Stream It Or Skip It: ‘FBOY Island’ on HBO Max, A Sexy Dating Show With a Sense of Humor

Can you tell the difference between a Nice Guy and an FBOY — and are you sure it’s even a Nice Guy that you want? This is the question the new reality dating show FBOY Island on HBO Max asks its contestants and its viewers, as three gorgeous women pick and choose from 24 hunky hunks as they go on dates, compete in challenges, and yes, swap some very wet, sloppy kisses all from the Cayman Islands. 

FBOY ISLAND: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: The opening shot is that of said hunky hunks in their swim trunks, shirtless on a gorgeous beach, and within seconds, we meet Garrett who states, “When it comes to women, 10 out of 10, I don’t lose.” Host and comedian Nikki Glaser introduces the show over images of the men flexing, grooming, and strutting. There’s no guessing here what we’re in for: this is a group of dudes that are ready to compete for the hearts of three stunning, intelligent women, by any means necessary.

The Gist: Nikki Glaser proves to be the perfect host for this romance rodeo, clearly revering the trashy reality TV genre, and adding just the right amount of comedy, absurdity, and seriousness to this show that sets out to be ridiculous from the start. The three women, who are immediately likable and relatable despite being overwhelmingly pretty are Nakia Renee, CJ Franco, and Sarah Emig. The guys…well, give it an episode before you bother learning any of their names.

Our Take: If you’re a fan of The Bachelor franchise or Love Island, Love Is Blind, and Too Hot To Handle, just jump right in. Don’t even think about it, you know you’re gonna love this. The show comes from concept creator Elan Gale and showrunner Sam Dean which means there’s no way you don’t get hooked. Plus, HBO Max is rolling out the 10 episodes over the course of the next three weeks (three today, three next week, and four to finish out the season on August 12th) to keep us strung along and spreading the word to our friends.

It’s impossible not to make our own guesses about these guys’ intentions. Some can’t hide their FBOY qualities if they try, and others can’t fake FBOY qualities no matter how badly they may want to. But like The Bachelorette, it does not take long before these grown men are acting like total bitches. The testosterone comes out, they get competitive, and there’s just a bunch of wild peacocking happening all over this gorgeous island as they graft for the attention of these women (who are clearly too good for most of them anyway).

FBOY Island does a decent job with the balancing act of taking what works in these types of dating shows, as well as throwing in some new tricks of their own. For one, it takes itself less seriously and celebrates how silly it is that this show even exists. It can be romantic at times, and is often frustrating, but hey, we all know that’s what keeps us watching. The series peppers in shocking twists and turns throughout while remaining comfortable and familiar (damn, kind of like the FBOY of TV shows right there).

However, there are many refreshing qualities to this one as well. It’s a diverse bunch of guys, who yes, do at times choose to fall much more into bromance with each other than worrying about the women they have set their sights on. The women are not just allies, but decidedly never enemies. It is only the men that get embarrassingly catty here, which is especially hilarious when they are dodging the low-hanging wicker lampshades at their residence.

FBOY Island feels like a modern dating show throughout, as we watch different pairings frolic in fancy water dates upon boats, paddleboards, and even horses. Luckily, by the end of the first episode, there is already an elimination to say goodbye to the men that have made it known they were immediately, unrecoverably creepy, and we also learn their FBOY/Nice Guy status on the way out.

Sex and Skin: I mean, yeah. There are no duvet-shifting sex shots like we see in the UK Love Island, that’s for sure. But the dress code is primarily bathing suits and so there’s a whole lot of eye candy here. Lots of abs, lots of underboob. The show is a little raunchier than what we’re seeing on ABC, but it never quite goes the full sexy distance it could for an HBO Max show.

Parting Shot: The eliminated guys are shown to their…new destination, shall we say, which introduces another element to the show, and one that will certainly having you rolling right into the next episode.

Sleeper Star: CJ, without a doubt. This woman knows how to be on reality TV, knows how to work a room, and knows how to say whatever’s on her mind — and it’s often pretty damn funny. Sarah is a Selena Gomez look-a-like sweetheart and Nakia is a smart, fierce woman as well. All three are excellent leading ladies that feel like you could be friends with them. But it’s no wonder why CJ and her raspy party girl voice already has a massive Instagram following, and, uh, no problem finding a date.

Most Pilot-y Line: Nearly everyone in the first episode utters at least one. For her part, CJ offers of the crop of dudes, “I see abs, I see unbuttoned shirts, I see tall guys, I saw one man bun which I’m not gonna talk about. I’m seeing 24 FBOYs so I don’t know if someone like, did the math wrong?”

One of the Garretts (and yes, of course there is more than one), proudly boasts, “When you look at me, sometimes it can be intimidating, so letting them know that I’m a safe place to go to is the way that I get them to believe that I’m a nice guy,” with a devilish chuckle.

But it’s Glaser that takes the cake, as she explains of the show, “Ultimately, you will get to answer the questions that women have been asking themselves for decades. Do good guys really deserve to always finish last? And do FBOYs always have to finish on our face?”

Our Call: STREAM IT. It’s the summer binge-watch we deserve.

Stream FBOY Island on HBO Max