Apparently after several weeks of non-elimination in the beginning (cos they wanted to give some of the contestants chances to improve themselves), they have been doing double eliminations so that they would have a final two in time for the finale next week. I can't wait to find out who wins.
The first episode started with them preparing (cleaning and wrapping up) unclaimed bodies for their last rites, which was a little shocking, admittedly. For the odd non-Muslim Malaysian viewer (I would be one such individual) most of the show at this point would be a little boring because there's really little to no in-fighting amongst the contestants, which is a draw for the other reality shows. Everyone is so nice, polite and supportive of each other (they even attended one guy's wedding, which was briefly featured on the show). The Q&A sessions during judging are also a little dull because while their answers might have merit, but the way their answers are presented reminded me of the coaching we got for the SPM Moral Studies exam, to answer the questions all long-winded and stiff.
With all the gross stuff was behind them and it's now down to them doing acts of decency like visiting orphanages and old folks' homes. Which is why I find myself skipping three quarters of the show and just watch the ending.
As a Malaysian I COULD watch the show without resorting to the English subtitles, but I leave them on anyway because they're better than most of the bad subtitling I've seen in Malaysia. I think later episodes posted on YouTube have English subtitles now, so it's not too bad.
Random observation: What is with this show and facial hair? Almost everyone has a beard of some sort at the very least on the show. Is it a requirement of religious officials that I was never aware of?
The NPR piece is worth listening to (and there's also a transcript of the audio segment at the link) - I can't believe Robert Siegel got the pronunciation of the show down. Which is not saying much if he has indeed been watching a little of the show.
