Parents' Guide to

The One That Got Away

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Contrived dating series has innuendo, cursing, drinking.

TV Amazon Prime Video Reality TV 2022
The One that Got Away TV show: poster.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY is a reality dating series designed to give folks a chance to reconnect with their past to have a love connection today. Hosted by Betty Who, it features a cast of six men and women, referred to as "Singles," who are each reunited with select people from their pasts to see if any of them are a potential romantic match. Each of the Singles, none of whom are told who will come through "The Portal" ahead of time, reacquaint themselves with, and explore their feelings about, old school friends, people they met on trips, and even folks they once knew through mutual acquaintances. There's lots of awkward moments, especially when there's no chemistry between them, and when those who travel through The Portal discover that they must compete for their intended Single's heart. Meanwhile, there's nothing keeping the Singles from finding other people's past acquaintances attractive. It gets messy, but in the end tough choices will have to be made. But with any luck the Singles will find someone they want to be with.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

The voyeuristic social experiment attempts to bring people together who may or may not have been a perfect love match at another time in their lives. As is typical of dating shows, most of the cast consists of a range of characters, including "the nice guy," the "womanizer," "the broken-hearted," and the "just plain weird." The entertainment comes from the endless conversations about relationships, and from the sexually charged interactions during dates and other private moments. The series also attempts to create some flair by using dramatic sound effects when someone crosses through The Portal, and by introducing new people and sensitive information to the Singles at inopportune moments. It all feels contrived, but viewers who like these sorts of unscripted dating theatrics will find The One That Got Away to be a guilty pleasure.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about dating. Why do some folks find it so hard to meet the right people to connect with? Is going on a TV dating show the solution?

  • The premise of The One That Got Away is that single people may have missed their opportunity at finding love earlier in their lives. Is this a healthy message to send? How are single people supposed to feel after hearing it?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate