Motor mogul Richard Rawlings and the auto genius Aaron Kaufman (though no longer a part of the show now) are on an ever going hunt for the tired, run-down used cars. They straighten them up and flip them for profits. Released in 2012, the show Fast N' Loud has some serious crowd of fanatics, who lap up everything that is served and stand close by, craving for more. It has been a unique series, in the way that unlike other car restoration shows, it always has a skit weaved into each episode. Honestly, the skit adds way more fun to it. This series became so successful that it spiraled into multiple spin-offs of its own, giving way to the Gas Monkey empire. Entrepreneur calls this show the craziest plan, that worked.
With a gazillion shows all around on the TV, every content creator is in a continuous chase to do something unique, at every possible minute through the airtime. That is simply not possible in a genuine reality arena, hence the showrunners are forced to fake it. The series started on humble notes, with Rawlings and Kaufman just getting by somehow, jumping from one car to another. Most often they suffered losses, but they kept at it. In the early days, the episodes used to be pretty interesting and innovative, with something new every day. But, as time passed by and the show gained some traction, the show somehow got infested with loads of drama, exaggerated activities, and serious jobs getting underplayed. The themes and subplots have gotten more scripted lately, and sadly, the drama has been pushed to a breaking point.
Although most of the enthusiasts love the series, which includes our team too, there is nothing wrong with pointing out the annoying drama or inconsistencies sometimes, that everyone finds relatable. After all, that is what grabs eyeballs these days, not to mention it brings more traction and hence, adds a newer audience to the show.
Scroll down till the end, to find out what’s fake abut this crazy monkey show. Things that aren't always like it seems on Fast N' Loud.
Neither A Very Small Crew Nor A Shoestring Budget
If you have been following the show closely, they always reiterate the fact that they are such a small group of staff, and how it's too much work set for a deadline, in too few days. Yes, they were a small crew once upon a time, but it's an ancient story. Rawlings and Kaufman built the company up from the ground at the very beginning. However, there is a huge number of staff behind the scenes now. The reality is, these faceless mechanics are the ones who do the real job in the projects.
Similarly, there was a time when the team did not have a budget, or room for everything that they wanted to do. Things have changed for the better. The budget isn’t thin anymore. With all the revenue that the show is generating and the huge number of businesses that Rawlings is making bank from, money is not a problem anymore. And yet, in every other episode, it is shown that they have to rework and sell the cars immediately, in order to put food on the table.
Those Celeb Visits Are Not Impromptu
Like all the other reality shows, the celebrity visits are actually collaborations, which have been pre-planned, detailed, and executed stepwise, long before the episode airs. But, the series portrays as if they randomly bumped into them. That Pontiac Trans Am episode (one of the coolest cars from Fast N' Loud), when Burt Reynolds dropped by, Rawlings and team acted like they got the surprise of their life, however, it was completely scripted, for obvious reasons.
There Are No Random Sellers Or Buyers
Car deals are finalized at the Gas Monkey Garage within seconds, in fact, the same amount of time in which a person can gulp one pint of beer. However, if you have sold or bought a car before, you know deals don’t crack lightning fast. They take tons of negotiations, even with a skilled negotiator. Rawlings picks his phone up, talks to someone and within a few, they are ready to buy, or, sell depending on whatever they are filming today. This is obviously staged, and it takes days if not weeks, to arrive at a number and strike a deal, which is not shown or even hinted on camera. Regardless, the series has a pretty decent collection of rebuilds that are amazing.
Misfit Garage Is Staged Too
A spin-off of this show, the Misfits Garage has been featured a lot in the show. If you think it was done to promote the show just because the Fired Up Garage was to be aired on a Discovery Channel division, Velocity TV, you are only partially correct. Misfit Garage was an important part of Fast N' Loud's main storyline since both of the series belongs to Richard Rawlings. He said in an interview with Cord Magazine that it was a part of his plan to own like both Pepsi and Coke, but it didn’t work.
Well, all the things considered, it is a no-brainer that the show is scripted. All those hilarious quips, taunt scenes or banters, they are tactfully written by professionals. Actually, just like a soap opera, the show has multiple writers in their writers' room, who continuously indulge in brainstorming sessions, to cook interesting stories.