Honestly, if you mention "Fire Island" to a group of friends today, half of them start quoting Bowen Yang and the other half start reminiscing about the 2017 Logo TV reality series that basically tried to be the "Jersey Shore" of the Pines. It's a weird bit of TV history. While the 2022 Hulu movie is a masterpiece of queer cinema, the original reality show was this messy, sun-drenched experiment that somehow feels like it aired decades ago, even though it’s only been a few years.
The Fire Island TV show cast wasn't just a bunch of random guys picked out of a lineup. They were a specific ecosystem of personalities meant to clash and bond under the high-pressure stakes of a shared summer house at 150 Ocean Walk. You had the high-fashion types, the aspiring artists, and the guys who were just there to find a husband (or at least a very good weekend fling).
When the trailer first dropped back in early 2017, the internet—specifically Gay Twitter—absolutely lost its mind. People were worried it would be "bad representation." They thought it was too vapid. Even Saturday Night Live got in on the action with a "Cherry Grove" spoof featuring affluent lesbians instead of shirtless circuit boys. But once the cameras started rolling, the actual humans behind the abs turned out to be a lot more complicated than a 90-second teaser suggested.
The Original Six: Meet the Cast
The show centered on a core group of six men. Unlike a lot of reality TV where people meet for the first time on camera, some of these guys had real-deal histories.
Khasan Brailsford
Khasan was essentially the "main character" or the glue of the house. He wasn't some guy looking for his big break; he was already a massive success. As a professional dancer and choreographer, he’d shared stages with icons like Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Pink. In the show, he was the level-headed one, often the person everyone else turned to when the drama got too loud. He used the platform to talk about some heavy stuff, too, like his relationship with his father and his upbringing, which gave the show a depth critics didn't expect.
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Jorge Bustillos
Jorge was Khasan’s best friend, and their dynamic was the most "real" thing on the screen. He moved to the U.S. from Venezuela, where he had actually been a doctor. Switching from a medical career to marketing in the States is a huge life shift, and you could feel that weight in his personality. He was often seen as the "protective" friend, sometimes to a fault, especially when it came to Khasan.
Cheyenne Parker
If you were on Instagram in 2017, you probably already knew Cheyenne. He was a high-profile model and entrepreneur with a very specific, curated aesthetic. On the show, he often clashed with the more "party-heavy" vibes of the house because he was trying to navigate a new relationship and keep his professional image intact. He was the one who famously struggled with the "underwear party" culture of the island, which created a lot of the early-season tension.
Justin Russo
Justin was the "producer’s dream" cast member because he actually understood how to talk to people. An artist and illustrator by trade, he was frequently the one trying to organize group activities or art shows. He wasn't afraid to call people out on their BS, but he did it with a sort of "big brother" energy that kept the house from completely imploding.
Patrick McDonald
Every reality show needs a "star," and Patrick knew exactly how to play that role. He was a bartender on the island, so he knew everyone and where all the bodies were buried (metaphorically speaking). He was unapologetically sex-positive, frequently naked, and lived for the "Miss Cherry’s Pageant." While some viewers found him polarizing, he was undeniably the engine that drove the show's entertainment value.
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Brandon Osorio
The baby of the house. At just 21 and a student at NYU, Brandon was the "aspiring photographer" who spent most of the summer navigating his first real taste of the Fire Island scene. His storyline mostly revolved around a summer romance that got a bit complicated, serving as a reminder of how overwhelming the Pines can be for someone just starting out.
Why There Was Never a Season 2
Despite the hype and the Kelly Ripa production credit (yes, that Kelly Ripa), the show didn't get a second season. Why? Well, reality TV is a numbers game, but there was also a huge cultural pushback.
The LGBTQ+ community has a complicated relationship with "trashy" reality TV. While we've embraced RuPaul’s Drag Race for its artistry, there was a fear that the Fire Island TV show cast would reinforce negative stereotypes of gay men as only caring about "cocktails, sunshine, and boys."
The cast actually defended themselves in The Advocate, arguing that they shouldn't have to carry the weight of an entire community on their shoulders. They were just six guys having a summer. But between the middling ratings and the logistical nightmare of filming in the Pines—where the residents are notoriously protective of their privacy—Logo decided to let the sun set on the series after just six episodes.
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Where Are They Now?
Most of the guys have moved on to even bigger things.
- Khasan Brailsford continues to dominate the dance world. If you’ve seen a major pop star on tour recently, there’s a good chance Khasan was on stage or behind the choreography.
- Cheyenne Parker has leaned further into his design and modeling career, often appearing in high-fashion campaigns and expanding his brand.
- Justin Russo is still a prolific artist; you can find his illustrations and paintings popping up in galleries and across social media.
- Patrick McDonald remains a fixture in the queer nightlife and performance scene, leaning into the flamboyant, authentic persona he pioneered on the show.
Actionable Insights for Fans of the Show
If you're looking to recapture that 2017 magic or want to dive deeper into the world of Fire Island, here's what you should do:
- Watch the 2022 Movie: If you haven't seen the Hulu film Fire Island (written by Joel Kim Booster), watch it immediately. It’s a completely different vibe—a scripted rom-com based on Pride and Prejudice—but it captures the spirit of the island far better than the reality show ever did.
- Visit the Pines: If you’re in New York, take the Sayville Ferry. Walking through the Pines and Cherry Grove gives you a sense of why these guys were so obsessed with the place.
- Check Out "Pines History": There are incredible archives online (like the Pines History Instagram) that show the island from the 1960s to today. It puts the reality show into a much-needed historical context.
The Fire Island TV show cast might have been a "one-season wonder," but they captured a very specific moment in queer media where we were still figuring out how to tell our stories without the "perfect representation" filter. They were messy, they were loud, and for one summer, they were the most talked-about boys in New York.