First, I LOVE reality TV with some brain (can't stand "Real Housewives," but seen 30 seasons of "Survivor").
Unlike Love Island, Temptation Island actually has brain. Whoever casts this show is the silent hero. These aren't a bunch of vacuous losers just trying to get followers on social media. I'm sure some are, but, for the most part, these are real people with real relationships being "tempted" by people that are at least real enough (I think there's a big spectrum of quality on the temptation side, which is exactly how it should be).
Also unlike Love Island, there's no immediate incentive for the people to lie in their solo camera time (Love Island's viewers vote, so the people are obviously just feigning whatever they think the viewers want to hear to stay on the island-- it's annoyingly fake).
The Host! To Love Island's credit, the guy narrating is actually funny, which is extremely rare for Network TV, but TI's Host, Mark Walberg (no, not the one and only pimp daddy Marky Mark) is EXCEPTIONAL. Total pro. He knows exactly when, and how, to interject. Adds class to a show that could easily go in the direction of some brainless Jerry Springer trash. The producers manage to keep the show respectable, which is important for attracting the quality people I'm only interested in watching.
I didn't give it a 10 because S1 had some cheesy music that they did NOT repeat in S2. Also, there was a brief time in S1 where I felt unengaged (the slowest time in both seasons is their 30 second videos). And in S2, one of the coupled ppl made it clear they weren't interested in someone JUST because that person wasn't interested in them, and I was pretty disappointed their partner wasn't shown at the bonfire that they were the "backup."
Highly recommend. 👍👍
