When Love Island USA Season 7 began earlier this month, fan expectations were mixed due to the strength of season 6, with many believing last year’s drama could never be topped. From cruel breakups, embarrassing challenges, and one of the most chaotic Casa Amor trips in history, last season seemed unbeatable when it came to presenting quality reality TV. However, with the first two weeks of season 7 proving to be nothing but entertaining, episode 10 brought a new level of theatrics that arguably surpassed the nonstop action of season 6.
The New Twist on Season 7 Created Chaos
For the first time ever, Love Island USA gave fans the opportunity to vote for three islanders to couple up with the new bombshells, and the results were jaw-dropping. America would vote for Olandria Carthen to partner with Jalen Brown and Hannah Fields to connect with Pepe Garcia, leaving both Taylor Williams and Charlie Georgiou without a significant other. However, the most shocking split of the night occurred when viewers voted for Iris Kendall to couple up with Jeremiah Brown, leaving Huda Mustafa single. This came as a surprise to most of the islanders, who believed that Jeremiah and Huda were the strongest couple in the villa, but viewers wanted the two to break up, mostly due to Huda becoming attached too quickly. Also, the entire relationship has been focused on Huda being a mother, adding extra drama to the mix with Jeremiah feeling mixed about the possibility of being a father.
Following the results, the islanders who didn’t recouple were forced to vote out one of the three contestants who were left single, sending the Villa into a frenzy. Similarly to Anderea Carmona’s explosive exit in season 6, multiple islanders felt reluctant to dump one of their friends from the show, but ultimately chose Charlie to leave the Villa. After the final vote, drama ensued as several male contestants wanted Huda to be dumped instead, especially with America believing her relationship with Jeremiah wasn’t strong. In addition, Hannah was heartbroken about Charlie’s departure, feeling like she had made a genuine connection despite exploring Pepe beforehand. That said, the unexpected twist also caused Jeremiah to be criticized by his fellow peers, and later shamed by Huda, with fans beginning to feel sorry for the male model. Many of Jeremiah’s male friends felt it was wrong of him to be closed off to somebody this early into the game, while Huda spent the following day verbally abusing Jeremiah for failing to console her after being left single. Season 6 definitely had similar moments at Casa Amor or during Move Night, but season 7 is quickly taking the bingeworthy drama to a new level.
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Can ‘Love Island’ Season 7 Exceed The Success of Season 6?
There’s no doubt that season 7 could match the entertainment value of season 6, but whether the contestants in the Villa today become glorified celebrities similar to the year prior remains to be seen. Islanders from last season, such as Leah Kateb, Kaylor Martin and Rob Rausch have evolved far beyond just reality TV stars and have grown into larger-than-life characters for many fans, something that many Love Island USA contestants failed to achieve previously. The popularity of season 7 will undoubtedly create new stars, but it’s unfair to assume they’ll reach the level of fame of those featured in season 6. However, that doesn’t mean season 7 will be less successful, with this year already drawing record-breaking viewership numbers for Love Island USA, and proving to be more socially relevant than the previous season within its first two weeks. Therefore, as long as season 7 continues to present high-level drama for the remainder of the summer, it will at least have the opportunity to rival season 6 as the best installment of the series.
Many reality TV shows fail to capture the same lightning in a bottle following a landmark season, such as Survivor after “Winners At War” or American Idol after Simon Cowell left, but season 7 of Love Island USA is proving that the show is more than just a one-hit wonder. Where the prime of many reality TV programs is often during the earliest seasons, Love Island USA is finally maintaining fan interest over multiple years since its inception in 2019. Hopefully seasons 6 and 7 act as the perfect template for Love Island USA to continue to create engaging reality TV for years to come.
Stream Love Island USA in the U.S. on Peacock.
