Why Fans Are Calling Love Island's Beyond The Villa A "Flop"

The Islanders from Love Island USA Season 6 made such a lasting impression on viewers that fans now get to follow their journeys even further in the new spinoff series, Love Island: Beyond the Villa.

The show reunites familiar faces like Season 6 winners Serena Page and Kordell Beckham, as well as other standout couples and singles including Leah Kateb and Miguel Harichi, JaNa Craig and Kenny Rodriguez, and Kaylor Martin, Liv Walker, Kendall Washington, Aaron Evans, and Conner Newsum.

Although only a few episodes have aired, fans are already labeling the show a “flop.” One of the biggest criticisms is that filming in Los Angeles strips away any sense of authenticity, as it doesn’t offer a true glimpse into the Islanders’ real lives post-villa.

Fans Are Calling Love Island: Beyond The Villa A "Flop" For This Reason

Fans were initially excited to see their favorite Love Island USA Season 6 couples and singles reunite in a spinoff that promised a glimpse into their lives after reality TV fame. However, after a couple of episodes of Love Island: Beyond the Villa, many viewers have voiced disappointment.

Instead of spotlighting the Islanders' real-life dynamics, the series has all of the cast in Los Angeles, a city that most of them don't even call home. Some cast members don't even live in the United States — like Aaron Evans — and couples are actually navigating long-distance relationships in real life — Leah Kateb and Miguel Harichi and JaNa Craig and Kenny Rodriguez.

"I wish they ended up doing a more candid show that showcased their real lives and how they are adjusting. Miguel doesn't officially live with Leah, but spends a ton of time together. JaNa and Kenny don't live in the same state, etc. All of these real life adjustments are what I wanted to see....not them renting apartments in LA for three months and doing all this produced stuff," a user on Reddit shared.

Fans are hoping to see more of those raw moments between the couples, like how they handle time apart and juggle new careers. Instead, the show feels like a highlight reel of L.A. outings and influencer events with a small batch of drama thrown in. The cast is seen attending press parties and hanging out in their rented L.A. homes. Viewers really believed the show would offer more of a genuine look into their lives.

"Why do we need to see them partying... Tell me why Kendell & Liv live together, show me how the couples day to day life is. Is Miguel now living in the states???... Etc"

A user on the same Reddit thread shared: "Yeah JaNa even said on Keke Palmers podcast that that’s kind of how it was presented to them and how they thought the show would be. More catching up on their actual lives and what’s going on. I would’ve liked to see more of all that too," the user wrote,

Another wrote, "Does anyone care about Connor and Jana beef? She’s moved on with Kenny and I doubt Connor cares about being her friend. This is all just forced “drama." One person said, "like my fave scene so far was Miguel riding Leah’s horse. Need more of that."

Why Kaylor Martin Won't Watch Love Island: Beyond The Villa

Kaylor Martin is one of the central cast members of Love Island: Beyond the Villa. In the first episode, she was nervous to approach Aaron Evans, with whom she shared her summer with before he broke her heart on Love Island Season 6. Kaylor is also dealing with a friendship fallout from her best friend Olivia "Liv" Walker. In the following episode, tension builds between them after Liv doesn't invite Kaylor to her boyfriend's birthday party.

In an interview with USA Today, Kaylor admitted that she won't be watching herself on the spinoff. "I'm not going to watch the show. I want to have a Europe summer and just sign off," she told the outlet, noting that after leaving Love Island, she saw both positive and very negative feedback from fans.

"Some of the fans, we are very lucky, but they're very toxic. And sometimes they forget we are real human beings."

Kaylor expressed that while in the villa, the cast did not have any access to their phones, so she wasn't able to see all the opinions and comments flooding in about her and the rest of the Islanders. Now, she's doing her best to avoid it all as the episodes air.

"It's going to be even more difficult, our show airing and us having our phones in real time, hearing everyone's opinions and backlash and everything like that. That's going to be the most challenging part, at least for myself," Kaylor, who is the youngest of the cast at just 23-years-old, shared.

Fans Get To See The Return Of Best Friends Leah, Serena, And JaNA, Aka, PPG

One aspect of the show that fans have embraced is the enduring friendship between Leah, Serena, and JaNa. The trio instantly bonded during their time in the villa and have only grown closer since. Now living together in L.A. for the show, their dynamic continues to shine, and they are truly the most genuine part of the show.

After leaving the villa, the women found massive success on social media, with each of their individual careers quickly skyrocketing. In a joint interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Serena shared that despite their packed schedules, they always make time to support one another, something their boyfriends have also fully embraced.

"Going forward, we each have such amazing opportunities and aspirations, so honestly just being each other’s biggest cheerleaders. Same goes with our men and vice versa, and just rooting for each other and taking it day by day, because you never know what the next week will bring. There will probably be something in a few days that one of us has to announce," Serena shared.

In the same interview, JaNa called Season 1 of Beyond the Villa "a beautiful roller coaster" and added, "There’s a lot of vulnerable moments. You get to see more and more of our personal lives. It’s a lot, you’ll see."

So, while fans have voiced some disappointment with the spinoff, it’s still early days. The cast is just beginning to navigate what it means to share their real lives on reality TV outside of the villa. With that in mind, there's hope that a potential Season 2 will deliver the authenticity fans are craving from their favorite Love Island stars.

New episodes of Love Island: Beyond the Villa air on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Peacock.