Gillian Griffin: Hi, I'm Gigi. Marissa Castillo: And I'm Mimi. Gillian Griffin: my goodness, and this is Love Island tea time. man, what a what a finale, what an end. Marissa Castillo: Bye Valentita. Mm. What an end to an era. Before we get into it, I want to share my mug with everyone that I painted because I'm just so proud of it. I just think it's the cutest thing. I went to paint pottery with one of my friends. It's like a friendship bracelet mug. Hopefully you guys can see it. On the front. Gillian Griffin: I mean, I think that if you're not on Spotify looking at the video, you might want to go on Spotify and check out the video just for a second. Marissa Castillo: Just for a second, it says L-I-T-T pod. The D looks a little upsetting, but that's okay. for Love Island Tea Time podcast. And then on the back it says Established 2026. I just think it's so cute. Gillian Griffin: my god. It's adorable. I thought when she first sent me an image of it, she left me a video voicemail on FaceTime, which I've been saying for so long. I'm so glad they finally added that feature because they're like, this person isn't available to FaceTime. Leave them a mess send them a text message. And I've been like, I'm trying to video call them. Why can't I leave a video message? It doesn't make any sense. Marissa Castillo: Thank Exactly. Gillian Griffin: and so I saw it and I was watching it and I was like, why is she showing me this Taylor Swift merch she got? Cause I just saw like the tea and I saw the friendship bracelet, and I remembered you were at some store the other day and you were like, look at all the Taylor Swift stuff. And I was like, she left me a whole video about a Taylor Swift mug. I was like, this seems odd for her. Like, this doesn't seem quite right. And then I was like looking, looking, and then I saw the established 2000 2006. Marissa Castillo: True. Gillian Griffin: Let's go back in time. established 2026. And I was like, my God. And then I freaked out and FaceTimed her back. Marissa Castillo: Yes. Then she was excited for me. Gillian Griffin: But I'm here still drinking out of my boy's whatever mug. That's what I've got. Marissa Castillo: That's forever. Gillian Griffin: my goodness. Speaking of which, it was brought to our attention by a review that some of the drinking noises are very agitating. On top of that, I did eat the other day because I was absolutely starving on pod. I knew I shouldn't have eaten on pod. I'm sorry, but I was starving. You said that you would rather there be less episodes, but quite frankly, if we didn't record. In these moments that we have to record there would be no episodes. Marissa Castillo: Honestly, truly. Gillian Griffin: We both have ADD and it does say in the description that we sip tea while we record. So the tea sipping sounds will stay. I hope that nobody else has a crazy sensory about it. Let's just put a disclaimer there about it. But let's finally get into our final four, their dates, and where they ended up ranking in the eyes of America. Let's go for it. coming in hot at number four. Marissa Castillo: Yes. Gillian Griffin: Tada and Zack. Marissa Castillo: I'm sorry. Gillian Griffin: Not exactly where I expected them. Marissa Castillo: No, definitely not. I expected them to be in third. That's where I expected them to be. Fourth, not so much. Gillian Griffin: No. In the lineup of people available, yes, if the couple we expected to be in fourth wasn't there at all, I would have expected maybe that even then I would understand if Kada and Zack were fourth, and maybe T T and KC could have been third. I would have even understood that. What you menaces were doing voting for Melanie and Sincere, I don't understand. You have led that girl down a garden path. May someone out there protect her. Marissa Castillo: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I really fear the worst for her at this point. You guys have really gassed her up into thinking that her connection's gonna work on the outside and that Sincere has changed. Which maybe I I and for the people that voted of like, but he has changed. They're good together, they love each other. I strongly encourage you to reevaluate your moral compass in the nicest way possible. Gillian Griffin: I mean I like I can understand how Kata and Zack would end up in fourth like overall of the entire show, them in Forth. I'm like, okay, sure, I g I guess I get it. It's just such a bummer cause like Kinzie was kind of growing on me. Casey and TT were kind of growing on me. Even Parmita and Corbin, I like believe that they believed in their connection, you know? So it's just wild to me that an actual gaslighter. Marissa Castillo: Mm-hmm. Gillian Griffin: ranked above the slightly less bad gaslight. Marissa Castillo: Well, my thing is like, yeah, Zack says some fuck shit and moves kinda weird from time to time. But he never he he never moved disrespectfully. He did. He did, but he didn't do it as bad as KC, and he surely didn't do it as bad as Sincere. Who I can't remember what he said. at one point he said, I've explored Gillian Griffin: Ha ha ha ha. Marissa Castillo: Melanie's explored. I don't know when Melanie explored. If you're talking about Corey, that was not an explanation that was That was not an explanation. Yeah, I know. I'm getting off on a tangent here, but like that was not an exploration. You had two whole journeys. I don't believe he should have you guys should have been in third. I'm sorry. I just don't. I'll stand by that. Ten toes down. Gillian Griffin: When she sat down and had a picnic with someone? Sorry, we How dirty the producers did Zach and Kata. Like their date was frankly, I honestly thought it would like when we had like a l really low-key viewing party at my work. Like I got my boss to let us put it on because we had like minimal reservations. And I was like, if we say we're showing it, people will come. A few people came who were really into it. By the end of it, people were cheering and Marissa Castillo: Mm-hmm. Gillian Griffin: And whatever the ad break before they announced the winner got gassed and someone's like, I'm leaving. Like it was silly. And it was nice when it it picked up, but there were several people who were like, What is going on? and in the hustle and bustle of being in a restaurant hospitality environment where I do still need to do my job, when I first saw Kata and Zach's date, I was like, Marissa Castillo: Well, yeah. Gillian Griffin: This is definitely more romantic than Melanie and Sincere's. I was like, look at all the flowers, look at the speedbook. But watching it back today, which I did because again, lots of stuff was going on for me. I was like tuning in, tuning out. I was like, actually, this is so sad. They gave them what someone pointed out were craft services sandwiches. They didn't even bother to make sure there's no tomato on them when I'm sure. Production is well aware Kata doesn't like tomatoes by now after watching her every day for six weeks. And yeah, I just can't wait to find out what they they think or like I would I would pay to see their reactions to the other dates. Like really. Marissa Castillo: Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah. Someone on TikTok made a video and they said Kata doing her makeup, straightening her hair, and putting on a dress, just to get soaked on a boat, to take the tomatoes off a sandwich, and get told by Zack, who won't make her his girlfriend, that he might eventually love her, and then get fourth place. Gillian Griffin: It's so rude. I just he clearly listen. I read a for some reason everything that was coming up on my feed today, or on our feed, like the account for tea time, was takes on how Love Island is like a social experiment, how it's not just complete brain rot because like you we Marissa Castillo: It's so rude. Gillian Griffin: Get into these crazy conversations about like, is this right? Is this wrong? That it's a picture into like the world of dating and like where people are now as far as like respect and and what goes and what doesn't goes, and like what men think. And the comments on these videos were sending me. Like they were alarming. There were like so many people who were like, for some reason the CIA is winning because. People are watching Love Island or are distracted from other things. And it's just like we're allowed to be entertained by a thing and also have separate things that we recognize are going on in the world, like trust. So it's just wild that and obviously, like, if this was some sort of like dark, broy Stanford prison experiment TV show that we were doing all the time, trust. Marissa Castillo: Right. Gillian Griffin: Everyone would talk about how it's a social experiment. Whereas because it's like pink and girly and silly, it's like you're like we are. I can't even, I can't even. But this is but it's so real that it is like such a window into dating and like especially what men are actually like. Like the last couple of years, I have felt so vindicated by being like, wow. Men are actually just weirdos. They're actually so weird with what they think and feel about women and the things they'll do, even when they claim they really like you, and they will say it to themselves, and they'll say it to all their friends, and then they'll go kiss another girl or whatever, or insist they need to go do that, even though like I do really like you. Or then they'll come and do all that with you and then be like, but actually still I like her. And it's like, how can like I don't understand how you can't see that it's how Marissa Castillo: Yeah. Gillian Griffin: others can't see that like this thing that we enjoy is definitely a very clear societal representation. Everyone's like, it's an edited show. I'm like, you cannot write the things these people do. Marissa Castillo: You cannot write the things that these people say out of their mouths. Gillian Griffin: Like truly the casting, you know, holy cannoli, but Zach's fear of commitment, even though he will say he'll follow her all over the world, but he can't say he loves her, can't say she's his girlfriend. Marissa Castillo: She really clung on to that. He said he would follow me anywhere. She told the whole world. Anyone that would listen to her in that villa. Okay. So what? He doesn't even like to hear the sound of your name before his, babe. Gillian Griffin: yeah. Marissa Castillo: But he'll follow you ever anywhere. If if that that's what matters to you, by all means, settle for crumbs. I hope one day you get a taste of the loaf. Gillian Griffin: I it's I mean, at least he carried her through the water off the boat. I don't know why the boat couldn't be pulled up the way, I guess 'cause it's a boat and there was no dock. But he walked through the water and carried her bridle style through the water so she didn't have to walk through water in her dress after she did already get sprayed with water. So small silver linings. Marissa Castillo: But I'm also like that's the least he could have done. Gillian Griffin: Truly. And pick the tomatoes off her sandwich. Marissa Castillo: Exactly. Gillian Griffin: yeah. I do think they should have placed third. Like getting into the f whether or not they belonged in the finale is a whole other discussion, but I do think of the lineup they should have been third. Cause she does really love him. Marissa Castillo: Yes, I agree. Yeah, it's I don't understand why, but love is a thing that I'll never understand. Gillian Griffin: Yeah. Well, on the other hand, our third place winners, I feel like still through this episode, Melanie will say things are great, but you can see in her eyes that she's like, Don't you fuck with me? Like I feel like she still is like, Are you going to fuck me over? Marissa Castillo: Mm-hmm. I don't know. I feel like she's really f feeding into the bullshit. Like she's believing him. I think he got off way too easy. Gillian Griffin: Watching him sit around go, like, damn, she really stuck by me no matter what. That's crazy. I'm like, it is fucking crazy, dog. Like, that's nuts. Marissa Castillo: It is cr it's crazy to call her resilient did not s sit well with me because she was only resilient because of you. You forced her to be resilient after you put her through hell and back. And now you're just like, my gosh, like I'm a like I can't believe it. What? Gillian Griffin: And also to be real, she shouldn't have been resilient because in that analogy about their relationship, her being resilient in their relationship is her being a pushover. It's her accepting what was going on. There's a girl on Love Island, UK, that I'm genuinely concerned tomorrow night is going to self-evict, and she is going to go home to people like. Marissa Castillo: Mm. Exactly. Gillian Griffin: Chanting her name in the streets because they're like, that's right, don't put up with that bullshit. If Melanie had self-evicted, first of all, we all know she was being offered a ton of free shit for leaving him. But if she had actually done it, she would have had so much power. And I'm so sorry, I don't remember whose post this was. I'm quite certain it's on our story. But she would have had so much power if she had just walked away. Even if she let him come back to her later or some shit. But if she had left the show and been like, no. Marissa Castillo: Mm-hmm. Gillian Griffin: I'm picking myself. It would have been incredible. It would have been historic of Love Island. Marissa Castillo: Yes. But I think Gillian Griffin: Especially USA. Marissa Castillo: Seeing her journey also ties into that conversation of an accurate depiction of what dating is like. And unfortunately, if you have never seen a toxic relationship, there you go. That's exactly what it looks like. A toxic relationship with a narcissist at that, who is so good with their words, who can do no wrong, not even a good good with their words for the other person. Because if you're an outsider looking in, you're like, What did you just say? Gillian Griffin: Not for her. Is he He said something else on the finale that was cooked that I was like, what? Marissa Castillo: He lost me and I'm sure he he genuinely lost me too when they got to their date and he had her rock paper scissors for a massage. Gillian Griffin: That's right. I yeah. Marissa Castillo: You should just want to give her one. Gillian Griffin: Genuinely crazy. Marissa Castillo: Crazy work. Like Gillian Griffin: There's only one massage table and only one o there's only time for one of us to get a massage. Rock, paper, scissors, you for it? Hello? You put this woman through the least you could do is rub her shoulders. The least you could do is rub her back after all the resilience she's had for you. Like, come on. Marissa Castillo: Disgusting. Mm-hmm. I don't know. That fuck ass bun and that fuck ass haircut just P Mm mm. I can't do it. Gillian Griffin: This episode is gonna get taken down from YouTube when we are on YouTube. It's gonna get taken down. Marissa Castillo: No, literally, I'm just I'm so over him and I God I pray every day that she wakes up and maybe if she rewatches the episodes she'll actually see like I I don't know, maybe movie night wasn't enough for her, but I need her to actually like see everything the way we did. Gillian Griffin: Absolutely. And I just I mean I that's why I kept saying that over the last couple episodes or maybe just the last episode, but I've been saying it all weekend. I would hope that companies offering you free shit. Many, many companies offering you free shit and seeing all the likes and shares and whatever on those posts would give you some version of pause. You know? Like I would hope that it would you would at least be like, damn, that's how everyone else sees it. Like people were voting for me, not for him. By the way. Can we all just get on the same page and probably all make videos and be like, hey, Melanie, we got you, girl. Like we voted for you, but just so you know, we did not vote for you for him. You know, like if people could just let her know she was gonna be a solo winner, if anything. Marissa Castillo: Right. No, truly. But I also fear they that there were people out there that were voting for them as a couple. And that's why I said the moral compass comment, because that it's just not right. It's just not right. That relationship is not right. Do you hear me? It's not right. Gillian Griffin: I'm so worried about them. I'm really worried about like her future continued heartbreak. Some but sometimes you just have to go through it. We've all gone through it. If any of you are her age or younger and haven't gone through it yet, you will go through it. It just happens. Or may you be have many blessings and never go through it and just find your person magically. Like, but like it's it's just part of life, I guess. Marissa Castillo: Yeah, I wanna say two things. Hit that the one, the person that for family night I guess is his his stepfather, not his actual father. So I just I feel like it made sense why he was kinda like half listening to the man. Cause I don't know if he really has like that relationship with his stepfather too. Gillian Griffin: One. Marissa Castillo: When his little brother I was watching the finale with my friend Taylor, she said that little eyebrow slit and that little brother's eyebrow was all we needed to know about the kind of environment Sincere was raised in. I'm so sorry. I don't want to shit on anybody's parenting skills. But when you have a little boy that has when they're walking around with an eyebrow slit, could never be me. Could never be me. As a mom. Gillian Griffin: I don't know what it means. I don't know what it means, so I cannot judge, and I'll never have children, so it means nothing to me. This is part of why I won't ever have children. I don't want to make those kind of decisions. I don't want to fight about the iPads and the social media and whether or not they should be raised vegan for the environment. I I don't pass for so many reasons. but you did just remind me that I can tell you right now. Marissa Castillo: my gosh. Gillian Griffin: I think I brought it up before. All of Sincere's whatever has something to do with his mama. Come on. Cause she went, I'm so proud of you. You've been showing all of your emotions on TV and like doing your thing. Like the way that she said it, meanwhile, you could tell Melanie's dad barely gave a fuck. He's I love you, Melanie. I love you. I'm rooting for you. Nothing about Sincere, not one word about Sincere. Everyone else is like. Marissa Castillo: Right. Gillian Griffin: We love you together. Her Melanie's dad went, I love you, I'm rooting for you. I can't wait to see you. Like, come on. Come on. Meanwhile, Sincere's mom was like, You've done such a good job and I'm so proud of how you've handled yourself. And I'm like Marissa Castillo: Yeah. Mm that part I just wouldn't have sent a video in if I was his mom. Gillian Griffin: I would have at least I know that the point is that it has to be happy stuff, but like I would at least go like some middle version where it's like, you know, this summer has been a big learning lesson for you. And I really hope that, you know, you better treat Melanie like, I don't know, there's other ways to be supportive, but also be like, you better change it up. You better behave, young man. Marissa Castillo: Yeah. Gillian Griffin: Something right. Something right. Marissa Castillo: Some me, right? Gillian Griffin: Something right. Ugh so on to second place. The winners deep down in my heart, 'cause I truly believe they're gonna get married and have three children or s some shit like And the producers believe it too, apparently, because that date once that date came up on the screen and I saw floating books in the air, I was like, my god. Marissa Castillo: They really do. Magical It was gorgeous. It was it was it gave Beauty and the Beast. It was like straight from a Disney movie. Gillian Griffin: Really? It was like Beauty and the Bree Beast Beast? Beauty and the Beast and Princess and the Frog had a baby. Marissa Castillo: Yes, and also Cinderella with brandy. Gillian Griffin: Yes, also that. but like all the flowers I forget is that guy's name Chris The famous TikToker with the black hair? Marissa Castillo: Yeah. I don't know what you're talking about. Gillian Griffin: I think his name is Chris, but he did a video about the dates, and he's like producers talking about the dates, and it's like Melanie and Sincere, just send them away from the villa, send them on a floating thing, they can make their own food. And for Kata and Zach, you can just like put a teacow on a boat with their name, and like they can drive around and then maybe we'll put some flowers on the table, whatever. Annihil. He's a prince, she's a princess. Marissa Castillo: Mm-hmm. Gillian Griffin: Flowers, like fifty thousand dollars worth of flowers, chandeliers hanging, like make an actual storybook for them. An actual physical storybook with illustrations that they read out loud and got golden subtitles written across the screen. It was insane. Like it truly was to another level. Marissa Castillo: Mm-hmm. Truly. And I was sobbing through the whole thing like a baby. It was I literally I barely took any notes on the date because the date left no room for any notes. It was just perfect. It was like it was perfect. Even their little crowns and then they're dancing at the end. I was like and my friend Taylor looks at me and she's like, Are you okay? Like, no, no, I'm not. Gillian Griffin: No. No, you weren't. Could tell you that for free. And then she got emotional and she's like, and then they later they played the clip for them of her being upset by Casey and him going, It's okay, Anaya. And then I'm almost certain, like, he probably wouldn't have seen the episode of like what happened after he left, because it was so s like he came right back, basically. So he probably wouldn't have seen that episode where Marissa Castillo: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Gillian Griffin: She was crying and went, I should have kept Carl. I should have just kept Carl. And like literally said that like moments later. And then you could see on his face that he was like, wow, like they're just so freaking wholesome. Except for when she's talking about her super expensive sweet 16 or whatever it was. It was casino themed with backup dancers. Marissa Castillo: Right. Truly. And then I wasn't even listening. I was just I was I was just admiring the whole thing and just and they come back and he talks about how like she just feels like home. And boys have said this before in the villa about the girls. I didn't believe it, but when Carl said it, I'm like, yeah. Yeah, I believe it. This is this is love. Gillian Griffin: Zach said it in the same episode and I didn't believe it. Then started talking about Japanese philosophy and like how things don't last forever and how that's sad, but it's only sad because of how beautiful it was, like Marissa Castillo: Can't Gillian Griffin: This Marissa Castillo: I don't know where they found that man. I don't know what even possessed him to go on Love Island. But just he he really came in and was like, I always knew it was you and I. I wanted it to be you. I'm so glad it's you. Gillian Griffin: Stop, I'm going to cry. Please stop. This is what I'm saying. Obviously, Trinity and and Bryce won, they deserve the money. They deserve the win. Like they're also a beautiful couple for all these other reasons. But there is something about Carl and Anaya and the fact that she got so screwed over and that she had this strange experience to begin with. Marissa Castillo: Ha ha ha Gillian Griffin: And that he is just like so wholesome. Cause like Trinity and Bryce, I want go party with them. Anaya and Carl, I want to wave to as they pass by on a float. You know what I mean? It's a different energy. Like, Trinity and Bryce are more real. Anaya and Carl are like the dream. You know what I mean? It's like if you could be two like so wholesome, lovely people. Marissa Castillo: Yes. Mm-hmm. Gillian Griffin: But Bright Bryce's Bryce and Trinity are also so wholesome lovely. There's just something about Anaya and Carl that the princess prince thing, like just something about the fairy tale vibes really get me. And it and it's also, again, it's about the heartache in the beginning of it to like how strong it was. Whereas with Trinity Price, I was really like, I don't know about this. I don't know about this. I don't know about this. And I didn't know about it until Cost No more. And then, like, especially when he asked her to be his girlfriend, I was like, I see it now. I see it now. Anaya and Carl I've seen from the very second. They started from their first kiss, like, come on. Marissa Castillo: I saw it from their first like initial convo when she's like when he's talking about volleyball and she goes, I I play volleyball Sh's like I was really excited. Gillian Griffin: I play volleyball. was Ugh also you're welcome, Anaya, 'cause America brought that man back for you. You're welcome. People could have brought that other man back for Melanie, but we didn't because we knew she would waste it. Marissa Castillo: You're welcome to Anaya. And I think that was the one single handedly amaz like most amazing move that producers did this season was to have that option. If you do it again next year, it better be worth it. Don't be bringing no fuck shit back. Gillian Griffin: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's gotta be so worth it. Trinity and Bryce are adorable. They're very precious, they were so happy. They said the L word. Marissa Castillo: Yes. their date bored me, to be honest. I just wasn't listening because I just it just felt repetitive. I love them. Don't get me wrong. I think they're they obviously deserve to win. They've been together since day one. It's very evident that they still chose each other, even though yeah. I wasn't listening until he said I love you. And then I was like, you know? Gillian Griffin: Really? Yeah. They ride for each other. Precious. Marissa Castillo: Yes, nothing could top Carl and Nia's date for me. They should have been like the last ones to be shown. Does that make sense? Gillian Griffin: producers are wild for that I just couldn't believe they went so hard someone on the production team like loves Anaya down like really is just like she had such a hard time and cried so much we better make sure they feel it and like and this is the other thing if Trinity and Bryce break up I'll be like aww Marissa Castillo: Mm-hmm. Mm. Yeah, yeah. Gillian Griffin: But kind of like, okay, you know, like if they don't get married, do the thing, I'll be like, okay. If Anaya and Carl break up, it's actually gonna hurt my soul. Marissa Castillo: I'll never believe in love again. no nope, I won't even sing. Gillian Griffin: I know, I'll be like no. Marissa Castillo: 'Cause I was gonna Gillian Griffin: Yeah, I do I do think Trinity and and Bryce were the most deserving couple. Cause like Anayan Carl would be fine. Like, regardless of whatever happens to them, even if I do get heartbroken by them breaking up, I probably would have still hit the vote for Trinity and Bryce button. Cause it in my mind would have always been, who do I want to win 50k? Or sorry, we've been watching UK and US. UK is less money because their money is worth more. it'd be like, who'd I want to win? A hundred thousand dollars. It's those two. It's the guy who Marissa Castillo: Mm-hmm. Gillian Griffin: Who's been working on garbage trucks to make ends meet? It's the girl who was working at a hardware store and had no idea what was going on in the hardware store just because she's like, This is my job. Like, I wanted them to get the money. I think, and I think that they, you know, it's also so admirable that they did really like learn to love each other. You know? Cause that is also, I feel like a lot of people have told me. Marissa Castillo: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Gillian Griffin: It's not always about the sparks and the butterflies and whichever every time and that's it's not always about exciting. It's about who's really there for you. It doesn't always feel like crazy to begin with. It can be like a slow burn and then the thing and the thing. So yeah, mad respect to them forever. And like when she started crying after they won, I started crying. I was like I'm getting emotional thinking about it now. Marissa Castillo: Yes. Yes, I will say that as someone who considers herself a demisexual, I always pay attention to personality over looks. So that initial attraction towards people it sometimes isn't always there for me. Sometimes I'm like, why are you talking to me? And then someone talks to me and then I'm like, but I understand. We ride for each other now. You know what I'm saying? So I get it. I do think that they were the most deserving couple to win that money. I Trinity, she she got me good when she was crying at the end because she's just like, you know, girls like me, you know, where I'm from, this just doesn't happen to girls like me. And I was like, I understand, and I'm so proud of you, and I love you for it. And I just am so proud of all four. of these women for being women of color and being in the final four. And they talked about that too, which I was so grateful for. Gillian Griffin: They did. I'm just straight up crying. Marissa Castillo: Ha ha ha. Gillian Griffin: And those dumb people be like, it's just reality TV. It's so stupid. Why are you so invested in people that you don't even know? Cause I am, okay. Marissa Castillo: Why are you invested in celebrities that you don't even know? It's the same thing. You Gillian Griffin: Why are you invested in anything? Marissa Castillo: Why are you alive? No, I'm saying. Gillian Griffin: Why do you get out of bed in the morning? Like, let me have my silly show where I can get mad at men for 90% of it and then mad at women for 10% of it. Like, and talk to my besties about how people and couples treat each other. Like, come on. my god. Who? Marissa Castillo: Exactly. Surely. Mm-hmm. Gillian Griffin: But yes. It was it was pretty good. It was pretty good. I Marissa Castillo: It was pretty good. I have one singular complaint. Gillian Griffin: Okay. Is it about Melanie and Anaya making out in the pool at the end? Not to complain about it, but to be like, ma'am, is there something going on? Marissa Castillo: No. Well, I think no, I think Melanie is Open. Gillian Griffin: That's for sure. I mean, listen, I was saying this. Some people at the restaurant were talking to me about it about Love Island. They're like, we don't know anything about it except that there's like a a a questionably like and they said it this way, which was interesting. It was a gay couple that said to there's like there's like a questionable gay romance or something like that that they said to me. I don't remember exactly how they phrase it, but even I was like, What is happening? Like why is that? And I just and I just looked at that. I was like, come on, everybody's a little gay. Like, what does it matter? Just like let them fake hump each other. Marissa Castillo: Exactly. Here's my one singular complaint. I said it to you and I'll say it here. I better never ever ever again. I better never have to sit through an hour and fifty five zero minutes of that shit again. Gillian Griffin: Well, they've got to do something because they don't do a live finale, which is crazy. I wish they would do a live finale. I was talking to people about it and I was like, well, the votes are on right now, right? And they were like, No, the votes closed on Friday. What do you think happened? And I was just like, but in the UK, the votes and it took me until the very end that I was like, my god, this isn't live. Cause in the UK, when they have the final, it's a live final. Marissa Castillo: Well maybe they should Maybe they should. Mm mm. Yeah. Yes. Gillian Griffin: They do like stuff about their last day in the villa for like the first half hour. And you have a half an hour to vote during the beginning of the show. You vote on the la on the last regular episode night as well, but then you have time to do a second vote. And so like the people that love people down really get a chance to like double down and vote more. So I was like, I was like, okay. I'm realizing now that this isn't live. That's fine. but yeah, it's just kind of Marissa Castillo: Yeah. Gillian Griffin: It just feels kind of barren. They do that in Australia too, though, to be fair. They it's not a live final because Australia films the whole season in advance now. They used to do it in real time like the other shows, but they do it all in advance now. And they actually film four different endings. Like they all have to pretend they won. And they don't know until the episode airs whether or not they've won, which is a whole other rigmarole. Marissa Castillo: Yes. Yeah, I remember that fact, learning about that fact. Gillian Griffin: It's crazy. It's been like that for like at least the last two years, I think. But Yeah, it's just like it's that's part I think that's part of why it's so long. And then cause usually they like win and then they sit to the side and they do a whole interview and then they play back clips of their entire relationship individually and then talk about like what do what's next for you? Where do you see your size going? Like If they aren't boyfriend, girlfriend yet, they'll ask, like, do you see yourselves becoming boyfriend, girlfriend soon? And all of that. And I would honestly rather see that stuff. Usually the final dates are like episodes before, but I don't think they do the final dates anymore on UK. They've they've been switching it up. But it was a long final. I also thought it was only gonna be an hour long, but when I saw it was an hour and fifteen minutes, I was like, of course, of course it's an hour and fifty minutes. Marissa Castillo: Mm-hmm. I would have taken an hour and a half, ninety minutes, cut it at that. But fifty, close to damn near two hours, it doesn't need to be that long. It doesn't some of that Gillian Griffin: They want to get that ad revenue, baby. If it's longer, it's more ads. That ad break f sent everyone. The whole restaurant went, like when they were like the winners of Love Island are, and then it went to the Love Island logo, everyone was like, no. Cause they just wanted to know what was gonna happen. Marissa Castillo: Well I Some of us don't have ads, but Gillian Griffin: That's right. It was too quiet for too long. I'm so sorry. It was also on video, so you would understand. I think overall, I'm gonna give this season like a solid Marissa Castillo: Yeah. Gillian Griffin: Four stars. I'm gonna go ahead and do four out of five stars. At the beginning, I was like, I don't know. But all the costs of more drama, how diabolical sincere was, even though I don't want them together. Very watchable, even though I was angry for almost the entire season. It was still entertaining and I still did want to know who won. I was excited to see who won. And so I was like, I think I enjoyed it more than I. Marissa Castillo: Mm-hmm. Gillian Griffin: think that I believed that I did really. I'll still give it a four out of five. It's still one of my I still love Love Island. Marissa Castillo: Yeah, I mean I love Love Island. I'm giving it a three and a half. Just because I would have loved for them to mix it up more and they didn't. We had a lot of people just stay in their regular old couples. Whereas we know in the UK, everyone is still exploring to this day and is still in new couples to this day. And it's almost the end of the season, so Gillian Griffin: Hmm. my god, don't even get us started. It's crazy. It's crazy. I would I if it was out of ten, I would say seven point five. Let's say a little under four stars. Just a little. You know what I mean? But I'm I'm just gonna give it the four because I just started crying thinking about the winners. Like that really notched it up for me. Marissa Castillo: Okay. Three three point seven five. Yeah, that's true. You did. Gillian Griffin: If y'all wanna stick around, we're gonna do superlatives and I think we should only do the the the top eight or rather everyone who was in the finale, don't you? I don't think we should go through all those people. It's too much. Marissa Castillo: Yeah, so you're saying the final four or Gillian Griffin: Well I'ma give you my Marissa Castillo: Or the ones that that were there bef at the fortune cookie thing. Gillian Griffin: The finale. I'm gonna tell you my first one. Are you ready? I think we should go ahead and give best dress to Ariana. Marissa Castillo: Maddox? Gillian Griffin: Yes. Really of everyone on the show? Marissa Castillo: I just don't think well o of everyone on the show, yeah, I mean I guess Gillian Griffin: I think second would be Cada. Marissa Castillo: I think second would be a naya for me. Gillian Griffin: Okay, okay. But to be clear, I think this that the US suffers because they have a Shein collab. That is their sponsor. Whereas the UK has eBay, who has people running around in vintage Mew Mew and Versace and like Louis Vuitton bags. Like, you what I mean? Like you would not believe the stuff that the UK Islanders get to wear. And the fashion is so Marissa Castillo: Yeah. Gillian Griffin: Chef's kiss. It's so chef's kiss. Comparatively when you're just like, this is shian. Marissa Castillo: Yes. Gillian Griffin: Like a bunch of really fun, solid looks. Marissa Castillo: Yeah, I I I guess so. There were just a few that I was like, Mm hmm, yeah. Okay, fine. I'll give it to her. Gillian Griffin: Thank you. I think that's actually weirdly the one that mattered most to me. Marissa Castillo: Yeah. Well yeah, but you're definitely a fashion girly, whereas I'm not. Gillian Griffin: Yes, you are. Shut up. Marissa Castillo: Okay. Gillian Griffin: Now Class clown. And I'm using this not in a good way. Sincere. It's the only superlative I'm willing to give him. Marissa Castillo: Yes, I agree. Gillian Griffin: Ha ha It's really hard for me to not put a clown emoji over his face. Marissa Castillo: I will can I give a second place? It would be Corbin. Gillian Griffin: Fair enough. If we're doing it night in a not in a nice way. No no no, it's gall. Come on, it's gall. Marissa Castillo: Not in a nice way. Gillian Griffin: Yes. That man was messing around. Come on. Marissa Castillo: I still give it to Corbin. I still give it to Corbin. I was pondering. I still give it to him. Gillian Griffin: Speaking of Gaul, just a little tangent, have you seen he's been letting Jen throw coffees in his face? Marissa Castillo: They're like best friends right now. Gillian Griffin: I know, but like he's letting Jim throw coffees in his face 'cause he realized it because he got to work and all of his female employees were like, You need to do damage control. We've been doing damage control now, you need to do damage control and he went, Well, she could start throwing coffees in my face, I guess. Marissa Castillo: Good for her? She deserved it. Gillian Griffin: okay. Then for Trinity and Bryce, I thought they deserve maybe best all around. Marissa Castillo: Yes. Gillian Griffin: That makes sense. And then on the flip side, I want Anaya and Carl to be most likely to be to succeed. Marissa Castillo: Yes. Gillian Griffin: 'Cause I want them to last and then but Trinity and Bryce, they like they won the thing and like overall of the whole show they're the best. Right? Marissa Castillo: That was obvious. Yes. I'm not here to argue with you. Gillian Griffin: I really feel like we're in that episode of Rick and Morty. Marissa Castillo: Which one? Because I've seen all. Gillian Griffin: The one where Jerry's stuck in the the the the the the fake world and th they and they lower it to like minimum efficiency so everyone in the fake world just keeps telling him, Yes. Hungry for apples? Yes. Marissa Castillo: Get it Yes. Okay. Gillian Griffin: You understand now? Marissa Castillo: So that would make you Jerry? Gillian Griffin: I guess so. Marissa Castillo: We digress. Gillian Griffin: I just thought maybe maybe you'd be like, I want them to succeed too. Marissa Castillo: No, I already said that. I do want them to succeed. my superlative would have been like most likely to get married. Gillian Griffin: Thank you, this is what I need you here for Okay, most likely to my god, wait, Canva, don't fuck around with me. Marissa Castillo: It it'd be doing that sometimes. Gillian Griffin: Get married. Da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da You can't sue us for this because it's not a real song. Okay. Thank you. This is what I'm saying. This is what I want to hear. I want you to fight with me. Marissa Castillo: Okay. Gillian Griffin: Don't look at me like that. And so Trinity Bryce still best all around? Marissa Castillo: Trinity and Brace, I'd give them most genuine. Gillian Griffin: Okay, okay. I'm putting out a sticky note. Marissa Castillo: Okay. Gillian Griffin: Okay. Okay, okay. Then for Melanie, I wanted to give her best smile because I just want her to smile more. I just want her to be happier. I'm getting emotional. I know that I've had my moments of riding against her, but it's because I want the best for you, girl. Marissa Castillo: We all did, but we didn't see where her behavior was coming from until we understood where her behavior was coming from, and it was coming from a man that has a fuck ass bun. He couldn't have he couldn't have at least taken the bun down when he was wearing that really expensive tux. Gillian Griffin: Incredible, incredible. He just didn't feel like doing a fresh wash. The the s the wash schedule just didn't work out, okay? You know what that's like? Okay, fine, I'm gonna change it to most genuine. Marissa Castillo: No. Okay. Gillian Griffin: Most genuine. I'm so sorry I said it like that. I really regret it. Most genuine. Okay, so the I obviously think cutest couple goes to Bryce and Zack, right? Marissa Castillo: Don't do it. Yes. Gillian Griffin: Yes, absolutely. They were they were sending me how many times they made sure to put in that they were they were talking about their bro bands into the finale and they're like, no, we're the luckiest because we we both got two loves. Marissa Castillo: Absolutely. Mm-hmm. Jesus Christ. Gillian Griffin: Adorable. So then that leaves Kata. And this is the one that's had me stuck. I don't know why. But then it's just like to the point where it's like it's the last person and then there's too many options. So help a sister out. Marissa Castillo: Mm-hmm. Best laugh. Gillian Griffin: my god, okay, I was gonna say that. Okay. You get me. Okay. And this is gonna be so cute. I'm gonna make an actual little yearbook page and put them and put their like pictures and say the things. So we have would what would you give our our animatics besides best dressed? Best host? She's gonna win out Emmy anyway. Marissa Castillo: Ha ha ha. Okay. I wouldn't give her best host because I think Megan Thee Stallion was the best host. Gillian Griffin: She was really fun. Ooh, maybe I should have that. Okay, so Marissa Castillo: No, I would give Ariana best dressed. I would. There was just a f a few of her outfits that I was like even yesterday her hair was bothering me. I loved her her dress. I'm I don't know why they would give her those stripper heels. Because that's what they were. Gillian Griffin: Me too. I was thinking that I loved the dress until I saw the heels. And then I was like, what's happening? She maybe she just wants to be tall. Maybe she's tiny and she just wants to be tall. Marissa Castillo: I think she is tiny. Gillian Griffin: Well maybe she just wants to be tall, you should know something about that. Marissa Castillo: Was insulting as far as I've haven't grown since the eighth grade. You don't know what it Try being my size, Amy. You don't know how it is. Gillian Griffin: Who is Amy? Marissa Castillo: If anyone listening understands that reference, please please leave a comment. And I will send Gigi where it's from when we're done recording. Gillian Griffin: Okay, okay, best dressed, Ariana Maddox. Most genuine, Trinity and Bryce. Most likely to get married, Anaya and Carl. and then it says most likely to succeed again because I haven't changed that one. Best Smile, Melanie, because we want her to smile more. And class clown, sincere. and then Zach and Bryce are cutest couple, and Kata is Beth Laugh. Marissa Castillo: Yes. Yes. Gillian Griffin: We did it We did it, Joe We did it It's been a crazy season It's been a crazy season Marissa Castillo: We did it. And this Yeah. It has been. It has been. I'm very it was a bittersweet feeling of having it end for sure. We still have UK, so that's why I'm like, it's okay, we still have UK. Gillian Griffin: It's true. I am definitely gonna be in tears at the end of this UK season because it's been so insane. Everyone's been turning their heads and getting in fights and and also the dynamics over there of how men the standards that men hold women to versus the standards men think that they should be held to are nuts. It because it's all it's been similar on US, it's just the picture into where we are at currently is. Marissa Castillo: Surely. Mm-hmm. Gillian Griffin: Crazy. there's a finale on August thirty first, right? Marissa Castillo: You mean a reunion? Gillian Griffin: That's the word I was thinking. A different word came out of my mouth. There's a reunion. say it. You you say it. I don't want to talk. Marissa Castillo: That's okay. There's there's a reunion on August thirty first. You and I both agreed that that was too soon. Gillian Griffin: I know it's exciting to get everybody together like right away. I just think it's it's strange. Like I feel like with other reality TV shows, it's kind of like the thing of they usually shoot like way in advance of when the show comes out. So I understand having a reunion because then like a few months have passed, like having a reunion just a little bit after the end of the show makes kind of more sense. Whereas as far as Love Island goes, a lot of these people just saw each other 30 days ago. I want time for people to break up. Marissa Castillo: Mm-hmm. Gillian Griffin: I want time for people who have broken up with each other, gone together with other people in the group and broken up again. But I guess we do get Life After the Villa. Depending on what that trailer looks like, if they get this life after the Villa and there's some Melanie and some cheer shit in there, I I'm gonna watch that 'cause I wanna know. I wanna know what's going on. Marissa Castillo: Exactly. Yeah. We would watch it and we would talk about it. Gillian Griffin: For sure, but we will be back on September first to talk the reunion. And we're still doing what's the word? we're still doing UK and we will be doing probably weekly episodes after UK wraps up as well. Thank you to everyone who listened to us, despite our chewing noises. Marissa Castillo: Burn. Gillian Griffin: That comment kept me up at Marissa Castillo: It really kept her up at night. Gillian Griffin: night. It kept me up. It really did. I read it and then I was like, my god, what did I do? It's the only review on Apple Podcast now. And I'm like, great. And I feel terrible about it. It sent me into an anxious thing. And then I had like a little monologue in my head and I was like, but we're just starting and we're new. And we don't have it all together yet. And one day we'll have someone who sound edits and who will cut out all the smacky noises I make if I ever needed to eat a snack again. Or I wouldn't have to work a whole other job. And it's like even even pearls come from gunk that got into a clam. And so you just have to deal with the gunk for a little bit and then it becomes a pearl, and that's us. Marissa Castillo: Guys, I think she's a unwell. Gillian Griffin: These were my thoughts. me so long to fall asleep after that. Never read your comment section before bed. Marissa Castillo: Okay. Yeah. Gillian Griffin: Delete bad idea. regardless to everyone who has stuck with us and who wasn't bothered by it, slash who will forgive us. Marissa Castillo: Mm-hmm. Gillian Griffin: Thank you for listening. This has been a blast. I hope you keep listening or tune in to see what we're talking about because we will be around. And if you do watch UK now that there's a love island shaped hole in your heart, you've got a lot of episodes of the show to watch, and we've got an episode to go along with every single episode of that show. So that's out there for you. Marissa Castillo: Yes, yes. Absolutely. I have been seeing a lot of people already be like, Now what am I supposed to watch? The UK version if you're not already. Gillian Griffin: Yes. Marissa Castillo: Because it's it's ten times juicier. Gillian Griffin: Right now, yes it is. I hope that Love Island USA gets over this this hump of people not wanting to do the thing and being whatever and having contestants get booted off for the reasons they've been getting booted off. But anyway, anything else from you Mimi? Marissa Castillo: No, are you gonna cry again? Gillian Griffin: No, I'm not gonna cry again, okay? But that's the tea. Marissa Castillo: That's the tea. Gillian Griffin: Thanks for listening. You will hear from us again on the 1st of September if you're only gonna tune in for USA stuff. And otherwise, bye! Marissa Castillo: Bye.