Netflix‘s first-ever Dutch reality title is YOLANTHE, a seven-episode-long show revolving around the life and pursuits of Spanish-Dutch actress, model, and TV host, Yolanthe Cabau. Although Yolanthe has gained fame and attention across the Netherlands for her acting career, entrepreneurial work, and marriage to Dutch football star Wesley Sneijder, she is now trying to make a name for herself all on her own as a single mom working and living in Los Angeles, California. With eyes on her from across the world, can Yolanthe rise above present judgments and past hurts, or are her new life and show in L.A. destined to fall apart under scrutiny and stressors?
YOLANTHE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Opening Shot: We see a few picturesque shots of sunny Los Angeles before we see a woman dressed in bright yellow, sitting alone on a couch. It’s the titular star of this show, Yolanthe Cabau.
The Gist: While to Dutch viewers she needs no introduction, Yolanthe Cabau makes sure to welcome viewers from around the world to her series at the very start with a little bit of info about herself. She shares that she’s an actor, entrepreneur, freedom fighter, and ex-wife to footballer Wesley Sneijder, with whom she has a nine-year-old son named Xess.
Yolanthe is the first to admit that the public has divided opinions on her, but she hopes for a fresh start for herself and her son in Los Angeles as she navigates acting, homemaking, parenthood, and the additional unexpected obstacles that life throws her way. In L.A., she’s building her life and work back up from scratch. She’d already had some success with acting and her health brand, Cabau Lifestyle, in the Netherlands, but she’s hoping to find success in both of these pursuits on American soil, as well.
In addition to introducing herself, spending quality time with her son, and trying to find a manufacturer to partner with her lifestyle brand, this first episode sees Yolanthe buy her first home in L.A., meet up with a good friend, and go to Phuket, Thailand, for a week-long trip with eight of her 13 siblings. Yolanthe shares that she has a complicated family tree and history, mostly due to her father, Spanish entrepreneur Xavier Cabau, who was known as the “King of Ibiza” for many years thanks to his work operating and growing various discothèques, restaurants, and bars in Ibiza. Although he died in 2007, Xavier left a lasting impression on his kids (as well as the four women he had them with), including some good memories, but also many tainted ones due to addiction problems that led to acts of domestic violence.
YOLANTHE sees the titular woman grapple with family ties, personal struggles, career challenges, and more as she starts a fresh chapter of her life in a brand new part of the world away from some of her closest relatives and friends. There are sure to be plenty of ups and downs, but Yolanthe Cabau is opening up her doors — and heart — to let us in on her journey every step of the way.
What Shows Will It Remind You Of?: Everything from the big brood of siblings with big personalities to the focus on a high-profile, post-divorce mom trying to make a name for herself and her brand in L.A. will likely remind you of popular reality TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians and its Hulu spin-off series The Kardashians. But YOLANTHE is like if the Kardashian family were Dutch and a bit more grounded in reality.
Our Take: While YOLANTHE might remind some viewers of reality shows like The Kardashians, this Netflix series seems to dig a bit deeper than the latter’s more vapidness or unabashed displays of glitz and glam. Sure, Yolanthe is definitely well-off, and yes, it does feel a bit absurd when she calls a big Bel Air home with a pool in the backyard “cozy,” but at the same time, there’s still a sense of struggle and emotional depth here. Partly this is due to Yolanthe’s clear commitment to being present for and protective of her son, Xess, but it’s mostly Yolanthe’s complex and tangled relationships with her late father and many siblings that set this series apart.
Since this is a reality TV show featuring wealthy people living in Los Angeles and abroad, you’re definitely going to see some silly, cringey, or out-of-touch things you wouldn’t expect to witness from the average Joe. However, at its core, YOLANTHE deals with family and the complicated feelings and heartaches that come with it, which is something that’s pretty relatable for all viewers, regardless of cultural background or income. Yolanthe’s relationships and interactions with her many siblings were probably the most interesting part of this first episode, especially as they dig into the conflicting feelings that their dad brings forth for them. You can tell that despite Yolanthe’s fame and their different backgrounds (one of the brothers grew up in Sweden, apart from his other siblings), this seems to be a family that truly loves and cares about one another, even when it means saying things that are difficult to hear or getting into arguments.
Whether it’s Yolanthe’s relationship with her siblings and mother or her bond with her son, these family ties are what prop up YOLANTHE, giving it some depth and authenticity that makes you can’t help but want to tune in for more. The novelty of this being the first original Dutch reality series on Netflix is just extra icing on the cake to make this, at the very least, an intriguing new series to try streaming this summer.
Sex and Skin: While there are certainly some sexual innuendos and inappropriate anecdotes, you never actually see anything explicit in the first episode, at least.
Parting Shot: In her individual interview, Yolanthe recalls some of the stories her siblings told about their late father as they reminisced about their complicated memories with him. She gets emotional recalling some of the accounts of some inhumane actions their father took towards some siblings on his darker days, and she feels angry just thinking about how one man was able to leave a painful scar on the lives of so many people she loves.
Over voiceover, we hear Yolanthe speak to the memory of her father, venting, “I’m still so furious with you. You ruined my mother’s life. You hurt all of my sisters. You hurt all of my brothers. And you hurt me.” Throughout this audio, we see the Cabau siblings get emotional and comfort each other around a bonfire before the screen cuts to black.
Sleeper Star: Well I’ll just say that Yolanthe’s brother, Xavi, made quite the first impression when he boldly and voluntarily (literally, no one made him say this!!) shares “One time I pulled my pants down and I farted in someone’s face, and diarrhea came out.”
Most Pilot-y Line: Early in the show, Yolanthe dishes out this slightly cheesy quote: “So many opinions, so many stories. But this is my story.”
Our Call: Sure, some of YOLANTHE comes across as self-promo for Yolanthe Cabau’s lifestyle brand, but that’s the reality genre for ya. At the end of the day, if you like reality TV, international adventures, or family-focused stories, then this should appeal to you. Why not just give it a try and STREAM IT!
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