(Warning: This post contains spoilers for the FBoy Island Season 3 finale.)
During its first two seasons, FBoy Island saved its leading women from total humiliation with final-act twists: In Season 1, when unrepentant FBoy Garrett Morosky convinced Sarah Emig to pick him and then tried to run off with the prize money, the show donated the cash to charity instead. In Season 2, when Mia Emani Jones wound up with two FBoys as her finalists, the show gave all the women the option to choose themselves and pocket the cash. These loopholes have allowed FBoy Island and its creators to avoid rewarding bad behavior, but they’ve also undermined the show’s stakes.
This season was different: Model Hali Okeowo might’ve had two FBoys left in her stable at the end, and former competitive snowboarder Daniella Grace might’ve seemed dead-set on picking the vile FBoy Jared, but the show appeared ready to let the chips fall where they may. All season, Jared bragged to producers about his intention to run off with the money, and although they might’ve prepared to pull the charity twist again, it was never a guarantee. Thankfully, we never had to find out, because on the CW Friday night, the women ended this season by choosing their most secure connections.
For those who’ve never vacationed on FBoy Island, here’s a quick primer: Three women date their way through a gaggle of men on this beachside paradise in the hopes of sussing out the Nice Guys (who’ve offered to share the show’s $100,000 cash prize if any of the women selects them as their final pick) from the FBoys, who reserve the right to take all the money for themselves. This week’s finale kicked off with our final three overnight dates, as FBoys Benedict and Elijah (“EJ”) and Nice Guy Christian tried to convince former Bachelorette Katie Thurston, Hali, and Daniella to choose them during the final elimination.
Benedict and Katie’s date was, predictably, just fine—even though Katie wasn’t sure how much she could trust him. Benedict played last season as a Nice Guy, but this season, he’s done the most infuriating thing possible: returned as an FBoy who insists he’s still a good guy at heart, because he grew up around women and would never screw one over. (If that’s really the case, then why, sir, did you come in as an FBoy in the first place?!) Nevertheless, Katie wound up bringing Benny Boy back to her casita and introducing him to her cat, Tommy. But could Benedict really outshine Nice Guy Vince, who has been drowning Katie in sentiment all season and already insists he’s in love with her?
EJ might’ve been nervous at the start of his horseback riding date with Hali, but in spite of his trepidation—and his competitor Mercedes’ insistence that he and Hali’s dynamic relies too much on humor to turn romantic—these two had a great time. It’s true that he and Hali never quite had the spark that she and Mercedes did, but by the end of the date, Hali insisted she could see it with him, and we’ll have to take her at her word.
And then there was Daniella, who was itching for a reality check after her mind-blowing date with master manipulator Jared. During last week’s “Mansplain,” a reunion that gathers all the ousted FBoys and Nice Guys to tell all, most of the guys vouched for Jared’s character—a stunning twist that speaks to how well he masked the self-serving intentions he’s been gleefully sharing with producers since Day One. Daniella’s connection with Nice Guy Christian, meanwhile, was totally safe, if a little boring—a trend that continued into their overnight date.
But who did these women pick?! In the end, when they all donned their metallic cut-out dresses and took to the stage, each of these women chose their smartest, safest option.
In spite of her steamy chemistry with Benedict, Katie chose Vince—who seemed to have clinched the deal with his very, very long speech about why they should be together. (It was long enough for the show to put together a little montage of people yawning and zoning out, set to the kind of music that plays when one accepts an award.) Hali went with Mercedes—a returning FBoy who, to his credit, shared the money with Louise Barnard when he won in Season 2. With two FBoys on her hands, it’s understandable that Hali went for the guy she likes better, and who also has an established track record of making the right choice in the end. That said, we also learned afterward that EJ—like Benedict—had already locked in the choice to split the money if he’d won.
But the one we were all waiting for all season was Daniella: Would she pick her hotter connection and risk the money, or would she play it safe with the sweet teacher slash Nice Guy? I’ll admit, I was shocked when she chose the latter. It should surprise no one, however, that Jared had, indeed, planned to take the money—except Daniella, the only person truly left in the dark.
When Jared confirmed that he “faked our entire connection” and would’ve taken the money, everyone on stage with him seemed genuinely shocked.
“I was this close,” he said with a grin. “…I just played my part.”
“We talked till the sun came up and you continuously lied to my face,” Daniella told producers in disbelief. “For $100,000?”
While Jared told Daniella the classic, “Don’t hate the player,” she wasn’t having it. Her response? “Go fuck yourself.” And with that, Jared was banished from the stage.
Often, the leads on this show will prioritize their “best” connection (meaning, the hottest one) over security, but this time around, the women have decided that safety is part of a good connection. Jared and Benedict might’ve been good at banter—and, presumably, at making out—but at the end of the day, they still said something about themselves by coming in as FBoys. “Nice Guys” can be awful, too, but it’s hard to see how any good guy would think himself capable of tricking someone out of a cash prize. And as for Hali, she at least went with the one who’s proven in the past that he values his reputation too much to pull the villainous maneuver—even if he is still a huge cad.
We’ll have to wait and see if this trend sticks around on FBoy Island, or if, like the ocean tides, this wave of good decisions is already on its way out. That said, we have one even more important question: Is FGirl Island happening, or what?!
