Season 2
Average Joe: Hawaii takes the dating/reality show format of Average Joe to the tropics of Hawaii for further adventure and more dramatic twists and surprises.
The participants of this new version had no idea of the surprises awaiting them as the show was taped before the original Average Joe was broadcast.
The premise of the first two Average Joe series was intended to be somewhat of a mockery of traditional set-up shows such as The Bachelor and Joe Millionaire in which the "reality" premise is questionable. Instead of attempting to make a "dream couple" between two extremely attractive people, Average Joe tried to get 16 ordinary men to win over the heart of a beauty queen. The men are extremely average in appearance, with many being overweight or underweight and nerdy, or awkward in their behavior and personalities.
There are two main twists:
Prior to the show's start, the beauty queen is not aware she will be dating "average" men. She is instead led to believe her show was going to feature only handsome suitors.
Halfway through the show, these handsome suitors actually appear, to compete with the average Joes.
Throughout the show the beauty goes on various dates with the men, both in groups and individually (at her choice). When the attractive suitors show up, there are also competitions between the rival groups of men. At the end of every episode the beauty votes to send a certain number of the men home. In the end, she must pick only one to go on an intimate vacation with.
Larissa Meek, an artist and former Miss USA contestant and model, is swept away to the Hawaiian island paradise with the promise of romance to be found among a group of 18 Prince Charmings.
With no way of knowing the secret twist of the show, Larissa must decide how to proceed when she meets the unexpected group of guys with big personalities, but admittedly average looks, ranging from a 5-foot-3 engineer to 340 pound sewage contractor.
While finding themselves on what one dismayed Joe describes as “nerd island,” the guys happily greet their beauty unaware that in a few short weeks a group of eight traditional dating-show-studs will join the competition to vie for her affection.
As the series proceeds, new takes on the Average Joe twists of are in store for the audience and tensions between the two groups of men reach new levels in several emotionally charged Joe vs. Jock showdowns.
The show appeared to have an implied moral subtext, namely that beauty was only skin deep, and that personality could ultimately triumph over looks. However the season ended in a way that seemed to prove the opposite. In Average Joe: Hawaii, Larissa Meek chose attractive Gil Hyatt over average Joe Brian Worth. A few days later, on a "honeymoon" between Hyatt and Meek, Larissa revealed she had once dated Fabio, which caused Gil to leave her in disgust. Meek now owns a website design and art company registered and situated in Fort Lauderdale, which is Hyatt's hometown, leading many viewers to believe that the two continue to be an item. 