TBS' unscripted 'Lost Resort' pushes participants to the brink to find peace
It may be the “Lost Resort,” but lodgers who come here are hoping to find answers.
Be it a married couple on the outs, a mother and daughter with trust issues or a hothead with an unhappy history, nothing these folks have tried in the past has cured what ails them. So they come to this idyllic wellness resort on the shores of Costa Rica in a last-ditch stab at salvation.
The hourlong unscripted series, which premieres Thursday, July 23, on TBS, follows these and other clients as they work with an eclectic team of alternative healers, who push them to their limits in unusual therapies such as rage rituals and vulnerability circles, in the hopes of breaking down emotional barriers and getting at the root of the problem.
Of course, opening oneself to these treatments requires letting one's guard down, which also opens the door for a range of behaviors, including hookups, breakups and lots of feeling like a fish out of water. Which is where, according to executive producer Jessica Sebastian-Dayeh (“The Real Housewives of New Jersey”), much of the drama — and humor — lies.
“I think that even though it's this unknown world, the journeys that the people are on are very relatable,” she says. “ ... It is a world that hasn't really been televised, but it is a world that has so much curiosity around it.
“And wellness is a word that gets thrown around all the time, so I think seeing these people where you can see yourself a little bit in every one of them probably in some way, it's just a really entertaining show because you're getting to see people transform, but you're also getting comedy and drama and all of these other things in this one place.”
Indeed, the trailer for the series shows the transformations are not painless, as the clients scream, cry, bicker, hook up and dance in big circles, while one declares, “I don't want to do this anymore” and another admits, “it's the most physical activity I've had in four years.” Along the way, the healers spout New Age-y phrases like “cleanse you with heavy energy,” “spiritual surgery” and “do let go of control.” Eye-rolling is optional.
It looks like a lot to go through for these folks at Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort, but for them it is a small price to pay to find happiness.
“I think a lot of this is about pushing people's boundaries,” Sebastian-Dayeh says. “So yes, they're having to do these things that they wouldn't ordinarily do ... and I'm sure it leads to other things in the same way that a fire ceremony or you're in this hot place and being asked to do these things that feel sexy and alluring and different. Yeah, it definitely brings out different emotions and sides of people, for sure.”
• • •
“Lost Resort”
Premieres at 9 p.m. Thursday, July 23, on TBS