Category: TV Shows

I was not disappointed by the seventh season of “Love Island UK.” I watched an episode nearly every day for an entire month, and have been enthralled non-stop. Though I wallowed in despair for most of yesterday while I was processing the fact that I would have to wait an entire year for fresh content, I decided that I needed catharsis: I need to say every major thought I had about this season. And so we meet: join me on my trip down memory lane as I rehash my thoughts on season 7.

The starting episodes were pretty lackluster, and I didn’t have any expectations for where this season was heading. A consistent theme proved to be true: the girls were carrying the show in looks, attitudes, and senses of humor. The boys did not make a single recovery until Teddy joined the show, and even then, it was a delicate balance. 

As more frontrunners settled in, I could tell this would be an exciting season. Approaching Casa Amor, the cast was increasingly dynamic and provided entertaining plot lines with Toby’s typically menace-behavior, but the cast was perfect in those weeks. Chloe is without a doubt the overall star of this season, and with her newly single, I was excited for Casa Amor.

Casa Amor was the highlight of this season, in a way that has not appeared on this show before: It feels like everyone broke up, found new people, broke up, and then recoupled with their original pair. At first, I was hesitant to accept this growth: is it good TV if they’re actually learning from their mistakes? But man, the last few episodes were so good. The couples had so much to talk about, and believe me, I’m about to.

Priya and Brett’s whole ick situation was just annoying to me because she let herself spiral deeper and deeper into the little things that she didn’t like about Brett without talking to him until they pretty much broke things off. It just felt very middle school, and it felt like if they worked things out earlier on they could’ve had a lot of potential for a long term relationship.

Teddy and Faye are my absolute favorites. Everyone ALWAYS brings up their arguments, but unlike the other couple, they’ve convinced me that they’re stronger for it. Faye has matured so much throughout this season, and Teddy has remained patient and supportive– WHY DIDN’T THEY WIN?????

Toby and Chloe are by far the most entertaining and hilarious couple. They are so obviously insanely obsessed with each other, and they’re similar to Faye and Teddy where they’ve come out of a bad situation stronger (except no one ever seems to bring that up half as often as they do Faye’s blow-ups). I thought they should win or get second to Faye and Teddy, and though they did get second, it’s not the same. Both of them were made for TV, though Chloe suits it more, and I hope they do random celebrity appearances.

Aaron and Mary were so cute and the whole drama thing with Kaz and Tyler was so out of nowhere that I physically recoiled when Kaz started raising her voice. I am not a fan of Kaz and Tyler simply because I’m not a fan of Tyler: he seems shifty. Plus, Kaz’s voice bothers me a little bit.

I hated Jake from the start, and though it pained me to see someone as wonderful as Liberty in so much pain, I cheered the moment she said she wanted to end it with him. Even before all the disingenuous discussions, I just didn’t like him. He seems very old-school in his beliefs, and not in a comforting way. Liberty deserves the world, and the world doesn’t deserve her.

I never recovered from Liam’s betrayal at Casa Amor. None of the things he did were worthy of a second chance, and though I do not agree with Lillie’s decisions at all, I can imagine it was tough seeing Liam win the show after juking her out for five days straight. Millie seems like such an interesting and kind person, and she deserved so much more than the whole re-coupling situation when they returned from Casa Amor (not to mention her style being literally perfect in every way). Liam never redeemed himself in my eyes, but I’m glad to see Millie happy and wiser.

My favorite islander is without a doubt Chloe, and the biggest dumping upset I experienced the entire time was either Shannon getting dumped on the first episode or Mary and Aaron getting kicked off. I loved this cast of people, and this will definitely be a season I revisit soon. Iain Stirling and Laura Whitmore cleaned up this season, and Iain deserves an extra bag of cash for all the times he got me despite me trying not to laugh. Also, can I mention Laura’s looks this round??? Her outfits and styling were pretty cute and appropriate for the most part! Her finale outfit was adorable, and she’s definitely charismatic.

This season may dethrone season 4 as my favorite, but only time will tell. Until then, I can pine away for my least favorite annual season to return as I grow one year older, and hopefully I’ll get a VPN so I can watch it live someday. If you disagree, comment kindly, and check out my previous “Love Island UK” article!

I am a “Love Island UK” viewer first and a human being second. My conquests over every episode past seasons 1-3 (which are unwatchable) and the elite seasons (4-7, which are fantastic) accumulate with the unmatchable perfection of season 4. 

There are such dynamic islanders and massive upsets: it’s my go-to recommendation for the numerous friends that I force to watch this show, and it’s never once failed. With the magical hyperbole of this season’s progression, it’s only natural that I finally get my thoughts out on paper in order to finally spare my loved ones from anymore of my late night heretical ramblings about people they’ve never even seen and relationships they have to count out on their fingers. Delve into the cobwebs of my hamster-powered mind as we dissect the best and worst couples of the best season of Love Island. 

~S-TIER~

• KENDALL X NIALL

Kendall and Niall were literally perfect: Kendall was reserved, looking for love, and hesitant– Niall was reserved, looking for love, and impulsive. It was the dream! Until… Adam. This article will serve as a venting space for me to air my grievances with Adam’s actions throughout this series, so prepare yourself, because if you’re an Adam fan, flee and reconsider. Kendall definitely wasn’t into it, and the fact that everyone was super surprised when Adam chose her proves to me that they barely talked and Adam is just a weirdo. I’m sure Adam’s a cool guy: that’s the classic part of reality TV, it makes you seem like the bad guy in the blink of an eye. But Adam is the definition of a home-wrecker, except he’s the entire demolition crew for his own million-dollar mansion. 

• JOSH X KAZ

I am human, so I usually veer towards rooting for the scorned lover; however, Georgia annoyed me, and Josh and Kaz were way more entertaining than Josh and Georgia. Also, the drama was absolutely delectable. As a fourteen-year-old watching the Casa Amor re-coupling for the first time in my tiny life all those years ago, I have rarely since felt that overwhelming emotion of true and utter sadism as I watched Georgia’s reaction unfold. Truly inspiring.

• WES AND MEGAN

And I know I just said I usually root for the scorned lover, but Megan and Wes were actually so cute. They both matured within their relationship without the pressure of handling each other’s expectations, and they were also both some of the most attractive people in the villa, so it felt like a universal correction shifting into place.

~A-TIER~

• DANI X JACK

Dani and Jack were fun, comfy, and they definitely deserved to win; however, they just cannot be S-Tier with how much drama Dani got into by just weighing in on situations that had literally nothing to with her. It was always very middle school, and it annoyed me a little whenever they would fight, but not because I was like “omg I hope they work it out,” but because she’s from Essex and he’s from Kent: it’s like listening to a bowl rattle back and forth trying to wobble to a stop after being dropped on the floor.

• GEORGIA X JOSH

Any couple that Georgia’s in is bound to be interesting to watch, but the Casa Amor betrayal of the season has not (in my opinion) been matched to this day, and I credit this entirely to Georgia. But while they were together, they were sweet and balanced each other well, so here they are in A-Tier.

• NIALL X GEORGIA

I always really liked Niall and was sad to see him leave, but he and Georgia had a fun vibe and bounced off each other well. The worst couples are the ones you can barely watch without wanting to swallow your own ear, but then they go into the confessional and talk about how great they get along, and that was the complete opposite of Georgia and Niall, so RIP this dynamic coupling.

• LAURA X PAUL

I wasn’t a fan of Laura’s couples throughout most of the show because of the age differences, but Paul was a nice cool and age appropriate match for a fiery and almost thirty-year-old Laura, so I’m sticking it up in A-Tier.

• FRANKIE X SAMIRA

There’s always one boy and one girl that never finds love. It’s inevitable. This season, it was Alex and Samira; however, all I wanted was for Samira to be happy. Frankie was that final straw for me, and when he left her behind, I was devastated. They could’ve been in the final four, easy.

~B-TIER~

• HAYLEY X CHARLIE

Oh, Charlie and Hayley. The -imbos of the season, and beloved in my heart of hearts. They made me laugh, they made me smile. Heck, they got a chuckle out of me just by standing next to each other. Delightful, easy, truly an iconic couple with a hilarious and on-brand ending, down to their final interviews.

• HAYLEY X EYAL

Oh, Eyal and Hayley. See above. A match made in heaven, doomed from the start, and truly iconic.

• EYAL X MEGAN

Eyal and Megan were the it-couple of the season. They look so expensive together, like I could genuinely imagine seeing them linking arms on the red carpet and looking scandalous. They were also just a low-pressure couple. Just a couple of hot people dating hot people: what more could you ask for?

• LAURA X JACK

See the paragraph about Charlie and Hayley. Just a couple of -imbos hanging out and being hot. Laura did low-key deserve better, but it was fun while it lasted. 

~C-TIER~

• ALEX AND ALEXANDRA

After the lie detector challenge, it just felt kind of forced. I don’t think they should’ve made it past the top five, but they were pretty harmless so I won’t slander them.

• GEORGIA X SAM

Again, Georgia was very entertaining, but I felt so bad for Sam the entire time, especially after the Christmas reunion. I know it’s probably over-hyped for TV, but I kind of wanted Sam to find someone else. However, the whole sitch with the Island Club has to be the most funny television I’ve ever seen.

• ALEX X GRACE

Alex and Grace were pretty solid, but if you were in a couple with Alex, you were bound to leave within the week. She seemed nice, and bless her for giving people haircuts, but this couple was very underwhelming.

• STEPHANIE X JOSH

Stephanie and Josh are pretty forgettable. Didn’t love ‘em, didn’t hate ‘em. They got to be on TV for like a week. Good for them!

• LAURA X WES

Laura and Wes actually surprised me in a lot of ways. I thought they were locked in for the rest of the series, but no! Their split was a genuine surprise to me, and while I was a little sad at first, I really wasn’t a fan of the age gap so I really think it was for the best.

• LAURA X JACK

This couple was okay, but I felt so bad for Laura when he decided to split. She really went through it that entire time, and I just wanted her to end up with literally anyone.

• SAMIRA X SAM

Samira deserved to find someone that was obsessed with her, and while I liked watching their friendship grow, I was disappointed for Samira. She deserved better!

~D-TIER~

• ADAM X DARYLLE

Darylle seemed cool, and this relationship was too new to put in F, but Adam will never rise above D. That man was a menace, adonis and all.

• ALEX X ELLIE

Like most of the Alex couples, they seemed forced and I could totally see how Ellie would feel pressure to stay with him with everyone watching their relationship so closely, but I still felt a little bad for Alex at that point.

• ALEX X SAMIRA

I just got sick of seeing them together day after day. They were good friends, it was fun, they had a laugh, but Alex literally should’ve gone home so much earlier: man never tried past two conversations. 

• ELLIE X CHARLIE

Ellie and Charlie were so cute until the Christmas reunion. The male gender is based upon crumbling foundations, and the fact that he cheated nearly brought the institution tumbling down. Ellie may have gotten into random drama, but she 100% deserved so much better.

• ALEX X MEGAN

Alex literally gave me the worst vibe. Something about him was just off to me, and it didn’t help that I was screaming at the TV, hoping for her to choose to stay single. Wes and her were just too good, and Alex just made me uncomfortable by being on my screen.

• ELLIE X SAM

Ellie’s presence was just a flop in terms of the show’s intent, and she and Sam felt super random and kind of out of desperation, like they needed her to go back to the main villa so she could meet Dani. They just weren’t an interesting couple.

~F-TIER~

This tier belongs to Adam, and I have absolutely no regrets in doing so. A danger in the villa, a fitness influencer in the outside world. Interchangeable terms in my eyes.

• KENDALL X ADAM

I HATED this moment. No one expected it, but I was not excited by it at all. The fact that Kendall was as surprised as everyone else indicates that he didn’t talk to her much beforehand, and I feel like it was a weird and manipulative move to tell no one any intent whatsoever, only to dodge to someone that made it clear that she was happy in her couple. AND THEN HE JUST DUMPED HER. RIDICULOUS. Kendall, I hope you are happy and living a wonderful, fulfilling life. 

• ROSIE X ADAM

With fairness to Rosie, I would like to say that I live by the principle that if you were the other woman, you will be other woman-ed. However, I condone none of his actions, and Rosie seemed genuinely and rightfully hurt by him, to which he responded with the emotional maturity of a fifth grader and the smile of a little jerk. Conviction is appropriate for the way he handled that entire situation.

• ZARA X ADAM

Poor Zara. Girl thought she could change him, make him treat women less scummy. She fell prey to his eerie charm and his slippery Newcastle accent, both of which I will never understand. I actually felt so bad for her when he chose to get to know Daryll despite going through all of that with Zara, even though I had just felt bad for Rosie and Kendall. These poor girls were all wronged. A menace, this man! A menace, I say!

***

If you have read this, or even skipped to the end, know this: my loved ones are so grateful that they will likely never have to hear me rant about this again, now that I’ve expressed most of my thoughts. “Love Island” is an institution, a social experiment that sociologists will study endlessly, and one of the best shows I have ever seen.

Season 7 has been tumultuous, but they as long as there are a bunch of hot dumb people spending 24 hours a day with each other on television, I will watch. Even if they’re Australian (I may even start the US one soon). Maybe someday, I’ll delve into my thoughts on my second favorite season, season 6, but for now, I’ll bask in the freedom of finally expressing my thoughts on the best season so far.

This past week, I am absolutely crushed to say that Buzzfeed Unsolved finished off its last season of “True Crime.” The internet has lost a wonderful and lighthearted show, filled with classic bits and some truly unique investigations一that being said, we still have “Supernatural,” but I’ve found that my favorite thing to do in the wake of a show’s funeral is to go back and re-watch some of my favorite episodes. Maybe you’re in mourning with me, maybe you’ve never even heard of this show. Bottom line, it’s a hilarious and engrossing show that I recommend to everyone, so without further adieu, here are just a few of my favorite episodes throughout the series!

• The Strange Disappearance of D.B. Cooper

The strange story of an unknown criminal that hijacked a plane, demanded ransom money, and then parachuted out of the plane with his reward. Despite there being a lengthy and extensive manhunt, the man using the alias “Dan Cooper” (a.k.a. D.B. Cooper) was neither identified nor caught.

In order to hijack the plane, D.B. Cooper handed a flight attendant a note claiming he harbored a bomb, which he presented as a briefcase containing several multicolored wires and a battery. After the flight landed and refueled, all of the passengers were evacuated (sans two pilots, a flight engineer, and a flight attendant) and Cooper received his money. The plane then took off once more, coasting slowly at a lower altitude where Cooper jumped out of the plane with a parachute and his duffel bag full of money. 

With no conclusive suspects and only a few leads throughout the years, this 1971 crime remains unsolved.

• The Bizarre Road Trip of a Missing Family

The growing and isolated paranoia of the Australian Tromp Family caused the two parents and five adult children to drive north-bound with no warning or means of communication. All of their ID’s, phones, and credit cards were left within their farmhouse, and the three children had no information beforehand that their parents were planning some kind of off-the-grid roadtrip. Only one of the Tromps一25-year-old Mitchell一 was not swept up in the paranoia, and eventually, he, his 22-year-old sister, Ella, and their older sister, Riana, individually escaped their parents.

Ella was the first to arrive back on their farm, followed by Mitchell, then Riana, only to be greeted by the police attempting to locate a destination of the family’s spontaneous getaway. The parents, Jacoba and Mark, also eventually became separated, though they, too, found their ways back.

This entire phenomenon has several theories, though the most popular and widely-accepted theory is chalked up to a rare psychological condition coined as “folie a deux,” or a collective delusion that tends to happen between couples and tightly-knit families. Despite attempts at qualifying this strange case’s catalyst remains unsolved.

• The Odd Vanishing of Amelia Earhart

One of the most decorated and pioneering pilots to ever fly the skies, Amelia Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared during her attempt to circumnavigate the globe. With several obstacles such as cloudy skies, a faulty radio, and low fuel, Earhart’s unknown fate could have had any number of causes. During one of the final legs of her flight, she stopped transmitting, and she, her plane, and Noonan were never seen again.

Despite several searches over and within the ocean, as well as several islands surrounding the possible crash site, no conclusive results have ever been found, and Earhart’s disappearance remains unsolved.

• The Thrilling of Gardner Museum Heist

Nearly 31 years ago, 13 pieces of art were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum within around 81 minutes. Two men entered the museum dressed as police officers after being allowed into the employee entrance by the guard on duty. At the request of one of the “officers,” the guard stepped away from his desk and was therefore unable to contact authorities as he and the other guard on duty were handcuffed and stowed in the basement of the museum. 

After methodically avoiding several of the museum’s outdated security measures, the thieves departed with the stolen art, never to be seen again. With no specific suspects and no leads surrounding the whereabouts of the stolen art pieces, this case remains unsolved.

• The Incredible Alcatraz Prison Break 

In 1934, John and Clarence Anglin escaped the Alcatraz prison with fellow inmate Frank Morris. Thought to be inescapable, these three men organized a plan in which they had been chipping holes around their air vents using crude, hand-made tools and utilized a utility tunnel behind their cells to escape onto the roof of the prison. They then climbed down the prison wall using pipes and reconvened on the beach after climbing over a surrounding fence, where they made their way off the island using homemade life vests they had crafted out of rain jackets and vulcanized with a steam pipe. 

The following morning, hand-crafted heads were found in place of the three escapees, and a widespread search of the bay and surrounding areas occurred. Though some of the men’s belongings were later discovered, no bodies or evidence of the men living lives on the mainland were ever found, and so the case remains unsolved.

• The Eerie Vanishing of the Flannan Isles Lighthouse Keepers

Taking place in 1900, this case features the disappearance of the three men in charge of taking care of the lighthouse on the island of Eilean Mor within the Flannan Isles, off the coast of Scotland. This island had several rumored spiritual superstitions that have spurred endless theories, as the men disappeared after a massive seastorm.

The circumstances of their vanishing set up a strange and confusing timeline, with food on the table that was ready to be eaten, stopped clocks, a prepared and unlit lamp, and two missing coats. Overall, with no bodies ever found and no witnesses, these disappearances remain unsolved. 

• The Menacing Case of the Monster with 21 Faces

In the mid-1980’s, a criminal or organized group of criminals blackmailed and threatened Japan’s biggest corporations in confections. They consistently threatened to poison candies, and eventually followed through and visibly-labeled candies tainted with cyanide and continued their reign of terror with messages and demands for unclaimed ransoms.

These crimes nearly named the end of companies like Glico and Morinaga, and with several letters with hints at their identity/identities, they simultaneously painted Japanese officers as incompetent. With only one dead lead toward a suspect, the case went cold and to this day remains unsolved.

***

These videos are only a few of my favorites from the “True Crime” series, and with dozens to binge, join me in reminiscing the comfort of the wonderful “Buzzfeed Unsolved: True Crime” series, featuring the hilarious and charming friendship of Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej. The show will be missed, and though there will be no new episodes, there will never be a shortage of smiles from the dozens of episodes available free on YouTube and offered on Hulu or Prime Video.