Mario Perez/USA Network Temptation Island premieres Tuesday, January 15 at 10/9c.
Temptation Island is back on USA Network Tuesday nights after an 18-year hiatus. Mark L. Walberg, who hosted the original series that premiered in 2001 on Fox, is back as emcee for the show’s return.
The series follows four “dating couples at a most vulnerable time in their relationship, where each will decide whether to commit to a lifetime together — or ultimately give in to the temptation. Together, the couples travel to the tropical paradise of Maui, Hawaii, where they join 24 sexy single men and women anxiously awaiting to find ‘the one.’”
The men will enjoy the company of 12 single women, and the ladies will be surrounded by 12 eligible men, and the couple will be put to the test to decide whether or not they should continue to stay in their current, long-term relationships.
The series has raised some eyebrows after news broke of the reboot, with many folks worried that the show will be promoting adultery by allowing the couples to “shop around” and be unfaithful to their partners.
Walberg told TV Insider that the controversial series has been viewed with an enormous misconception, saying: “People see a promo and assume the couples are married… and that’s not the case. These are young, single people who have been dating the same person for many years and are stagnant, and they have problems.”
#TemptationIsland is heating up 🔥
Get lit TONIGHT at 10/9c on @USA_Network.
Evan and Kaci have been together for a decade, and high school sweethearts Shari and Javen started dating when they were 16. On-again-off-again couple Nicole and Karl are worried they’ve grown out of the honeymoon phase, and total opposites Kady and John are re-evaluating their relationship after three years together. All four couples have one thing in common: their relationships have hit a wall, and they are ready to branch out and test the waters to see if it’s time to call it quits.
Although all eight contestants have agreed to meet and date other people on the show, the four couples still believe their relationships are meant to be, and that they will outlast even the temptations of the eligible bachelors and bachelorettes on the show.
Nicole and Karl want to make sure they haven’t grown bored with each other and want to confirm that the other is “the one,” while Sheri and Javen have been together for over a decade and believe the experience of dating other people will bring them closer together. Kady doesn’t feel like John is masculine enough for her, and Evan doesn’t know if he is ready to propose to Kaci, which is giving her mixed signals and making her question their relationship.
So which couples will make it? Which ones will go their separate ways? What new relationships will form? Read on for our episode 2 predictions below, and check out the Twitter polls from viewers’ predictions on whether or not the couples will grow stronger or fall apart:
Kady & John – 50/50 Chance They Will Remain Together
Are these two really as solid as they think? 🤔
Find out when #TemptationIsland premieres January 15 on @USA_Network.
John picked Hannah for his first date, which didn’t surprise Kady at all, as she noticed he looked right at her when he was called on to pick. “He likes his blondes,” Kady can be heard saying while John walks back to his seat with Hannah in tow.
“I knew that John was gonna pick Hannah,” Kady told the cameras. “She’s really pretty, she’s got the blonde hair, she’s got ‘the look.'”
Kady was spot on with her choice of John’s prediction of “the far right guy,” whose name is Dr. Johnny. Knowing that Kady doesn’t totally feel like John is “masculine enough for her,” we are leaning more toward the falling apart throughout the season, although there might be some hope for them, as they both seemed pretty laid back about each other’s choices and immediately guessed who the other would pick, which shows some intimate knowledge of each other’s tastes. We believe it’s a horse a piece for Kady and John at this point in the show.
First up, Kady and John:
Shari & Javen – Very Likely to Split Up
On an Island filled with temptation, will Javen be able to resist? 👀
Find out when #TemptationIsland premieres January 15 on @USA_Network.
Javen didn’t look too happy when he was called to pick his date. Shari mentioned at the beginning of the sneak peek that she was taken off guard that they were going to be choosing their dates in front of each other, so Javen might have been thinking the same thing. However, he walked right up to Kayla and brought her back to his seat, so he must have already had her in mind when he was called on.
“Javen’s pick seems like she’s a nice girl but I mean, they all are here technically to date our men, so I’m not gonna be naive about that fact, but at the same time I’m not concerned that he’s gonna like, fall in love with anyone,” Shari told the cameras. When she tells the group the same thing, that Kayla seems nicer than the other girls, Kayla giggles and thanks her, although Shari looks uncomfortable and annoyed when she says “you’re welcome.”
Shari picked James, which left Javen visibly agitated. “My girlfriend is like a queen,” Javen told the camera. “She’s very demanding, and I expect these guys to work. They should not have it easy. I don’t have it easy to be honest. They’re gonna see, they’re in for a rude surprise.”
Javen’s comment about how he “doesn’t have it easy” at the moment with Sheri, and how she is very demanding and difficult is a red flag regarding their relationship. If that’s something he is saying so early in the show, and the two are both so visibly irritated by each other’s choices, we don’t see the the two lasting through the entire season.
What about Shari and Javen?
Nicole & Karl – Very Likely to Split Up
Will a trip to paradise help Nicole and Karl take that next step? 💍
Find out when #TemptationIsland premieres January 15 on @USA_Network.
Karl picked little blonde Sheldyn as his first date, which caused some raised eyebrows and a dig or two thrown her way by Karl’s girlfriend Nicole. “I honestly kind of feel like he picked someone he wasn’t attracted to so he wouldn’t be tempted,” she said when asked how she felt about Karl’s choice. Her comment got a lot of “oooohhhhhhh’s” and a “shots fired” comment from the other single girls left standing.
Nicole herself mentioned that she was shocked at Karl’s pick, and was clearly not happy with his choice. Karl said he was surprised at everybody else’s reactions to him picking Sheldon, but that he thinks she is a “good looking girl” and he wants to get to know her a bit better and test the waters in the dating pool.
Nicole picked Tyler, which didn’t surprise Karl since, as he stated, “I know she likes chocolate.” He also mentioned that Nicole’s read of Sheldyn was way off, and that there isn’t anything wrong with Sheldyn.
You can literally feel the tension between the two through the TV screen, so our prediction is opposite of the poll below, and we don’t think Nicole and Karl are going to have an easy time with each other dating other people. We think they will fall apart before the end of the season, and probably sooner rather than later.
Where will Nicole and Karl’s journey take them?
Evan & Kaci – Might Have a Shot at Growing Stronger
Will a trip to Temptation Island help Evan’s commitment issues? Or just make them worse? 🆘 Find out when #TemptationIsland premieres January 15 on @USA_Network.
Despite Kaci’s prediction that he would pick Katheryn, Evan actually chose Brittney, which surprised Kaci. However, her reaction to his pick was very relaxed and laid back, and Kaci seems confident that Evan wasn’t going to be serious with anybody else. She even smiled and nodded when he brought Brittney back to his seat, and mentioned that she thinks his pick was really “mature.”
“I’m definitely pleasantly surprised, I thought he was going to go for one of the cattier girls that’s a little bit more aggressive,” Kaci told the camera. “I don’t know her but she seems like she might be a little bit more laid back. I think he’s going into this in a very mature mindset and that makes me proud of him.”
Kaci picked Carlos, and Evan was less confident about Kaci’s choice as she was about his, although he mutters that he’s “good with it.” He said he thinks she chose Carlos because of his confidence since that’s a quality she values in a man, and that’s part of the reason she was attracted to Evan when they first started dating. “It doesn’t make me feel great but I ain’t worried about Mr. Cuba.”
Judging by a short clip at the end of the promo, Evan is starting to second guess their decision to join the show. “I now feel like this is actually happening and we’re on this journey,” Evan says at the end of the clip, looking close to tears. “I never thought I’d put my relationship in jeopardy like this. F–k.”
So, although we initially thought that Kaci and Evan would grow closer together by the experience, Evan’s reaction at the end has us questioning our first thought. Kaci might have confidence in Evan’s love and dedication to her, but it doesn’t seem like that feelings goes both ways. So for that reason, we agree with the poll, and feel that the temptation might add some serious strain to their relationship, although they might have a shot at coming out stronger in the end. It’s too soon to tell at this point.
Will Kaci and Evan make it?
Who do you think will stay together? Who do you think will fall apart? Lets us know in the comments below! Temptation Island premieres on USA Network Tuesday, January 15, at 10 p.m. ET. However, the first episode aired early on the network’s YouTube, which you can view above.
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