Can four city-dwellers abandon their modern lives all for the sake of love? That’s the question Love Off the Grid, a new discovery+ show from the producers of 90 Day Fiancé, attempts to answer. Jen, for one, pushed herself to the limit and embraced the unknown in the mountains of North Carolina to get a second shot at love with ex-boyfriend Charlie.
Jen and Charlie originally met years earlier when her family was vacationing at the resort where he worked, and what started as a vacation romance sparked a real relationship that ended in real heartbreak. “I packed my stuff and drove out of the yard with him standing in the road,” Jen shared Thursday during the streamer’s TCA presentation. Jen moved on – married, had four sons, and divorced – but was shocked to find the connection with her former flame was just as strong when they reunited at his sister’s wedding so many years later.
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There’s only one issue – Charlie has been on and off the grid for two or three years, living on 140 acres of family land where he wants to “finish [his] life.” But can this Florida mom of four make her life fit into his wilderness way? Jen was tempted to “shut the door” on her feelings for Charlie after he walked back into her life due to his lifestyle, but she said she “wanted to give Charlie and I a real chance.”
Off-the-grid life isn’t completely without its charms, however. “I really love the fact that a lot of distractions are gone from my life,” Jen said, sharing just how amazing it was to unplug and be in the moment, away from all the things she felt like she has to do living back in civilization. The sounds of the mountain waking up are nothing to sneeze at either.
“I think that’s one of the really interesting things about this series when you watch it,” executive producer Matt Sharp added during Thursday’s TCAs, explaining that while the viewer might figure Jen will be a “fish out of water,” it’s more interesting seeing Jen and Charlie trying to balance their love with their priorities. “Do they evolve? Do their priorities change? To see that evolution is really interesting.” Love Off the Grid streams new episodes Sundays on discovery+.
