Summer just got hotter with the season premiere of “Love Island USA.”
The first five couples of Season 5 were formed during the first episode, which aired Tuesday on Peacock. For six weeks, a cast of singles from across the U.S. will seek romantic connections in an oceanfront Fijian mansion and aim to stay coupled up to remain eligible for a fan-favorite vote at the end of the series. The winning couple will take home $100,000.
Tuesday’s premiere proved to be ruthless as viewers saw a shocking departure after cast members voted off the least compatible couple.
Episodes will stream daily at 6 PDT/9 EDT through July 25. New episodes will then drop Thursdays through Tuesdays, meaning there will be a break every Wednesday after premiere week. On Saturdays, “Love Island USA” will have “unseen bits” episodes in which narrator Iain Stirling offers commentary over outtakes from the islanders’ week.
Now, here’s what happened Tuesday night at the villa.
Meet the ‘Love Island USA’ 2023 cast
Episode 1 introduced us to 10 men and women. Here’s who was in the starting cast:
- Anna Kurdys, a 22-year-old student from Boca Raton, Florida.
- Destiny Davis, a 27-year-old microbiologist from Florissant, Missouri.
- Vickala “Kay Kay” Gray, a 25-year-old travel nurse from Palestine, Texas.
- Kassy Castillo, a 22-year-old student from Fort Worth, Texas.
- Jasmine Sklavanitis, a 24-year-old trauma stepdown ICU nurse from Nashville, Tennessee.
- Leonardo Dionicio, a 21-year-old salesman from West Hartford, Connecticut.
- Marco Donatelli, a 22-year-old student from Boca Raton, Florida.
- Keenan Anunay, a 23-year-old student from Atlanta, Georgia.
- Victor Gonzalez, a 28-year-old student and wrestler originally from Madrid, Spain.
- Carsten “Bergie” Bergersen, a 23-year-old Dairy Queen manager from Madison, South Dakota.
Throughout the season, new cast members will join the villa, challenging the established couples as they try to form connections. As viewers weigh in on the “Love Island” app, islanders and fans alike will occasionally vote on who stays and who leaves.
Who coupled up on ‘Love Island USA’ Episode 1?
Host Sarah Hyland introduced the first surprise of the season: The couples would be formed through a “stick or twist” process in which the women could change their minds on whom they wanted to pair off with every time a new man came on to the beach.
Leonardo, who charms women with his Spanish, was the first man to step out. But former college football player Marco’s arrival soon enticed Destiny and Jasmine over to his side.
Jason Momoa-lookalike, Victor, wants to find his “fairytale princess,” but to his dismay, no one stepped over for him. Texan travel nurse Kay Kay paired up with football player-turned-journalism-student Keenan because of his high energy before the marriage-minded Bergie found out that none of the women wanted to step forward for him.
Here’s who coupled up at the beginning of tonight’s episode:
- Leonardo and Kassy
- Marco and Destiny
- Kay Kay and Keenan
- Victor and Jasmine
- Bergie and Anna
A senior dating show:Here’s the 71-year-old grandfather starring in a new “Bachelor” spinoff
‘Love Island USA’ shocker: One islander is sent packing
By the end of the episode, it was clear which couples were better suited for one another.
For starters, Jasmine claimed there was no “initial spark” with Victor and Anna encouraged Bergie, who admitted in an interview that his confidence was lacking, to go “talk to other girls.” For others, love was already in the air as Marco and Destiny were the first to share a passionate kiss.
Later, the entire cast played a kissing game cut short by host Hyland’s arrival. The “Modern Family” star announced that the islanders had to vote for who they thought was the least compatible couple. Four couples voted for Anna and Bergie − including themselves (they manage to take the L gracefully) − and there was one vote for Jasmine and Victor.
When challenged to choose between themselves, the weakest couple decided Bergie would go home. “I just felt like I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep in any empty bed tonight without a guilty conscience,” he said.
But wait; there’s more.
“Everyone deserves a second chance,” apparently, and just as he was on his way out, Bergie was told via text to “#ThroupleUp.”
Seems like that won’t be the last we see of the Dairy Queen manager.
“Love Island” all-stars:Everything to know about “Love Island Games” coming this fall
