Plastic surgery has become the norm in Hollywood, on social media, and in the entertainment industry as a whole. For decades, celebrities denied accusations of lip fillers, breast implants, and liposuction — only for a new trend to take over: honesty. With natural looks becoming the new go-to, and celebrities opening up more and more about the procedures they’ve had done to themselves, Botched Presents: Plastic Surgery Rewind on E! offers some of those who have been plagued by the desire to alter their physical appearance a chance to reverse it all. Is the show as interesting as it sounds? Keep reading to find out.
Opening Shot: Plastic Surgery Rewind opens up by introducing the first batch of celebrities and influencers who are entering the retreat: 90 Day Fiance star Larissa Lima, Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kim Zolciak and her daughter Brielle Biermann, and TV host/influencer Alan McGarry.
The Gist: Botched Presents: Plastic Surgery Rewind takes its participants on a journey to self-discovery. While living in the “Rewind Retreat,” the celebrities and influencers work with host Michelle Visage—someone who has gone through her own explanting process to remove her breast implants—and body image expert Dr. Spirit, who aims to find the “why” behind their decisions to go under the knife. After many exercises, therapeutic sit-downs, and consultations with Dr. Terry Dubrow to learn the potential side-effects of reversing their cosmetic procedures, the participants walk through the “Time Tunnel” to decide whether they want to go back to their original features, or keep the surgeries that have become so engrained in their personality and their careers. If they decide the former, the Botched icon steps in to perform the reversal surgery.
Our Take: As a regular person who’s not in the public eye, nor has grown up in the entertainment industry, I immediately want to tell these people, “Yes, take out the filler. Take out the ginormous breast implants. There’s no need for any of it.” But the more I watch this show, the more I realize it’s not as simple a decision as one would think. Larissa, for example, makes a lot of her income through OnlyFans, and she’s worried that losing her over-implanted breasts will diminish her income. Brielle, a product of her mother’s openness to have procedures done, was only 18 when she began injecting fillers in her face. But there’s a chance that if she dissolves them, she’ll look decades older than she does now (reminder: she’s only 28). And Alan has faced insecurities about his features his entire life, so will those come rushing back the moment he reverses his Brazilian butt lift? Those are the things the participants have to consider, and really, those underlying “what ifs” are what make this show so enticing.
Dr. Dubrow, not only a renowned plastic surgeon but also a beloved television personality, does an excellent job of explaining the potential outcomes of these reversal surgeries (both good and bad). You can always tell that he wants the best for his patients, and does not take these types of life-altering decisions lightly. Then there’s Visage, who’s able to openly relate with the participants as someone who has gone through a very similar process in her own life. But the true “secret sauce” of the show is Dr. Spirit, who helps these celebrities and influencers understand their desire for plastic surgery on a much deeper level. That’s what really makes the show what it is. We’re no longer looking at Kim Zolciak, the Real Housewives star. We’re looking at Kim Zolciak, the woman whose mother’s insecurities manifested into her own way of thinking, which she has then passed down to her own daughter. The show is deep, people! And I’m on the edge of my seat waiting to find out everyone’s final decisions.
Sex and Skin: There’s definitely no sex, but there’s a chance we could see some skin. This is a show about plastic surgeries, after all!
Parting Shot: Episode 1 ended on an ominous note, teasing a new guest who’s going to join the retreat in this week’s episode. Based on that wig, that confidence, and that voice, we know it’s going to be Aubrey O’Day!
Sleeper Star: It’s clear that the focus is on Kim, Brielle, and the rest of the patients this season. But the true driving force behind every storyline is Dr. Spirit, who gets these celebrities and influencers to open up like never before. Not only is she able to dig deep into their psyche, but she’s able to do it in fun, enticing ways that keep both viewers and participants engaged.
Most Pilot-y Line: “Honey, you need to dial it back a little bit.” Brielle says this about Alan after finding out he gets his hair professionally blown out every single day of his life (including Sundays). But I personally think it’s a line that could be said about anyone at that retreat.
Our Call: STREAM IT. Botched Presents: Plastic Surgery Rewind is not a show about cosmetic procedures, but rather an interesting exploration into the minds of people in the public eye.
Next Gen NYC premieres Tuesday, June 3 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo. New episodes are available to stream the next day on Peacock.