Reality TV Plus Gender Transition Equals A Surprisingly Thoughtful Show About Caitlyn Jenner

But of course, it’s still (deeply) manipulative: “Performance isn’t inherently bad — even documentaries are works of artifice. But when the mission is to humanize a group of people, credibility counts. Jenner, at one point, wonders whether some of her kids and stepkids haven’t yet visited her because they secretly disapprove of her transition. But the viewer may wonder right back at her whether their absence was planned, so that emotional meet-and-greets could later take place on camera.”