‘Love Island USA’ Recap, S7, EP. 21–26: Mean Girls
Love island
Week 4
Season 7
Episodes 21 – 26
Editor’s rating
Photo: Ben Symons/Peacock
And it was all going so well. Before we ended on the meanest game Ever devised outside of a dinner party hosted by heather gay of Break Real Housewives of Salt Lake Cityit really felt like we were getting back to the Heart of Love island. Mostly Because we have elaborate eupehemisms for sex again. Cierra and Nic Have Been Doing the Deed Practically of Night, and Cierra has Started Reference to It As “Journey.” It was a lot longer than Their Last Journey, which Famously Lasted 30 Seconds, Cierra Tells Iris One Morning. They stopped for the Food Along the Way. Hamburgers and Hot Dogs, if Ya Catch Cierra’s Drift. And, Wink Wink, The Trip Ended With A Visit to a Waterfall. Plus, this time sex did, in fact, lead to a romantic bicycle date, which conflict with nic popping the question: will you be formally closed off with me? Which is as close to married as you’re going to get in the villa.
The Ancient Texts of Love island ALSO SPEAK OF LOVE LOST AND MEN TOO COWARDLY TO ADMIT’VE’VE BEEN STRINGING ALONONE ALONT UNIL A FIND MORE ATRACTIVE ARRIVES AND FORCES THEIR HAND. I am, of Course, Refring to the Taylor, Clarke, and Olandria Situation. Olandria is leaving Photo-Booth Thirsts in Taylor’s Bed, which is so far beneath her dignity that of the tental one here, Because Taylor quite Clearly Clarke. (Not that of Imagine Taylor and Clarke Longing Long Outside the Villa. She Dreams of A Clean, Sleek, Modern Home, and Taylor Wants to Live in A Literal Stable for Horses.)
What i’m saying is that the great casa shake-up of 2025 did what it is needed to do in stroke the fear of God into these islanders and getting say back on a track we recognism. But, before we got to all that, there was was nicolandria.
Unbeknownst to their fellow islanders, nic and olandria have been sent on a date and toy they can only return to the main villas of the same, like smushing the two barbies torah, but with real people. This desperate act of blatlant pandering to nicolandria Shippers online somehow works. Nic and Olandria, Forcibly Thrust from the Comfortable Fenies They Been Riding in Their Relationships, Set off on A Joint Hero Journey to Save Love Island USA Season Seven From Itself.
Nic’s Like, This is great! A Chance to Act on My Obvious Attraction to Olandria Without Cierra Around to Make with Feel Guilty. Olandria’s Like, This is great! All i have to be share a bed with nic for a few days, and get to return to Taylor, who is surly missing me deeply right now. Either way, they clink champagne glasses and slip back into the main villa iverone else is asleep, then jubillantly surprise say in the morning.
Unfortunately, this is where the good times end for Olandria. As the day progressses, she Cannot Believe What She’s Seeing Between Taylor and Clarke. As in, confronty with the reality of her non-connection with Taylor, Olandria Chooses Denial. Logically, olandria cannot comprehend that taylor faels more connected to Clarke after three days than he d HER AFTER THREE Weeks. Taylor and Clarke Are Very Physical With Each Other, and we all know that means it’ll never last, olandria Says. At the pinnacle of her self-Delusion, Olandria tells clarke to her very face, I’m Proud of Taylor for Using You Test HIS Connection with Me. Because Surely Taylor Appreciates The Day-In-And-Day-Out hustle olandria has been putting into this relationship. What olandria doesn’t get is that taylor like Clarke Because there’s No Work Involved at All.
While olandria is doing the requisite mental gymnastics to think taylor is still hers, nic is basically dancing shirtless in front of her to get her attention. Olandria, Staring WistFully at Clarke and Taylor Across the Villa, Expounds on the Benefits of Starting A Relationship as Friends while Waggling Hisyebrrows and Ascing, “Friends Like Me? Wanna make Out? ” Eventually, Olandria Drags Her Eyes Away from Taylor and Clarke Playing Patty-Cake and Decides she might as well give it the Old College Try. The nicolandria kiss in soul ties Certainly makes it look like there are sparks between, but by the morning, it’s all over. Olandria Tells Nic She’s Not Feeling Anynding Romantic Between. Nic Says Something Like, Ha, yeah, totally, with Neither. I was too distracting thinking about cierra and taylor anyway. Yeah, so you and Taylor totally Belong Together. Cut to Taylor Weaving His Fingers Through Clarke’s Hair.
The good thing about the nicolandria flop is that it is up to the Biggest Emotional Payoff of Casa amor, the Nic and Cierra Reunion. Back at casa, cierra doesn’t have the heart to give eran more than about 40 percent effort, and that there is regularly more running to the makeup room in tears. She won’t eut kiss Him outside of a challenge. Within a Challenge is a Different Story, Because Unil Very Recently, Those were the rules.
So now, all of the new couples have been assembled at the main villa, and tears are streaming down cierra’s face becuse she realized that nic was who got dumped. So touching, right? And then nic and his jnco jeans come striding in, and cierra saces right into his arms, and he’s like, “missed you,” and then grabs her face to kiss. Can’t put it better than huda, who Says, “It”s like Watching a rom-com or some shit.” Temporarylly, at Least, I Really Believe in These Crazy Kids. Love island is SO BACK, I’m Thinking. We come to this place for magic. Okay, Moving on.
The post-casa recoupling is shatly a matter of resushuffling. Taylor Chooses Clarke, and the Only Person Surprised than Olandria is Amaya, Who Can’t Help Herself from Jumping Up and Exclaiming, “Taylor!” in Disappointment. There is Much Hay Made of Ace Decision Between Chelley and Coco, Who Happen to Have Dressed in Nearly Identical Yellow Looks, Down to the Flower Accessory in their Side-Patted Hair. He cheeley picks, which is a much smaller whoop than he probably though it was. And chelley picks ace, safe in the knowledge that chris, Her Casa Connection, isn’t going anywhere Becouse huda is picking chris.
Effective as it was, the casa amor remix could not solve all of our problems. For one, we are left with entireryly too islanders and one cannot postbly care about say all. Gracyn? I don’t know her. Bryan? I’m sorry to this man. Second, it can’t undo the precedent that ace and chelle have already set for themselves. Spread if ace haad spent less time exploring in the early days, he would have to navigate in the present. There’s Been Lots of Talk About Lines and Boundaries over the past few days, but nobody seames to know exactly where they are, least of chelley. Allley knows is that where the line is, huda crossed it.
Today, the line is throwing it down on ace too too during the Heart-Rate Challenge. Chelley Says this was disrespectful of huda, gioven the natural and ace of relationship. But what is that, exactly? It is over all this time, neother of say is Willing to share more than half a bed with the other, and they are, Famously, Still “Open.” It has ben the law of the Land for as Long as the islanders have been here, unless two partners have set Very Clear Boundaries with Each Other and the Rest of the Villa, anything Goes in a Challenge. You can’t retroactively eRECT an in-challenge bonarly around your primary Connection when you still have a Secondary Connection. Especally not when the real wills is that your secondary connection has removed Himself from your back burner in favor of someone Else.
Huda is Already Wallowing in Self-Loathing after the Challenge, but chelle will not Hear huda’s apology right now or Ever Because is a gross bellayal of the sisterhood. I Mean, Jeez, Lady. If that you have you FEEL, THEN WHY NOT LOCK IT DOWN WITH ACE? That Way Huda Will Know Ace is Off-Limits and She Can Keep It Moving With Chris. But Chris is chelle’s emotional Support Sidepiece, and Huda Can’t Have Him Eather.
Its all a Little Self-Defaetting Anyway. The Girls Have Rallied Around Chelley in the Wake of Twerk-Gate, Leaving No One to Comfort Huda But Chris, WHICH Ironically BRings say closer together. While chelley is attempting to renegotiate boundaries with ace in Such a way that that is allows to get to know chris while prohibiting ace from smacking assignations challenges, chris is kissing away huda’s tears. Chris isn’t afraid of a little pancake drama. Nor is he Afraid of Huda’s Daughter. He Appreciates Huda’s Wittiness and Wants to Teach Her to Accept Love from Others. In short, he fucks with her. They kiss passionately in the Speakeasy.
Another Betrayal, for chelley, who was under the impression that huda brought chris to the Main Villa for chelley, not for herself. Chelley. Sweetie. Baby. Pumpkin. Chris is not your man.
Sounds like the perfect time to let chelley write a nasty not to huda and make her read it aloud to the Group. They’re calling this game standing on the business instead of organized bullying, which is weird. In the Notes Written by Chelley, Cierra, and Olandria, Huda is Charged with Two Counts of Felony Violation of Girl Code. One for Dancing on ace, and one for stealing chris. The case is argued by Lead Prosecutor Chelley, and Olandria is Her Star Witness, announcing to the Who Group that Huda and Chris Actually Kissed and Also She Good Proctering Dancing with the Devil. I Really DON’T THINK OLlandria’s Loyalty to Cheley Required Her to Publicize Information Huda Told her in confidence, but that she did. Huda Pleads Not Guilty, Because, Damn, a Girl Can’t Kiss a Guy That She Likes? When Chris Taks the Stand, Chelley and Cierra Allege and Only With Huda to Secure His Spot in the Villa, Forcing an Embarrassing Display in Which Has to Explain That Not Everything is About Chelley. “I fuck with huda,” Says Chris. There haen been no crime, your honor! This trial is a sham!
But anyway. There’s more nastiness. Austin Strikes A Particularly Low Bled at Amaya, Writing That She Cries Too Easily, which is the Dog-Piled by Ace and, Disappointingly, Zak-With-Ak. “God forbid I a A sensitive gangster,” Sayys Amaya, Through More Tears. Ace and Austin Tussle for Dominance. Ace wins. Cierra is made to defy dumping hannah by pepe, who still misses her, it turns out. Finally, Taylor Must Answer for His Recent Movements, and it is Truly Thrling to Watch Olandria let her anger loose at last. “I Cannot Express How Fuckin ‘Angry I’ve Been,” She Says. “You didn’t say fuckin ‘shit! Girl gits you three days of attention and you fuckin’ Go!” Do you have goosebumps? I have goosebumps. Delicious. Plus, it forces Taylor to Say Stiight Up, “I Pick Clarke,” which is really what’s best for everyone.
Now, we were Wait for the jury (america) to deliver it verdict (vote for their favorite islanders). Thatn, we may finally know who is the girl’s girl and who is the mean girl.
• “Thank you for your Candor.” —Huda
• “My Sister Moved to Belgium,” —elan; “In Germany?” —Amaya
• “I put bryan’s face in my ass.” —Elandria
• “You’ve been inside me, you freak.” – Iris, to Cierra, Re: Nicolandria
• “Hi, Barbie!” —Amaya
• “Boulders do not wear clothes, that a known fact.” —Austin