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.
As the end of “Love Island USA” Season 8 approaches, couples are growing closer and some friendships are becoming fractured.
With only three episodes left, including the finale on Sunday, July 12, the remaining couples are defining their relationship statuses as they prepare to take their romances into the real world.
By the end of Episode 31, the current couples are…
Trinity and Bryce.PeacockPeacockAniya and Carl.PeacockPeacockKenzie and Dylan.PeacockPeacock
KC and Titi, one of the newest couples, took a big step in their relationship when he asked her to be his girlfriend. They joined Trinity and Bryce as the only two couples in committed relationships. Meanwhile, Zach asked Kayda to be “exclusive” with him until they enter the real world. While Kayda was initially excited, she later shed tears. Some of the girls in the villa considered “exclusive” and “situationship” to be synonymous, making Kayda feel like they weren’t supportive or happy for her and Zach.
TODAY.com’s “Love Island USA” commentators Tess Higgins and Sally Darr Griffin worry the last-minute drama involving Kayda and Zach could prevent them from making it to the finale.
“If you had asked me at the start of the season, I would have said that (Zach and Kayda) were probably making it to the end, but now I’m not so sure, especially since they were in the bottom earlier this week,” Tess shares. “There seems to be some back and forth, or some hesitation with Kayda about what being exclusive means, or how that’s being perceived with the others in the villa.”
Sally Darr also points out the “turbulence” Kayda and Zach have experienced recently. “But I personally think that they deserve to be in the final four,” she adds.
Episode 31 ended with narrator Iain Stirling informing viewers that they need to vote for their top four couples to determine who will stay in the villa. While we wait to find out the results, read what else Tess and Sally Darr had to say about the final episodes of Season 8, including the exclusive vs. situationship debate, below.
Best Moment
Tess: “My favorite moment in the recent episodes was seeing the karaoke challenge. It was so nice to watch them do an activity that was fun and lighthearted and involved actual teamwork with their couple, and wasn’t something that was contrived and random, like a lot of the other challenges they’ve done earlier in the season. Especially since it didn’t involve any goo or slime. I hate seeing them jump into that. Karaoke is something you might do with your partner in the real world, like when you’re going out with friends. So, I think it brought out a really good, fun side to everyone, and I think it was a much needed breath of fresh air after all of the despair that followed ‘Movie Night.’”
Sally Darr: “The best moment was Sincere waking up alone in the hideaway. I wish I could be happy for Melanie, but I will never like it them, unfortunately.”
Biggest Surprise
Tess: “For me, the biggest surprise was seeing KC ask Titi to be his girlfriend and orchestrate this elaborate plan to do so. I think that they have both done a big 180 since the destruction that happened because of their entrance during Casa. If you asked me two weeks ago if I would be rooting for them to be in a couple, I would probably have laughed in your face. But I think KC has sufficiently groveled and kind of mended fences a little bit. Titi has really made some inroads with the other women in the villa, the OG girls. I think they appear to be well liked, and I want to root for people who are vulnerable and make romantic gestures. So I’m glad that they took that next step together.”
Sally Darr: “The biggest surprise was the girls trivializing what Kayda and Zach have. It wasn’t fair to call what they have a situationship. Modern dating terms are tenuous, but exclusive and situationship are not the same thing. I thought the girls would be more excited and supportive of Kayda. I think it makes sense to wait to be boyfriend and girlfriend until they leave. Not everyone wants to do that on national television.”
Melanie Moreno and Sincere Rhea.Peacock / Screengrab -/Peacock
At Risk of Being Dumped
Tess: “I think the most obvious choice is Kenzie and Dylan, just because there was already some turmoil with them brewing in the past few episodes. But I could also, honestly, see Kayda and Zach being dumped, too. If you had asked me at the start of the season, I would have said that they were probably making it to the end, but now I’m not so sure, especially since they were in the bottom earlier this week. There seems to be some back and forth, or some hesitation with Kayda about what being exclusive means, or how that’s being perceived with the others in the villa. It may be perceived poorly by the audience, as well, and not help garner them any extra votes.”
Sally Darr: “Kenzie and Dylan and Kayda and Zach are at risk of being dumped. Kayda and Zach had some turbulence in the latest episode, but I personally think that they deserve to be in the final four. I think Kenzie and Dylan and Aniya and Carl should be dumped. But I fear it will be Kenzie and Dylan and Kayda and Zach. The public vote might suffer from some recency bias.”
Most Likely to Win
Tess: “Bryce and Trinity. They’ve been very consistent from the start. They are officially boyfriend and girlfriend. They’re just so sweet and fun together and awkward, which I think is really endearing to see. You know, someone who doesn’t have the most swag in a couple. Bryce is someone who just seems kind of regular, and I think that’s something the audience wants to root for. I will be very happy if they take home the win at the end of this week.”
Sally Darr: “Trinity and Bryce are most likely to win this season. They’ve been our winners for weeks, and I don’t see it changing now.”
