litg: can't decide if i hate it or love it

first of all, cute banner maybe they did take art lessons

i like some of the customization features they added. I dont remember if they had it last season but i did notice some wider noses which is great and some of the lips are different as well

can you believe this is the "plus size" option though (barely different from the "normal" option)

Like maybe they'd benefit from even just having one more option thinner or one more muscular/toned just to differentiate and make people feel like they're making a meaningful choice

I do like the hair options though

fun fact about me is I just got my grades back and after being stuck in academic probation the past year, I have now graduated from broke master's student to unemployed with an M.S. 🎉 And that means I dont have a piece of media to name this character after because the only thing I've watched in the last few weeks other than lectures is sports and I've already named previous MCs after athletes (i think). so naming her after the professor that accidentally put in my grade just a little wrong which boosted my GPA lol

So this is Katja, a very sweet not a lot of experience dating PA. Born in Russia, grew up somewhere in England lol.

i will also say i like a lot of the makeup and jewelry options this season

and not that this matters because I never see the shoes so I'm never buying the shoes, but the shoes actually look nice this season, I think usually they're worse

ok ok on to the season

girls are introduced and like... good thing they added some more facial feature options because we gotta get on par with these women 😍

Lucia TALL kinda hot

and also Lucia the wlw li which is fine, expected, she's cute, it's not like i was hoping they'd change it up and give us Amari

oh my god not MC doing the dreamworks face

anyway they're setting up the starstruck storyline with Trent that MC has a past with him

He's a diva and like, okay fine, colleague storyline again like Dominic, but until confirmed otherwise, I'm kinda treating this as MC doesn't care all that much about him because he was so rude, but because she has a different job anyway and likely isn't on his projects all the time, it's not really a rivalry/enemies situation. (Versus, Dominic stealing S11 MC's job or getting hired because he's a man or whatever)

Oh but I think very clearly he had a crush on her when they did work on the same set.

I also don't think they'll say anything about it, but I want part of her doubt to be thinking that he's only on love island for PR/to help his reputation

Anyway all those thoughts but he hasn't even shown up in the villa at this point.

First we get speed dates

Noah is the farm boy and again, I know they're not gonna do anything too fancy with the branching, but the idea that he is the only one who doesn't care for TV or who Trent Quinn would be a wonderful dynamic.

Also reminds me of one of the funniest parts of LI UK S9, they had "Farmer Will" who also worked on a family farm and during their never have I ever game someone says "Never have I ever hooked up with a coworker" and Will goes "... well that would be my dad, wouldn't it?" and everyone starts choking laughing. Then at the end of it he's like "So to clarify that's a no" 💀

Obi is a construction worker, he's the fun charismatic one of the group. I don't remember all that much from his speed date tbh

Rui is the player type, game CEO. Kinda fun, I still think he's hot, so when the girls ask, MC does say she likes Rui the most. But tbh I don't know if that'll stay. Like I just have a feeling I don't like any of these three by the end lol

Amari also sets herself up as the antagonist of the season, but lowkey I don't hate her yet and I hope it stays that way. She's just a little much, but whatever, nothing bad yet.

There's a kissing challenge where MC does not recognize Trent, and tbf they did make the blindfold asset big enough that I could let that slide.

Pay to win the kissing challenge idc but Trent does pick MC as the only 10/10 😌(even though I had MC make out with all the guys except him, just a light peck)

And since I was just talking about her, the only thing Amari really does that's mean is point out Myra was weak at this game, because everyone knows so you don't have to say it imo, but still, really only matter-of-fact of her and not quite cruel yet

I also read this as Noah and Rui giving Myra 5/10s and then Obi realizing and trying to make her feel better by insisting a 7/10 because clearly she just did what made her feel comfortable considering they just met, and that kinda sold Obi for me because he's funny and nice 🫶

Then we got a party. Everyone wants to know more about Trent, and he says something about how the crew is more important than the actors, which, I the player am thinking "oh he's so doing this for PR" so I'm thinking MC thinks that as well, but she's so kind she just thanks him for the compliment

but i have my eye on him 🤔

also btw i really liked this free dress, we've come a long way from refitted trash bags

Never Have I Ever happens, it's mostly fun and I like having this here because right now on love island usa they're in the TRENCHES and I miss a fun game

Notably is when Trent says "Never Have I Ever gossiped about a coworker" pointedly at MC, and she drinks because literally did it the first episode. But then also shoots back she's definitely seen him talk about her. And I'm with Myra when she's like "Oh y'all have CHEMISTRY" at this point lol

And then MC says something about being a diva and he storms off (with Amari following 😬)

Amari girl get up

MC checks in on him to clear the air a little bit. I think she apologizes because she doesn't realize what she said would've offended him (oh my memory is mush sorry I don't know what else happens here lol)

And then Rui interrupts with a compatibility game

The compatibility game, also fun. I'm a little annoyed Lucia just keeps exactly matching with MC only because the way this game is written feels like she interrupts the flow of the game. She does seem like a fun LI though, but ngl I only said yes to the bi route on the chance Amari was gonna be the LI/maybe I'll like the late stage one 🤣

Amari grafting hard for Trent, which, again I'm playing as MC doesn't care/doesn't think about him all that much, so it's just whatever.

Also interesting though that Myra and Lucia also would like to talk to Trent, but they think Amari is doing so much they'd rather let her have it. (Because lowkey that's what's happening rn on LI USA where all the girls weren't talking to Caleb so he could focus on Kenzie.... only for Kenzie to want her old partner back)

Anyway they ask to describe your type, and we don't even learn anyone else's answers because Myra and Lucia are like "oh my god Amari wrote 'Trent'"

which maybe a bit much, but nothing worth arguing about so I don't understand the girls making a big deal about it

And then the guys also are like "you literally said the same thing to me" which I guess is slightly more justified because she's not being genuine/could be seen as leading them on

but mostly it just comes off as desperate imo soooo whatever. but I think that helps with her not coming off as a total villain/antagonist because I just feel bad lol

So she storms off because fusebox cannot end a game without a big dramatic exit anymore

the girls go comfort Amari and I just think, if this was S2, we would get to be there for her, but it's not we're never getting that back and instead MC gets whisked away by Noah and Obi, who say that Rui is all in on MC, but they're still open.

Cool cool, so that does make me feel bad when I do not pick Rui for the coupling ceremony, but I'm going to pretend they had a conversation about it off screen

Normally changing up the way the first coupling goes bothers me, but I'm used to it now that they've been changing it up on Love Island. And I have been saying if fusebox wants to force storylines, they should use the fact that sometimes the UK lets the public choose the first couples

So the couples are Noah and Myra; Lucia and Rui; MC and Trent; and Amari and Obi

Another thing that feels very Love Island UK here is that the uk public would put the two darkest skinned islanders together 💀

(not my intention, i didn't read spoilers this time I didn't realize this was gonna happen lmao)

then MC and Trent say they're gonna try to forget the past and start new, which... I'm still so confused what their dynamic is lol wdym history y'all are coworkers that barely talk

but whatever excited to see what happens next

And the cliffhanger is Myra deduces Amari kissed either Trent or Obi at the secret garden

--

good start so far

i would like to make a prediction right now that we're gonna get a bombshell or casa girl that's an actress that both of them used to work with who's gonna go for Trent too

my only fear with this storyline so far where Trent maybe has a thing with MC and they both have a history and now are forced to couple with each other is we're getting weirdly close to Suresh territory (hate to even bring it up) but they've had ten seasons to clean it up, I think at worst it'll be a disappointingly long slowburn that becomes a merged route and loses its edge like last season