REVIEW: ‘Single’s Inferno’ Season 4 Ups The Ante…Kind Of

Single’s Inferno Season 4 is trying to find new ways to surprise us when the thrill has been its consistency. We know what type of girl all of the men are going to fawn over. We know the male suitors will have to endure physical challenges while the women play chicken again. There will be a lot of hair flips and at least one couple who are each other’s ride or die until they ultimately couple up by the season’s end. The couch of commentators will be either entirely on the mark or wildly off. We’ll accept that the Netflix reality series is largely both a wide casting pool and a chance to market lavish hotels in South Korea.

For the most part, Single’s Inferno Season 4 sticks to this script. It just also tries to inject new tricks as a means to keep things fresh from splitting the men and women up and having a male suitor get to pick a woman to go with him to “paradise” on the first night despite never speaking to the Episode 4 twist with a new “game-changer” role. It’s all fine, but it doesn’t add to the overall effect of the series.

Because to be a fan of Single’s Inferno is to accept its inherent inauthenticity. There’s a comfort in its familiarity and the glitz, glamor, and beauty of the reality series. Of the extravagance. Excess, even. Not to be presumptuous, but how many of us are watching these contestants who all model or act or model and act and are drinking champagne in lavish seaside penthouse hotels and thinking, ‘Ah, yes, relatable?’ No, the fun is in how ridiculous it is, and the magic happens when strong personalities cut through the noise to make an impression. Just because I don’t buy into all of the romance doesn’t make the contestants and their drama less enthralling

Single’s Inferno follows a group of men and women who are embarking on a journey for love in this competition series. The ultimate prize is to leave the inferno they’ll stay on for just over a week and go to “paradise” (the aforementioned hotels) with whoever they’ve set their sites on. By the end of the season, the goal is to leave the inferno with the person you’d like to start a relationship with. In between, they must all compete in randomized games and challenges to help potentially win the hearts of their crushes and those watching at home.

The Single’s Inferno Season 4 favorite is immediately clear. 

Straight off the bat, there are favorites among this group. Most notably—predictably—Lee Si-an. A freelance model who has also appeared on Idol survivor shows, she’s 25 years old and instantly draws attention to herself. Like most of the contestants (the female contestants), she fits a very rigid model of Korean beauty standards but is also personable, clicking with both immediate suitors who choose her for paradise.

Those suitors are 33-year-old Kim Jeong-su, a coffee shop and bakery entrepreneur, and 29-year-old Jang Theo, an actor who has appeared in projects such as The King of Tears and A Man in a Veil. However, it doesn’t stop them, as Yuk Jun-seo also shows interest towards the end of Episode 4. Jun-seo, a former UDT soldier, is currently a painter, though he’s also acted, having appeared in Sweet Home.

Jun Seo leaves the most significant impression due to the contrast of his looks and personality. While he’s physically imposing and serious-looking, his fellow contestants are caught off guard by his affability and cute demeanor when they talk to him. Other contestants, such as Theo, also leave a mark. While at first, it seems like Theo will go the way of resident Season 3 pest Lee Gwan-hee, his personality becomes less abrasive over the course of the first four episodes.

Not every contestant gets a chance to shine, as is often the case. Dex’s favorite, Bae Ji-yeon, has to spend her first night alone in the Inferno after the rest couple up. However, Dex’s clear favoritism makes for some hilarious couch moments as he offers to fly to the island to woo her himself. It’s an instance that shows the clear value of these commentators. While some, such as Hanhae, don’t offer much, others, like Dex and Lee Da-hee, deliver timely and observant commentary while being light and funny.

The Netflix reality series introduces a shocking new cliffhanger.

The negatives come with how they can skew our opinions of contestants, such as what happens to Chung You-jin after the pivotal bonfire in Episode 4. Clearly intoxicated, the editing serves her no favors as she’s seen playing on the swing set. However, since it happens after she seemingly ignored a suitor and a favored one at that, the criticism of her playfulness seems much more skewed. It also hints at the true character of some of the judgmental onlookers. If a male contestant did this, they’d be labeled as playful, charming, or off-beat, highlighting the discrepancies of gendered expectations.

The major shift from typical protocol arrives with the cliffhanger at the end of Episode 4. All six women have been flown to paradise, meeting three new potential male contestants. They must pick one to be the “game changer” who enters the game late. While the series always has had it that new contestants are introduced as the game progresses, this is the first time the competitions have a say.

Despite the, frankly, ridiculous runtimes (with all of the episodes tipping over the hour mark), Single’s Inferno remains addicting even when it frustrates. There are petty grievances, too, such as the industrial sets that lack the warmth of Seasons 1 and 2. And there’s always a desire to spend more time in the inferno. While we only get to know the ages and professions of the contestants while in paradise, true character often reveals itself more on the island as a group — evident in the bonfire sequence.

Single’s Inferno Season 4 remains an engaging watch for fans, even if the series tries to play with expectations. While there is no clear star of the season thus far, such as Yun Ha-jeong in Season 3 or Dex in Season 2, there’s plenty of room for growth. While the reality series thrives on its niceties and the excess of opulent lifestyles, the fun is found in the barely concealed petty messiness and human behavior, which is when it’s at its best.

Single’s Inferno Season 4 Episodes 1–4 are now on Netflix, with new episodes every Tuesday.