Warning: Spoilers ahead!
I have a love-hate relationship with reality TV. Some stuff is so ridiculous and unbelievable, and a lot of the time, I think it is scripted. With that being said, Temptation Island is SO insane; there is NO WAY it is scripted. It is the most I’ve ever seen men show emotion on reality TV, and the host knows how to clock them. I saw it on Netflix and thought I’d give it a shot; now I am certain that you should too.
The Background
Have you ever thought, “Let me go on a reality show with my boyfriend/girlfriend where they will live in a house full of the opposite sex whose only goal is to tempt them to cheat?” Well, these four couples did, and it is my newest reality TV obsession.
Mark L. Walberg is the host of Temptation Island, where he leads four couples through the journey of a lifetime. Four couples come in with different issues in their relationships—these range from cheating to lack of emotional intelligence, fear of commitment, etc. The men and women split up and are put in villas with 12 members of the opposite sex, the tempters and temptresses. Throughout the show, the men and women go to bonfires and see clips of what their partners have been doing at the other villa. The couples set guidelines and boundaries for each other at the beginning, and spoiler alert, these are not followed. Then, in the final episode, the couples come back together at a final bonfire and decide if they are leaving together, separated, or with someone they met in their villa.
The Couples
Shante and Brion are arguably the most controversial couple on this whole show. They went on the show after a year of dating because Brion cheated early on in their relationship. Shante wasn’t confident moving forward in the long term with him because of this, and Brion had a lot of sexual needs he felt that Shante wasn’t fulfilling. They went in hoping to improve their communication skills as a couple. Shante wanted Brion to prove his loyalty and become more emotionally mature. Brion wanted Shante to step out of her comfort zone and have some fun. Then went on with a no-touching and no-sex boundary. Off the rip, Brion was not behaving like he had a girlfriend, and this was shown to Shante at the first bonfire. The craziest moment of the whole show comes towards the middle of the season when Brion has a threesome in the shower with two of the temptresses. As of now, Brion and Shante are still together, and fans are shocked, to say the least. As am I, Brion made a fool out of Shante, and I don’t think he regrets what he did.
Moving on to Ashley and Grant. I will start by saying I despise this man, and he is a child. The couple went on the show after being off and on for a little over a year. Grant cheated early on in their relationship. He was previously engaged and has a child with his ex-fiancée. They had a boundary of no touching and no-sex boundary. Grant went on the show wanting to prove he could stay loyal to Ashley and “prove to his mom, daughter, and Ashley that he is a good man.” Grant did not do any of this. He folded and made out with a girl in the third episode. Ashley was hoping to gain her “carefree self” back and be able to trust Grant by the end of her time on the island. Ashley and Grant do not leave together, but sources say they ended up getting back together after the show ended. I am disappointed to hear this but not surprised. Shows like this heighten emotions, and a lot of the time, different outcomes happen once the contestants leave.
Alexa and Lino were the strongest couple throughout, and they end up leaving engaged. Alexa and Lino wanted to go through this experience so they could come out fully confident in their relationship before committing fully. Lino had never been in a serious relationship until Alexa, but Alexa had been married previously. Alexa cheated right after she and Lino made it official. Lino wanted to be sure he could trust Ashley and himself before making the ultimate decision. Ashley wanted to be able to leave the island knowing she didn’t need Lino, but she wanted him. Although they got off to a rough start, with Lino feeling like a second choice and Ashley feeling like she wasn’t good enough, they get their happy ending. I was happy for them, but honestly, they were the couple I paid the least attention to.
Tayler and Tyler were a very interesting couple to me. Tyler also behaves like a child and quit his full-time job to be a model. Tyler was married for 6 years and met Tayler at the end of his marriage. There was little to no time in between the two women. They didn’t have a lot of goals as a couple, which was a red flag to me immediately. Tyler cheated on Tayler during their relationship. Tyler came to the island wanting to explore connections and have a little fun before settling down. This couple also had a boundary of no touching and no-sexual boundary. Tyler makes it to episode six, then he kisses the girl he has been with since the beginning. Tayler’s journey was more about discovering herself and her self-worth. In the end, Tyler leaves with his connection, Kay, and Tayler leaves by herself. I was happy they didn’t leave together, and I was more interested in Tayler’s outcome than Tyler’s outcome.
Final Thoughts
I am still on episode 9, but I got spoiled on TikTok. I am going to finish the series, though. I don’t watch a full episode without being in total shock at least once. There are some cringy moments, but it’s a good show if you are looking for a small time investment and something interesting.