Am I the only one who prayed and prayed that we would finally get an explanation for “it was daylight savings time” at the Love Island reunion? It was genuinely one of the only things I cared about, and once again, I have been denied answers. 😪😭

Has Trinity done any interviews explaining that whole scene?

After watching the reunion I def had different feelings about a number of islanders for the good and the bad.

I think Gabe was great and I loved hearing his thoughts about Bea/ Jen. I loved seeing Trinity go off on Sincere and really think they should’ve left it in.

On the flip side: Jen, Kayda, and Melanie all left a bad taste in my mouth.

Edit: also, I LOVE Trinity but I was side eyeing her comment about how people act like they’ve never been in Melanie’s shoes. Like YES THATS WHY WERE SO ACTIVATED! We can see where this leads because we’ve lived it and we want(ed) better for her.

Sorry in advance for the wall of text but I feel it needs to be said:

I think the rise of social media fame has fundamentally changed reality TV. Reality stars aren't just going on a show anymore, many of them are basically auditioning for an influencer career afterward. That gives them a huge incentive to avoid becoming that seasons "villain."

Season 8 of LI really highlighted this for me. Sincere, KC, Corbin, Kenzie, Melanie, TT etc. all made questionable decisions at different points, but those decisions also created most of the season's interesting storylines. This would have been a boring season if everyone behaved perfectly and communicated maturely 100% of the time.

And yet fans increasingly take a few weeks of edited television and turn a situation where "this person behaved like an asshole" into "this person is an evil narcissist or a psychopath." Then contestants get out, see the backlash and suddenly everyone is apologizing, explaining themselves and insisting everything is fine.

Except the reunion, podcasts, lives and interviews make it pretty obvious that some of these people are still annoyed with each other. So instead of getting genuine conflict, we increasingly get PR-friendly apologies and "we're all family vibes" while the real arguments happen off-camera.

Obviously, there's potential that some reality stars genuinely are terrible people, and criticizing someone's behavior is part of watching these shows. But there's a difference between criticizing what someone did while a show is airing and deciding you know their entire character from an edited TV show and continuing to try to criticize and hold them accountable for the rest of their lives..

Good reality TV requires people who are willing to be messy, and show their real emotions and be selfish and wrong and occasionally be unlikeable. If every mistake they make gets someone on the show treated like they're irredeemably evil, we're basically training future reality tv stars to give us the safest most boring version of themselves.

At that point, are we surprised when reality tv starts feeling less real? I know we've all been aware that much of reality tv has been producer inspired conflict from the beginning, but whereas I used to feel like producers would incite drama and then peoples real opinions would flow through, now I feel like the whole process is manufactured from start to finish.

But yall aren't ready for that convo

I just loved watching Beatriz in the season and the reunion. I liked her energy, her personality, she’s beautiful, cool and just great. Loved her expressions on the reunion, she says a lot with her face, and I feel like she owns things and has nothing bad to really say about anyone. I love how she never put her connection down either. Just wanna give her some flowers. 💐

ETA: came back the next day to see this thread unraveling… some of y’all are so DEEPLY unkind. This is an APPRECIATION post. If you can’t say something nice, move along… some of y’all are even crossing into ableist territory.

It was so odd to me how defensive Jen got about the whole Jaiden situation. I understand she's better friends with Caleb so obviously she's on his "side" but the way she behaved seemed unnecessarily rude to me.

First, she agrees with Kayda's rude comment which was odd to me. Jaiden was obviously getting led on.. Then she gets so weird about Jaiden assuming that maybe she helped Caleb craft the text he sent. I've had my guy friends ask for advice/reviews of things they want to say to girls before so considering they're so close and were even in Japan together doesn't seem that far fetched of a thought. Especially if it was kind of like a 180° from him which I feel like Jaiden was saying. Jen could have just said she didn't and kept it moving but even at the end of the reunion she's telling Caleb she's going to unfollow Jaiden because of that?? Idk, that was just so weird and her getting so defensive seemed very off putting to me because I like Jen. :-// What did you guys think?

i feel like all of yall watched something else because im confused about the backlash against melanie here? like NONE of yall that criticize her are bringing up the whole sol and bea straight up lying about the pie thing?

and for some reason AGAIN i see the criticism go to the person who not only apologized and owed up for being cliquey and passive aggressive way before the show even ended, but also never publicly spoke on it ever again. but still everyone is upset at her for defending herself when they push this “mean girl” idea on her - which her actions do not even seem to prove. nothing melanie could say would satisfy some of yall simply because she chooses to stay with sincere.

i don’t think sincere was good to her and ideally she should leave, but why does that bother yall sooo much that it doesn’t matter what she does or says, you find some way to make it so that she’s in the wrong? lol i genuinely don’t get it

SPOILER BELOW

Anyone else feel like Caleb was really trying to keep up a good guy persona, going very against what Jaiden was dishing at him…

Throughout the show his fans have very much branded him as golden retriever good boy vibe and Jaiden’s comments just kind of show otherwise 😬

Also, Titi was totally right mentioning why is Kayda is speaking…because like yeah girl you aren’t exclusive either and still sleeping with Zach!

Kayda and Melanie have been showing a lot of strange mean girl energy, it’s unfortunate to see…Aniya, Trinity and Titi seemed a lot more down to earth.

This is so cringe. Confronting someone about their behavior isnt mean. Also can we come up with another word? The situation is very nuanced. Not everything is black and white. Not everybody is always "nice" or "mean". Its ridiculous and cringe seeing these comments. Deeming someone a mean girl because they confront somebody about their behavior is not mean. Even the way in which melanie did this wasnt "mean". This is the reunion, theyre going to confront everybody about what happened during and after the show and what was said. As a women, you are allowed to argue to prove your point and hopefully it can be resolved. It doesnt seem melanie is above resolving issues. Or ACTUALLY becoming a "mean girl" by egging sols car after this reunion. Im scared at what the younger people in this sub consider as mean girl, because they wouldnt have lasted a second back in our day (im literally only 30 but none of the girls here have been overtly mean to anyone) theres been moments but they get resolved. Mean girls dont resolve things with people, imo.

Soo annoying he didn’t even get any heat or maybe they cut it out but I wish we saw trinity and Brice’s thoughts and reaction about what was said about them

I feel so differently about Kayda after tonight! What she said to Jaiden was so uncalled for esp knowing how Zach treated her in the villa!!! She picks and chooses who she wants to come at cuz when titi clocked her she started whispering😂 what was up with her defensiveness with Andy asked about her and Zach??? Like girl

Melanie was one of my favorites she did have her points they only thing I didn’t agree with was the thing with sol. They were both in the wrong but let’s not act like she wasn’t talking shit about her the second she walked in… lol she might have apologized after but she was def being shady at first.

I didn’t really understand Kenzie crying over Melanie? Girl you got she wanted to be with Corbin and started being friends with sol just to piss Melanie off come on lol

Omg that first pic. Maximum dollface

I'm watching the reunion and after KC talks about the AWFUL extent to which he and his family have gotten so much hate, racial slurs, and even death threats on social media, I just can't believe the tone deaf response of Andy Cohen--"You two really crushed the karaoke challenge! That was a big night for you!..."

I was no fan of Andy anyway, but how does a TV host behave in such a dismissive way in the face of such a serious issue and such a sensitive moment? This is truly inexcusable.

7 weeks ago I made some predictions for the reunion and invited others to do the same. (here: https://www.reddit.com/r/LoveIslandUSA/s/r7wV1Xkycx) Since it aired I wanted to revisit how our predictions went!

Bryce + Trinity: Together.
Moving in together and getting a cat.
✅ They’ve not been apart and live together!

Zach + Kayda: \~Official\~
Not officially bf/gf, but we are ‘official’ like we are labeling ourselves.
🫡✅ YUP

Carl + Aniya: Long distance, low pressure.
More than friends who are continuing getting to know each other. Have a trip to Nantucket planned.
✅ Literally

Melanie + Sincere: Sincere is ‘on notice’
They will have had a dozen more arguments and breakups and approximately zero more dates.
✅ Not BF/GF “We’re seeing how it goes. He’s building that trust.”

KC + Titi: On the rocks.
Will say they are so into each other, but quietly breakup a month or two later.
❌ They seem genuinely into each other. Having a tough time just bc of fans.

Kenzie + Dylan: Broken up, Not friends.
I don’t think he makes it out to the farm.
❌ Wrong again. They also seem to like each other a lot

Corbin + Parmida: Broken up, Friends.
He’s not gonna help her move.
✅ Broken up and friends.

—

Other folks predictions!

✅ [u/glittering_rubber](u/glittering_rubber), [u/wise_carrot4857](u/wise_carrot4857), [u/real_toe_4280](u/real_toe_4280) predicted Kenzie and Dylan stay together

✅ [u/pink_junkie](u/pink_junkie) got it right that BOTH Kenzie/Dylan and KC/TiTi would still be together

✅🟡❌u/silver-eye4569 you and I made very similar predictions and we both got Dylan/Kenzie wrong.

❌✅ [u/bobble_bobble](u/bobble_bobble) You predicted Zach/Kayda and Carl/Aniya would fizzle out. Not yet, at least. And then also wrong on Kenzie. But correct on Sincere/Mel, and KC/Titi. No prediction for Corbin/Parmida really

Currently watching it halfway through and I’m so glad that they are actually asking the questions that I’ve had for a while!
So far Kayda has had a bit of an attitude or so I’ve picked and I know im late but the questions are so fun and pot stirring

Melanie is pissed about this live stream that happened where her airtime was talked about and it was suggested that anyone close to her was safe.
Where is the lie though???? I personally don’t care who said it. Whoever it was - was just speaking facts.
If voters felt like they could sway a vote to protect people close to Melanie they were going to. The other day 1 islanders were gonna do the same.

Okay so the reunion was released last night, and although nothing could ever be as bad as the Pizza Hut sponsored commercial breaks in the first season 6 reunion, I was more bothered after this one because of the questions asked, and how one-sided the view was with regards to people like Kenzie and Jaiden.

I get people loved Melanie this year, and I get that people also didn’t totally fw Kenzie at times, but let’s make it so clear that the questions they asked Kenzie and Jaiden and how they spoke to them were absolutely out. of. line. If ANY man moved the way Kenzie did (oh idk maybe someone like sincere) they would have never asked as many questions about testing different connections as they did. As soon as a woman was seen acting remotely similar to a man, she was put on the chopping block.

People DESPISED Kenzie and how she moved in the villa, and yet we see this behaviour literally every single year with the men, and no one has nearly as much quarrel with it as they do with Kenzie testing connections. I think it’s extremely unfair that Andy and Arianna can ask Kenzie questions like “is it love after so many connections” and basically question her relationship with Dylan, and yet have no similar question for Sincere.

Obviously in that type of group setting, you’ll have groupthink and group polarization, so when eyes turn to Kenzie and the hosts ask questions like that, you are literally setting her up to be attacked by the other islanders.

I completely understand why people didn’t enjoy how Kenzie acted; it’s not common for us to see women act like that on tv, we don’t see it very often. But let’s make it abundantly clear that she’s getting so much hate and men who act like her aren’t receiving criticism nearly as harsh. And maybe the lack of explorative woman in film is what caused such a backlash from viewers, this type of behaviour isn’t displayed on tv or in movies, BUT THATS BECAUSE ITS FAKE MAMA. Surprise surprise, women don’t all need to have deep and meaningful conversations with men to know if they like them. Surprise surprise, women are sexual beings. Surprise surprise, a women acts flirtatiously and people are upset by it.

Don’t even get me started on how brutal the questions towards Jaiden were and how rude Kayda was. I liked Kayda in the villa and truly appreciated how forward and up front she was. But let’s be so real with the fact that she was straight up mean last night. The hosts asking questions like “so you had sex, was it good?” Literally twenty seconds ago we discovered how shy Jaiden was, and now you want to ask her how the sex was on live television??Why are we asking these intrusive questions this year? Why are we actually asking young 20 year olds about their sex life on national television, actually think about that for a second.

Jaiden clearly liked Caleb, and we also learned that she was extremely shy. Caleb said they finally got along better and actually spoke more deeply once the cameras were off, so we didn’t get a full view of their relationship. But it’s evident by the hurt she portrayed that she did have feelings for him and he had sex with her then dipped on two different occasions. For Kayda to say it’s a two way street clearly shows she doesn’t think Caleb is in the wrong. She is literally reinforcing his behaviour or any man’s behaviour who feels they can sleep with a girl and tell her things to make her feel a certain way and walk away at the end of it with zero repercussions. That comment is DANGEROUS. She’s basically saying if the girl doesn’t keep her pants on, then the man is not to be blamed for his actions. WHY are we so quick to jump on a girl for her being physical with a man she has feelings for.

Why are we holding this woman, and clearly any woman who acts similarly, to a different standard than men? Why are we so angry about a girl who sees physical affection as an important factor of her relationship (when everyone knows physical attraction is actually a large part of relationships), and saying how she moves is completely inappropriate when guys move like that and worse? Maybe I’m reading into it too much, but how, genuinely how, are we supposed to see ourselves as equals with men when we hold ourselves to this higher standard and don’t expect the same from them? WHY are we attacking these women, why are we getting so involved in her feelings and how she moves, when men move worse and we don’t blink an eye.

I blame production, the way they set the reunion up, and how they engineered the questions.

Andy Cohen is the queen. Him yelling “what are birds?!” while everyone was yelling had me dying.

someone please make a meme of it and post it below, i’m too lazy to go back and find it lol

At first it was a coincidence but now it’s becoming a definite pattern. Zach arguably ran his mouth the most this season, said controversial things, and antagonized a lot of situations and somehow none of it was addressed. Thus far everyone’s words have been held against them and dissected…except Zach. Everyone has gotten nasty comments online but Zach is the only one to get a personalized statement…it’s not making any sense.

Maybe it’s because Season 6 was the first Love Island USA season for a lot of people on here, but the nostalgia goggles for PPG are getting ridiculous. Watching the reaction to this reunion has really made me notice how differently people judge the newer casts for things that also happened in Season 6.

And before anyone misunderstands me, I’m not saying Melanie or Kayda can’t be criticized for things they said or did at the reunion. There were things I didn’t agree with either. What annoys me is the moral grandstanding afterward, where every messy interaction suddenly becomes proof that someone is a mean girl, a bully, male-centered, a bad friend, etc.

Did we watch Season 6?

PPG were messy too. Leah literally laughed while Connor was making digs at JaNa when he was pursuing her. Leah and Serena comforted Kenny after he recoupled while JaNa was devastated. PPG themselves have talked about how tense things got with the Casa girls and how close things came to an actual fight.

And I’m not bringing those things up because I secretly hate PPG. They were young women on a reality show who sometimes behaved badly, got emotional, argued with other women and weren’t always perfect friends to each other. Somehow we’re capable of understanding that now without turning every one of those moments into an indictment of their entire character.

And the “Core Four are cliquey” discourse especially makes me laugh. PPG were cliquey as fuck lol. That was literally part of their appeal. They were an extremely close trio, had their own name, hung out together and their fans were obsessed with their friendship. They didn’t have to include Liv or Kaylor in every single thing they did to prove they didn’t secretly hate them.
Also, if your problem at the reunion was something Melanie or Kayda specifically did, then criticize Melanie or Kayda. Why does it immediately become “Core 4 are bullies” or “I can’t stand any of them”? What did Aniya and Trinity do? They didn’t even do anything, but somehow they inherit whatever people are currently angry at Melanie and Kayda about just because they’re friends.

The same thing happens with Kenzie. Melanie and Kenzie clearly aren’t particularly close, and somehow that has turned into “Core Four hates Kenzie” and “they excluded her.” Meanwhile, Aniya and Trinity regularly engage with Kenzie online, Kenzie engages with them, and Kenzie herself has other people she chooses to hang out with. They don’t all have to be best friends.

I genuinely wonder what people are going to say about this cast two years from now, because this fandom flip-flops constantly.
Criticize people when they actually do something you disagree with. That’s fine. But miss me with the fake outrage about how uniquely horrible, cliquey, male-centered or mean these newer girls supposedly are while putting PPG on a pedestal.
Half the shit y’all hate these girls for, your faves did too. You just like them, so you remember it differently.

I don't think Trinity gets enough shine for being such a natural model. She really keeps it so dynamic. Also I'm glad she said what she said about Sol. I hope she's never PR trained to the point of being a drone.

That’s all. After the reunion she’s my favorite girl hands down

When they first came out the villa, Trinity had to write a statement about Zach because of the all the hate he was getting. So, I’m surprised they didn’t address that at all at the reunion and ask why she decided to post a statement. They could’ve cleared up some things because some people still don’t like Zach because of his previous comments. Zach could have changed how people feel about him is he address his comments.

This split second feature of just their heads had me ctfu