MovieChat Forums > Total Divas (2013) Discussion > So painfully staged this season that I'm...

So painfully staged this season that I'm thinking of not watching


So I've been watching this show since the beginning. Now I guess I knew in the back of my mind that there was a good chance that it was all staged, but I felt it was at least realistic enough for me to suspend disbelief. However, this season, it's impossible to even suspend disbelief between the far-fetched storyline between Dolph and Nikki and Nikki's bad acting. Yea, I'm sure a veteran like Dolph is going to get himself in bad standing with the top male wrestler in the business, not to mention all of management, by hitting on that top male wrestler's girlfriend Nikki before a bunch of cam corders for a reality show.

As dubious and far-fetched as the storyline was, I would have excused it if at least the acting were convincing like I've excused other far-fetched storylines on this program in the past because the acting, especially by Natalia was convincing enough. However, Nakki's acting is equally as unconvincing as the storylines. There is no semblance of realism in any of her reactions.

Her version of being upset at the whole incident with Dolph looks more like a high school girl joking it up with her friends in the cafeteria. She runs around and gossips about it, supposedly in distress, just short of having a big grin on her face and saying "thank you" with her expressions. The whole thing was painful to watch. At least with Natalie's storylines with TJ, the acting is convincing enough so that you as the viewer are suffering in painful disbelief. Natalie's acting is a lot better and more emotional, but Nikki's is atrocious.

Also, after Nikki's and Dolph's far-fetched storyline, I can just see Paige signing up for this program, "Hey yea man! Remember a little skit and act it out and get paid big bucks. Hell ya, I'm in."

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They probably dated years ago and the producers thought hey let's do a storyline that he wants her back! It is so over the top fake. None of them are convincing at all.

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I have to admit, I thought the slap was extremely staged and awkward. Like she hardly hit him but he looked like he was expecting it, and then she looked like she wanted to laugh. Nattie is convincing because she can cry at the drop of a hat it seems like. I don't know what's real and what's not in this show lol

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Well TJ is actually injured, so I'd assume that's all real.

All the Nikki, Dolph, John drama is sooo fake.

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I think the OP meant the divorce storyline.

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Unfortunately I don't think Nattie is acting, I just think she really is that dramatic and self absorbed

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Yeah, the acting was pretty unbelievable, I don't watch the show much but caught this episode and laughed so hard at the acting (not to mention John Cena's lack of response/caring to the Dolph incident). From the previews, it looks like it will be a lot of the Bella twins this season.

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like Dolph is going to get himself in bad standing with the top male wrestler in the business, not to mention all of management, by hitting on that top male wrestler's girlfriend Nikki before a bunch of cam corders for a reality show.


I agree, it was pretty cringe worthy. I cannot take Nikki's story line seriously due to the bad acting involved and the fact that they want the audience to believe there is a real "love triangle" happening outside of the ring.

I can see this being a story they would use for their WWE characters, but not to pass it off as their "real life drama". I mean Dolph out of nowhere starts pleading to Nikki "I can give you marriage and babies", that alone looked very contrived.

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I've just started to watch the show recently and thought it seemed pretty scripted, which I'm OK with since I've been a WWE fan since I was a kid and I'm used to it. I like the show but was wondering if the earlier seasons are any better? We just got the WWE network so I'm thinking about maybe starting from season 1 and having a Total Divas binge weekend lol. ????

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Idk where those damn ?s came from lol they were supposed to be smiley face emojis...does anyone know how to go back and edit a post?

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Are you using a Kindle Fire? Their keyboard changes emojis into question marks now. Never use to.

Also, if you go back and watch previous seasons, wait until you see the fake storyline about Nattie eating a "pot brownie". It was ALL an act. Also, it has more of the fake SL about Nattie's marriage troubles. You can read articles online that talk about how their marriage was never in any trouble.
The entire show is almost all fake. They aren't given scripts but they are told by the producers what SLs they are going to have. It's more like an improv.

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I mean, go for it if you have nothing better to do haha. It's no better or worse and has been incredibly scripted from the start. A lot of the divas have come and gone from the show, so quite a few that are on now won't be there if you decide to watch from the beginning.

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Lol I'm watching it now, I'm on season 2...I don't have anything better to do lol. I like all the behind the scenes and backstage stuff though.

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