The Netflix reality series Million Dollar Secret seems like it’s following the hit reality show blueprint — and that’s its first surprise. This is another competition where strangers try to outwit and outlast each other for money, but it very quickly separates itself from the pack, thanks to incredible casting and a perfect host. Fans of The Traitors and Survivor will love Million Dollar Secret, but so will people who hate reality shows.
Million Dollar Secret refers to the series’ central concept: that instead of dangling the big cash prize in front of players all season, the show gives them the money right away. The catch is no one knows which of 12 contestants has it — so the goal in every episode is to identify the secret millionaire and kick them off the show, therefore narrowing down who actually gets to leave with the prize. Netflix has created a reality show that will genuinely leave viewers floored.
Million Dollar Secret Tinkers Just Enough With the TV Reality Show Formula
The Netflix Series Has a Twist, but Doesn’t Belabor the Point
Million Dollar Secret will immediately draw comparisons to The Traitors and Netflix’s own reboot of The Mole, because of the fact that it centers around the idea of deception for money. Those comparisons will likely entice an early audience looking for another competition to latch onto, as well as make skeptics think they’ve seen this one before. Both sides are right — and that’s kind of what makes the show work.
The twist is that the money is part of the game instead of something to be aspired to. In fact, smart players want to get as far away from the million dollars as possible. That’s because the person currently in possession of the cash (referred to as “the millionaire”) is tasked with a secret agenda that they must accomplish, which often comes with consequences if they fail. It’s also because every round ends with the group voting on who they think is the millionaire — and that person is eliminated, whether the vote is accurate or not. It does add an extra sprinkle of tension to see the money as a tangible object, rather than just talked about like on most other reality shows. When it’s in front of the viewer’s face (and those of the players), it becomes much more real.
At the same time, it’s fair to say that Million Dollar Secret doesn’t stray too far off the beaten path. This is still a show where people mislead, lie and scheme to get ahead. But for the core audience — the reality fans who have kept shows like Survivor on the air for decades — that creates a certain comfort level. Viewers can come in knowing they’re going to get the excitement and tension that they want. They’re just not going to get it in the way they expect, because the best quality about Million Dollar Secret isn’t the game. It’s the people.
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Million Dollar Secret Benefits From Having the Perfect Host
Peter Serafinowicz Steals the Show, Despite Not Being in the Competition
The Million Dollar Secret casting directors deserve a raise, because it’s the cast that truly makes the show a success — most notably host Peter Serafinowicz. The actor, comedian and voice actor — whose many credits include voicing Victor Frankenstein in DC’s Creature Commandos and playing The Tick in the short-lived Amazon series — has the show wrapped around his finger in the best way. He has the ability to draw in viewers’ attention, but doesn’t make the episodes about himself, which is even more impressive because he’s being asked to portray a fictional version of himself.
Peter is the fictional master of ceremonies at the estate known as The Stag; in reality Million Dollar Secret was filmed at Canada’s Chateau Okanagan. But Netflix have dressed it up to appear as yet another mansion full of palace intrigue, with Serafinowicz taking on the role of the mysterious benefactor. Essentially, he’s doing a take on his Archer character George Spelvin, if Spelvin was actually trying to do something constructive. He’s tasked with ominous lines and dramatic pauses; Serafinowicz’s performance is what keeps some of his lines from being too corny, and he mercifully keeps those pauses from going on too long — something other reality TV hosts could learn from. But in his limited interactions with the cast, he also is truly attentive to them. He knows he’s the only one playing a character, which is incredibly refreshing in a genre where so much is manufactured.
The 12 contestants themselves also break the mold, in that most of them don’t slot into typical reality TV types. There’s no “villain” and while the cast is diverse, it doesn’t feel like someone was checking off boxes on a list. Most importantly, they’re all people worth rooting for. Some are more conscious of the cameras than others (someone gets the obligatory “I’m going to do anything to win” spiel out of the way early) and some will make decisions that frustrate or alienate fans. But even when the lies and the tears begin, Million Dollar Secret never feels mean-spirited. Some viewers might be disappointed that it’s not as cutthroat as other shows and there aren’t those big, buzzworthy moments. But there’s more than enough drama because Netflix audiences actually care about these people beyond finding out who’s going to walk away with the money.
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Is Million Dollar Secret on Netflix Worth Watching?
The Streamer Has Taken a Gamble, And It’s Paid Off Handsomely
Million Dollar Secret will shake up the conversation in more ways than one. On a basic level, it will remind viewers that Netflix reality shows go beyond the realms of dating and food. Its release is actually very well-timed, as the first three episodes are premiering shortly after Netflix dropped the Shondaland murder mystery drama The Residence, so viewers can go from a scripted whodunit right into an unscripted show with the same level of gloss and intrigue. But in a big picture sense, it’s a sign that reality TV shows don’t have to be overly cruel or forced to have great drama.
There are some surprising and even weird things that happen in the challenges (there’s both an attack dog and a snake, not at the same time), but it feels more like the creatives have a sense of humor, rather than that they’re trying to torment either the contestants or the audience. The way they lean into the whole idea of fictional Peter and the world of The Stag shows that they’re very self-aware. The fun in the show comes from the viewers being part of the deception, and occasionally getting deceived themselves.
There are legitimate jaw-dropping shocks in these eight episodes, even for the most seasoned reality TV fans. Some of those challenges seem simple, but like TNT’s late, underrated game show The Cube, nothing is that easy. Peter Serafinowicz follows wonderfully in the understated hosting footsteps of The Mole‘s Anderson Cooper, just with a British accent and more deadpan humor. And no matter who viewers end up rooting for, they won’t be disappointed. Million Dollar Secret won’t be a secret for very long — this is a show worth raving about.
Million Dollar Secret is now streaming on Netflix.
