Warning! The following contains spoilers for the 90 Day Fiancé episode "Trusting The Process." Stream the episode with an HBO Max subscription, or read at your own risk!
For the first time in the many years I've written about this show, a cast member is from a place I've lived. Shea, who showed some red flag behavior in the Season 12 premiere of 90 Day Fiancé, and I both lived in Paducah, Kentucky, for a time, and I can't help but have some thoughts about how the city is presented.
This came not long after I saw a comment from 90 Day insider @Shabooty, who shared a follower's comment about how they didn't like how their town of Athens, Alabama, was portrayed. I'm largely indifferent to how my former home looks thus far, but there are some interesting things that I have to point out for those watching at home.
Many Of Shea's Scenes Start With Shots Of Paducah's Downtown Area
I can't help but notice that Shea's scenes thus far take place at his home or in downtown Paducah. It doesn't seem as though Shea's house is in the downtown area either, though that's just based on my limited memory from my time there.
So far, the shots we've seen are not exactly representative of what the city looks like as a whole. For example, a large part of the city has Interstate 24 running through it, and it's pretty hard not to see it. I can't say it's necessarily a good or bad thing, but it's just interesting that TLC would opt to highlight a relatively small downtown area and its older buildings when 95% of the city is out there to show. Perhaps we'll get to see more of that in future episodes.
Shea's Premiere Scene Was At One Of Paducah's Biggest Yearly Events
It's been a while since I've been to Paducah, so thank goodness the 2026 TV schedule reminded me of BBQ on the River. It's a yearly event in the city, and what Shea was attending when he was introduced in 90 Day Fiancé's Season 12 premiere. It's one of the biggest events in Paducah, second only to the Quilt Expo, which I only recently learned isn't happening this year.
90 Day Fiancé filming one of the only public scenes during a festival is worth bringing up, since it makes the city look more bustling than it might be on any other day. To go back to the woman who complained about Athens, Alabama's portrayal as being small, just to point out that Paducah, Kentucky's population size is smaller than Athens by a decent clip.
So often, 90 Day Fiancé gets called out for distorting or flexing the truth in its storylines, but I think it's fair to say that can apply to everything when it comes to the best reality TV shows. People on this show aren't the only thing that can be misrepresented, and I think it's also possible that locations themselves can look or appear different from what they actually are. Which is to say I still love Paducah, Kentucky, but it's not quite like I remember in this season.
90 Day Fiancé continues on TLC on Sundays at 8:00 p.m. ET. I'm excited to see Shea's storyline continue, and for anyone from Paducah watching for the first time, check out this guide for some tips on how to enjoy the series.
