Let’s be honest, Temptation Island has been on most of our watchlists recently, and the newest season has been ALL over my TikTok For You Page. Temptation Island never fails to deliver on chaos, scandal, and extremely questionable choices. This season’s cast had it all: emotional breakdowns, shady excuses, and guys who folded faster than a lawn chair. If you watched in disbelief like I did, this one’s for you.
I’m breaking down all of the couples, from the ones who somehow kept it together… to the ones who had me yelling at my screen. Spoiler alert: The guys? Not great! Here’s my ranking from most toxic to least, in my personal opinion.
Definitely don’t keep reading if you don’t want spoilers on what happened this season!
1. Ashley Moore and Grant Larsen
In the last episode of this season’s Temptation Island, we saw all of the couples reunite after being separated for about a month and left to their own devices in separate villas with ‘tempting’ singles. This gave them the chance to confess some of the things they said or did (even though we ALL already saw it), offer apologies, or even offer reassurance to their partners. Overall, it was meant to be a moment of reflection and honesty — and I put heavy emphasis on meant to be.
As the couple who brought me the most emotional distress throughout watching this season, I have a lot to say. I’m not sure where I should even start, honestly. Watching all of Grant’s testimonials and interviews throughout the season set off so many loud, blaring red alerts in my head; it was like watching textbook narcissism unfold on my laptop screen.
After basically being exposed as a serial cheater in the very first episode, Grant was also the first to fold, practically as soon as the guys stepped into the villa. His situationship with Natalie Cruz was not a one-time mistake; it was a full-on affair. Oh, sorry, did I mention it happened multiple times? Because yeah… it did.
Disappointed but not surprised.
Now, what really threw me for a loop was this quote from Grant’s reunion with Ashley. Someone’s going to need to pick my jaw up off the floor.
“But I forgive you, and I finally… I… I forgive myself.”
Grant Larsen, Temptation Island, Episode 10
I would love to know what was going through his head (wouldn’t we all?), but I don’t think in any universe it’s okay to forgive yourself for cheating, especially when your actions directly contradict everything you’re saying. Also, what is he forgiving her for?? She wasn’t the one who cheated. I’m so glad Ashley left the island without him, she deserved so much better.
2. Shanté Glover and Brion Whitley
I absolutely loved Shanté throughout this entire season, I was in awe of her loyalty and commitment to her partner, and honestly, the faith that she placed in him (which, in my opinion, was probably a little too much). However, what infuriated me the most was her forgiving and leaving the island with him at the end of the season, like, are you absolutely joking?
The bar is on the floor, and these men are still tripping over it.
If the threesome with two other girls in the bathroom didn’t set off any alarms (…what is with these men and bathrooms?), then maybe the fact that Brion expected Shanté to be understanding and forgive him afterward? Delusional. I legitimately started crashing out right after Brion said this:
“I’m still respecting Shanté at the end of the day. I think women respect honesty and being true to yourself, and I think a lot of women would rather, you know, have someone just be real and talk to them. Now I’m like, ‘How do we get Angel and Amiah in the shower?’ ”
Brion Whitley, Temptation Island, Episode 5
3. Tayler Byrd and Tyler Breshears
NEVER date a man who just got out of a five-plus-year marriage. Also, seriously, why are their names so similar?
Tyler and Tayler seemed like one of the happiest couples when we first met them in Episode 1. Tyler even goes as far as to tell Tayler, “Don’t give up on me,” in one of those overly dramatic pre-villa moments… only to then cheat on her with another blonde girl who was basically a Tayler dupe. Be so serious. The emotional whiplash this man gave me, and probably everyone else, was unreal. Tyler constantly acted like the weight of his past and previous marriage gave him a free pass to make bad choices and play the victim, all while trying to spin his actions as a part of his ‘personal growth journey. ‘ Tayler was way too patient with him.
Spoiler: “growth” doesn’t usually involve kissing someone who looks exactly like your girlfriend while your girlfriend watches it all back in 4K.
4. Alexa Santamaria and Lino Troisi
I am genuinely so thankful that we got some sort of happy ending for at least one of the couples, and I am so glad that it was Lino and Alexa who made it through. I sincerely think that what this couple needed the most was just some separation and reflection — which is exactly what they got when they stepped foot on Temptation Island.
While there were definitely some moments where I thought they were speaking a little disrespectfully about each other, it’s refreshing to hear at least one couple actually speak and reflect on their feelings… without cheating on their partners. While it’s hard to hear those confessions sometimes, it’s important that couples are upfront and honest about their feelings.
(It’s also worth mentioning that nothing that either of them said is even on the same level of disrespect as the comments made from the other guys on the show.)
I will say though, the engagement ring scene was a little… weird? Lino went out to pick an engagement ring for Alexa with one of the girls from the villa, and she literally tried it on. While I honestly believe Lino had good intentions and wanted to genuinely show commitment to Alexa, that part rubbed me the wrong way. Not malicious, just weird.
Despite this, compared to the rest of the cast, these two were a breath of fresh air. Lino did a lot of reflecting, and Alexa stood firm in her boundaries. These two weren’t perfect, but they were one of the strongest pairs to come out of this season.
Final Thoughts
To wrap it up, these women all deserved so much better. Signing up for Temptation Island almost guarantees drama, and if we’re being honest, some of these couples were doomed from the start. What shocked me the most was how some of these men managed to justify cheating with some of the most bizarre, emotionally manipulative reasoning I’ve ever heard. Whether you watched for romance or the disaster content, this season truly gave us a wild ride.
Here’s to hoping that next season includes fewer group showers and more accountability.