After four seasons, the core tenets of Netflix reality series Too Hot to Handle are easy to identify among even the most casual viewers. A group of sex-crazed singles who think they're signing up for a debaucherous vacation (and the influencer fame that follows) are instead met with Lana, a sentient cone who challenges them to form meaningful relationships rather than fleeting hookups. The contestants have differing responses to the prize fund reveal; one noble soul becomes the cone cop, trying to make sure the pot stays up (and at the same time blocking their own chances at winning the money), while the people who rule-break with abandon get most of the screen time. After so many installments where even the workshops don't change much, each season lives or dies on the personality and charms of the main cast.
The first four episodes of season 5 arrived on Netflix on July 14, and so far the season 5 cast of Too Hot to Handle has been focused on lustful competition. Each couple that has formed has been relatively fleeting, as screen time focuses on groups of contestants competing for a person's affection, and moments of sweet chemistry are hard to find. However, there is a chance that a standout couple could emerge from all the chaos of the initial episodes. (Look at season 4's Kayla and Seb, who are still together as of June 2023). Read on for our breakdown of season 5's couples, and any clues we could find of who's still together after filming.
Christine and Louis
British contestant Louis Russell turned heads from the first moments of the season, and he quickly caught the interest of three women: Londoner Megan Thompson, California girl Hanna Brooke, and Houston hottie Christine Obanor. The cast was left to their own devices during a daylong yacht outing, and each of the three took the initiative to talk to Louis. Each encounter was a bit more escalated: Megan just chatted with Louis, Christine had him apply sunscreen to her bum, and Hannah gave him a massage and kissed him. All three of them also asked him to share a bed that night, and he said yes to all three. However, at the end of the night, he chose to keep the promise he made to Hannah, to Christine's frustration.
The next day, Louis seemingly continued to think with another appendage besides his brain, and even made a kissing pact with Issac where the two did a double rule break, both kissing their partners in an attempt to split the blame. Once Lana revealed that Hannah and Louis had kissed multiple times, Christine became more upset and determined. She invited Louis out to the beach that night, where the two shared a kiss, and Louis promised her that he would change his bed partner soon after letting Hannah down easy. And then he still kissed Hannah when they were in bed together.
Lana exposed Louis before he could get a chance to come clean to Hannah, and both women ended up angry at how he played with both of their emotions. In the aftermath, Louis had to decide which woman he wanted to pursue a connection with, and he realized that he wanted to try with Christine. Still mad, Christine decided to give him another chance, and they started to get deeper emotionally while sharing a bed and participating in the first workshop. However, a big twist comes when Lana sends Christine on a date with new arrival Trey, a Chicago-based model, and announces that the rules don't apply.
Whether Christine kissed Trey is left dangling as a cliffhanger, but if we believe the editing of the teaser, it looks like Christine stays coupled with Louis in the aftermath of the date. Instead, the question is whether Louis will stay faithful, as there's a moment where we see Christine saying, "Lana please give me my man back," possibly after Louis is sent on a date. As for their status after the show, neither of them have shared any info about their relationship status on Instagram, going back for the past year. Louis does follow Christine on Instagram, but she does not follow him back. (Read into that what you will.)
Courtney and Isaac
Houston contestant Courtney Randolph and New Jersey resident Isaac Francis connected early, and have been coupled up since the very first night. They mostly kept a low-drama profile on episodes 1-3; they did break some rules, and they were the other couple involved in the double rule-break pact, but most of the heat (rightfully) landed on Louis. Everything seemed like smooth sailing for them, as they also weren't caught up in any lust triangles.
However, everything changed when Lana sent Isaac on a rule-free date with new contestant Yazmin, a bottle girl who hails from Montevideo, Uruguay. Isaac quickly falls for her, as Latina women are his weakness, and he kisses her during the clandestine date. He also wraps his arm around her once they return to the villa, hinting that he may switch bed partners in the next set of episodes.
As for their fates after the show, neither of them have shared any clues on social media. (The Netflix reality shows have a lot of practice keeping spoilers on lock at this point.) They do follow each other on Instagram, so they may be on good terms following filming.
Elys and Alex
Swiss contestant Elys Hutchinson finds herself at the center of a love triangle from the start, as she quickly becomes interested in both British lad Alex Snell and Arizona boy Hunter LoNigro. Alex approached Elys first on the yacht day, but Elys admitted that his attempts to flirt were a bit awkward, and all the pair did was chat. After that, Hunter made his move, and though their conversation was also awkward, he secured a kiss, after which Elys decided to share a bed with him.
Though Alex was still interested in Elys, he decided to also get to know his fellow Brit Megan Thompson, and they began to hit it off. However, though Alex thought Elys and Hunter were happy, she really was having second thoughts once she saw Alex paying attention to Megan. This all culminated in Lana sending Hunter and Elys on a date, in the middle of which Lana told Elys to decide between the two men once and for all. Elys chose Alex, leaving a disappointed Hunter to return to the villa alone.
On Alex's end, Lana informed him of the decision Elys made and asked him to choose between her and Megan. He chose to go on the date with Elys, leaving a dejected Megan alone in the villa. With all that drama out of the way, new couple Elys and Alex began sharing a bed midway through episode 4. So, will Elys and Alex stay together until the end? The only post-filming clue is that they both follow each other on Instagram.
