Summer's here and you know what that means: it's Love Island USA season! That means spending six nights a week glued to a screen, watching a dozen sexy singles look for love in a cartoonishly colorful villa. There will be lots of hook-ups, lots of spicy games, and lots of incredibly impractical bathing suits. Every week, Nicole Weaver of Black Bi Reality will break down what's going down in the Villa by ranking the couples from compatible to scary.
Love Island USA's Villa was very crowded the week after the Casa Amor men and women joined the original cast. The singles provided more opportunity for love and mess. We had the heart race challenge where duos performed together for once, and it led to one of the biggest fractures of the season. Chelley Bissainthe was at odds with Huda Mustafa for taking things "too far" with Ace Greene.
That led to a tense mail bag challenge where everyone could anonymously write what they wanted to say to someone. That was the beginning of the end for Pepe Garcia and Gracyn Blackmore. Huda secretly wrote he wasn't into her, which led to them having an honest conversation. Then we said goodbye to Austin Shepherd and multiple islanders from Casa Amor after a public vote. There are now six couples remaining in the last week of the show and I've ranked them from the least to most stable.
6. Iris & Pepe
The bombshells were forced to repeatedly restart after their strongest connections were sent home. Iris Kendall admitted she wasn't looking forward to exploring after saying goodbye to TJ Palma. Gracyn was frustrated with Pepe for not quickly moving on from Hannah Fields. Then Episode 30 showed these two talking about their families in Soul Ties. Pepe revealed he viewed Iris as a "badass," possibly for handling the awkward Huda and Jeremiah situation so well. He said in a confessional that they could grow their friendship into something more. But they're the newest couple and at a disadvantage; it wouldn't be surprising if they get dumped from the island and then try to make things work outside the Villa with their former flames.
5. Huda & Chris
Time isn't on Huda and Chris's side as one of the newest couples in the villa. There are also moments when it seems like they're on different pages. Episode 30 showed Huda telling the athlete she was surprised he was the only one to kiss her in the challenge. He looked confused by this. No, they're not closed off, but the options have significantly dwindled. It is hard to root for this couple.
Huda's second pancake situation gave audiences flashbacks to her time with Jeremiah Brown. Chris seemed genuinely frustrated with Chelley in the mail challenge and that seemed to push him to default to this couple. It's almost at the end of the season and this couple won't be able to test their connection like the other couples.
4. Taylor & Clarke
Taylor Williams has obviously waited the whole season for someone like Clarke Carraway to enter the Villa. He said in the mail challenge that Clarke makes him feel like a kid. Olandria wasn't impressed by that, but Taylor has always been one of the silliest Islanders. He planned a picnic date for Clarke complete with a rose in his mouth. She laughed so hard at his antics that she teared up. They are compatible, but the public's perception of Taylor will be tough to overcome. America ranked them at the bottom, but it didn't phase them. This is a good sign for their future.
3. Amaya & Bryan
Bryan Arenales defended Amaya Espinal after Ace, Austin, and Zak criticized her in the mail challenge. He mentioned the important cultural context that in Hispanic households people call each other loving names. Amaya's luck started to turn around after the Villa found out she's a fan favorite. Fans were rooting for her to pick Bryan because of his defense of her. Luckily, they got what they wished for and the couple had a cute muumuu cuddle session in the speakeasy. Bryan repeatedly said he wanted Amaya to feel free to be herself after so much criticism. It's hard not to root for a coupling based on kindness and cultural understanding.
2. Nic & Olandria
Eagled-eye fans have looked deeply into every Nic Vansteenberghe and Olandria interaction since the premiere. Some called them delusional, but there are multiple times that these original Islanders have kissed in challenges. The physical attraction is there, but is there more? The answer looked like no once they were forced to couple up during Casa Amor, but that's mostly because Olandria was holding out hope that Taylor would choose her over Clarke. That didn't happen and when one door closes, Nic will fight to keep the other door open.
He did that by arguing for Olandria to get another shot when voting who to keep on the show. Then Cierra Ortega was removed from the show between episodes after it was discovered that she repeatedly using a slur in an Instagram post. Episode 30 showed Nic and Olandria revisiting their connection since he was single. Some might argue it feels forced because of Cierra's expulsion. However, we saw the pair laughing together. Nic brought out his gentleman ways for Olandria, some that weren't there for Cierra. Olandria also admitted she was too clouded by Taylor the first time they were coupled up. They could have a strong shot at winning after this long journey.
1. Chelley & Ace
Chelley and Ace's biggest flaw is their ego. Ace kept wanting to keep their relationship open, then was shocked Chelley didn't stop exploring once he dumped Coco Watson. This season, the men have struggled with taking the initiative and making romantic gestures to move forward in their relationships. However, the couple was brought back to reality after America ranked them in the bottom repeatedly this week.
This could've easily broken them, but they stayed together. Chelley told America she knows Ace and is standing beside him. She made breakfast for the dancer the next day and admitted she was insecure about her cooking skills. Episode 30 showed them having their most vulnerable conversation, with them talking about how they grew up. They are frustratingly slow burners, but are one of the most stable couples of the season. It wouldn't be a surprise if they won, and they continue their relationship after the season.
There will be tough competition in this final week. Original Islanders typically win the $100,000 prize. But Season 7 lacked romance and a new connection like Amaya and Bryan could take the win. However, it wouldn't be surprising if our original Islander couples are in the top three on finale night. They had very different journeys on the show, and it comes down to which one the public finds more compelling.
New episodes of Love Island Season 7 premiere Thursday to Tuesday night at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock
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