The hit Peacock dating series had its best season yet this summer, but left viewers less than satisfied with its lackluster reunion episode.
“Love Island USA” had an almost perfect Season 6.
It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly turned the American dating spinoff series into Peacock’s most-watched/most-talked-about show this summer. But between its attractive cast of charismatic reality TV gems (hey, PPG), a passionate fanbase glued to their TV screens and socials every Thursday through Sunday and contestants who felt vulnerable enough to express their raw pain and joy in front of millions of viewers, the show finally found its recipe for success after nearly five years of striking out.
However, according to fans, Monday night’s hotly anticipated reunion was shockingly disappointing in more ways than one.
The 80-minute-long final episode, hosted by “Vanderpump Rules” star Ariana Madix, gets off to an explosive start. First, Madix dives into Kendall and Nicole’s rocky relationship — plus Kendall’s unfortunate nude leaks (more on that later) — and gives Kaylor the floor to confront ex-boyfriend Aaron for “love-bombing” her throughout the season.
But the rest of the reunion left much to be desired, as several viewers — and even some of the cast — complained it failed to give a proper conclusion to an unprecedented and tumultuous season of drama.
“I don’t think we got closure from the reunion, if I’m being honest,” runner-up finalist JaNa told Us Weekly in a recent interview. “I personally don’t like the way it ended. Lots of emotion, lots of tears, lots of yelling, lots of hurt.”
Other viewers wished a second reunion episode would dig deeper into issues that Madix and the “Love Island USA” producers glossed over — like the lack of time dedicated to the now-infamous Casa Amor recoupling that turned this season’s villa upside-down, or how certain male cast members’ microaggressions toward contestants Serena and JaNa went unchecked.
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Here’s what the “Love Island USA” Season 6 reunion should’ve addressed before bidding fans ado until next summer:
The Unseen Casa Amor Recoupling Footage
One of the top requests from viewers this season was a peek at unseen footage from the show’s most explosive moments — namely, Andrea’s shocking dumping after she’d locked in with Rob, and the Casa Amor recoupling ceremony that nearly broke up Serena and Kordell, Kaylor and Aaron, and JaNa and Kenny.
Uncut footage of Andrea’s final night was finally released during the reunion in a nearly 15-minute-long segment. But some fans must have wished production would’ve kept it in the vault, if it meant never hearing Serena’s iconic speech about Kordell’s recoupling betrayal in full. Who knows what other memorable memes could’ve joined Season 6′s legendary hall of fame?
The Aftermath Of Kendall And Rob’s Leaks
Kendall and Rob’s time on “Love Island USA” was immediately soured in its final days after sex tapes of the two were leaked online. Kendall addressed his leaks with a statement on social media weeks before the incident was revisited during the Season 6 reunion. But instead of it prompting a larger conversation about the harmful impact on victims of revenge porn, the moment spiraled into a back-and-forth between Kendall and his girlfriend, Nicole, about a lie he told the origin story behind the leak.
The couple’s castmates and Madix tried to quell the cringeworthy discussion, but all that did was prove that they collectively didn’t have the range to handle such a sensitive conversation. They should have at least shown some compassion toward Kendall and Nicole for having to address that situation together for the first time on camera.
Microaggressions From The Men
What felt like the biggest oversight from the reunion was production’s failure to acknowledge the microaggressions that Serena and JaNa faced as Black women throughout Season 6. The few questions that Madix asked the cast on Monday didn’t make space for a conversation about how the men in the villa would roll their eyes at them, call them out for being aggressive and over-reacting or express frustrations toward Serena and JaNa’s now-boyfriends.
It would’ve been an extraordinary moment to condemn the angry-Black-woman trope that’s been perpetuated on reality TV for decades, especially as fans have embraced Serena and JaNa even more after seeing their most vulnerable moments on screen. But it seems “Love Island USA” felt more compelled to wrap Season 6 up with a neat bow instead of holding castmates accountable for their actions.
JaNa’s Pages Of Receipts
JaNa channeled her inner “Real Housewives” reunion persona when she pulled out four pages of receipts to address cast members’ negative comments during and after the season. Between calling out Andrea for calling her bestie Leah “two-faced” on an “Aftersun” episode and slamming Aaron for suggesting she should’ve been sent home at one point, it’s clear JaNa came prepared to air out everything for the cast’s final gathering. Sadly, Madix wasn’t on the same page. It’s odd that she barely acknowledged JaNa’s printed receipts. The host could’ve at least asked the finalist what else she intended to use them for.
PPG Being the Season’s True Stars
Ever since Season 6 ended, it’s been hard to escape the craze around the PPG (Powerpuff Girls), Serena, JaNa and Leah. From joint interviews to cute TikToks, viewers still haven’t had their fill of the trio’s Friendship Island bond, and it’s helped turn “Love Island USA” Season 6 into a sweeping success. The three besties should’ve gotten the highlight reel treatment at the reunion and a chance to discuss the rare reward of leaving the long-running dating series with life-long friends and new lovers — but that’s another moment viewers were robbed of.
Serena and Kordell’s Friends-to-Lovers Journey
The only thing worse than PPG’s friendship getting ignored during the reunion was that winners Serena and Kordell were sidelined, too. The pair’s friends-to-lovers romance got off to a slow start in Season 6 before a massive break-up and make-up made them the No. 1 couple to watch. The only real time spent on the duo at the reunion was to discuss their post-villa lives as boyfriend and girlfriend (which viewers have already seen much of on social media). Next time, maybe give the crowned winners a little more camera time to take another victory lap, okay, “Love Island USA”?
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