In TODAY.com’s new weekly “Love Island USA” column, content creators Tess Higgins and Sally Darr Griffin break down the latest group of Season 8 episodes, sharing their thoughts on the new bombshells, couplings and dumping. Check back here over the next six weeks to read the duo’s hot takes and follow @tessdhiggins and @sallydarrgriffin on their socials to keep up with them throughout the week.
It has been a messy few days in the “Love Island USA” villa.
Season 8 of the Peacock reality dating series has already delivered jaw-dropping challenges, six bold bombshells and one emotional elimination in just a week.
In Episode 5, Sean became the first islander to be dumped from the villa. Then, Episode 6 featured a new challenge that involved a giant bed, blindfolds, handcuffs, paint and three bombshells. The arrival of Caleb, Jen and Sol brought tests for multiple couples, including one pair that TODAY.com’s “Love Island USA” Season 8 commentators Tess Higgins and Sally Darr both labeled as their “Best Couple” after the premiere.
By the end of Episode 7 the following couples remained in the villa…
Trinity and BrycePeacockMelanie and SincerePeacockKenzie and CorbinPeacockAniya and KCPeacockKayda and ZachPeacockBeatriz and GabrielPeacock
But those pairs might not last for long as the episode concluded with narrator Iain Stirling announcing the first fan vote of the season. Viewers can vote via the app on the islander they want Caleb, Jen and Sol to couple up with. The results will be shown on the next episode, out Thursday, June 11.
How do Sally Darr and Tess think the vote will play out?
Sally Darr says Melanie, Corbin and Bea could find themselves single and vulnerable, and she isn’t sure who would be dumped between the three of them.
“There’s kind of two schools of thought with this,” she explains. “Do you keep the people who are building connections or do you keep the people who need more time? In previous years, specifically in the last season, I feel like the islanders were always keeping people who “needed more time” or who just got here.
As for Tess, she says Melanie’s spot in the villa could be in jeopardy. “But I don’t think that they’re going to want to get rid of Melanie so soon, because that would leave kind of an empty drama gap,” she adds.
Read on for more of their thoughts about the latest episodes, including the unraveling of one fan-favorite pair, below.
Best Moment
Tess: “I loved when we got to see Bryce giving Trinity the tea on how Melanie was going back and forth between kissing Corbin and Sincere. It really just highlighted their playful dynamic. I think it was like a really memeable moment, too, just to see them laughing and going back and forth gossiping about what was going on.”
Melanie Moreno, Sincere Rhea.Peacock / Ben Symons/Peacock
Sally Darr: “Melanie denying that she knew who she was kissing in the paint challenge was cracking me up because she definitely knew. Specifically when KC was talking to her and he was saying, ‘Melanie, you know I love you. Let’s be honest here.’ And she just continued to deny it. Bryce and Trinity were also joking in their bed. Trinity was saying, ‘You know she was blindfolded. Maybe she genuinely didn’t know.’ Bryce was saying ‘Trinity, who are we kidding here?’ They were giggling and laughing. I just thought that her continuing to deny it was so funny. Then on top of that, Sincere kissing Sol in the “Say Less” area, and later the Speakeasy area, but we’ll get to that. Sincere kissing Sol was a really pointed response to how Melanie has been moving and I’m here for the drama. You know that whole situation is just giving us really good TV.”
Biggest Surprise
Tess: “Sol and Sincere’s kiss because I didn’t expect him to go for it right away, and the fact that Melanie almost walked in on them was timed out so perfectly for maximum impact. I really think it’s going to impact the way that the audience votes, being left with that as the last thing we see at the end of the episode.”
Sally Darr: “I would say Sincere not telling Melanie that he kissed Sol twice. He told her that he kissed Sol in the Speakeasy area, but he did not tell her that he kissed her earlier in the “Say Less” area. I just think that that could come back to hurt him, not giving her the full truth. We know that the ‘Love Island’ producers can use that kind of stuff as ammo on something like “Movie Night.” I think it’s fine that they kissed but I think we’ve gotten to know Melanie. I don’t think she’s going to be happy with not having the full truth. I think that was really naive of him.”
Best Couple
Tess: “Aniya and KC. I really like how they’re being portrayed so far. We’re seeing a lot of depth to their connection, especially in that conversation they had on the dock in this episode, where Aniya was expressing how she was upset about what happened during the challenge. (It) kind of felt like he understood what she meant and was going to take accountability and try to right the wrongs.”
Sally Darr: “Bryce and Trinity are cracking me up. I don’t know if it’s just a friendship thing, if it’s going to grow into more, but they seem to have good banter. They’re giggling, they’re having fun. I also love KC and Aniya. I am a tiny bit worried that KC’s head is going to turn because he is kind of interested in Sol. But he did reassure Aniya so I hope that they’re good. I hope that they stay together. I think that they’re really sweet.”
Biggest Winner
Tess: “Trinity and Bryce as a couple, just because they have so little drama and are just having fun right now. Everyone else has conflict in their couple to some degree, which makes Trinity and Bryce’s scenes more easy to watch and more fun.”
Sally Darr: “All of the bombshells have the advantage right now. I would say that Sol specifically is crushing it. She’s really shaken things up and I think that she’s showing the audience that she isn’t just going to go for the easy option. She kissed Gabriel and she said that she wasn’t interested, so she’s not just going to take attention wherever she can get it. She’s coming across as really genuine and she’s really interested in Sincere. So she’s kind of breaking up a couple that’s been together since day one. If she’s going to be hanging out with someone and kissing someone, it’s going to be because she’s actually into it. I think she’s kind of building a trust with the audience in a way. She’s the winner tonight.”
At Risk of Being Dumped
Tess: “Melanie. I think she’s the most vulnerable. Because if the votes go the way I think they’re going to go, I think Caleb will be paired with Kenzie, Jen with Corbin and Sol with Sincere. But I don’t think that they’re going to want to get rid of Melanie so soon, because that would leave kind of an empty drama gap. I feel like they’ll bring someone in for her soon, because she’s really bringing it when it comes to creating that conflict between her and Sincere.”
Sally Darr: “The question on the ‘Love Island’ app tonight is: ‘Who do you want to pair these bombshells up with?’ We have Sol, Caleb and Jen. I think the public will pair Sol with Sincere, Caleb with Kenzie, Jen with Gabriel. Potentially Jen with Zach, but I think they’ll do Gabriel. Based off of that, the people who are at risk are the current partners of those people: Melanie, Corbin and Bea. Those are the three Islanders at risk. I don’t know what the producers are going to do with this. My guess is they’re going to make the current islanders vote between these three people who they want to go home. I don’t know what the islanders are going to do. Are they going to send home Melanie, Bea or Corbin? There’s kind of two schools of thought with this. Do you keep the people who are building connections or do you keep the people who need more time? In previous years, specifically in the last season, I feel like the islanders were always keeping people who ‘needed more time’ or who just got here. That makes me think that they’re going to keep Corbin. I personally think you keep the people who have made connections. Honestly, none of them have a really strong connection. Currently, it’s kind of a toss-up. Corbin just got there. Bea does have a thing with Gabriel, but Gabriel’s kind of had his head turned a little bit. He’s kissing everyone. Melanie likes Sincere, but she’s kind of been moving in a weird way. I think Melanie’s kind of divisive in the villa, so maybe there’s some people that aren’t going to opt to keep her. Who’s to say? It’s going to be a toss-up if that’s what the producers do. But maybe the producers won’t make them pick, so we’ll see.”
