Too Hot To Handle: Season 2
Where the TikTok tea is just as hot as the show
by TAYLOR CHAIKEN ★ JULY 18, 2021
Too Hot to Handle season 2 is finally here, and it’s definitely worth the watch. This new season is filled with a hot new cast, steamy hookups, dreamy new arrivals, and most of all, a crazy plot twist. The best part is that the whole world is talking about it, and the cast members have even created more drama from TikTok than on the actual show. Coming from someone who has watched almost every season of Bachelor in Paradise and Love Island, trust me when I say that this show is a must-watch this summer.
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This season is completely different from last year’s. While the plot remains pretty much the same (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!), there are several changes along the way. First off, the cast doesn’t even know they're on the show. Too good to be true, right? The contestants signed up to be on a made up show “Parties in Paradise,” and what they expected fits the description. While the group was pumped for a summer of partying, they were in for one hell of a surprise. When Lana (the talking robot meets the cone that watches and guides the group) gave out the strict directions, the group came to the conclusion this is not what they signed up for.
In true influencer fashion, the cast has created more drama offscreen than there is on the show. As a wise Joey Joy once wrote, “anything is possible with this cast.” After watching the reunion, listening to the podcasts, and most importantly, keeping up with the TikTok drama, I’ve got it all down. Couples have broken up, friendships have strengthened, and tension has risen among the cast. For keepers, we have Cam and Emily (a given), and the new arrivals are Christina and Robert. Who would have thought? You can see lots of action-packed, PDA-filled pictures on all of their Instagrams.
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“20 seconds turned into 6 months with you,” Christina captioned a picture of the hot couple on her Instagram. If you know, you know. Sadly, while everyone was rooting for Melinda and Marvin, the two happened to call it quits. While they do live across the world from each other (New York and Paris), the two just couldn’t make it work. With Marvin coming home with a grand prize of $55K, the pair planned a trip to Tulum, Mexico, but Melinda revealed on the reunion show that Marvin flaked the day before. OUCH. Later that month, Marvin used the money to take the same trip with Chase.
In response, Melinda has been posting a ton of thirst traps on her Instagram, living her best life, and getting close to Peter. They’ve been posting together nonstop and leaving adorable comments on each other's posts. I’m guessing the two are dating, but nothing has been confirmed. All we know is that something is going on there. As for Chase, he has been the most confusing cast member of all post-show. He has definitely stirred the post using TikTok and Instagram to reveal what happened behind the scenes. He even told us that he had a workshop (and possible connection?) with Kayla, but the scene was never aired.
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Carly, on the other hand, did reveal on Violet Benson’s (Francessca’s best friend) podcast “Daddy Issues,'' that she was no longer single and hinted that she's with someone on the show. Take your guess who. As for friendships, Peter, Chase, Nathan, and Harry Jowsey (a fan favorite from season 1) have formed quite the squad. They have been creating content in L.A., partying, and even appeared on Harry’s podcast, “Tap In,” where they told some more secrets. As for the rest of the cast, they have been laying low, but I’m more than certain this won’t be the end of hearing from them.
What may seem like a silly reality TV show actually sends a positive message to its viewers. For one thing, it encourages and emphasizes the importance of emotional connections coming before physical ones. After all, if we can watch these specific individuals go through nine weeks of “torture,” then anyone can do it, right? But in all seriousness, if teens are the target audience for this show, producers are doing a pretty good job of making their purpose known.
Hot take: we can all learn something from this show. While hookup culture is so prevalent in the college environment, it's so important to take a step back and focus on where our values lie. Why continue with meaningless hookups when a real connection can be found? Easier said than done, but relaying this message to our generation is just the start. Too Hot to Handle serves as an example that this experiment can be done in our everyday lives. In all seriousness, our generation has the potential to reconnect again. Too Hot to Handle is just the start.