Photo: Peacock/Ben Simmons/Peacock
Love Island USA Not my usual type on paper. Love Island Viewers, myself included, tend to tune in to the original British version, whose 11th season premiered on ITV on June 3. But something changed this year: Suddenly, I felt patriotic. Love Island USA It connects fandom with the country, effectively distracting those who try to follow the format with its near-daily releases from what’s actually going on in the country. Right now, I pledge my allegiance to a hot bunch of 20-somethings.
This season has been a huge success thanks to its “character talent”: Liv, the self-proclaimed defender of all the Villa girls; Rob, the serial dater who deftly dodges the dropouts; Miguel, with his goofy accent; and short-lived lovers like Ignacio, the Casa Amor boy who fans are already hoping to see reappear in the next season. This success was also helped by the production team’s rapid-fire run through the Islanders. Bombshells, reunions, and surprises keep coming, and the final vote in the season finale will select a more attractive choice than the public will vote for in November. Plus, after years of memes, sleazy tweets, and earnest analysis of the series’s glamour and beauty politics, longtime fans of the franchise and all its iterations can look forward to the spectacle of not one, but two black women in a fan-favorite couple.
The cast’s antics have spawned enough memes to make up for past failed seasons, and if you’re not ready to watch it for yourself just yet, catch up on all the best drama unfolding with host Ariana Madix’s clueless Sims ahead of the July 21 finale.
When Andrea emerges as a bombshell in episode six, Rob kisses her but hides it from his partner Leah, then loses his cool when confronted about his actions. The scene that really got the internet talking was when he gets emotional, hides in the leaves, calls Leah a great woman, then breaks up with her (“That’s it. But nothing”). And then dives underwater to hide from the cameras? Very indie girl, just like his taste in music. Episode eight ends with Andrea and Rob getting back together, and episode nine begins with Leah’s infamous make-up room rant. “People should be scared,” she declares. “I felt so bad yesterday when I saw him on the floor crying like a bitch. Is he crying on me? I You should cry.”
Who won the battle? Andrea (for now)
Who has conquered the internet? Leah — In the spirit of Nikki’s poem, we need an Islander like her to make a bad guy.
Drama King Rob gives an exaggerated frown when Leah mouths “fuck you” in a reconciliation talk in Episode 8, but he’s blissfully unaware that it will soon become a meme. In Episode 12, during the fire pit ceremony, the Islanders are forced to eliminate two of their own: the boys choose Hakeem (remember Hakeem? In a second), and the girls choose Andrea. Rob gives an Emmy-nominated performance, head in hand, eyes rolling back in anguish, while his boyfriend Aaron (a Brit in a serious relationship with Keilar) rises to embrace him and soothe him. “That’s three of us back in the house,” Rob defiantly tells the Islanders, cradling a mascara-smudged Andrea. But he stays. Yes. This is one of those instances where he’s an “onion,” and perhaps a deeper layer of this act needs to be uncovered.
Who won the battle? His son and right-hand man, Aaron, was injured but ultimately stayed.
Who has conquered the internet? Leah is brilliant when she’s wrong, but even more brilliant when she’s right. In the end, she’s vindicated when she calls out Rob’s hollow theatrics.
Kaylor and Aaron, who have been together since the beginning, are this season’s long-lasting doomed couple who, for better or worse, never give up. She’s a people-pleaser and he’s a cheater. Could it be any more obvious? Kaylor is crying in episode 1, so we should have been prepared for it when Aaron leaves for Casa Amor in episode 19. In four episodes, Aaron has made fun of new girl Daniella by kissing her outside of challenges, pillow talking in Spanish, having Ariana Madix point out that he used the same special handshake on both women, and of course denying and downplaying it once he’s back in the villa. Kaylor’s “No way!Despite cries of “Hey, hey!” coming from Fiji, the two officially became a couple in episode 30 (just eight episodes after the end of “Casa Amor”).
Who won the battle? Aaron, it seems the shell necklace was all it took to make up. Keira, if you like it, I’ll be happy too.
Who has conquered the internet? Keilar’s liquid eyeliner. You can’t move it, and neither can she.
When will these men learn that being a vocal accomplice can be just as harmful as being the perpetrator? Kendall appears to be friends with all the women throughout the season, but while the guys are exploring other options at the Casa, he gleefully adds fuel to the fire.
And movie night comes up again in Episode 26. In one scene, Kendall tells Cordell, “You should be excited right now. You’re doing all the right things.” In the next scene, he tells Daniella that she and Aaron “are going to be friends.” hot Start,” she said with a laugh. At the end of the clip show, Serena voiced her opinion: “Kendall is obviously a bitch. You’re messier!”
Who won the battle? Nicole, her husband was too busy with other people’s drama to have time to cheat. A win is a win.
Who has conquered the internet? The girls at Casa Amor. They are focused on their work.
When Cordell returned from Casa Amor with Dia, Serena made it clear that she wanted no part in the love triangle after allegations of Cordell kissing and dry humping her at the Casa (which Cordell continued to deny).
Two episodes later, Dia calls Serena to present her side of the story, specifically to deny the allegation that Cordell believed Serena “90%” and Dia “10%” – an allegation that arose during a game of telephone from Cordell to Miguel to Lea. Serena, in a big hair bow and baby blue two-piece, paces around the villa discussing the allegation.
It was a rocky ending for Serena, however, when a social media challenge came up the next day, in which Dia was accused of commenting on an Instagram post from her brother, Odell Beckham Jr. (She later claimed the screenshot “appeared to have been Photoshopped.”) Cordell appealed to a receptive Serena, Dia ended things with him completely before Cordell broke up with her, and at the end of their movie night, the first-day couple finally reconciled.
Who won the battle? Serena delivered a beautiful blistering diatribe that didn’t save any of the islanders, but the war was won by Cordell.
Who has conquered the internet? It’s revealed that Serena’s hair braiding job isn’t just about her doing her own hair, it’s the only thing standing between Kordell and a protective hairstyle, which is why he won’t cheat on his stylist.
Though Jana and Kenny only have a few scenes together, the few scenes they have haven’t stopped the fancam editors from watching them. Jana, who never takes anything too seriously except matters of the heart, continues to display an unexpected talent for comedy as she nears the final days of her life. Love Island USA It’s probably the most ridiculous assortment of behavior: the “Here comes Andy” scene with Serena, the sunglasses-wearing “let me join the party” and the famous “this place looks like a slum…love it.” The couple’s only explosive moment comes when Kenny brings Casa Katherine back to the villa to remind her that Jana is single. Kenny is so genuinely anguished by the idea that he and Jana might not end up together that he cries, sobs and chokes in Serena and Leah’s arms. (I can’t find any footage of Leah calling Kenny a “bitch.”)
Who won the battle? JaNa — In the battle against forgetting, JaNa always wins. Oh, and needless to say, she finds love, breaks up with her, and has private nights at the hideout.
Who has conquered the internet? Kenny, there’s a time and a place for a man’s tears.
She’s never had much luck romantically, but every villa needs a soul mate like Liv, who appeared as the season’s first bombshell in episode one and stole Rob’s heart, though he and Leah continued their quiet romance. Her own relationships have been relatively low-key: after Akeem, she meets fellow bombshell Miguel (who outsmarts her in a challenge), Nigel (who she quickly drops out of) and Casa Amor’s Kane (who she describes as more of a friendship).
At movie night, Andrea’s dumping is revisited, resulting in a shouting match between Liv, Leah, and Kaylor, and when Leah points to the balcony, Kaylor flinches and pleads with Leah to get her finger out of her face. “You’re saying ‘you’re scaring white women,'” Leah says, in one of the funniest scenes of the season. By the end of movie night, the tension between Leah and Liv is resolved. “We fight like sisters,” Liv confesses. Just in time, the episode ends with a surprise remarriage, Liv’s breakup, and another shocking revelation.
Who won the battle? Rob
Who has conquered the internet? Liv, this isn’t Friend Island, but having someone proactively approach you is just as important an experience as a romantic relationship.
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