Season six of “Love Island USA” has become inescapable. Even for those who didn’t watch the hit Peacock series, TikToks recreating the new season’s drama were hard to miss.
With audiences viewing over 1.1 billion minutes of the new season, it’s easy to understand the pop cultural phenomenon “Love Island” has sparked. Season six's surprising success prompted producers to release a prerecorded cast reunion after the season finale.
Viewers were eager to hear from winners Serena Page and Kordell Beckham, who stole hearts with their slow paced love story, as well as couples like Kaylor Martin and Aaron Evans and Kendall Washington and Nicole Jacky, who left the show with tenuous relationships.
The new season’s intense drama left fans counting down the days to the Aug. 19 reunion. From Andrea Carmona’s rude comments about other contestants to Kaylor Martin’s infamous phone call, there was plenty to discuss.
And yet, the reunion fell flat.
Fans had justifiably mixed reactions to the reunion. While the show had noteworthy moments, like JaNa Craig’s use of printed quotes during a heated conversation with Carmona, much of the feedback on X and TikTok disapproved of the reunion’s watered-down nature.
“Congratulations #loveislandusa. You managed to have the absolute worst reunion I have ever seen in my life,” said X user @Libbotomy in a tweet that got five thousand likes. “You found ways to waste time I didn’t know were possible. At least Pizza Hut got some good ad time tho I guess.”
Fans also wasted no time criticizing the 10-minute rehashing of Carmona’s elimination, the show’s bizarre Papa John’s ads and the perceived protection of popular contestants during the reunion.
The reunion’s first major shock came when Nicole Jacky and Kendall Washington began discussing their relationship status. Shortly after leaving the villa, a sexually explicit video of Washington in a hotel room leaked on social media. Jacky felt Washington lied to her about the video and did not make an effort to confirm their relationship after the show’s ending.
“Love Island” has had an unfortunate history of not supporting its contestants’ mental health. But recently, it has placed more emphasis on providing islanders with resources like therapy.
During the reunion, producers pushed messages about respecting contestants and combating cyberbullying. Fans assumed Washington would receive similar treatment after a hurtful violation of his privacy.
Instead, the reunion’s discussion of how the leak affected Jacky, rather than Washington and the obvious violation of privacy, was shocking. With fans concerned about so many other topics, it’s disappointing the reunion decided to speak about such a distressing experience.
The reunion should have focused its hour and 20-minute runtime on more important issues, like cast members poking fun at Carmona or Rob Rausch’s treatment of Kateb in earlier episodes.
During the reunion, fans quickly pointed out how producers avoided discussing the controversial behaviors of popular contestants, namely Rausch, who was accused of manipulation by viewers, and Kateb, who took part in a TikTok trend making fun of another contestant.
Kateb, who gained over two million Instagram followers during the season, seemed untouchable after the finale, and producers appeared determined to keep it this way. Following Carmona’s elimination, trends like the “is Rob a good kisser?” TikTok audio poked fun at Carmona. Kateb, who was blamed for Carmona’s elimination, and many other cast members participated in the trend.
Despite joining the thousands of people mocking Carmona, cast members were not confronted about their actions during the reunion. Production sends a confused message by allowing its contestants to mock one another while preaching respect and sympathy to the audience.
The “Love Island” reunion lost the authenticity that made this season so popular. Season six’s casting process brought relatable contestants whose likability came from their imperfections. The reunion, however, lacked the organic and unpolished chaos seen earlier in the season.
By ignoring topics like Rausch’s manipulation and mishandling and Washington’s mental health, “Love Island” failed to keep the authenticity that kept viewers hooked during season six. With too much control over the reunion, Love Island producers lost what made their contribution to reality television so memorable: the reality.
Rate: 6/10
Contact Juliana DeFilippo at jdefillipo@alligator.org. Follow her on X @JulianaDeF58101.
Juliana DeFilippo is a freshman journalism major and General Assignment reporter for The Avenue. In her free time, she loves to read and work on crossword puzzles.
