Week 3 Love Island USA Recap: Episodes 15-22

It’s here! The most anticipated time of the Fijian season for the Islanders: Casa Amor week on Love Island USA! And, of course, it arrived at the peak moment, just as some couples confessed they were falling for each other, and the villa heard its first utterances of the L-word. Here’s what kicked off the most fun week in reality TV. [Warning: Spoilers Ahead!]

Enter Mike and Imani

Things started off sweet and steamy this week. Marco and Hannah spent the night in the hideaway. Kenzo stroked Carmen’s hair as they fell asleep. Kassy and Leo made out a lot. The next morning, Bergie made everyone pancakes, while Carmen and Kay Kay did math at the gym.

By nightfall, new bombshells Imani and Mike came in to do what bombshells do best — blow things up. America voted for Bergie and Leo to go on dates with Imani, and Kay Kay and Destiny to go on dates with Mike. Mike seemed to hit it off with both Kay Kay and Destiny, but it was clear Kay Kay was still in her head about Keenan. Bergie went all-in on his date with Imani, while Leo was more low-key, with hints that his head could be turned away from Kassy. Back at the villa, Kassy questioned America’s motives for voting Leo to date Imani. “Are we not a good fit?” she wondered.

Soul Ties? NOT Okay-Kay.

The speculation in the villa over new bombshells Imani and Mike nearly reached a tipping point, just in time for them to return from their dates. Kassy’s fears were quickly squashed as Leo jumped right into her lips, admitting he wanted to pursue things with only her, despite having had a pleasant date with Imani.

But things were not so copacetic for purportedly strong couple Kay Kay and Keenan. After admitting to his fellow Islanders — and Kay Kay herself — that he wanted to explore other connections, Imani visited Keenan for a chat in the cozy, semi-private space in the villa known as “Soul Ties.” That level of intimacy was not cool with Kay Kay. When Keenan returned to the common area, Kay Kay rejected his hug, retorting that “Soul Ties is crazy.” Their fight netted out with Kay Kay accepting that Keenan needs to explore, but it was clear she was left hurt by their situationship.

Maura Higgins Reveals the Cold, Hard Truth

The next day, Love Island UK royalty Maura Higgins arrived at the villa to play a game of “Face Facts” with the Islanders, in which they learned what America — and each other — really thinks. Harrison was voted most boring by America, and Kassy was voted most annoying. Keenan was voted by his fellow Islanders (including Kay Kay) that he’s been dating out of his league, and Marco was made aware that the public thinks he’s also dating out of his league with Hannah, just after Maura had gotten him to admit that he’s falling for her. Oh, how the tables have turned for the playboys of the villa! As the brutal game came to an end, Maura had one more sobering fact to reveal: America had also been voting for their favorite boy and favorite girl, and that those with the fewest votes would be at risk of being dumped from the Island.

On that note… the girls did their makeup, Bergie put on his “special” could-be-my-last-night shirt, and the Islanders gathered round the firepit as a text message revealed that America’s votes for favorite boy and girl were in.

The at-risk girls were:

• Destiny

• Emily

• Kassy

• Carmen

The at-risk boys were:

• Leo

• Harrison

• Kenzo

• Keenan

Bergie was safe (and still single).

Goodbye Harry and Emily, Hello New Sexy Casa People!

It was up to the Islanders to choose one boy and one girl to send home and the girls chose to dump Harrison, and the boys, coincidentally, chose to dump Emily. They were sad to go, but all was well — since Harrison and Emily had been coupled up together, he said he planned on messaging her while spending the next few months in Miami. What a thoughtful consolation prize!

The safe Islanders were reeling. Hannah told Marco that she wanted to be closed off with him, and he agreed. Leo and Kassy basically said the L-word to each other. Kenzo stroked Carmen’s hair again. Even Keenan started to realize how great Kay Kay is and he decided he’d be closing things off with her later that night. Love was ripping through the air faster than you can say “I’ve got a text!”

And then the girls got a text.

The cryptic text revealed that the girls would be leaving the villa to attend a special “VIP” event. But hashtags don’t lie — they knew it was time for their highly anticipated stay at Casa Amor. They changed into fancy dresses, left some sexy lingerie on their guys’ beds, and blew out of the villa into the lavish company of the six new Casa Amor men:

• Rob, the snake wrangler

• Matia, the fashion monger

• Zay, the quiet listener

• Kyle, the soccer coach

• Eddy, the football free agent

• Brandon, the South African charmer

6 New Boys + 7 New Girls + 1 Toad = Temptation

At Casa Amor, the new boys got to work. Rob zeroed in on Carmen, who entertained his quippy comments after he broke the ice by making friends with a rogue Fijian toad. Matia put the moves on Kassy, and it didn’t take much for her head to start spinning. Zay and Destiny had a nice quiet talk on the beach, and Brandon and Kay Kay started getting close.

Back at the villa, the boys were missing their girls, but were quickly distracted when they met the seven new sexy girls who’d be joining them while their OG girls were at Casa Amor:

• Dasja, the “North Cackalackie” sweetheart

• Johnnie, the girl named after a boy

• Taylor S., the Bergie-chaser

• Allie, the Midwest maven

• Ashley, the petite world traveler

• Nadjah, the girl making things very hard for Keenan

• Taylor C, the Californian down for anything

With 13 new sexpots (and one amphibian) in the mix, the temptation was palpable in both houses, leaving America to wonder just how strong the strongest connections really had been so far. Meanwhile, this new world was Bergie’s oyster… and Allie was his pearl. They had a down-to-earth chat in Soul Ties, and just like that, Bergie was back in the game.

Backwash and Turning Heads

With new connections growing fast, it was time for the Islanders to get disgusting! Casa Amor and the main villa went head-to-head to see who could make cocktails the fastest by transferring the ingredients from mouth to mouth in a game called “Shaking Things Up.” While spit flew through the air, so did sparks — and after swapping saliva with Matia during and after the game, Kassy was starting to feel a little guilty about Leo.

But Leo and Kassy are more similar than she thinks. Back at the villa, Jonnie moved in on Leo, and Leo was not mad about it, confessing that he’s never felt so strongly about someone so quickly.

Meanwhile, Kenzo and Marco slept outside to honor their commitments to Carmen and Hannah. So it felt like a reward when Marco got a text that he’d be reunited with Hannah! His giddiness was stifled when, instead, his ex of the same name crashed the villa to settle some unfinished business. Would Marco fold?!

Marco Stays True, and Bergie Gets Friend-Zoned…Again

Marco was cordial with Hannah O. while they caught up over signature Love Island plastic cups and bits of food. But ultimately, he admitted to her that he is closed off with Hannah W. and that he wishes Hannah O. the best.

Over at Casa Amor, Rob was champing at the bit to be with Carmen, but she told him that 50% of her was still back at the main villa with Kenzo. They negotiated, settling on Carmen giving him 80% and leaving the door open for a possible connection.

After another raunchy, saliva-soaked competition, Allie told Bergie that she didn’t want to lead him on and that they might be better as friends than romantic partners. Womp. Another Bergie match bites the dust.

Now a few days deep into the throes of Casa Amor, the connections stand as follows:

• Rob is into Carmen, but she’s holding her cards close.

• Kassy and Matia are heating up…

• …As are Leo and Jonnie.

• Imani really likes Kyle. A lot!

• Jonah has his sights set on Taylor O.

• Destiny and Zay have a nice quiet thing going…

• …And so do Mike and Dasja.

• Keenan has been getting to know Nadja, and he’s back to his typical head-swinging ways.

• Kay Kay likes Brandon, but not enough to prevent her from breaking down when the OG girls get a video text message revealing what’s been going on at the main villa.

Will Carmen give in to Rob’s charm or stay true to her “perfect” relationship with Kenzo? Is this the end for Kassy and Leo after everything they went through to be together? Will Bergie ever find love in Fiji? It all goes down as Casa Amor week comes to its dramatic close next week on Love Island USA.

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