The biggest complaint about this season ofLove Island USAis that the production team is too involved, and is trying to manufacture storylines to keep audiences invested.Love Island USAhad high hopes for season 7, mostly because of the worldwide success ofLove Island USAseason 6, whichopened up the show to an entirely new audience.
ButLove Island USAseason 7is struggling to capture the magic that was season 6. There are a few reasons for this: the couples onLove Island USAseason 7 don’t seem to actually like each other. Another reason is that the cast members chosen this year were mostly established as influencers before being cast, and this has changed the dynamics of the show.
Because audiences are struggling to relate to the Islanders and their love stories,Love Islandproduction has gone into overdriveto try to control the narrative, and it’s not working.
Love Island USA Couples Are Failing To Resonate
There Are No Solid Frontrunners
Normally, at this stage in aLove Islandseason, there are several couples with strong connections that could make it to the end as winners. OnLove Island USAseason 7, however,no strong couple has emerged.
Aside from Huda Mustafa and Jeremiah Brown’s first few episodes, there’s been a lack of natural chemistry and connection among the Islanders.
Instead, it feels like the cast genuinely like each other as friends, but not as romantic partners.Some of the couplings feel forced, and even with the addition of new Bombshells and Casa Amor “boys” and “girls,“the passion is still missing from this season.
Nic Vansteenberghe has found himself coupled up with a few different women this season, but none seem to be his priority. Nic was hesitant to commit to Cierra Ortega before Casa Amor because he wanted to keep his options open. In fact,it seems like every cast member wants to keep their options open, but the clock is ticking.
Love Island USA Producers Are Trying Too Hard To Keep Audiences Invested
Producers Keep Adding Twists
In a surprise twist, which is not unheard of onLove Island USA,producers decided that two popular Islanders who were eliminated during episode 20 should be brought backand coupled up together, much to the shock of fellow housemates.
Nic and Olandria Carthen were both eliminated after failing to couple up during a challenge.
Fans were stunned that two original Islanders could be removed so fast, butproducers decided to shake things up. Instead of leaving the island,Olandria picked Nic up, and they sped off to a romantic dinner together. Nic had been partnered with Cierra originally, and Olandria was partnered with Taylor Williams.
By pairing Nic and Olandria up without any sort of vote or recoupling ceremony,Love Island USAproducers are breaking the rules of the show and going rogue. One can only think that higher-ups have heard the criticisms of this season, and areshifting in order to keep the audience happy.
Love Island USA Needs To Revamp Before Next Season
They Should Start By Not Casting Influencers
Love Island USAneeds to do some revamping before they start another season. The first order of business would be to not cast influencers or celebrities as Islanders. Part of the magic ofLove Island USAseason 6 is that the cast were mostly all unknowns, and the show wasn’t as popular in the U.S. as other reality dating shows.
The cast of season 6 had an effortlessness about them, as if they weren’t trying too hard for the cameras. They also weren’t as fixated on how America perceived them, because the show didn’t have very high ratings at the time. Their real personalities came through, and audiences fell in love with how genuine they were.
Now that potential Islanders know how lucrative it can be to appear onLove Island, it’s attracting people who are only in it for the fame and clout, not for actually finding love. That’s what’s missing this season, andproducers would be wise to make some changesbefore season 8.
Love Island USAairs new episodes on Peacock at 9 p.m. EDT daily, except Wednesdays.
