The Love Island reunion last night was nothing short of car crash TV and a waste of time

It was awkward to watch, and not in a good way


Last night should have been incredible peak Love Island television. It was the Love Island 2021 reunion, and a chance to see the Islanders again and catch up with them now they’ve hit the outside world. There had been rumours of new relationships, couples going official and unfinished drama we were excited to see resolved. However, what we were greeted with instead was an hour and a half of boring, car crash TV.

We usually moan about them, but last night I was glad for all the ad breaks. At least that was some respite from the forced conversations, awful atmosphere, awkward silences and camera pans over a room full of Islanders who clearly didn’t want to be there. At this point, we should have all followed Jake’s lead and pulled a sickie.

Kaz and Tyler

via ITV

We knew it was going to be bad when it began with a montage of Islanders reacting to how many Instagram followers they had

The start of the episode saw Chloe and Toby getting their phones back and gushing over how many Instagram followers they had gained. Fair, it would be one of the first things you checked. But as a viewer, this was a stark reminder of the actual show process – which isn’t what we want to see.

This year the Islanders have been more self-aware than ever, talking about filming whilst on the show and you could tell their personal image and life after the villa was always in the back of their minds. Instead, we invest in them as characters almost – who we watch every evening. We want to know what they’re up to, the biggest dramas and get emosh over how in love they are. I don’t want to sit and watch them look at their follower count and contemplate clothing deals.

Call me sad, but that is simply not the magic of Love Island. We know it happens, we know it’s what they go on the show for but let us have this moment of forgetting about that. PLEASE.

Laura Whitmore was awkward and at times it was uncomfortable to watch

Review and reactions to the Love Island 2021 reunion show last night, Laura Whitmore

via ITV

One of the main things that really made the reunion episode suck was that it wasn’t very exciting. The atmosphere was a huge flop and it wasn’t carried, as it should have been, by the host. Laura Whitmore was at times extremely uncomfortable to watch, and didn’t really have any back and forth with the Islanders. They’d speak, and she’d just say “yep” and move on. That’s without mentioning the staggering number of times she said “this is awkward”, “that’s awkward” or pointed out awkward silences instead of, I don’t know, filling them?

In general, the episode wasn’t very funny

Don’t get me wrong, I do honestly think Iain Stirling is a very funny man. And it can’t have been helped he was doing the post-Covid version of the show so wasn’t as into it as normal. But, where were the jokes?? Did I miss them??? Was there anything funny about this show???

Did any of the Islanders want to be there?

Review and reactions to the Love Island 2021 reunion show last night

via ITV

Laura and Iain weren’t stellar, we’ve established that. But they weren’t exactly given much to work with when it really looked as though none of the Islanders wanted to be there. When Laura went to speak to them, they pretty much dead-pan refused her questions and she was forced to move on. Matthew has created this straight-talking “we’re done” persona, so he gave her a one word answer about what he’s up to and that was that, Sharon just said her and Aaron were friends, and Brad made a shit awkward joke and was clearly only there to get on the TV again.

The main event was getting themselves all done up, putting on a fancy outfit and getting an Instagram post. Then the actual filming of the show was a chore – you could see it in all their faces.

Why were Kaz and Tyler interviewed in their seats but the stage was given to Hugo and his rejects?

Who decided what warranted an interview on the sofas and who didn’t make the cut? The single biggest revelation in the show was that Kaz and Tyler were official, but we didn’t get a sit down chat with them? All the other finalists did? They had a huge journey and equally as big Casa Amor drama to discuss too! You think we want to watch Hugo blush next to the women he turned down for no reason but not sit and get gooey with Kaz and Tyler? You are wrong.

This episode should have been hosted by Kaz and Tyler and I will die on that hill.

The Jack Grealish mention wasn’t needed

Review and reactions to the Love Island 2021 reunion show last night

via ITV

Ok, ok – many of us saw those headlines about Jack Grealish apparently liking some of Lillie’s bikini pics on Insta and thought that was good drama. But, he quickly unliked them and that was the end of it. Was there any reason for it to be brought up again in the reunion show? Nothing came of it so what was Lillie going to say other than just be clearly embarrassed? Also, does Jack Grealish not have a girlfriend who may well have been watching at home? It was distasteful and for not much reward.

The only funny bit was Chloe reacting to Hugo, and that was still pinned on us laughing at someone else’s expense

Chloe and Toby have carried Love Island 2021, and continue to even once the show is over and into the reunion. Their iconic journey as a couple, how hilarious they were separately and together in the villa, their first date being to Nando’s – I love it from them, I really do. The only funny bit about the show last night was Chloe literally being in fits of laughter at the very thought of Hugo fancying her and trying to pursue her. She is an icon.

But, this being the highlight of the show kinda stinks. If the rest of it had been good, this would have been a small part of all round good reunion episode, but to have the ONLY highlight boiling down to laughing at someone else, really says it all.

Next year, do the Christmas reunion like 2018 or don’t bother. I want to see Jack Fincham carving a turkey as Charlie and Ellie scream at each other whilst wearing Christmas jumpers.

The best there’s ever been

Love Island 2021 and the reunion episode are available on demand on the ITVHub. For all the latest Love Island news and gossip and for the best memes and quizzes, like The Holy Church of Love Island on Facebook.

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