While bombshell entrances and recouplings certainly mixed things up, some unions stood the test of time.
The viewers at home certainly picked up on their affection, sending them all the way to the finale.
Sydney and Isaiah dish about the villa environment
You guys came in second.
Such a whirlwind, I bet.
What’s the last 24 hours been like?
That’s very, very key.
You constantly have your phone, and you’ve got the option to be sidetracked.
you could vibe with someone.
But to go in and meet someone and vibe with them without any distractions is key.
Now when I’m with him, I don’t even need to be on my phone.
Isaiah: It was nice.
It was a nice break, but it also … Sydney: I didn’t know anything.
It could be 5:00 in the morning.
We had no idea.
That’s kind of wild.
It seems to me, for couples, you had six weeks, but so much uninterrupted time.
I’m sure it feels more like six months than anything else.
It felt like a long time.
The first two weeks felt like a month itself.
I think every two weeks was a month.
Sydney: Everyone was like, “Y’all met four days ago.”
I’m like, “Dude, four days is a year.”
Isaiah: And y’all only see 10 clips from every couple for a 24-hour-day period, maybe two days.
What did it feel knowing America was so in your corner?
They got you all the way up to second place.
That must be pretty incredible to know.
Sydney: I know.
I felt so loved.
It felt so awesome.
I was so proud of both of us.
Thank you to America.
They’re lit for that.
Isaiah: I couldn’t be more blessed.
How did the couple overcome the hurdles they faced?
I really should have tried more."
That was why I was fighting, because I knew that I messed up.
I knew I had to fix some things.
Sydney: Everything I felt in [the villa] was so real.
I was like, “Yo, these are my feelings.”
Isaiah: It was probably the talk on the balcony too.
Sydney: We had many hard talks on the balcony.
We’ve all seen a play out on social media.
I know you guys just got your phones back.
Isaiah, you won a lot of fans over when you asked Syd to become your girlfriend.
What about the timing of that decision made you realize that she was the one?
Isaiah: It was a few days prior to the big question, so it did take some planning.
It wasn’t like, “Oh, I know what I’m going to do today.”
It was definitely a few days prior to that.
It was really when she confessed her feelings to me in the kitchen.
Then we had a couple days to truly vibe out.
Sydney, what was it about Isaiah that really made you believe in this process?
Because it is such a unique way to find love.
So I knew that he was being real as well.
What’s next for Sydney and Isaiah?
Individually as a couple, you’ve now got all these fans and people in your corner.
Life looks a lot different than what life looked like when you entered the villa, I’m sure.
I feel like it’s definitely going to be a bit up in the air for a little while.
[For our] relationship, we do have a couple things planned.
Sydney: And then it’ll be my birthday, and then it’ll be Halloween and Thanksgiving.
The summer’s over.
Isaiah: Summer’s over.
It’s almost September.
You two are looking at holiday season and everything!
Have you gotten to think about Christmas presents for each other already?
Sydney: Oh my God.
I already know what I’m going to get him.
Communication is key, keeping it real at all times.
No bs allowed for me.
Isaiah: [My takeaways are] to remain humble, remain optimistic, and also to remain yourself.
If you don’t, it definitely catches up to you.
That was the big takeaway.
I’m not a guy who does that a lot.
It really does seem as though this cast in particular, you’re all so genuine.
It seems like you’ve come out with lifelong friends.
Any plans to reconnect [and] hang out all together?
Isaiah: The boys have a trip in Massachusetts in probably a couple [or a] few weeks.
And then a Cabo trip for Sydney’s birthday, probably.
I don’t know when, but that’ll be probably a big little mini-reunion night.
Sydney: A lot of people are in the LA area too.
We’re all going to chop it up in LA.
“Love Island” Season 4 concluded on August 28.
The reunion episode will drop on September 1 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
