History Series / Solitary

** Subverted in the season finale of 4.0. After [[spoiler: number 6 (who was formerly number 7 on 2.0) washes out for the second time, as he exits the pod VAL refers to him as number...Tyler.]]

* GirlsAreReallyScaredOfHorrorMovies: ''[[InvertedTrope Inverted]]'' in Season 1, when VAL showed the guests a short movie filled with intentionally disturbing images. The one who found it most disturbing was male, who at one point turned away from the movie while shouting, "OH LORD! OH GOD! WHY?!" and after the test, called it, "Shocking, horrific . . . I don't see anything ''right'' about that." Meanwhile, one of the female guests wasn't disturbed at all, and actually enjoyed the movie.
** Played straight in Season 2.0, when a similar movie and test was posed to the guests. One of the women was easily the most disturbed; before the test began, she rallied, "No scary movies in my pod!" screamed and shouted during the movie, and after it was ended, declared that "I give it TWO THUMBS DOWN!"

** VAL uses this knowledge as justification to [[SequelDifficultySpike ramp up the tests and treatments accordingly]].

* SequelDifficultySpike: Since the contestants have often watched the show before, VAL ramps up her tests and treatments every season.

The show can be watched on [[http://www.hulu.com/solitary Hulu]].

* AmbiguousTimePeriod: The guests have no idea how long they've been in Solitary, what day it is, or if it's morning, noon, or night.

* AllTheWorldsAreAStage: Non-video game example; in the season 2 finale, VAL has [[spoiler:Numbers 7 and 8]] do a number of activities that are milder versions of that season's tests and treatments.
** She repeats this in Season 4.

** Subverted in the season finale of 4.0. After [[spoiler: number 6 (who was formerly number 7 on 2.0) washes out for the second time, as he exits the pod VAL refers to him as number...Tyler. Definitely a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming.]]
** Also subverted in the season finale of the previous season, 3.0. After the final treatment ends, VAL tells [[spoiler:Number 4, "You are [[AscendedFanboy my number one fan]] . . . and I am ''yours'', [=RobRob=]." Also a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming.]]

* TryingToCatchMeFightingDirty: Number 3 from Season 2 wasn't above cheating to win. This worked out well once but backfired on her later.

->"Hello. My name is VAL. Welcome to a unique social experiment, designed to push nine humans to their absolute physical, mental, and emotional breaking points. Locked in isolation pods and cut off from all contact, they are not competing against each other, but against themselves. In the end, only one will remain. He, or she, will leave Solitary with $50,000. My role is to observe what makes them strong, and what makes them weak, to push, to pry, and discover who will crack next. Welcome to Solitary."\\
--'''VAL''', Season 2 opening

* BellyOfTheWhale: Your whole stay in Solitary is pretty much this.

Solitary is a RealityShow which aired on the Fox Reality Channel. It features nine contestants locked in isolation pods, and cut off from all contact with each other and the outside world. Their only companion is VAL, a MasterComputer who serves as the host of the show. While in isolation, they face a series of tests, treatments, and general torture designed to push them to physical, mental, and emotional extremes. When a contestant can't take it anymore, they push a red button, saying they want to quit the game. [[ThereCanBeOnlyOne Eventually, all the players save one quit.]] The one survivor wins $50,000.