It’s safe to say the sixth season of Love Island USA walked so the seventh season can run. And it did run all right — but in the wrong direction. Although the cast last summer gave us iconic emotes, funny moments, and unforgettable drama, they brought a level of tension and controversy unlike previous seasons. Then came the second season of Love Island: Beyond the Villa this spring, which brought back Casa Amor contestants, bombshells, and a few OG islanders for what felt like redemption arcs and extra screen time. Even though many viewers, myself included, wanted to move on from this cast, we were once again sat for the entire hell ride of even more drama, messy divisions, and behavior that shocked many viewers of their once-adored islanders. I have a lot of thoughts on this second season, where the backstory matters. Let’s go through the hell ride once again with my hot takes.
Hannah Fields, Iris Kendall, and Amaya Espinal: WTF is going on?
This trio quickly became fan favorites in the villa last summer, especially Amaya— lovingly nicknamed “Amaya Papaya” by viewers for her caring personality, vulnerability, and iconic one-liners. Last summer, the girls avoided drama, served looks, and constantly supported girls in the villa. That’s why many viewers were shocked to see them return to Beyond the Villa and get labeled by fans online as mean girls and bullies toward other cast members. After months of social media drama and podcast interviews in which the islanders spoke about each other, viewers are now seeing it play out on-screen. It’s left many fans wondering whether this behavior reflects their true personalities — or if last summer’s bigger villa drama simply overshadowed it. Let’s get into the nitty-gritty with each of them, starting with Fields because there’s a lot to unpack with her (oh boy).
Hannah
I was personally shocked and disappointed with Hannah’s character change in Beyond the Villa because she was such a bubbly and sunshine of a girl in the villa. Fans online said they could tell she gave off the energy of a bully, but I, personally, didn’t see that. Things already felt off in the first few episodes, especially during an explosive cast meetup where she rudely confronted Jose “Pepe” Garcia-Gonzalez for not greeting Iris. I get that she was trying to stand up for her friend, but you could have done that in a respectful manner. Also, if Iris wasn’t saying anything about it at that moment, why did she have to press the issue? It was sort of weird and seemed like she was looking for a moment.
Additionally, the biggest complaint fans online have is her deliberately excluding the other girls, Isabelle Anne “Belle-A” Walker, Gracyn Blackmore, and Courtney “Coco” Watson, from the group. Division among the cast was already apparent because of so much internet drama, but I do agree that Hannah, compared to Iris and Amaya, has been closed off from talking to the other girls and making them feel included. A big thing that rubbed me the wrong way was her bad-mouthing Belle-A for spending time with their exes while defending the guys and criticizing her for not being a “girl’s girl” (seriously, after last summer, we need to get rid of that term). Who else is she supposed to hang out with if she isn’t getting included and treated as a friend? I don’t think she’s trying to defend the guys necessarily but trying to get people to see both sides and to bring everyone together. Also, I found her treatment of Gracyn to really be that of a bully, especially after the last few episodes. She and Iris didn’t do a good job listening to Gracyn’s problems with Austin Shepard during the Christmas party, probably because they deem their problems greater than everyone else’s. But the icing on the cake was when Hannah made an impression on Gracyn’s accent and then asked, “Are you good?” in front of the entire group. If that were me, the scene would’ve ended right there because you’re not about to make fun of me and then try to check me publicly when I did nothing to you. Honestly, fans’ reenactments of what they would’ve said back to Hannah online were hilarious.
There are also little things throughout the eight episodes that rubbed me the wrong way, like her constantly taking shots at Pepe for no reason (and it makes it seem like she’s not fully over him), pulling focus during Clarke Carraway’s photoshoot by taking Christmas pictures with her cat, and starting intense conversations she ultimately couldn’t handle and walked away from. After facing intense backlash online, she took to her Instagram story on May 9 to acknowledge her behavior on the show, admitting she could’ve handled many situations better and revealing she was struggling with anxiety. It’s understandable that people go through things in life, but it shouldn’t be an excuse to treat others horribly. This is the exact sentiment she expressed about Charlie Georgiou when his grandparents passed, and he spoke about his experiences with Hannah in podcast interviews. I believe she should apply that perspective to herself and, with all due respect, not let a few extra minutes of camera time get to her head.
Iris
It was also disappointing to see how Iris’s image shifted from season 7 of Love Island USA. She entered the villa as a calm, collected bombshell who mostly stayed out of the drama, but this season of Beyond the Villa painted a different picture. To understand the drama with Pepe this season, here’s the backstory:
After leaving the villa together, Iris claims she told Pepe she planned to meet up with T.J. Palma. However, when the meetup later surfaced on TMZ, Pepe claimed he didn’t know about it beforehand, which sparked accusations of cheating between them. The fallout only got messier, with him allegedly making inappropriate comments about Iris and T.J., while she claimed multiple women messaged her about Pepe cheating.
Personally, I don’t think the situation was that serious, considering they weren’t exclusive, and it seemed pretty clear that Iris still wanted to be with T.J. But what was more concerning was how she and Hannah were practically excluding some of the other girls. At the Christmas party, many fans — me included — found it hypocritical when they mocked Gracyn’s outfit, especially since Hannah wore something similar and Iris often wore shorts that barely looked like pants. However, what frustrated me most was her conversation with Belle-A during the Lake Tahoe ski trip, when Iris confronted her of being disloyal for still talking to Pepe, and Belle-A confronted Iris for excluding her. While I understand wanting support from a friend as opposed to someone constantly playing “devil’s advocate,” Belle‑A genuinely seemed to be just trying to bring the group back together. Iris’s replies to Belle‑A expressing her feelings came off as insensitive, and the mean girl narrative was furthered during her and Hannah’s jacuzzi chat, which seemed dismissive of the other girls’ complaints about feeling excluded on the trip. After the backlash from viewers, she did the classic “sit‑in‑front‑of‑the‑camera‑with‑a‑sweatshirt‑and‑take‑accountability” video, addressing both her relationship with Pepe and her friendship with Belle‑A. Many viewers still clocked how her receipts contradicted what she was saying, and she took the video down a few days later. Personally, I feel like the way she, Hannah, and T.J. kept bringing up Pepe made him the star of the show, despite his rarely being there.
Amaya
Amaya honestly disappointed me this season of Beyond the Villa. She went from America’s sweetheart to being portrayed as a bully. Her main storyline on the show was making Bryan Arenales seem like the villain after their breakup and lowkey indulging in the exclusion of the other girls. Amaya claimed Bryan stopped prioritizing their relationship after the show, while Bryan admitted he struggled to balance the relationship with the sudden fame that came from being on reality TV. By the start of Beyond the Villa, the two seemed cordial, but things shifted during the Lake Tahoe trip when Bryan greeted Amaya, and she pulled away, saying she wanted to respect boundaries in her new relationship. Wanting boundaries is completely fair, but the sudden change felt confusing, considering they had interacted normally before. Since their greeting — a kiss on the cheek rooted in Hispanic culture — was something Bryan defended in the villa after others called it too forward, his attempt to greet Amaya the same way in Beyond the Villa felt more painful when she pulled back. It also didn’t help that Amaya seemed to indirectly call Bryan out during the group dinner.
Another thing that rubbed viewers the wrong way was how Amaya treated Belle‑A. She, Iris, and Hannah don’t have to be friends with her, but saying Belle‑A is acting like the season’s therapist felt unnecessarily harsh. The trio came across as if everyone had to agree with them or risk getting iced out. Meanwhile, Belle‑A repeatedly said she wasn’t choosing sides and only wanted peace within the group. Watching the girls constantly talk badly about her felt shocking, considering how supportive they seemed in the villa last summer. Fans online heavily criticized Amaya’s behavior, with some even regretting voting for her to win. Others mocked the way she speaks and claimed her once-classic one-liners now feel forced. That being said, fans loved those same quirks in the villa, so the sudden switch-up feels unfair. At the end of the day, the constant attempts from Amaya, Iris, and Hannah to paint their exes as villains only made those guys the center of the show.
T.J. and Jeremiah are lapdogs
Iris, Hannah, and Amaya may have been at the center of the drama, but T.J. and Jeremiah Brown also played a role since they’re closely tied to the girls and part of the “clique.” T.J. is automatically in that group because he’s dating Iris, and he also contributes to Pepe’s hate train as well. Even though he didn’t give us much while in the villa, T.J. still seemed like a decent man (I can attest to this — I met him at a meet-and-greet in my hometown last summer shortly after the season ended) whose situation was sympathetic when he got voted off and couldn’t be with Iris. It’s sort of funny to watch him act tough when he confronts Pepe — oops, I mean “Peps” (if you know, you know) — since he cosigns with Iris on everything, and he, Iris, and Hannah just look ridiculous trying to paint Pepe as the villain. Maybe, because he wasn’t in the villa that long, this is the way he is trying to gain fame, but this isn’t the way to do that. Jeremiah is the same way, too. He seems like someone who’s just happy to be there, but he agrees with the girls every time they have something negative to say about the people on the “other side” of the cast. Many fans have clocked how he’s quick to tend to Hannah and how he defends Iris and Amaya’s actions. Many fans have pointed this out in comments on his TikTok and have found themselves blocked by him.
The only decent people are Belle-A, Clarke, and Coco
Gracyn, Charlie, and the rest of the islanders stayed out of the drama this season. But I feel like Belle-A, Clarke, and Coco stood out to me because they managed to stay level-headed and neutral throughout the chaos. Belle-A is truly kind-hearted and has a pure soul, something we saw even in the few days she was in the villa last summer. After everything that unfolded this season, I think it’s clear why so many fans defended her during the ongoing mean girl allegations involving Hannah, Iris and Amaya. With Clarke, I’m glad I never jumped on the hate train after Taylor Williams chose her over Olandria Carthen in the villa, giving us the now-iconic “I pick Clarke” moment that still makes me laugh. In Beyond the Villa, I enjoyed watching Clarke navigate her growing fame while focusing on modeling, furthering her psychology studies, and cheerleading. Seeing a young Black woman explore so many opportunities felt refreshing. I also liked watching her relationship with Taylor grow, even if Oklahoma farm life clearly isn’t her dream. Since they want different lifestyles, meeting halfway seems like the only way their relationship can work in the long term, and Clarke staying in North Carolina while traveling for work and visiting Williams monthly was a great compromise.
It was also great to see Coco’s friendship with Belle-A and Gracyn grow. In the last couple of episodes, I was rooting through my screen when she defended Gracyn and confronted Iris and Hannah about their hot tub conversation. I also respected how she handled her brief relationship with Chris Seeley by standing firm in her standards instead of settling for someone who clearly couldn’t meet them. She even defended Charlie early in the season during his argument with Fields, Kendall, and Palma. The show also revealed that Coco and Clarke’s friendship had fallen apart after Coco felt Clarke didn’t fight for her to stay during the villa elimination. Even though their friendship may not fully recover, I appreciated how maturely they handled the conversation and heard each other out. Compared to the rest of the cast drama, their conflict felt respectful, honest, and far more grounded. That shows how Black women carry themselves with elegance and class.
Charlie needs his Baddies chain
Who would’ve thought that the lad from the U.K. would be one of the season’s boldest islanders? During his time in the villa last summer, Charlie came across as caring, funny, and surprisingly sentimental, especially in his relationship with Hannah. That’s why it was frustrating to watch his experience end so abruptly. Still, he kept his head high and carried himself very well against all odds. So, it was a very surprising yet outstanding moment when he came back guns blazing to the reunion and stood on business, expressing how he really felt about the islanders voting him off and his brief relationship with Hannah.
Charlie brought that same energy into Beyond the Villa this season, especially when Hannah, Iris, and T.J. seemed to constantly come at him over old issues. Hannah criticized him for discussing her on podcasts because she says it fuels more negativity (even though she was his only villa experience…?), and T.J. confronted him over comments he allegedly made to Iris about Pepe. Charlie quickly shut that down, revealing it was actually Iris and Pepe making fun of T.J.’s TikToks about missing Iris after the villa. It was also heartbreaking to learn that Charlie lost both his grandparents while filming both Love Island USA and Love Island: All Stars Games, yet he still showed up with resilience and composure. More than anything, he consistently stood up for himself and his friends when they were being excluded or painted as villains, and he was one of the first to call out the weird energy and mean-girl behavior happening throughout the season. And that is what deserves his Baddies chain. Maybe Zach, Charlie’s younger brother, on season 8 will do the same?
Can they date anyone else outside the cast?
This isn’t about the couples who left the villa together or found their way back to each other afterward. I’m talking about the islanders who were single after the show and decided to explore new connections. This, with no shade, targets Jeremiah and Andreina Santos-Marte, along with Coco and Chris.
Jeremiah and Andreina first explored their connection in the villa when she came as a bombshell, but things ended once Jeremiah got voted off, and the two stayed friends afterward. However, during the Beyond the Villa season and on their social media, fans and castmates couldn’t help but notice there still seemed to be chemistry between them. I mean, the flirting, constant giggling, and shared food definitely weren’t helping beat the allegations. But as the season progressed, that fantasy quickly turned into a classic “what are we?” situation when Andreina wanted to take things further, and Jeremiah admitted he didn’t want to risk ruining their friendship. Which is fair, but then maybe stop acting like a couple if you don’t want to date?! According to Andreina, they’ve even kissed, so, naturally, the lines between friendship and romance started looking blurry. I don’t want to put all the blame on Jeremiah because they both fed into the flirting, but eventually, you have to decide whether you’re just friends or something more. The back-and-forth was exhausting to watch.
It also felt pretty random for Chris to pursue Coco. According to him, he’d been interested in her since the Season 7 reunion, and at first, things actually seemed promising between them—only for her to receive a video of Chris, Bryan, and Taylor at an Oklahoma club showing Chris with female dancers. The situation only got messier, with Chris claiming Coco had a side to her he didn’t like. What really made me look at Chris sideways was his conversation with Bryan during the season’s finale. He said he’s going to start dating older women because he wants a girl who’s “established with her career,” not someone “still chasing princess treatment.” However, his whole explanation came across like he wanted to receive the princess treatment instead of actually showing up for a relationship himself. Now, I’m not saying Coco was perfect either, but many viewers pointed out that his behavior seemed to validate some of the concerns Huda Mustafa raised about him back in the villa. I think he should just focus on himself and on getting back overseas to play basketball rather than seeking a relationship.
Overall, this new season of Beyond the Villa felt more focused on drama and tension than actual fun. Bringing back more fan-favorite OG islanders probably would’ve helped, but instead, viewers mainly got contestants who either stayed in the background during the villa or returned to keep the drama going. Even though the season has ended, fans still have plenty to say about everything that unfolded between the cast members. Let’s hope season 8 of Love Island USA gives us something fresher to look forward to this summer.