S01: Week 5: August 5, 2019-August 7, 2019

[Ohwell]

I figured it would be Zac and Elizabeth, and I'm ok with that.  

[Whodunnit]

To the annoyance of my family I correctly predicted the order in which they would win.

It was kinda obvious though, since they dressed Zac and Elizabeth as caketoppers. Lol.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Please don't hate me, but I voted for Caro & Ray last night and I wanted them to win!  I totally agree that Caro "killed the vibe" of how good she looked in the red dress with that weird voice/accent she always does.  Damn, I just really like Ray.

Caro and Alex had the best dresses!  They looked so great.

Dylan........ I question his character. 

I love the narrator (obviously).

It was a good season.  I had fun.

$100,000 is NOT ENOUGH for the contestants.  Now that I hear that contestants from the UK version have actually committed suicide.  That's way too paltry an amount.  They can afford to air the show 5 nights a week but only pay the winners $50K each?  Pathetic.

31 minutes ago, RHJunkie said:

Zach and Ray had the cutest, most genuine reactions to seeing their ladies walk out. Caro looked absolutely stunning but she really killed the vibe as soon as she started her broke Cardi B act. I really wish she'd stop doing that.

Yeah.  I felt like Dylan was tripping over his own dick to compliment all the OTHER women.  Buddy.  Time and place.  And then he wouldn't shut up about wanting to win the money. Like yes, if I was him, I'd want to win too, but maybe I wouldn't say it?  Especially after Alex said many times she didn't care at all.

I had so much fun this season with you guys!  Like Cashel would say, "I'm a vibes person, and you guys have great vibes".

AT THE END OF THE *DAY*!

Edited August 8, 2019 by Ms Blue Jay

[DoYouLikeMutton]

It was a predictable outcome, and I assumed it would end as it did.  Although, I thought it was possible Ray and Caro could pull an upset and come in first, bumping Z & E to 2nd and D & A to 3rd.   

They all looked great in their formal, last night soiree outfits.  Caro looked absolutely stunning in that dress.

Best of luck to all the couples.

[SmithW6079]

I'm glad Zac and Elizabeth won. I thought they were very sweet together. Actually, I would have been OK with any of them, except for Weston & Emily. I liked him at first, but he showed he was a sleaze. I had to laugh at his "declaration of love." He said he knew exactly what to say -- yeah, probably because he's done something similar to 63 other women. 

After Dylan's comments, I'm kind of thinking that if he won, he would have kept the money for himself (which would have devastated Alexandra). It was nice that he came over to congratulate Zac and Elizabeth. 

I thought the narrator's comment about them finally using the pool was funny, but it was inaccurate. In the beginning, the islanders did use the pool -- Cashel for sure, and I think Weston too. This is from Cashel's Instagram page.

https://www.instagram.com/cashelb/?hl=en

I thought Emily and Caro looked the best in their dresses. I didn't care for Elizabeth's with the fringe nor Alexandra's with the double high-cut thighs. The guys looked great too (but I cringed when they were trying on dress shoes without socks). 

They all made beautiful couples, but then again, no ugly people on this show to begin with. 

[Machiabelly]

Anyone know who did the cover of "Your song"? 

Thanks in advance 

[Kris117]

On 8/6/2019 at 9:37 AM, waving feather said:

I could see Kyra started to lose interest in Cashel the moment she saw him in person. Why can't she just admit to herself that she is not really into the guy? Either that or she is really scared and insecure and put her guard way up. I can't tell. Girl has major issues, though. She is only confident and sure of herself when she is doing surface level flirting. Anything more and she bolts.

And she always thinks the grass is greener on the other side. She needs help. 

On 8/6/2019 at 9:44 AM, LakeGal said:

I was irritated that they gave Kyra so much attention when she was being booted.  She got the call and visit from Cashel.  It was like a slap in the face to Jerod.

I felt so sorry for Jerod, standing there like yesterday’s leftovers. And I do not sign on to the idea of a big Kyra-Cashel romance for the ages. On Cashel’s part, maybe, but Kyra seems to think we all bought her shtick that she has always been madly in love with Cashel from the beginning, despite everything we saw on the show. Ugh. 

2 hours ago, CJBinATX said:

Narrator: "Ray's mom has reservations about Caro, because... she's seen the show."

That might have been the best Narrator line in the entire show. I’m glad they showed Ray’s mother’s reservations. She wasn’t shutting the door on Caro and Ray’s relationship, but she wasn’t faking it for the camera. Caro just seems far too young for anything serious. 

1 hour ago, RHJunkie said:

Zach and Ray had the cutest, most genuine reactions to seeing their ladies walk out. Caro looked absolutely stunning but she really killed the vibe as soon as she started her broke Cardi B act. I really wish she'd stop doing that.

Oh, God yes. Cardi B does it and it doesn’t come off as girlish or kittenish to me, but sort of tigerish. Caro does it and it makes her seem an immature fifteen. Like chalk on a blackboard. 
 

I’m happy with Elizabeth and Zac winning. As long as it wasn’t Emily and Weston, I would have been okay with any of the couples. 
 

1 hour ago, Whodunnit said:

It was kinda obvious though, since they dressed Zac and Elizabeth as caketoppers. Lol.

That was another good Narrator line. 😅 It’s funny because it’s true!

2 hours ago, RHJunkie said:

And I know I'm late to having recognized this but Weston's native skull with rifle instead of feathers...I hope he's got some native heritage, otherwise, fuck that.

Ugh. I didn’t notice that. As if I needed more reasons to dislike him. 
 

It’s been fun talking about the show here with all of you. I’ll watch it next year. 

[OnceSane]

2 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

$100,000 is NOT ENOUGH for the contestants.  Now that I hear that contestants from the UK version have actually committed suicide.  That's way too paltry an amount.  They can afford to air the show 5 nights a week but only pay the winners $50K each?  Pathetic.

The UK contestants only win 50,000 pounds, or 25,000 a piece if they decide to split it.

[Ms Blue Jay]

12 minutes ago, OnceSane said:

The UK contestants only win 50,000 pounds, or 25,000 a piece if they decide to split it.

Considering how popular that show is, and how long running it is, that's crazy to me.

I mean obviously these shows have really good sized budgets for music.  I never hear popular music on ANY of the reality shows I watch, the Bachelor franchise, Survivor, Project Runway, etc.  Only this one.  They played The Beach Boys tonight.  Yes they often do the shitty remakes but they often play the real songs too.

Edited August 8, 2019 by Ms Blue Jay

[Shadow Wave]

Congrats to the winners! America voted in order of sincerity. (I don't doubt Ray's sincerity, but Caro, hmm.)

Impressive the show gave the contestants Pilot disposable fountain pens to write their letters with. Classy, but challenging if you've never used a fountain pen before, which probably none of them ever had, since they're all under 70. It's a different writing technique -- though, come to think of it, they were likely printing, not writing longhand. Never mind!

While I love the looks of the Fiji location, maybe next year they should consider filming somewhere it doesn't rain half the time. That rented formalwear was soaked even before they jumped in the pool.

Just guessing, but I don't think anyone in the final groups would have been cutthroat enough to keep all the money. Cormac might have, though.

Edited August 8, 2019 by Shadow Wave

[Wandering Snark]

3 hours ago, Kris117 said:

Oh, God yes. Cardi B does it and it doesn’t come off as girlish or kittenish to me, but sort of tigerish. Caro does it and it makes her seem an immature fifteen. Like chalk on a blackboard. 

With her carrying on before the women went to get their outfits I realized that in the Love Island yearbook she'd be voted 'Most Likely To Embarrass You In a Public Place."

I thought Elizabeth has too much makeup on, she actually looked overdone and less pretty than her usual kicking it around the villa look.

I too was chagrined that Dylan was soo into the money, I bet he'd have brought the party crashing down keeping his hundred grand had they won and he grabbed that envelope. He'd have then gone to high five his bros while Alexandra broke down and was consoled by the other girls.

The less said about Weston and Emily's "magical week" of a relationship the better. They stuck out so much in all the final rigamarole of love confessions like the people at the party that nobody can figure out who invited. I also felt bad for Emily as she seemed to get along with the girls and it wasn't her fault she was saddled with the King of Douches.

But (Weston excepted) it was a cool experience to see a group of "islanders" that had each other's backs and cared about each other and not the "game". I enjoyed it and most of all I enjoyed laughing and commenting along with all you "guys" though I didn't like™ prepare something with, like™, a fountain pen or anything.

Anyone that slammed the show based on reputation or ads (that admittedly were pretty bad) and didn't actually, say, watch to find out for themselves missed a fun summer show. I still can't believe it was on five nights a week!

#funsummer #signingoff

Edited August 8, 2019 by Wandering Snark

[BigDfromLA]

6 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

$100,000 is NOT ENOUGH for the contestants.  Now that I hear that contestants from the UK version have actually committed suicide.  That's way too paltry an amount.  They can afford to air the show 5 nights a week but only pay the winners $50K each?  Pathetic.

Yes, quite pathetic. Even a podunk show like Beat Shazam pays their contestants substancially more (a pair won $1 million a few weeks ago), and that is for an hour of work.

It would be quite cold hearted to a huge degree for someone to keep all $100,000 and not split it with their partner. Who would do that? Maybe Kyra of all the people I saw on the show. Whoever would do that would be rightfully crucified by the public. 

Potted plant Jared had to stand there like a putz during the whole Kyra-Cashel schmaltz. He didn't deserve that. I think of all the people involved, Jared, George, Christin and Katrina were treated most unfairly by the show and were given a raw deal.

[Whodunnit]

So I just found out that Zac has been a football player his whole life practically.

Broke some kind of record too.

[BigDfromLA]

Just now, Whodunnit said:

So I just found out that Zac has been a football player his whole life practically.

Broke some kind of record too.

Do you know what college he played for?

[Whodunnit]

Aurora University 

Spartans I think

I was trying to find out what his major was.

Edited August 8, 2019 by Whodunnit

[Amy Beth]

11 hours ago, Whodunnit said:

To the annoyance of my family I correctly predicted the order in which they would win.

It was kinda obvious though, since they dressed Zac and Elizabeth as caketoppers. Lol.

America is basic AF. The order was the same as the length of the “relationships”. Z/E won because they were an original couple and stuck it out for the duration. 

Edited August 8, 2019 by Amy Beth

[Fallacy]

I’m very happy with the outcome. I’ve watched most of the UK seasons of the show (which is far more racy and funny), so yes, I expected Zach and Elizabeth to win. It’s not just because they’re an original couple though. It’s because they seemed the most sincerely in love with each other. 

I’m a cynic too, but I believe it is entirely possible to find a real connection in 30 days when those 30 days are spent together with no distractions. Rob and Amber from Survivor are a perfect example, but so are plenty of couples from other reality shows like Big Brother. When it’s right, it’s right, and I wish Zac and Elizabeth a very happy future. Based on what  Elizabeth told her mother, they will be using their prize money to travel to Europe. I am sure they will have a great time. 

[RHJunkie]

8 hours ago, Wandering Snark said:

The less said about Weston and Emily's "magical week" of a relationship the better. They stuck out so much in all the final rigamarole of love confessions like the people at the party that nobody can figure out who invited. I also felt bad for Emily as she seemed to get along with the girls and it wasn't her fault she was saddled with the King of Douches.
 

Well it kind of was. She chose him after all. I get that he was less than honest before she chose him but she lost me the moment she chose to ignore her intuition so that she can stop thinking about how shady Weston behaved. Or maybe she was playing the game but there's a part of me that doesn't think she was doing it simply to stay alive in the villa. I think those two will try and will likely fail outside of the house (despite the real life shit they had to deal with in their one week relationship...according to Weston).

Also, I just found out Weston is 25. He looks way older than his age. So Weston is 25 and said he's been with over 50 women and he's never had a one night stand. Yamen also looks older than 24 to me as did Kelsey and Mallory. Ray looks his age but he seems far more mature for his 22 years...then again, I had Weston, Dylan and Zac for comparison, lol.

[fishcakes]

Weston's hooked-on-phonics reading of his declaration was both the highlight and the lowlight. "You're my [insert word] to my [insert related word]." He said she was the Jenny to his Forrest. Jenny. Jenny, who died a horrible death and left him with a son who dressed exactly like him. Had they won, he for sure would have kept the entire $100K but justified it by saying, "we're going to be together forever so this is our money."

Happy for Zac and Elizabeth; it was predictable but deserved. Happy for Alex because she's happy and not sad for Dylan for not winning the money because he's a mimbo and mimbos always land on their feet. Happy for Ray and Caro because they're having fun now and soon they can each find someone more appropriate (now watch them be the only couple that ends up married and lasting forever.)

This was a fun summer diversion, and I'm so glad I had you all to watch and crack on these (very pretty and mostly nice) boneheads with me.

[Wandering Snark]

7 hours ago, BigDfromLA said:

t would be quite cold hearted to a huge degree for someone to keep all $100,000 and not split it with their partner. Who would do that?

This was basically how the reboot of Paradise Hotel ended. However the girl he was coupled with was finally found for her terrible deeds during the show and everyone celebrated that in the end she went home penniless. 

18 minutes ago, RHJunkie said:

She chose him after all. I get that he was less than honest before she chose him but she lost me the moment she chose to ignore her intuition so that she can stop thinking about how shady Weston behaved.

Yeah, point taken. I was just feeling sorry for her during their 'girls day' trying to compare her relationship with that of the others knowing down deep she was with a loser. In that moment I kinda forgave her. Even if there is no excuse for those terrible fake eyelashes *grin*

[Stan39]

13 minutes ago, Wandering Snark said:

This was basically how the reboot of Paradise Hotel ended. However the girl he was coupled with was finally found for her terrible deeds during the show and everyone celebrated that in the end she went home penniless. 

Yeah, point taken. I was just feeling sorry for her during their 'girls day' trying to compare her relationship with that of the others knowing down deep she was with a loser. In that moment I kinda forgave her. Even if there is no excuse for those terrible fake eyelashes *grin*

That’s also how the last Bachelor Pad season ended. And it was awesome. The show tried to turn the guy into the villain for not sharing, but he stuck to his story that everybody else ignored and took him for granted the whole time he was there. I can’t remember his partner, but she even talked crap about him the whole season and only coupled up with him when nothing else panned out for her. I think they chose to end the series because they wouldn’t be able to top it. 

[CarbonCopy]

I was surprised by how obvious (but trying to be not obvious) Dylan was about the money. He definitely would have kept the whole thing had he and Alex been picked. It once again confirms my suspicions that he's really not THAT into her. He likes her enough but I don't see that sparkle in his eyes that Zac clearly has for Elizabeth when he looks at her or interacts with her. Alex seems like a nice girl with a nice family. She can do better (and aim for someone who's a bit smarter...).

Zac and Elizabeth were the obvious winners so I'm glad with the outcome. They totally deserved it. 

[Wandering Snark]

19 minutes ago, CarbonCopy said:

I was surprised by how obvious (but trying to be not obvious) Dylan was about the money. He definitely would have kept the whole thing had he and Alex been picked.

Agreed. I was thinking the same thing.

Also, I forgot to mention that the only real shocking part of the finale was that Zac, we find out, is left handed.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I'm only now just realizing that I can't watch this tonight 😞

I'm gonna have to do something productive with my time from now on 😞 

[Ynicknan]

I keep thinking this is like The Bachelor which is filmed well in advance and therefore we’d have an update on the couples. Since it’s sort of real time how will we know if they last?

[Nilo]

On 8/7/2019 at 7:28 PM, Machiabelly said:

Anyone know who did the cover of "Your song"? 

Thanks in advance 

It’s Ellie Goulding.  

[Machiabelly]

Thanks so much

[Chalby]

8 hours ago, Nilo said:

It’s Ellie Goulding.  

I admit I kept tuning in because I really enjoyed the song selection - bang on!

[Chalby]

20 hours ago, RHJunkie said:

Also, I just found out Weston is 25. He looks way older than his age. So Weston is 25 and said he's been with over 50 women and he's never had a one night stand. 

Exactly... I knew he was youngish, but that is really young, especially to be bragging about banging 63 women. I just don't see it - he's not all that... Maybe at 35 - 40 he'll have that many. I just felt that Weston's eyes should be brown because he's so full of it.

On 8/5/2019 at 5:26 PM, Raa said:

He is Top Model handsome and the fact that he's a checkout boy adds romance to the success story. 

I realize this will sound superficial, but I was just impressed that Zac and Weston went for girls who had natural beauty and didn't chase down the fake breasted, botox gals. It made me think that maybe all these women are getting surgery on really bad advice?

[Chalby]

On 8/5/2019 at 7:26 PM, SmithW6079 said:

I can't decide between Zac & Elizabeth or Dylan & Alexandra. I like them both.

I too liked both of them and I really enjoyed Dylan's and Alex's visiting family/friend comments and observations. I also found Ray's mom was great, as she had Caro's number and Caro needed to hear that no one was being fooled by her current enthusiasm.

[Chalby]

23 hours ago, Amy Beth said:

America is basic AF. The order was the same as the length of the “relationships”. Z/E won because they were an original couple and stuck it out for the duration. 

I wonder if any others watched it and took note that they should find their mate the first week, make a deal to pretend that they are head over heels and they'll split the cash. OR make a deal that they will pretend not to split the cash, but do so off camera. This competition is there to be won... We have all seen the formula that the public wants to see.

[Chalby]

On 8/6/2019 at 12:27 AM, JKLM said:

Hmm, Kyra and Jered won the shoe rack contest. I have a feeling that's because Kyra has a natural talent for directing things/being the boss.
 

And did you catch Weston getting mulish and trying to work with both his hands? "I built a house" Weston is too full of himself. He thinks he's so smooth, yet is quick to anger when the girls clapback that he is anything but smooth, I hope they do a reunion.

[Chalby]

On 8/6/2019 at 5:39 PM, SmithW6079 said:

They're all fucking right now, right? On national television. That was the point of the extended ballad and the night vision, right? So classy. Their parents must be so proud.

I think I missed something. In no way did I figure all 4 couples were having sex.

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, Chalby said:

I realize this will sound superficial, but I was just impressed that Zac and Weston went for girls who had natural beauty and didn't chase down the fake breasted, botox gals. It made me think that maybe all these women are getting surgery on really bad advice?

Kelsey's lips were definitely fake, just my very strong opinion.  I think that Elizabeth is very beautiful but her teeth seemed really unnatural/fake to me too.  I guess it could just be great braces but there was something inhuman to me about that mouth.

I like how Caro admitted her breasts were fake. She said something like they were a good investment. 

Edited August 9, 2019 by Ms Blue Jay

[Meraji]

As far as the final prize, I'm sure the same situation would've occurred if Zac had gotten the money, but I would've loved to see how each final couple would act when money or love is on the line. Since they actually ranked the couples at the end I sort of hoped that 2nd place would get to split, maybe, $25,000, then 20 and 15 for the others. It depends on the dynamics of the individual couples, but would even lesser amounts offered make people more or less cutthroat to take it all? I don't know, it's fun to think about.

I didn't chime in during the season, but enjoyed reading all your comments! My husband and I watched this from the beginning and kinda loved having something to tune into every night. I downloaded the app right away and answered the silly questions and quizzes during the commercial breaks. So dumb, but fun. 

[Shadow Wave]

1 hour ago, Meraji said:

As far as the final prize, I'm sure the same situation would've occurred if Zac had gotten the money, but I would've loved to see how each final couple would act when money or love is on the line. Since they actually ranked the couples at the end I sort of hoped that 2nd place would get to split, maybe, $25,000, then 20 and 15 for the others. It depends on the dynamics of the individual couples, but would even lesser amounts offered make people more or less cutthroat to take it all? I don't know, it's fun to think about.

That's a great idea. The only downside I can see is that it would put more focus on the game show aspect of the show than the "true love" aspect, if that makes sense.

As I recall, there was a wrinkle in the way Bachelor Pad did the same sort of thing. In Love Island, all the power is in the hands of the person who happens to get the prize envelope. On BP, the prize was awarded to the couple jointly, who then had to write down "share" or "keep" without each others' knowledge. If they both wrote "keep," neither of them got anything. That's more fun from a game perspective.

[Wandering Snark]

9 hours ago, Chalby said:

wonder if any others watched it and took note that they should find their mate the first week, make a deal to pretend that they are head over heels and they'll split the cash. OR make a deal that they will pretend not to split the cash, but do so off camera

I was thinking that we were saying that in these days the $100,000 isn't much of a prize but I think it is good because you head up to the $250,000 or more range and people will really be encouraged to pair up and act for people to award them the money and maybe keep the whole thing via the magic envelope. So I thought the $100,000 was about right in that it didn't seem to figure in for  anybody but Dylan.

[CarbonCopy]

12 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Kelsey's lips were definitely fake, just my very strong opinion.  I think that Elizabeth is very beautiful but her teeth seemed really unnatural/fake to me too.  I guess it could just be great braces but there was something inhuman to me about that mouth.

I like how Caro admitted her breasts were fake. She said something like they were a good investment. 

To me it looked like Elizabeth had fillers in her lips that were now 'deflating.' 

[Rainsong]

As a watcher of the UK (where it originated) & Aussie versions it was interesting to see how much 'ITV flavor' would be sprinkled on the US version.

The challenges, unsurprisingly, were almost entirely duplicated.  But due to the short run of LIUS there were some that didn't happen.  The bingo game was a substitute for the 'drink in the face' challenge in which tabloid headlines and/or tweets were read and and the participant had to throw a cocktail (actually just dyed water) in the face of another islander.  Despite the usual attempts to take it lightly, there is a natural fight-or-flight human reaction to getting doused and tempers often flared after the game - which is the whole point.

The bingo game was, like most things on LIUS, a little too friendly, a little too chummy, a little too complimentary, a little too safe.

Another missed trick was the lie detector.  A completely bogus 'reading' of islander thoughts with answers to match, it frequently put the cat among the pigeons and upset even the most stable of couples.

ITV's presence was also evident in some idiomatic expressions that were part of the official script ie instructions sent via text or the host's lines.  One example:  one instruction noted that it was 'down to' the islanders to decide - a very British construction where Americans typically say 'up to.'

Complaints about weather are as old as weather itself but in clicking back through a few episodes it really is remarkable how dismal the weather was.  It poured night and day for most of the series run and even the mostly dry days lacked South Pacific sunshine.  It clearly had a negative effect individually and collectively on the frequently listless islanders.

The short series also precluded some of the more devilish moves by the producers.  One infamous twist from LIUK involved a couple being forced to choose between leaving the villa together or uncoupling and remaining.  In that case they chose the latter but it was a close-run thing.

Chucking islanders out with such rapidity and regularity meant that love triangles were almost nonexistent.  It's one thing to have to choose at a recoupling, quite another to have the ex remain in the house.  It happened once or twice but keeping the numbers down meant keeping the intrigue down as well.  As every soap opera demonstrates, bad news and conflict are more interesting than loved-up couples canoodling on a couch.

I recently read an interesting description on World War I, of all things, and trench warfare in particular:  'Trench warfare was the result of a vast increase in firepower without a corresponding increase in mobility.'  

This is not to compare a candyfloss TV show to The Great War but it could be said that Love Island originated before social media became ubiquitous and all-consuming (at least among a certain demographic).  The first two years of LIUK were flat-out raunchy as the islanders weren't consumed with a) what the public were saying about them and b) what their prospects for life beyond the villa might be.  As a bit of a summer throwaway LIUK was off the radar of the cultural tongue-cluckers and the islanders were either not as cynical and cunning as the current crop or were simply more interested in the pleasures of the flesh in the here and now.

Unfortunately, fame or at least notoriety became burdensome to some of the ex-islanders who a) continued to participate heavily in social media and b) took the numerous abusive comments to heart.  But let's be fair:  many (most?) of the ex-islanders gladly participated in post-LI activities like parties, clubbing, TV interviews, magazine spreads and especially personal appearances where they were paid handsomely.  Although the UK prize of £50,000 (only about $60,000 at present due to the rapidly-slipping exchange rate) is even less than the US prize of $100,000, even the so-called losers and early departures of LI could easily amass £50,000 or more after the show ended - and many have done so.  In the case of one female islander she had already been treated for clinical depression and associated problems.  Applying for the show was probably a mistake in hindsight and being cast was also a mistake.  The problems remained after LI and were, it is claimed, exacerbated by the public.

Another LIUK islander nicknamed 'Muggy Mike' for his rather arrogant approach to romantic pursuits and for his subsequent rejection by multiple females also took his life.  The lazy explanation was that he became a figure of fun and his derisive nickname followed him.  But those who knew and/or met him confirmed that he seemed completely at ease.  He knew he was playing a character of sorts and as long as the checks cleared he was fine with it.  What actually happened:  Mike had ambitions of becoming an upscale restauranteur and, using his newfound pile of cash, pursued facilities in and around London where, understandably, prices and stakes are high.  He got way underwater financially and, while he may have had the odd dark thought before, it was the failure of his business ventures that drove him to suicide.

Although narcissism is often the shiny side while depression and anxiety are the tarnished side of the same coin, today's islanders are a mostly savvy lot.  They know that celebrity (however they define it) and its trappings will be on offer even if they know the ride will end sooner rather than later.  It has been revealed that only six of the two dozen or more UK islanders were legitimately (?) cast through the advertised application process.  The rest came from modeling, acting and talent agencies.  It's a safe bet that the US version followed suit.  Some evidence is completely obvious:  US islanders Michael, Cashel and Aissata billed themselves as models in their intros.  Other evidence is there for the asking on islanders' social media profiles - they already have agencies, portfolios etc listed on their accounts while they're supposedly cloistered in Fiji.  Granted, representation may be a necessity when dealing with floods of incoming calls, messages, requests, etc. The point remains - the fix is in, the producers want beautiful people and the beautiful people want fame.  Consenting adults and all that.

The public are not entirely naive.  They've seen a pattern of so-called romantic couples breaking up after a certain length of time, typically six months.  It is asserted and assumed that some PR and/or contractual considerations mean they must maintain the illusion for at least that long.

It would take a serious crank to gripe about Zac & Elizabeth as winners from the viewpoint of the true believers or the wrong reasons set.  There was a bit of rough water early on during the 'baggage' challenge in which, unsurprisingly, Elizabeth discovered that Zac may have had a casual and/or callous approach to women and relationships.  His alibi was laughable:  'We had sex for like, two seconds.'  Sure they did.  But she accepted it and moved on.

As before, the US narrator was mostly hopeless with his camp inflection.  He obviously thought that saying 'Send!' before texts were issued was comedy gold and wore the bit threadbare.  The show is crying out for a laconic David Spade-type standup comic who will mock the eminently mockable islanders without an all-out misanthropic besmirching of their character.

The play-it-safe approach that characterized LIUS means that network execs, who already worship at the altar of play-it-safe, have no doubt asked for more of the same in the second series they've approved.

Edited August 12, 2019 by Rainsong

[Stan39]

24 minutes ago, Rainsong said:

As a watcher of the UK (where it originated) & Aussie versions it was interesting to see how much 'ITV flavor' would be sprinkled on the US version.

The challenges, unsurprisingly, were almost entirely duplicated.  But due to the short run of LIUS there were some that didn't happen.  The bingo game was a substitute for the 'drink in the face' challenge in which tabloid headlines and/or tweets were read and and the participant had to throw a cocktail (actually just dyed water) in the face of another islander.  Despite the usual attempts to take it lightly, there is a natural fight-or-flight human reaction to getting doused and tempers often flared after the game - which is the whole point.

The bingo game was, like most things on LIUS, a little too friendly, a little too chummy, a little too complimentary, a little too safe.

Another missed trick was the lie detector.  A completely bogus 'reading' of islander thoughts with answers to match, it frequently put the cat among the pigeons and upset even the most stable of couples.

ITV's presence was also evident in some idiomatic expressions that were part of the official script ie instructions sent via text or the host's lines.  One example:  one instruction noted that it was 'down to' the islanders to decide - a very British construction where Americans typically say 'up to.'

Complaints about weather are as old as weather itself but in clicking back through a few episodes it really is remarkable how dismal the weather was.  It poured night and day for most of the series run and even the mostly dry days lacked South Pacific sunshine.  It clearly had a negative effect individually and collectively on the frequently listless islanders.

The short series also precluded some of the more devilish moves by the producers.  One infamous twist from LIUK involved a couple being forced to choose between leaving the villa together or uncoupling and remaining.  In that case they chose the latter but it was a close-run thing.

Chucking islanders out with such rapidity and regularity meant that love triangles were almost nonexistent.  It's one thing to have to choose at a recoupling, quite another to have the ex remain in the house.  It happened once or twice but keeping the numbers down meant keeping the intrigue down as well.  As every soap opera demonstrates, bad news and conflict are more interesting than loved-up couples canoodling on a couch.

I recently read an interesting description on World War I, of all things, and trench warfare in particular:  'Trench warfare was the result of a vast increase in firepower without a corresponding increase in mobility.'  

This is not to compare a candyfloss TV show to The Great War but it could be said that Love Island originated before social media became ubiquitous and all-consuming (at least among a certain demographic).  The first two years of LIUK were flat-out raunchy as the islanders weren't consumed with a) what the public were saying about them and b) what their prospects for life beyond the villa might be.  As a bit of a summer throwaway LIUK was off the radar of the cultural tongue-cluckers and the islanders were either not as cynical and cunning as the current crop or were simply more interested in the pleasures of the flesh in the here and now.

Unfortunately, fame or at least notoriety became burdensome to some of the ex-islanders who a) continued to participate heavily in social media and b) took the numerous abusive comments to heart.  But let's be fair:  many (most?) of the ex-islanders gladly participated in post-LI activities like parties, clubbing, TV interviews, magazine spreads and especially personal appearances where they were paid handsomely.  Although the UK prize of £50,000 (only about $60,000 at present due to the rapidly-slipping exchange rate) is even less than the US prize of $100,000, even the so-called losers and early departures of LI could easily amass £50,000 or more after the show ended - and many have done so.  In the case of one female islander she had already been treated for clinical depression and associated problems.  Applying for the show was probably a mistake in hindsight and being cast was also a mistake.  The problems remained after LI and were, it is claimed, exacerbated by the public.

Another LIUK islander nicknamed 'Muggy Mike' for his rather arrogant approach to romantic pursuits and for his subsequent rejection by multiple females also took his life.  The lazy explanation was that he became a figure of fun and his derisive nickname followed him.  But those who knew and/or met him confirmed that he seemed completely at ease.  He knew he was playing a character of sorts and as long as the checks cleared he was fine with it.  What actually happened:  Mike had ambitions of becoming an upscale restauranteur and, using his newfound pile of cash, pursued facilities in and around London where, understandably, prices and stakes are high.  He got way underwater financially and, while he may have had the odd dark thought before, it was the failure of his business ventures that drove him to suicide.

Although narcissism is often the shiny side while depression and anxiety are the tarnished side of the same coin, today's islanders are a mostly savvy lot.  They know that celebrity (however they define it) and its trappings will be on offer even if they know the ride will end sooner rather than later.  It has been revealed that only six of the two dozen or more UK islanders were legitimately (?) cast through the advertised application process.  The rest came from modeling, acting and talent agencies.  It's a safe bet that the US version followed suit.  Some evidence is completely obvious:  US islanders Michael, Cashel and Aissata billed themselves as models in their intros.  Other evidence is there for the asking on islanders' social media profiles - they already have agencies, portfolios etc listed on their accounts while they're supposedly cloistered in Fiji.  Granted, representation may be a necessity when dealing with floods of incoming calls, messages, requests, etc. The point remains - the fix is in, the producers want beautiful people and the beautiful people want fame.  Consenting adults and all that.

The public are not entirely naive.  They've seen a pattern of so-called romantic couples breaking up after a certain length of time, typically six months.  It is asserted and assumed that some PR and/or contractual considerations mean they must maintain the illusion for at least that long.

It would take a serious crank to gripe about Zac & Elizabeth as winners from the viewpoint of the true believers or the wrong reasons set.  There was a bit of rough water early on during the 'baggage' challenge in which, unsurprisingly, Elizabeth discovered that Zac may have had a casual and/or callous approach to women and relationships.  His alibi was laughable:  'We had sex for like, two seconds.'  Sure they did.  But she accepted it and moved on.

As before, the US narrator was mostly hopeless with his camp inflection.  He obviously thought that saying 'Send!' before texts were issued was comedy gold and wore the bit threadbare.  The show is crying out for a laconic David Spade-type standup comic who will mock the eminently mockable islanders without an all-out misanthropic besmirching of their character.

The play-it-safe approach that characterized LIUS means that network execs, who already worship at the altar of play-it-safe, have no doubt asked for more of the same in the second series they've approved.

Ooh 😮 I forgot about the lie detector test. Ultimately, I think this show’s biggest downfall was the short season. CBS didn’t want to commit to doing the proper show, and figured they could just cut things down but keep the turnover, which they wrongly assumed is what people liked about the other versions. In reality (pardon the pun), what makes the other versions great is that the season runs long enough for the initial jolts and thrills to wear off for the contestants to develop real feelings for one another, or question their feelings (because there’s nothing else to do). This show didn’t give anybody time to sit and reflect and try, so the difference between Jared’s journey and Weston’s journey and even Zac’s journey isn’t really THAT big. I’m sure Zac and Elizabeth will date for awhile and then break up peacefully, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but that was the show’s strongest relationship. 

And you would think somebody at CBS has an almanac that could have figured out its monsoon season in Fiji. Why not just shoot in Mexico or something? 

[fishcakes]

41 minutes ago, Stan39 said:

And you would think somebody at CBS has an almanac that could have figured out its monsoon season in Fiji. Why not just shoot in Mexico or something? 

CBS has a long-term deal with Fiji because Survivor is filmed there exclusively now. Just guessing, but I suspect that getting filming permits and whatever else is involved is easier to do there because the administrative infrastructure is already in place.

[Rainsong]

A postscript regarding the music:  like its UK cousin, LIUS relied on the device of EXTREMELY close-mic'd singers doing agonized covers of standards with frequent agonized catches in their voices and all accompanied by sad tinkly piano.  Apparently this is meant to convey great emotional upheaval but after the fifth or sixth number it becomes predictable and tiresome.  It's also a lazy and obvious way of padding the show by including otherwise mundane footage of islanders prepping for bed and - wait for it - sleeping.

A cynic might also point out that covers of old songs a) don't say much for the current crop of autotuned blandness and b) avoid payouts of performance/mechanical royalties to the original artists.

Edited August 12, 2019 by Rainsong