Following the most popular season of Love Island USA to date, Peacock decided to explore several of the “beloved” cast from the season as they hang in Los Angeles for the Summer. JaNa, Aaron, Miguel, Leah, Kaylor, Connor, Serena, Kenny, Liv, and Kendall share the screen alongside other fellow islanders, with a few missing faces (Rob primarily). Where Love Island is a reality competition series focused on the drama in finding love, Beyond the Villa is an unrestrained look at the “real world” relationships between the group - including frustration, awkwardness, and chill vibes. 

 

The premiere lacks a bit of the charisma that the Love Island series is known for, but these types of shows often take more than one episode to gain some steam. The first reintroduces us to this cast of favorites as they reconnect and celebrate Love Island at an affiliated party. Framed for the dramatic, we are offered some high tension arguments that generate out of thin air - as someone that doesn’t follow the cast on socials, this is a catch up session for me. 

 

The confessional returns here for quick cuts for added commentary from the former islanders - which better connects the different perspectives of the underlying situations. While the list of featured islanders show up - this premiere is more so a Kendall, Liv, Kaylor and Aaron story, along with a JaNa vs Connor storyline. The rest of the cast are placed on the backburner, but as the preview for the season reveals - everyone will have their time. Love Island: Beyond the Villa has the potential to be the highlight of the Summer, especially for Love Island fans longing for the heat of last Summer.