It's hard to take reality TV seriously, especially the granddaddy of them all, MTV's "The Real World," which pulls together an attractive crew of 20-somethings cast to clash in pretty predictable ways. But the show's 21st season, "The Real World: Brooklyn" (which has its finale Wednesday night), surprised us. Set in a tricked-out loft overlooking a glistening Red Hook waterfront, it wasn't the expected cast members -- newly transgendered Katelynn, kooky Mormon Chet, sexual-abuse survivor Sarah -- who drew our attention. It was Ryan Conklin, the charmingly hammy 23-year-old Iraq war veteran. Conklin seemed to fill the role of the sheltered, small-town guy who would bristle at his roommates's differences and show flashes of intolerance, before ultimately learning to be a better person. It's a tried-and-true reality show narrative. But while Conklin did provide a few early awkward moments (befuddled by Katelynn, who had not yet explained her gender status, he referred to her once as "it") he proved the warmest presence on the show: a good guy eager to absorb all New York has to offer, entertain his roommates with spoofy songs on his guitar, and go to school to study film. Until, that is, he got a fateful call.
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