What to Watch, Read & Listen To Now That Love Island US Season 6 is Over

some thoughts & recommendations from ME

Jul 23, 2024

First, let me take a moment to thank Ariana Madix, ITV Entertainment, and the incomparable Peacock network for their service. In the midst of this heat-wave-plagued, apocalyptic, election-lead-up summer, they bestowed upon us the absolute best season of Love Island US EVER!!!! I want to say the best season of Love Island period but UK season 5 still holds that title for me.

If you want to skip the Love Island spoilers and jump to my recommendations, CLICK HERE!

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It’s been so hot in New York that the other day I scoured my entire apartment searching for the source of a repugnant stench, only to realize the common denomenator in every room… was me. I was the stench. I and the sweat that had pooled in my “Cattitude” tee shirt as I basked in utter bliss in front of my TV, watching the Love Island US cast dress up in slutty Halloween costumes and dance for each other while wearing heart monitor devices to measure who got turned on the most by which castmate. BLISS, I TELL YOU, BLISS!!!!!!

I had to be convinced to even watch this season since I’m usually more of a UK loyalist, but to be honest, this current season of Love Island UK is a snoozefest. The most drama storyline is that a guy who used to be on a different reality show entered the villa. I don’t feel moved to root for any of the characters or couples, the most steadfast of which is Nicole and Cieran but Cieran is 21 YEARS OLD! Come on. It’s not gonna last. I won’t engage in the delusion!

Rooting for the characters is the defining element for me when it comes to enjoying a season of Love Island. Ultimately, we are watching a community form before our eyes, with each cast member taking on their own specific role - there are alphas, betas, jesters, cheerleaders and villains - and when the cast is bland, the community suffers.

Enter - Love Island US with one of the most iconically-cast communities of all time. They had everything - the alpha/beta dynamic between all-time bizarro villain Rob and steretypical fuckboy villain Aaron, the tragic figure of Kaylor and her tear-smudged eyeliner wings, the cheerleaders Kendall and Liv who heralded the post-date girl/boy chats, Kordell and the Leah-Serena-JaNa triad bringing the humor, and the villainous Casa girls to stir things up. My allegiances oscillated from episode to episode AS THEY SHOULD, but in the end, my favorite couple won.

SERENA AND KORDELL FOREVER!!!!! They have been through ups, downs, trials and tribulations but they came out stronger than ever and I can’t wait for Kordell’s cat to meet Serena’s dog.

Alas, until the season 6 reunion, a void remains in the villa’s shadow.

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Here are my reccommendations to fill your Love Island void up with content!

WHAT TO WATCH

If you really miss Love Island—

The Traitors UK Season 1, which Aaron from Love Island Us Season 6 aka “Fuuuuuaaack Aaron”, COMPETED IN AND WON!
Big Brother Season 26 - I have never been a Big Brother person BUT I’ve been seeing lots of discourse about the new season on twitter, the same type of hype that lead me to give Love Island US a chance, and although episode one of the new season disturbed me with its weird A.I. scheananigans, episode 2 brings in a pageant coach who describes herself as a “spicy cupcake”, a 5’6 man who is enamored with tall women (there’s a 6’2 woman already in the house) and an edible-glitter-obsessed chef who claims to have coined the term “vibe curator” - I’M HOOKED.

If you like to be inspired—

Simone Biles Rising follows Simone in the wake of her withdrawal from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the lead-up to her comeback on the 2024 Olympic team. What even needs to be said? This woman is the most unbelievable athlete we’ve ever witnessed. Great watch to get ready for the upcoming Olympic Games!
The Rescue is a Nat Geo documentary about the cave rescue of the Thai soccer team in 2018. I don’t know how to link it because I don’t have Disney+ but I rented and watched this and was overwhelmed/moved to tears by the humanity, bravery and compassion that made this historic rescue possible. THIS WILL MAKE YOU BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE ARE GOOD!

If you like to be scared/disturbed—

Handling the Undead is a dark, heart-breaking and very unique zombie movie. It’s Norwegian, and therefore deeeeeeply sinister. I don’t want to spoil anything, but this is a game changer in the zombie genre and the performances, including that of Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World) are stunning.
Longlegs - listen, I did NOT love this movie the way I wanted to. I was so excited to see it that I went alone right after it opened. I wanted this to be one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen, as the trailer implies, but I really wasn’t that scared and I did not like the ending AT ALL. However, this movie is beaitofully shot and well-acted as far as horror movies go (Nicolas Cage is unrecognizable and definitely worth seeing), so I think you should go if you are a horror person. If you haven’t already, you must watch Longlegs star Maika Monroe in the 2014 film It Follows, one of my fave horrors of all time.

If you like history—

The Commandant’s Shadow is a heavy but fascinating study of denial and the human capacity for both evil and resilience. This documentary follows the son and grandson of concentration camp commandant Rudolf Höss as well as an Auschwitz survivor and her daughter, as they all confront the realities of their origins.
The Dark Side of the 90s/The Dark Side of the 2000s truly doesn’t belong in the same category as The Commandant’s Shadow since it’s basically an elevated version of VH1’s I Love The… franchise BUT it is a fun and interesting look back at specific cultural moments. This series was recommended to me by a friend specifically for the “Shock Jocks” episodes about radio hosts like Howard Stern and Opie and Anthony and I learned a LOT about how much cultural damage those men are responsible for.

If you support women and their stories—

The Real Housewives of Orange County & The Real Housewives of New Jersey are both airing new seasons right now and giving CLASSIC HOUSEWIVES IN ALL THEIR GLORY. On OC, Shannon Storms Beador’s very recent ex-boyfriend is now dating and giving “promised ring”s to Alexis “Jesus Jugs” Bellino AND not unlike Timberlake, Shannon’s DUI has effectively RUINED the Tres Amigas ~~world~~ multi-state tour. On Jersey, Danielle and Jen are feuding over the treatment of a “hair girl”, which is causing Jen to lose trust in her fearless leader Theresa, who is in hot water with her husband/Camp for Adult Men graduate Louie and Dolores is getting into business with her commitment-phobe Irish boyfriend and there’s talk of milking men’s prostates and it’s heaven.

If you like CHEMISTRY—

Twisters which I have not seen yet but KNOW is going to be great because the cast’s chemistry is IMPECCABLE. I think we all learned from the Don’t Worry Darlings rollout that the actors’ behavior on a press tour can say a lot about the quality of the film. Whether or not Harry Styles spat on Chris Pine, the whole cast looked PISSED that they had to pretend this movie had something of worth to say. The Twisters cast, plus Glen Powell’s newly adopted dog Brisket, are all smiles and laughs and tik tok dances during their press tour, leading me to believe that they are proud of the film and hopefully, at least two of them are secretly in love.

WHAT TO LISTEN TO

The Problem with Erik - Season Four of Texas Monthly’s True Crime series tells the story of the failson heir to an auto dealership fortune and his involvement in the deaths of a sex worker and her abusive on-again-off-again partner. The story, thus far, involves a Texas watering hole for old timers called “The Shithole”, Charlie Sheen’s former bodyguard, and lots and lots of hubris. TW: abusive relationships
Hysterical is a fascinating deep dive that starts with the outbreak of a mysterious illness among high school aged girls in a town called Leroy in Upstate New York. I remember this news story well. The podcast transcends the headlines to explore the mysteries, gender dynamics and gaslighting involved in this case, and many others to which it is inextricably linked.
You Probably Think This Story’s About You tells the story of Brittani Ard, the familial traumas that shaped her, and the seemingly perfect dream man who took advantage of that. It’s also about women coming together to confront a liar. TW: Suicide, abusive relationships
Throughline episode - The Roots of Poverty in America
You’re Wrong About episode - The Tradwife Rises with Sarah Archer

WHAT TO READ

Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner - super readable, great characters, very relatable family dynamics involving guilt, privilege, imposter syndrome, anxiety, addiction, OCD and envy.
Dead Weight: Essays on Hunger and Harm by Emmeline Clein - this is the first eating disorder book I’ve read that exapansively covers the oppressive impact of early 2000s pop culture from America’s Next Top Model to the rise of the BBL and most recently, Ozempic. Didn’t agree with every single take, but found it thought-provoking and validating.
The Wren, the Wren by Anne Enright follows two generations of women that come after a celebrated male poet in Ireland and contend with their legacy while finding their own voices in a small, grounded, beautiful story.

From substack:

These are my recs. Let me know what you think!

What to Watch, Read & Listen To Now That Love Island US Season 6 is Over

some thoughts & recommendations from ME

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