TV Gold

While Natalie’s inclusion in The Last Resort may be confusing, just consider all the drama she’s already created in this season alone. From the beginning of the season, there were questions about why she was cast with Josh, considering their mysterious relationship status. This had already helped bring attention to the show before the episodes started airing. Now, each week, Natalie is proving why she’s part of the cast with her sassy comebacks and dramatic moments.

For example, consider the firestorm that started when Natalie discovered Josh had been DMing Sophie, who’s appearing on The Last Resort with her estranged husband Rob. Natalie immediately got into a spat with Sophie – and anyone who tried to defend her, including Jasmine. A feud between Natalie and Jasmine, two of the franchise’s most fiery personalities, is everything we didn’t know we needed this season. But the producers were likely gearing up for a show-down between these controversial co-stars. Considering how the women are known to behave, production was confident something would go down during the season, whether they intervened or not. Natalie’s reaction to Sophie’s confession makes for perfect reality T.V. and that’s exactly why she was cast.

The feud is expected to continue throughout the season, keeping viewers entertained and locked to their screens. But the conflict barely has anything to do with relationships anymore. It’s become something bigger – Natalie just seems angry in general and is likely directing her frustrations at Josh toward her cast-mates, even though he’s the one guilty of crossing boundaries by messaging Sophie. But this is what The Last Resort is all about – the drama and entertainment. If it were truly about saving the relationships, the couples would be focused on their significant other and working through conflict in productive ways, like one-on-one therapy. But instead, the co-stars and cameras are focused on the drama, which, as viewers, we’re not complaining about. That’s why Natalie and Josh were cast in the first place. They may not be the best couple, and probably won’t stand the test of time, but they do guarantee drama, and that’s what makes them so perfect for reality T.V.

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