EPISODIC REVIEW: "Lizzo's Watch Out For The Big Grrrls" Is Big On Self Love And Dancing In Season 1

9/12 ForReel Score | 3.5 Stars

I love Lizzo. She’s more than proven her talent as a music recording and performing artist, and it’s inspiring to see her branch out into other forms of entertainment, including her cameo appearance in Hustlers alongside eventual song collaborator Cardi B. What’s abundantly clear about Lizzo is that no matter what she does, she has something important to say though it. Through her work, Lizzo is building new narratives around topics like self love, (Talent?), and a better perception of big girls like herself. Her newest endeavor, Watch Out For The Big Grrrls on Amazon Prime is no exception.

An 8 episode vetting of dance talent, the show is a cross between dance competition and house reality show. Watch Out For The Big Grrrls takes a unique approach to talent searching TV entertainment, where 10 full figured women audition through various tasks in hopes of becoming a part of Lizzo’s Big Girrrls dance team in time for her major headlining performance at Bonnaroo Music & Arts festival. The ultimate goal, though, is to be good enough to then be a part of the permanent team and tour with Lizzo.

Watch Out For The Big Grrrls comes with a lot of the familiar elements of talent search shows like America’s Next Top Model - each episode subjecting the participants to different challenges, culminating in final judgment at the end of each from the show’s namesake and special guests. This combines with the aesthetic of a reality show, where we as views live alongside these women as they live and converse with each other.

What makes this approach to TV entertainment “unique” in Watch Out For The Big Grrrls is illuminated in the first episode when Lizzo adamantly insists that she does not want to endorse drama between the dancers. The concept makes practical sense; as Lizzo explains, girls who make the cut have to be cohesive, not divisive. By removing toxicity from the equation, Watch Out For The Big Grrrls brings the dancing to the forefront of the show, second only to the show’s robust messaging about embracing self-love.

Week-to-week elimination is also done away with in this show. There is no count down to the best dancer nor limits to how many girls may move on to complete this season - ideally, all ten women could end up on the stage at Bonnaroo. While it might seem like removing some of these rating-boosting components to a competition reality show would be a mistake, Watch Out For The Big Grrrls does so wisely. Without picking off talent one-by-one each episode, the eliminations that do happen feel much more merit based than other competition shows and carry more weight as they are less predictable.

This production feels as genuine as reality TV gets. The goals for the show have immediate implications for the careers of these dancers, the judging seems fair and aimed at helping the girls rather, and Lizzo is allowed to be Lizzo. Watch Out For The Big Grrrls is reality television that viewers can feel good about indulging and can only make Lizzo fans love her and what she’s doing even more.

EpisodicThomas Stoneham-JudgeMarch 27, 2022episodic review, lizzo, Amazon Prime VideoComment