Fantasy Island Review: Twice in a Lifetime (Season 1 Episode 5)
Fantasy Island Season 1 Episode 5, “Twice in a Lifetime,” shows us what it means to fall in love with ourselves, and we finally get a closer look at Javier and Elena’s relationship.
The fantasy of the week comes in the form of Nisha Shah looking for clarity on who she should marry. This episode quickly becomes one of our favorites when we get a look into how they’re separating each storyline, depending on the man Nisha should choose.
We see the episode switch between men, usually in the middle of a scene, in the same scenario just with a different possibility of life. Instead of breaking up the story into lengthy parts, we’re told exactly what we need to know, and exactly what Nisha needs to know to choose between these men.
Whether one of them reacts better or worse to news of her father’s passing, whether one man dies or divorces from Nisha, the result is always this: Nisha is the one constant in her life.
Anuja Joshi steals the spotlight on “Twice in a Lifetime,” more than once. Through her, Nisha becomes the best — and most interesting — guest we’ve had on the island so far.
The story of Nisha eventually choosing herself is fairly predictable, but the writing from Sono Patel, along with Joshi’s acting, makes the episode worth watching anyway.
Even the directing from Tara Miele is exciting to watch, seeing the different ways she will transition a scene to bring us Nisha’s other life.
Nisha choosing herself feels inevitable, but a part of you is also proud of Nisha for coming to this realization on her own. Yes, the island helps her a tad, but overall, she’s taking this journey alone.
And honestly, who doesn’t need a slight push sometimes?
This brings us to Javier finally having some substance on the show. I’ve been a staunch anti-Javier/Elena for a while now. This episode, though… I may, at long last, be on board with them.
The pair is still lacking in chemistry somewhat, but this episode just proves that practice makes perfect.
This may be the first time we see Elena outright talking about how she’s feeling, as opposed to flitting around the matter and somehow making it about someone else. She’s clearly open with Javier, and not just because his fantasy is for them to be together.
Javier and Elena drink and laugh and talk, and it’s some of the best content we’ve gotten from either one of them. Javier is right when he says that Elena always takes care of everyone else.
It’s nice to see Elena be open and allow herself pleasure rather than trying to relate to a guest.
There’s a noticeable lack of Ruby on this episode, but it doesn’t quite dim the story as much as I would expect. She still helps Nisha, and she still looks amazing while doing it, so it isn’t too bad.
Speaking of which, did the ladies of Fantasy Island look extremely good in this episode or what? The costume department is really making sure they make themselves known.
All in all, “Twice in a Lifetime” is the best episode of Fantasy Island so far, and if it sticks to one story a week while diving into the characters of the island, this will make for a much more interesting show.
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Fantasy Island airs Tuesday at 9/8c on FOX.
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Laura Wanberg
Laura is a homebody who loves everything about TV. Some of her favorite shows include Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Parks and Recreation, and The Morning Show. With her ever-growing list of new shows to watch and books to read, her favorite thing to do is to cuddle up with her cat and get lost in someone else's world.