A year after the first season of Love Island: All Stars, 12 more veterans of the UK edition of worldwide reality franchise Love Island – and the reality show industry in general – have gathered at a villa in South Africa for season 2 of Love Island: All Stars. It’s “a second chance at love,” and another shot at the £50,000 grand prize. Host Maya Jama and cheeky narrator Iain Stirling have also returned, and as Jama greets the Islanders, who arrive either shirtless or in bikinis, Stirling notes a gameplay-specific change to the villa’s layout: contestants may enter an enclosed area known as the “secret garden,” but only with someone who is already in a couple. So who’s matching up straightaway? Let’s meet the Islanders.
Opening Shot: Over generic establishing shots of seaside South Africa and the Love Island villa itself, which seems to consist mostly of a vast deck area replete with conversation nooks, Maya Jama gets set to receive the Islanders. “Who’s ready for some All Stars?”
The Gist: They enter in pairs, but not yet as couples. Official “Coupling” will come later, and reflect the results of an online public vote. For now, as people air kiss by the pool, exchange “You look brilliant” compliments, and sip champagne from fluted gold goblets, we learn a little more about the initial 12 Islanders. Ronnie, who was nicknamed “Turbo” his last time on Love Island, is determined to avoid “so many love triangles.” Olivia says her previous experience as an Islander was about “more drama, less love.” And Kaz, originally from Love Island season 4, says “there were a lot of bad press stories about me.” She’s wiser this time, and more prepared for a match of a lifetime. “I’m a wife, as you can see. I’m not a situation.”
Also arriving are Scott, Nas, Luca, Curtis, and Marcel, as well as Catherine, India, Elma, and Gabby. Most of their stories about past show Couplings are similar – outside of life in the villa, the magic only lasted a few months – but Gabby and Marcel returning separately is particularly notable, as their post-LI breakup was marked by cheating. Marcel does not live this down during a resulting “red flag” icebreaker, with the ladies penalizing him for stepping out on Gab and referring to what she thought was a real relationship as simply a “showmance.” The Islanders’ respective romantic histories, known to each other and the viewing/voting audience, will definitely be in play this season on All Stars.
Also in play? Bombshells. Entering separately from the Islanders, and after their first Couplings have been revealed, is Ekin-Su, an actress, model, and Love Island vet. “I’m the ultimate bombshell,” says Ekin-Su. “I’m fearless, confident, and will go for what I want.” And she won’t be the only disruptor – All Stars is gonna keep bringing in ringers like her as days in the villa unfold. (Season 1 lasted for 31 episodes; the series will again stream on consecutive nights.) In episode 2, or in 24 hours, Ekin-Su the Bombshell will take someone else’s man. But in the meantime, Maya Jama offers her a “try before you buy” option. She’ll pick three of the guys to take with her into the Love Island villa’s secret garden.
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? It’s a Love Island world. Ariana Madix took over hosting duties for season 6 of Love Island USA. Love Island Games is exactly what it sounds like. And LI is also an international franchise, with editions having included Finland, Sweden, Poland, Albania, Australia, Nigeria, and Romania, among others.
Our Take: Is a bubbly but profoundly empty convo, probably near a pool or champagne bar, that consists of trading the phrase “you look hot” back and forth – maybe we’ve been out of the game for awhile, but is that how today’s hot singles find true love? Because it’s also what counts as substance on Love Island: All Stars, where the contestants all unpack roller cases in their shared living quarters, but rarely wear any clothes. Oh, there will certainly be some strategy in the villa. The adding of Bombshells throughout the competition will stimulate it, just as it stimulates typical reality show drama. But don’t expect the kind of six-dimensional chess practiced, or at least intended to be practiced, by participants of shows like Survivor or The Traitors.
No, Love Island: All Stars is about good-looking people circling each other, hooking up with each other, coupling up and un-coupling up with each other, and seemingly hoping to sustain their individual exposure in the reality programming ecosystem. It’s telling that in introductory cutaways, more than one Islander gripes about another’s “management,” or some participants’ professional representatives sliding into others’ DMs with offers of secret liasons. The angle here is to turn on a cement mixer and toss in all these personalities that LI watchers – who are also voters – already know. Who will emerge with their hotness and marketability intact?
Sex and Skin: It actually feels strange when the Islanders briefly reappear in clubgoer styles. In this show, their main job is to look like beach.
Parting Shot: “Ekin, who will you pick?” Maya Jama puts the first Bombshell to hit Love Island: All Stars on the spot. But it’s the just-Coupled Islanders who are looking worried.
Sleeper Star: Such a sweet dummy. Tattooed Luca, who at 25 is the second-youngest Islander, gets flustered when the others razz him for what he considers an ideal match. “Someone who will accept me for me.” OK dude, we’re with you so far. But wait. “And accept my boys as well.”
Most Pilot-y Line: Like we said, on All Stars, the strategy runs deep. Here’s Gabby’s version. “If I find someone and they are the dog’s bollocks straightaway – then, like, I would definitely go for it. But I want to make sure they’re the one.”
Our Call: Stream It, because why not. Sure, there’s a cash grand prize. But Love Island: All Stars is not going in on the usual alliances and mind games of the reality universe. It’s actually refreshing in its vapid visual simplicity: a show about seeing which hot person gets with what other hot person, and the couples that are made and unmade along the way.
Johnny Loftus (@glennganges) is an independent writer and editor living at large in Chicagoland. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media, and Nicki Swift.
