There’s nothing quite like a scantily-clad group of sexy singles searching for love in a tropical island paradise. This, of course, sounds much like most successful dating shows on streaming services these days, but we’re specifically going to be talking about Perfect Match Season 4, which dropped its first batch of episodes on Netflix today. Starring a new group of familiar faces from reality TV, including, for the first time ever, a Bravolebrity, Perfect Match capitalizes on a formula that has provided great success for other shows like Love Island USA and Too Hot to Handle. But will Season 4 keep the momentum going? Keep reading for our thoughts.
PERFECT MATCH SEASON 4: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Opening Shot: Perfect Match Season 4 opens with the new group of attractive love-seekers meeting each other for the first time in the Mexican villa.
The Gist: Hosted by Nick Lachey, Perfect Match attempts to, through a series of compatibility challenges, find each contestant’s soulmate. Unlike other dating shows, this cast consists solely of already-established reality TV stars from shows like Love is Blind, Love Island and Too Hot to Handle, to name a few. The winning couple—a.k.a. the couple deemed to have the “perfect match”—will be granted an all-expense paid trip to continue exploring their connection outside of the villa.
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Perfect Match very much so feels like Netflix’s spin on Love Island and Love Island USA. They play sexy games in their bathing suits, they try to form genuine connections, and they face dramatic eliminations.
Our Take: Transparently, this was the first season of Perfect Match I had ever watched. As a Bravo fan, knowing that Ally Lewber, who joined the later seasons of OG Vanderpump Rules when she was dating James Kennedy, would be in the show, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to watch it. What I quickly realized was just how much I missed tuning into Love Island USA every night, and how much Perfect Match scratched that itch as I await the Peacock show’s eighth season next month.
While I wasn’t familiar with the lore behind each and every cast member, it wasn’t long before I found myself invested in their personal stories and the connections they were forming. A part of me tends to worry when there’s a group of people who are already used to being in the limelight. Will they put up a front to protect their image? Or are they only doing this for more clout? Having watched the first handful of episodes, it seems that each cast member, even those I was initially skeptical of, is genuinely open to finding love.
With the right push, Perfect Match Season 4 has what it takes to dominate Netflix’s slate of competition dating shows, making it the perfect watch heading into the summer months.
Sex and Skin: It’s a dating show where good-looking people walk around in their bathing suits and make out all day, so, naturally, there’s going to be a sexy scene or two. The most explicit moment, however, comes in Episode 1 when Nick Pellecchia (Million Dollar Secret) and Natalie Cruz (Temptation Island) exit their steamy joint shower, and Natalie, while covered with tasteful heart emojis, is completely naked.
Parting Shot: Episode 1 ends with challenge winners Marissa George (Love is Blind) and DeMari Davis (Too Hot to Handle) announcing to the group that two more singles will be entering the villa, meaning an elimination is on the horizon.
Sleeper Star: Lewber is bringing quirky back. Without her, it would simply be a bunch of influencer wannabes who tend to put stereotypical hotness above the importance of a good (and oftentimes, silly) personality. Lewber is fully, authentically herself — and whether she’s basing her attraction to men on how many cats they’d allow her to have, or dropping High School Musical references, she has easily become the most entertaining character thus far.
Most Pilot-y Line: “You thought you knew the game? Well, not anymore, smarty pants. We’re changing everything. With singles this steamy, will personalities pop to make a genuine connection? How could they not? Look at them.” Not only do Lachey’s opening remarks set a high bar for the sexy singles, but they tease new twists and turns to come this season. We’ll just have to keep watching to find out what they are…
Our Call: STREAM IT. Perfect Match is a standing ovation-worthy opening act for the next season of Love Island USA.