I feared "Hoarding: Buried Alive" would be excessively exploitive but I'm relieved it's only mildly so. Perhaps the exchange is the hoarders agree to be put on the show in exchange for organization and therapy help. I would hope for that to be so. I am only on episode three of the first season and I'm pleased the therapists seem compassionate and reasonable to work with. I doubted this would be at all the case. "Hoarding" has its mix of catharsis and exploitive shock value, but thankfully it leans more towards the former than the latter. I'm impressed by how the family members and other people being interviewed maintain an agreeable sense of love and support rather than outright judgement. Of course the show acknowledges the desperation of these people's situations too and the dire need for them to change. But helpfully the professionals don't just charge in throwing stuff out or encourage that, although some of the therapists and helpers are more qualified than others. Hoarding is a difficult condition to accept or to cause the hoarder to come to trust the professional at all without feeling shamed. Hoarding requires a specific energy to be able to help and as certified as they are not all professionals have those capabilities. But fortunately these professionals at least try. That moment where the hoarder looks in relief at their cleared surroundings and that moment where they can feel the manageability of their situation is a moment I am willing to watch again too. So far pleased, but hesitant to give a better rating because I'm crossing my fingers. A show like this could easily slide into territory I would have misgivings about.
