Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Love Island Games’ on Peacock, Which Is Pretty Much Just ‘Love Island’ Plus Some Physical Challenges

Love Island Games, now airing on Peacock, brings together all-star alums from “across the Love Island multi-verse” and asks the paired-up couples to compete in challenges that win them immunity from elimination, a $100,000 prize, and maybe even a second chance at love.

LOVE ISLAND GAMES: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: Love Island host Maya Jama steps out of a helicopter and onto a tiny tropical island. “The biggest and most talked about dating show in the world is back,” she says. “And for the first time ever, we’re bringing together an international, all-star cast of ex-Islanders ready for a second chance at love, and down for some healthy competition.”

The Gist: 26 of Love Island‘s most infamous contestants from the show’s many international iterations will eventually appear on Love Island Games, but to start, just twelve of them have gathered in Fiji to get paired off romantically while also competing in challenges that will put them up for elimination where they run the risk of getting kicked off of the show.

The majority of the show’s first episode this season consists of introductions to these twelve contestants, and with the competitors being flown in from all over the world, they’re grouped by which regional show they appeared on: the Americans (who include past contestants like season two’s Cely and Justine, and season five’s Imani) all arrive at roughly the same time, while the UK contestants, who include Liberty, Jack and Toby, all arrive by boat together. They’re later joined by a group of Australians, as well as contestants from Sweden and France.

On the one hand, the introductions feel interminable, there are just so. many. people. And on the other, it’s nice to see that everyone in the group seems to vibe and get along. (Maybe I’ve just been watching too much House of Villains lately, where manipulation and deception are rampant.) One of my favorite gags from 30 Rock is the “sex idiot” – that’s a hot, dumb person you have sex with – and I feel like it’s fair to say that this show is populated almost exclusively by very cheerful sex idiots. I mean, if you have to be stuck on an island, no better group of people to be with, I suppose.

Host Maya Jama (and narrator Iain Stirling) keep the show moving by offering commentary and explaining the rules of the game. Yes, these contestants will be expected to pair up, but to start, the women have to compete in an obstacle course (while wearing wigs and evening gowns), in order to see who gets first dibs in choosing their partner.

The point of this show is not necessarily to find romantic bliss, but to win money with your partner, and that’s made clear when Jama asks, “Will physical attraction be enough to get you through? What is it that makes a successful Love Island Games couple?” I guess that’s what we’re about to find out.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? The new competitive twist, combined with the all-star casting that reunites past stars takes a cue from The Challenge (…and The Challenge: All-Stars… and The Challenge: World Championship… etc, etc.), a franchise to which dozens of former MTV stars owe their entire careers.

Our Take: Everyone on this show speaks exuberantly, and at top volume, and everyone seems to be high on life and even higher on the prospect of having sex later. (It’s as if this show was specifically made to haunt introverts.) And while many of them seem up for any kind of challenge that comes their way, some seem almost unaware that they’re going to be asked to exert themselves, either mentally or physically.

On the one hand, it’s fun watching people throw themselves so openly and excitedly into a situation, and on the other, the show is almost TOO MUCH of EVERYTHING. Absolutely nothing is done in moderation, from everyone’s constantly “on” personalities to the incessant talk about hooking up and hot bodies, to the fact that the show is on six nights a week, it’s just SO MUCH. (Even simple talk about compatibility feels over the top, as when contestant Curtis says that he and his current match Lisa “could be a super powerhouse couple.” I mean, I’ve been married for 13 years but I’ve never once considered my power couple standings. I guess that’s my own fault.) While I can admire the way the show combines a dating show with a reality competition and I think those elements are done in a fun way, I don’t know if this cast of all-stars are stellar enough to hook me in.

Sex and Skin: Clothing seems entirely option on this show, so yes, there’s lots of skin, and sex is always on the top of everyone’s minds, though maybe a bit less so now that there are physical challenges and money to be won, too.

Parting Shot: With everyone paired up, Maya drops a bomb on them all: the arrival of two more contestants. With the original twelve blindfolded, the new arrivals, Megan from Love Island UK and Johnny From Love Island USA, each pick two islanders to kiss (kiss is putting it lightly, this is passionate tongue wrestling), which immediately sets the new contestants up as mystery threats.

Performance Worth Watching: There are a lot of fun and funny personalities on this show, but I’m going to shout out Love Island Australia contestant Jessica, whose ability to use “fuck” as a noun, verb, adjective, and everything in between is an art form.

Memorable Dialogue: “It’s Fiji, bitches!” – Imani

“I’m back, bitches, whether you like it or not!” – Cely

You, (okay, I) would have hoped that in 20+ years of mainstream reality TV, our catchphrases would have evolved, but clearly some people like sticking with the classics.

Our Call: Look, I fully see the merits of watching this show, it’s a fun distraction, and it’s filled with funny people. But is the show necessary? Is it something I would look forward to every night, all week long? Not really. SKIP IT.

Liz Kocan is a pop culture writer living in Massachusetts. Her biggest claim to fame is the time she won on the game show Chain Reaction.