BY DC CUEVA
Those who've been watching it on Facebook Watch (free to see for everyone, cord-cutters included) have enjoyed a season that speaks to what we're all going through in this divided America of ours, and has offered some TV to think about in between the two War of the Worlds Challenges (the second of which having just started tonight) and complementing both Are You The One? and Ex On The Beach, among other things. Streaming in less than 24 hours is the season finale, as this latest class of seven strangers soak up their last several days in one of America's great cities, with all of what comes with it as they bid each other a fond farewell as changed adults from when they walked into the house 77 days ago tomorrow.
During this season, the show has harkened back to its roots in exploring the social landscape of what's been going on in our world by casting seven strangers intent on making their impact on viewers through what they are passionate about, and seeing all of these personalities collide. For Justin, it's him embracing his role as an advocate for African Americans, while for Yasmin it's her exploring body positivity and being Muslim and queer. There's Dondre finding himself in three worlds of being black, conservative and pansexual; all as Meagan confronts these differences & her insecurities. And no Real World would be complete without its intercast romance: here, it's Michigan country boy Clint and West Coast free spirit Tovah... and the drama with them has been just as juicy as Kai & Jenna, Paulie & Cara, Devin & Marie and Ronnie & his baby mama.
In last week's episode, Arely's mom was next to come to Atlanta for a visit on the condition made by her daughter to those behind the fourth wall that her face & identity be concealed as she's a Mexican who is undocumented. It has brought into the Real World house and its discussion the subjects of immigration, being Latino and a Dreamer... and in turn, the term DACA has been part of Arely's backstory. And MTV's next digital-only series will see this story continue in young adults living in the town of Nogales, on the border of Arizona and Mexico as the President's border wall blabber continues.
But that's not the focus of this story... in our brief capsule on her before this season began, we made mention of the strange but true fact that Arely has some ties to the rap world - surprising for someone of her Latin background but not surprising in this Real World taking place in one of the capitals of American hip-hop. And before she set foot in Atlanta - and in this installment of Before They Were MTV Stars, she got to cross paths with two of those from this genre, during a summer that's helped reassure the genre's powerful message in the music world.
