Ranking all of the “90 Day Fiancé” spin-offs
Now, I consider myself to be somewhat of a “90 Day” connoisseur, by which I mean that I watch it obsessively and talk about it constantly. I am neglecting to include versions of the show which I haven’t personally seen — which, there are three — “What Now?” “Self-Quarantine,” and “The Family Chantel.” Why haven’t I seen these — honestly, I find them boring. They don’t have the same spark as the others do. Now, if you aren’t familiar with the premise of “90 Day Fiancé,” it follows couples, one of whom is from a foreign country. They apply for the K-1 Visa, commonly called the fiancé visa, which allows them 90 days to live in the US before they get married. Otherwise, the person from outside the US has to return to their home country. The original show gained a lot of popularity and garnered many spin-offs.
6. “90 Day Fiancé: Pillow Talk”
This is by far my least favorite spin-off. The premise of the show is having couples (or people of interest, sometimes it’s someone’s mom or brother who people especially liked) who were previously on the show, weigh in on the new episodes every week. It just feels like overkill. Yes, everything about this show is over the top, but “Pillow Talk” is just boring. We have already seen the episode, I don’t need to hear what other people thought of the drama.
5. “Darcey & Stacey”
“Darcey & Stacey” is a spin-off that’s slightly different than the others. Where other spin-offs follow many different couples, “Darcey and Stacey” focuses on a pair of twins who both are engaged to foreign men. Now, I love these girls as much as the next person, and I absolutely loved them on the seasons that Darcey was on the show, but their spin-off just doesn’t rank as highly. Part of the appeal of “90 Day” is that we get to meet so many different couples, get to know their personalities, and pick our favorites. We can’t do that with this one, which is why I think it falls a little flat.
4. “90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?”
The cheekiness of the title is played up in every intro of this show. It follows couples from the original franchise and their ups and downs after getting married. It serves as a continuation of the story, and a very natural, almost expected spin-off. It’s a good, solid show but honestly, I don’t have very many strong opinions about it — very middle of the road for me. The definite highlights for me are the couples Danielle and Mohammed, and Jorge and Anfisa. Every time they come on screen I have absolutely no idea what’s gonna happen next.
3. “90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way”
“The Other Way” is fairly new, it only has 2 seasons currently, but it’s very unique. It follows couples that are the opposite of the original 90 Day format — the Americans are the ones moving to other countries. I like this spin-off because it’s totally unexpected, and I love seeing Americans experience culture shock. It also features the first gay couple in the franchise’s history!
2. “90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days”
There is something about this show that is just so good. It follows couples meeting for the first time in foreign countries, where they have to decide if they are going to go through with the process of the K-1 Visa or not. It’s sort of a mix of the original “90 Day” and “The Other Way” with a whole lot of “Catfish”. These people travel across the world to meet people they’ve never met, and leave with a ring on their finger. It is insane and so fun to watch.
1. “90 Day Fiancé”
You simply cannot go wrong with a classic. This is where it all started, so it is objectively the best. Without this show to start everything off, there wouldn’t be any spin-offs. There is just so much craziness that goes on in this show, and so many couples that you can barely believe are real. and in this case, I have to agree. The original is the blueprint for all the rest.
Is “90 Day,” or any of its spin-offs, the best show on television? Not at all. But are they all entertaining? Absolutely. It’s a great way to take your mind off of all the seriousness going on in the world, at least for a little while.