Reality TV has always known how to build suspense. Now it has the lighting budget to make everyone else admit it.

Why it is everywhere right now

Streamers need repeat viewing, cheap spectacle, and social conversation. A well-made reality format delivers all three without waiting two years between seasons.

The cliffhanger learned how to wear a confessional mic.

What comes next

More hybrid formats, more auteur-ish reunion episodes, and more viewers pretending they are watching ironically.