“Pointless” Netflix dating show Sneaky Links rips off classic MTV series in first trailer

Netflix isn’t short of dating shows, but the streamer is adding another to the pile. Sneaky Links drops on May 21, and it looks suspiciously like a classic MTV series.

Whether it’s Too Hot to Handle, Love is Blind, or Love on the Spectrum, Netflix has been ruling the roost when it comes to epic dating reality TV.

Not intent on resting on its laurels, a new TV show is soon to be added to the mix. Introducing Sneaky Links, a dating show where unlucky-in-love hopefuls look for the one in a swanky villa “motel” in the style of Love Island.

So far, so similar to what we’ve already seen. However, the show’s most shocking twist means it will likely follow the format of an MTV smash hit rather than the streaming service’s own back catalog.

Netflix’s Sneaky Links looks like Ex on the Beach, only shadier

As the name suggests, contestants of Netflix’s Sneaky Links are sent to the motel – unknowingly – with the last person they were casually hooking up with. If you’ve ever seen Ex on the Beach, you might have noticed how similar the two are. The first trailer, released April 23, tells you all you need to know.

Ex on the Beach had contestants’ exes dramatically arrive freshly washed up on the shores, immediately sending spikes of drama into whatever couplings were already being formed. Sneaky Links looks to be the same, meaning it’s fair game when it comes to the cast hooking up.

There’s also a potential flaw here. As fans have pointed out, it’s almost counter-productive to bring a group of casual flames together if they’re supposedly looking for the real deal.

“What is the point?” one YouTube comment replied. “If one half has decided they actually want to find a relationship, and change their values, why force them to be around people with their old values? They’ll all just return to the negative behavior.”

A second weighed in, “I’m so glad Netflix keeps upping their prices so we can get more empty calorie content garbage like this,” with a third musing, “My faith in humanity has been partially restored from reading some of these comments. I’m glad people recognize how this is empty calorific garbage TV lol. This is early/mid-2000s trashy MTV shows. Hope this isn’t what Netflix is becoming.”

While fans don’t seem immediately swayed by the Netflix show’s Ex on the Beach vibes, the streaming service is convinced it’s hit on a “one-of-a-kind experiment.”

Here’s how the show’s set to work. “While at the motel, the guests and their respective sneaky links will participate in activities designed to test their compatibility and push them to think about long-term commitments instead of always keeping things casual.

“Through challenges and dates, each single must decide whether to deepen their connection with their sneaky link, explore new romantic possibilities, or leave the motel single. But it’s not all G-rated bonding rituals and emotional heart-to-hearts. 

“Soon after their arrival, the motel guests are granted ‘overnight phone privileges,’ meaning they’re given the ability to call any other guest in order to arrange a late-night linkup. Will they fall back into old patterns or choose to evolve?

“With temptation lurking around every corner, emotions run high, and relationships get messy. In the end, each member of the remaining couples must decide if they’d like to check out together through the lobby and hard-launch their relationship in the real world, or leave alone, sneaking out the side door one final time.”

Sneaky Links arrives on Netflix on May 21, 2025. In the meantime, check out the new TV shows streaming this month, what to watch on Netflix, and why you should watch Battle Camp.