One of the biggest shows of the summer, Love Island, has recently ended its 4th season in the United States. This season had a lot of drama, unexpected plot twists, and of course, iconic people that will be remembered as a part of the Love Island legacy. Even though there’s a lot to unpack, here are some thoughts that I had about this season and how it could set the precedent for other Love Island series around the world.
Bria and Chazz entering the villa was a pivotal moment for this season. For the first time on Love Island, opposite-sex siblings were brought into the villa. However, fans were very confused when they found out that Bria and Chazz would be choosing partners for each other. The thought of a younger brother and older sister participating in kissing and licking challenges in front of each other definitely seemed like a ludicrous idea. According to social media, Bria and Chazz were not fan favorites because they got in the way of strong relationships like Timmy and Zeta. People also seem to think that Chazz made some pointless relationships along the way just to stay in the villa instead of actually trying to find a true connection with someone. It’s safe to say that this might not be an idea that producers attempt, or at least one that I would like to see, again. In my opinion, siblings (even identical twins) should be off-limits to the franchise because it complicates the dating aspect of the show and it can get very emotional when one of them has to leave.
When it came to recouplings, public polls were oftentimes used to keep certain couples in the villa as well as kick some people out. This also gave producers a chance to see which couples people liked and hated the most, resulting in more or less screen time that would sway the public’s perception. It was up to the boys and girls who were safe from the bottom two couples to choose whose partner stayed on the island, which meant that the other had to go. Although making the decision of who stays and who goes home is a choice that the Islanders would rather not make, I love this idea and think that the producers do a great job of integrating it into the recoupling. It adds drama by seeing where the Islanders stand with one another. It also lets the audience know how the Islanders feel about another person’s journey coming to a close.
Thinking about it now, getting dumped from the villa is usually a decision made by the castmates. As explained before, this can happen directly when the Islanders have to choose one person to leave to sacrifice another person to stay. Indirectly, it can also happen when everyone else has already paired up, leaving the last person single and dumped. However, there were some cases during the season where contestants chose to leave on their own terms. Mady, who came in on the second episode, decided to leave the villa because she couldn’t find a connection with anyone else, as she did with Andy, who was previously dumped from the island. Kat, who was one of three newcomers in the middle of the season, also made the decision to leave after realizing that she had fallen for her castmate, Jared, who was also previously dumped. Personally, I love seeing moments like this because it makes reality TV more real. I think this is an interesting dynamic seeing that many people will do anything (even meddle in other relationships) just to stay on the island and get more exposure. But, leaving this chance for a shot at a relationship in the real world makes this show a lot more relatable.
Historically, Love Island has featured strictly opposite-sex couples. Yet in the latest season, contestants Courtney and Nicholas revealed that they were also bisexual. Although queer representation might not have been an overarching plot because each contestant was coupled up with someone of the opposite sex, it was definitely something that I would like to see more of in future seasons. Even though producers say that the show’s logistical difficulties pose a unique challenge for gay Islanders, it’s important that there is more representation on dating shows. It would be great to see Love Island do something similar to the gender-fluid season of MTV’s Are You the One.
Currently, five couples from this season are reportedly still together. Winners Timmy and Zeta, who had faced some challenges, in the beginning, came out strong. Isaiah and Sydney, who went through a drastic change after Casa Amor, are still together. Deb and Jesse are also still together after some unsure thoughts in the middle of the season. Jared and Kat reunited outside the villa to become an even stronger connection. The only couple that I wish didn’t stay together was Jeff and Nadjha. Nadjha, in my mind, wasn’t serious about Jeff because she showed that she still wanted other connections despite Jeff’s apparent interest in only her. Despite this, I hope things are working out for them now that the show is over.
Ultimately, this season was my favorite out of all the seasons for the United States franchise so far. Islanders like Zeta, Timmy, Jeff, and Deb will definitely go down in the show’s history as some of the most memorable people. I’m looking forward to seeing what else Love Island has in store for next summer!