Dating Around's editing is its biggest innovation

The Ringer

"Rather than show every (date) outing back to back, the show splices all five of them together, organizing its half hours by portions of the evening," says Alison Herman. She adds that the interwoven dates "allow for some of Dating Around’s shrewdest commentary on modern dating. Anyone who’s ever braved the frozen tundra of Tinder knows the touchstones of a conversation between two people who’ve never interacted in person before: the awkward hug hello; the cursory discussion of job, place of origin, and especially in big, transplant-heavy cities, how long you’ve lived in your current home; all the while, silently sussing out chemistry and/or your desire to see each other again. Dating Around cleverly turns these metaphorical beats into literal ones, crafting a rhythm out of the steady drumbeat of 'What do you do?' and 'What neighborhood are you in?' It’s also a depressing confirmation of how willing dudes are to tell someone they’ve only known for a few hours that they’re one of the most special, beautiful, interesting people they’ve ever met."

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