My Thoughts on Down To Earth with Zac Efron

Spoiler alert: I do briefly talk about the final few episodes but I will give another warning before I get to that section!

Who would have thought that Zac Efron - Troy from High School Musical or Matt Brody from Baywatch would be an eco-advocate? It was something I never pictured but also, am excited to learn that he's getting into it. For those who haven't seen the Netflix series, here's a little background: It's a travel show featuring Zac Efron and his friend Darin Olien (health and wellness expert). They visit cities and communities around the world finding sustainability and eco-friendly ways to live, while also showing that climate change is very real.

The show does a really good job of displaying varying topics of sustainability, especially for people who might not know much about it. From the first episode in Iceland and how the country is harvesting geothermal energy to power its cities, to the final on healing herbs and remedies found deep in the Amazon, there is some topic that the show covers that you might not even have heard about or leave you wanting to learn more. I personally had no idea that Paris was so on top of it when it came to free clean water as well as sparkling water by fountain! I think the dynamic between Zac and Darin and how exactly they met each other is incredibly fascinating. I also am a fan of how Zac's narration breaks down complicated scientific explanation that's easy for viewers to understand.

Spoiler alert: This section discusses some issues I found with the show.

I am a fan of Zac Efron, as much as a 26-year-old gal can be and understand that he is just starting out with learning more about the sustainability realm - but these next few things really stood out to me in the show and feel they need to be talked about... especially if Netflix is thinking about investing in future seasons.

1. Darin Olien - I had no idea who this guy was or what sort of background he had. He seemed very knowledgeable in the show and I really enjoyed how easy it was for him to talk to the interviewees and ask them great questions that helps the audience understand why a certain topic might be important to learn about. However, researching Darin a little more, I discovered he is the founder behind two huge multi-level marketing schemes - BeachBody and SuperLife. Both of these companies rely on a pyramid scheme to make a profit, while BeachBody, a weightloss program, requires its customers to pay outrageous prices on products with "guaranteed results". If this didn't bother me enough, in the final episode, Darin's Malibu house burns down due to the California wildfires. You feel awful for him, especially since he's not even in California when this is happening. At one point in the car with Zac, he compares himself to those who have lost their homes in Puerto Rico... but this guy is a millionaire businessman, making a profit as he speaks. Was that something the producers and editors of the show should have cut out? Absolutely. The show also concludes on Darin seeing his house completely destroyed, making me, the viewer seem like this was always about him, rather than what steps we can take to avoid wildfires from spreading in the future.... which leads me to my next point.

2. No call to action - The show had some incredible groups, scientists, politicians and more. I learned so much about how local governments are helping to end water crisis in their city, how displaced people are receiving free homes from volunteers in Puerto Rico, but something that I did not see was any sort of call to action. As the series concludes on Darin upset about his house, there is no "Visit this website to find out how you can donate..." or even the names of each group shown before the credits that gives me any sort of way to get in touch with or read more about these organizations. It's great that this show is helping people understand sustainability but one way we can enact change is by researching and doing something about it.

3. PLASTIC CUP Y'ALL - So, if you made it to the London episode, you know that one of the main topics is on plastic pollution. Warning: This is about to be SO nit-picky but it has to be said.... There is one scene where Zac goes to a vegan bakery AND COMES OUT WITH A PLASTIC COFFEE CUP! Literally after Darin and him help a volunteer group with picking up trash from the Thames River. Now, I will give him the benefit of the doubt that these scenes were shot separately and I am hoping this cup was actually compostable or biodegradable. Much like the Game of Thrones Starbucks fiasco, this is just one small issue that easily could have been picked up by the producer onsite or anyone on the film crew team - even Zac's assistant.

4. Last but not least - cuisine - I actually didn't pick up on this but my boyfriend did - Zac and Darin do not eat at any restaurants that aren't "fancy". All the restaurants shown in the show are all small plate / Michelin star places that not everyone can afford or travel to. What I would have preferred to see is how smaller restaurants or even how families are sustainable in those areas that they traveled to. Much like how Anthony Bourdain ate with his host families and their meals.

After writing all of this, I realize that it sounds like I was highly critical of the show. I did really enjoy it - I promise! It's a great way to get people who might not know much about the sustainability realm into making small changes of their own. It's also a way to get sustainability into the mainstream media. I think if this show continues or if Zac and/or Darin work on projects in the future, I would love to see them be a little more cognizant in the topics they discuss vs. what they do in real life. Overall, if you haven't seen this show, I think it's a great way to enjoy seeing how great people and organizations are taking the realization of the climate crisis and making it known to the world. I do also have to thank Zac Efron for producing this show and realizing that just his fame alone can get people talking about saving the planet.

Image Courtesy of Netflix - Found on Hollywood Reporter