THE RECAPS
STORMSEEKER.COM RECAPS! Reality editor Gordon Pepper provides
recaps of each show.
August 28, 2003 September 4, 2003 September 11, 2003 September 18, 2003 September 25, 2003 September 29, 2003
We have couples, we have singles, we have temptation. Blah, blah blah. When we start with 'Oh my G-d, this is very real - this is going to happen.', the opening line is the reaction that I get. The premise is simple - we have 4 couples - and the relationships are tested by the singles that are here. There are no prizes - just a relationship test.
Melissa (29) and Michael (25) have been together for 2 years - and Melissa is Miss New York. They live with Michael's parents. Kristin and Eric have been together for 3 years. Eric was is the president of his fraternity and Kristin fell for him. Stephanie and Anthony are from Chicago - and they have been living together for over half of a year. Finally, Kara and Jason have been in Vegas for over a year. 'He's not a good gambler - he sucks.' says Kara, who adds that Jason needs to grow up. Oh yeah - going to Temptation Island will be just the ticket. Does anyone have the feeling that they will be the first one to go splitts-ville?
The couples spend 16 days on the island to see how well their relationship will last. Like in life, it seems like the 2 older couples are the more mature ones, while Eric/Kristin and Kara/Jason sem vulnerable. All of the guys think that it's a matter of adjustment - and various couples have set up various levels of rules in terms of what they can or cannot do. All in all, they are comfortable with how they are in their relationsships.
That is, until the singles areive - and most of them are not wearing much clothing. 'You can see they're very shy.' says a sarcastic Mark Wahlberg - who's Chico's game show hussy. The guys arwe hooting and hollering - and some of the guys are already puffing out their chests - specifically Michael and Jason.
Withmen, we must have women - and here come the ladies. They are looking fiiiine. The ladies are nervous - but are anxious to get it started. Mark agrees - and sequesters the guys. He tells the women that each lady will come up now and give a trinket to the woman who's boyfriend that they were the most attracted to. Melissa, who doesn't have any, fells like she has nothing to worry about. Kara, on the other hand, has plenty of them 7. Kristin has 3 and Stephanie has 4.
Now it's the guys turn, as they have also seen the videos of the women. One of the guys comes over, is about to hand Jason a trinket, then faakes him out and goes to Michael instead. Jason winds up staring at him and that doesn't seem to be the end of that. In the final tally, Eric has 4, Michael has 3, Anthony has 6 and Jason has 1 - but the one that Jason is concerned about is one of the best looking ones, according to Jason.
The women come back to meet the guys - and they shwow each others their trinkets. Michael is stunned that no women were attracted to him. After that, the couples have 5 minutes left to say goodbye. They will also be getting couples necklaces - to remind them that they are actually in a relationship with someone. They have their 5 minutes worth of AwwwwwwBarf moments, and they couples are seperated.
When Michael, the person who gets ZERO bracelets, meets the girls, they tell him that he is different than what they saw in the video. 'I'm like a kid in a candy store when I see all those beautiful girls walk by.'
The next morning, the 4 couples are introduced to all of the models. Tanaya is from Pasadena, Erryn is 21 from Kansas City, Eve is 27 from Minneapolis. Ida (24) is from lovely Toronto, Kaileen (25) is from CA, Kristin (22) is here to make sure the guys are happy, Maria (25) is mucha caliente from Miami, Ashley (21) is from South Carolina - and believes in love at first sight. Melanie (23) is waiting for her birthday present, Kelly Anne (24) is from West Los Angeles, Amy (23) loves the outdoors. Sandara (23) is a blond, Corie (30) is from Las Vegas and Tiffany (23) is always smiling. 'There's like 14 really hot girls here - with your guys - on an island - in the middle of nowhere - far away from you. Sorry.'
Now for the guys - Derrick is a 21 year old form Minnesota, Ian (22) is from New Orlenas, Mike (29) wants to tech you some new things (creepy), and Jon (25), who fell down on the way to the podium, is an inline skater. Jerome (26) from Ft Lauderdale, loves interior design and his mom, Ryan (22) is a surfer/photographer, Scott (25) is from the LAPD, Sterling is a 25 year old model from Nashville. Jeff (23), is a small business owner - and the guy who psyched out Jason. Ryan (26) is from Michigan - and has the thick midwestern accent, a second Ryan (23) is from Santa Monica, Keith (23) is a contruction worker from Kansas City, Chris (27) says he's an All-American Boy, while Giulio (23) is the typical All-American Brooklynite.
We see all of the people - and 28 gets cut down to 20. Mark tells the 8 people in relationships to think about which person is the biggest threat to their relationship. Anthony selects Derrick - because he's not worried. Huh? That helps Jason - as Derrick is the only person to pick Kara. Stephanie chooses Tiffany. Jason picks Jeff - and it looks like he's going to knock him out - but he only places the necklace on him. 'Its not because I was intimidated - it's because I don't like what you did yesterday.' Kara selects Amy. Jason 'She shouldn't be threatened by any of these girls, becuase none of them look like her.'Eric picks Ryan - because he's a nice guy. Kristin picks mucha caliente Maria. Michael selects Ian and Melissa selected Tanaya - saying that she wants Tanaya's flames to be extinguished.
Those 8 people that were picked get to be sent off the island. Jeff seems to be bad news for a few men - but did Jason make the right choice? Not according to Jeff. 'He made a bad choice. I wasn't going after her girl. I pick girls that are intelligent. She isn't that intelligent - she's got a big monkey for a boyfriend.' Ouch.
Back at the Luna Beach Resort, the men get to see the women do aerobics. Mike is enjoying himself - but Jason is having a miserable time - he misses Kara. Awwwwwww. Anthony's not biting either - he likes Stephanie. Michael liked to go on a date with Tiffany - but she's not there anymore.
Meawhile, the girls are on Palmetto Bay Plantation. Stafenie didn't pick the biggest threat. 'I just think that defeats the purpose of why we're here.' Meanwhile, the guys find out the nasty little twist in this version of Temptation Island. Those 4 people who were selected by the guys didn't leave the island - they are the women's first dates. Oops. Jason really wants to belt Jeff now, and the men leave.
We also leave the episode - and we are off to a rip-roaring start. We find out on the next episode which women let 'er rip, and which guys are ready to roar.
Last time we left our 4 guys, they realize that the people who they got rid of is now their first dates with the ladies. As the guys with a new lease on life exit, the girls that the women selected for elimination come in - and they are looking forward to meeting the guys on their first dates. See, guys, that wasn't too bad now, was it?
The single guys return to the girlfriends - and Jeff apologizes to the women - but not before giving Kara a big hug and another idiotic grin, indicating that his quest to make Jason's stay on the island miserable has just begun.
And lo and behold, we start the dates with Kara and Jeff, who cut up some roses to create a bouquet. Their date lands them up in a boat. Jeff thinks that he had a good time - the look on Kara's face says otherwise - but she did enjoy the date. 'I can't imagine anyone who would not be enjoying their first date.' says Kara.
Jason isn't. 'I'm not against Amy, she's a good person, but you don't go sweating your ass off for an hour.' says Jason, who gets to go nature trailing with Amy. Definitely no love connection there - but it seems like Jeff is breaking the ice. Jason, on the other hand, is transferring ice from his straw to his drink and back. Amy is getting nowhere with him - but Jeff thinks that he is getting in there with Kara. 'By the end of this show, Kara is going to be leaving here as a single woman.'
Anthony does some white-water rafting with Tiffany - and he had a good time. So did Stephanie - her and Derrick get to horse around on a jet ski. Stephanie says that her relationship is a little rocky - and she doesn't think she's ready to settle down. Uh-oh. That spells trouble and Stephanie admits that she came to completely re-evaluate her relationship. This is not looking good for Anthony.
Kristin talks about her relationship as well while she and (single) Ryan go play with the dolphins. 'It's amazing how similar he is to Eric.' Eric gets Maria, who's a complete opposite. It doesn't look like she would be Love Connection material, but they do scuba dive - and she is attracted to him. 'Do I think Kristin should be worried about Eric on this island? Absolutely.' They finish their date staring at the water creatures.
Melissa goes out with Ian - and it's a massage date. Ian massaged her while she was asking all of the questions. Ian thinks that she's attracted to him, but I just don't see it. I don't see the chemitry between Michael and Tanay either - though I did liked her straddling him on the tube. 'She wasn't directly to the point' says Michael, as she plays the hard-to-get card - which doesn't do it for him. She thinks he's being flirty - but I just think that he's trying to get any sort of conversation with her.
The dates are done - and when night comes out, it's time to PARTY! 'We went stir crazy - tribal, almost.' That pretty much describes everyone - except Jason. 'I'm holding back, and not enjoying myself. I definitely miss Jara a lot - tons.' Does Kara feel the same? She is alone with Jeff, and he is advancing on her - which leads to a hug from Kara. Hmmmmmm....
The night of debauchery is over - the morning of decisions is here. The men are lined up - and Mark says that there are no surprises this time around. 'When you vote someone off, they are really going home.' The girls get to save a guy - Kara saves Jeff, Krsitin saves Jules, Stephanie saves Derrick and Melissa saves Ian. So three of the dates went well, eh? John, Ryan (the dated one), Chris and Michael are all saved for round 2, and Jerome, Sterling, Keith and Brian are safe for Round 3. Scott and Ryan get tossed - and he hardly knew you. But we get another surprise. Mark has a third necklace - and one more guy has to leave. The other guy is....Keith - who is someone else that we didn't get to see much of.
Something that the women don't want to know much of is the bonfire, where they see videos of the guys flirting (which, of course, is edited). 'This is your glimpse of the other side of the island.' Mark says that if you want to watch their tape, that's fine - but the guys get to watch their tape too. Kara goes first - and she decides that she does not want to see Jason's tape. 'I think it's going to make me upset for the rest of the night.' - or it could make Jason upset to see Kara hugging a shirtless Jeff. Melissa decides to see Michael's tape - and, of course, she sees the 3 seconds that he is actually sort of interested in her. She doesn't know what to think.
Stephanie is up next - and she decides to see the tape. There was nothing there between them - and Stephanie is relieved that she saw the tape. Kristin, who has seen one good tape and one bad tape, does not want Eric to see the tape. 'I'm trying to make it Kristin and Eric - I want my side, and I want him to make it his side - I want my own personal experience - and I want nothing to come between us.'
Kara, all of the sudden, (probably thanks to the prodding of the producers) sees the tape - and sees Jason go through a day of hell. 'That was just Jason being Jason.' and she is happy about seeing the tape - though Mark reminds her that he is the same Jason - and she wanted to see him mature instead of just being the same Jason. Gee, those producers want badly to get sparks going with Kara and Jason, don't they? Trying a BIT TOO HARD there??
It's the guys turn to come to the bonfire. 'No, this isn't beer night.' says Mark. He goes over the rules with the guys - and he tells them that if the women didn't want to see their tapes, then they can't see the women's tapes. Stephanie did see Anthony's tape, so Anthony gets to see Staphanie's. The guys decide to watch - gee, you're all heart. He sees Stephanie capsixe in the skiddoo and do a bikini fight with Melissa, which wasn't too bad - but Anthony wasn't happy. 'The Stephanie I know wouldn't get on somebody's shoulder and do stuff like that.'
Michael wants to see - and he invites everyone to watch. UNfortunately for him, its the massage date, and they get to see her on the towels with her top off. 'I feel that that was what the date entailed...it's the same thing as going to a massage parlor.' Not much going on there. Not much going on with Eric and Kristin either - as Eric doesn't want to see the tape - and he gets his wish.
Time to see Jason watch Kara's tape - and here we go. I would bet dollars to donuts that the hug scene with Jeff is in there somewhere - and there it is at the end. We get a bunch of huggy huggy scenes in there - and Jason looks like he's wearing saggy diapers that leak. 'She obviously doesn't have a problem with the guy.' is all that Jason says. With that, the guys are excused from the bonfire.
The guys growse about the tapes. 'I'm so nervous about having innocent fun.' says Anthony, who now decides that he wants to open up too. That's how we end this episode - we will see on the next episode how far Anthony - and everyone else - will go to drop their guard - assuming that the producers don't do it for them.
If this series was a meal, the first 2 episodes seemed like the shrimp cocktail and the fried mozzarella sticks. This time around, it looks like we will be getting something meaty, something juicy, something to sink your teeth into.
We begin on Day 6 at the Luna Beach Resort. Anthony is still getting over his bonfire video with Stephanie getting very close to Derek. 'Today, it's all about me having fun.' says Anthony, as he declares to be just as immature as Stephanie. Jason, meanwhile, is frustrated that he can't punch Jeff's lights out.
Second date - and this time, the men pick who they will go out with. Michael picks Sandra 'Because she's wild, she's crazy, she's just a good time.' A good time, in this case, is martini's on a powerboat. He enjoyed the conversation, the humor, and the sexual innuendo all over the place when it comes to making sandwiches. 'Do you like it think...shake it up (when going after the mustard)'. Sandra responds 'I will whip it and I will use it.' They seem to be having a good time, and the conversation is going well too. Hmmm...
Anthony goes after another new woman - Ida. They get wild, and do some cable traversing and sliding. Lots of sliding, as Ida grabs her legs around Anthony's torso. Ida says that it is her ideal date. 'I definitely think that he's someone who I could fall for.' and Anthony admits that this is the best date that he's ever been on.
Eric and Amy go visit the dolphins on their motorboat. 'I like to have a girl who can take care of herself.' He says that it might go deeper, but it's a very quick date and it's up in the air in terms of sparks.
Jason Diesel, based on seeing his woman playing on a Ski Doo, gets to go on one himself with Eryn. 'Jason's the big strong muscle tattooed guy that, he looks like such a bad boy, but he has that huge sensitive heart...I think Jason's finding out things about his relationship that he may or may not like, and he's coming out of his shell. That's good.' They may have made the biggest bond out of the 4 couples. 'He's gonna crack.' says Eryn to the other girls, and that just may happen...
That night, Eric decides that it would be fun to have a lingerie party. We get the montage of stripping and we have women who use fruit rinds to cover their...assets...and tropical marimbas. The fun continues into the pool, and Jason does indeed let his guard down. 'I'm excited that I can allow myself to have some fun.' Jason does a chicken fight of his own, and according to the women on Temptation Island, it looks like Jason and Michael's girlfriends may need to watch out.
Do the Temptation Island women need to watch out for their own? Maybe so - it seems like Tiffany and Sandra have both made connections with Michael, and they are competing to get his attention. Could we be seeing the start of a catfight in the future? That could be purrrrrfectly enjoyable...
Are things just as happy in the girls camp as it is with the guys? No. 'All of them are trying to be the alpha males, and are trying to get the attention of the women.' They play Truth Or Dare, and that's getting nowhere. 'It was sort of childish - too much testosterone.' We have guys in their underwear jumping into the pool, and the women couldn't care less. Yikes.
Jeff continues to open his mouth about the other guys, and this time Jerome overhears him talking smack about Jules and they get into a war of words. 'Why don't you go get home, go get a dictionary, look up the word real, because that ain't you, son!' says Jerome, while the women just want to vote off the guys with the excess testosterone. The guys seemed to have changed the next morning at breakfast, but it wasn't because they wanted to know thy fellow man. 'I think they were really scared of being voted off because of their immature attitudes.'
Does that work? We find out now as they get to the elimination ceremony. Each of the women get to save a guy. Kristin, following the saving the nice people rules, saves RJ, but Kara saves chief trouble-maker Jeff, due to the fact that she believes him when he says that he's not the problem - yeah, ok. Stephanie saves Julio and Melissa saves Jerome (who SHE believes), which ensures that we get a Jeff Vs. Jerome, Part 2, somewhere down the line. Way to get rid of the troublemakers, girls - not - not only did that not happen, but the women are now fighting amongst each other.
Marky Mark has 2 elimination necklaces. The women have a split decision. Jon and Brian, 2 of the people who went after Jeff in last night's fracas, get knocked out. 'I guess I didn't have as high of a testosterone level' says Jon, who is as amazed as I am that the women say one thing, yet do another. The men, who apparently take Jeff's side, turn on Melissa, who says that Jerome deserves another chance. Michael may not have anything to worry about with Melissa, just simply because Melissa probably couldn't buy a date right now - except with Jerome.
Back to the guys and the Luna(tic) beach resort. The Sandra/Tiffany drama has now been realized from the guys, as Michael has heard that Sandra is crying because she is spending more time with Tiffany than with her. 'I don't want someone to really fall for me.' says Michael, as it seems like his true intentions are revealed. That seems to doom Sandra...
...but does it? We find out when it's time to eliminate some more women. The men first (who seem much more organized than the women) get to save one women each. Michael saves....Tiffany, and that makes Sandra grimace. Anthony saves Ashley, Jason saves Eryn and Kaileen is safe due to Eric . Time for Round 2 - Michael saves Melanie and Sandra knows that she is screwed. Eric saves Ida, Anthony saves Maria and Jason saves Amy. Round 3 - one more round. Michael saves...Sandra - VERY reluctantly. Eric saves Eve, Anthony saves Kristin and Jason saves Cory. Tanaya and Kelly Ann have not been saved, so they get to go, but you can date them on mat...oh wait, wrong show. The guys get rid of Tanaya because she is a trouble makes and Kelly Ann because she is weird. Kelly Ann? 'I think some women are here for the purpose of breaking up relationships.' Uh...they did tell you about what the idea of the show is, right? OK, she's weird.
But Wait! The guys can get rid of one more person - and the guys are much quicker than the women. The woman who is going home....is.....Corie, because they think that she is trying too hard. Sandra, the drama queen, gets another chance...for now. All three women think that they are gone because they think that they are a threat. Talk about vanity...
And that's a good segway to the BONFIRE of the Vanities! Kirsten is still feeling happy about not watching the video. The guys, meanwhile, are plotting to woo the women - especially Kara. The women are once again filled with the sense of dread. Mark tells the women that this time, the tapes are of the guys with the girls that they wanted to hang out with. This time around, the women's choices are not tied to what the guys decide.
Kristin again turns down the decision to watch the tape - and Stephanie doesn't want to see it - but she relents and watches the tape with Anthony. She does hear the 'This is one of the nicest dates that I've ever been on' segment from Anthony - and she says that he's stalking her. 'He;s experiencing what we came to experience.'
Kara decides to watch it - and she sees Jason on the Ski Doo and him in the pool with the woman draped over him. 'He's definitely being nicer to the girls.' says Kara, who's still not incredibly concerned. 'Just as long as he has fun, I'm happy for him.' Melissa decides to watch Michael walking around and talking - but it's not too damaging either. Melissa is ok with it - though she's like to talk to him. 'It looks like he's doing more of the tempting than being tempted. I can't believe it...he didn't have to hug her like that...I did not touch any of the guys like that...I'm wondering what he's thinking.'
The tapes are still not that bad, if you ask me - except Stephanie, who;s still steaming about Anthony's comment. Both her and Melissa are visibly upset, and here comes Jerome to make her feel better. Jeff came to console Kara - and Kara drops the bomb that maybe she doesn't want to be with Jason anymore. OUCH. There are some seeds of dissension that Jeff may be able to bloom into a full poison ivy plant.
This episode is over, so we have to make like a tree and leaf. We find out if the women are branching out at each other and who is sticking it to whom next week, as we get to the root of the matter.
Its interesting when last episode shows you that the most frenetic relationships are between the singes themselves. Will that continue, or will we see some fireworks between the couples?
We have 2 legitimate fireworks in progress - Kara says she may be done with Jason and Melissa is starting to like other people besides Mike. We open on the Palmetto Bay plantation, where the women are trying to clear their mind. Kara is trying to clear her mind of Jason - and she's surprised that Jason is not attracted to someone who's at a higher intellectual level. Melissa is still in shock that Michael has been making moves. Kristin is happy that she isn't seeing what Eric is doing - and she would be devastated as she saw Melissa take off her necklace. Foreshadowing?
Now what do the guys think? Michaels doesn't think that the women would be upset - he's just having fun and is still in love with Melissa. There is more drama going on between Tiffany and Sandra. 'They are animals - it's crazy.' Mike and Jason are looking forwards that - and any possible cat fights between the ladies.
The women, on the other hand, want to see less fights - and they are led to the line of male singles. Jeff tells them that whoever they pick now would now get to go to a very special date. Kristen decides to go out with...Derrick - Stephanie's date who she's been going out with. Wha? 'I think Derrick wanted to go out with somebody new.' 'It seemed like the girls were stepping on each other toes - and they want to go with the other girl's guys.'
Stephanie gets to choose - and she plays tit for tat and picks Kara's guy, Jeff. Melissa continues the wackiness and picks Sterling, and Kara finishes the lunacy by selecting Jules. 'I don't want to have any real romantic date today, because of what I've seen on the video tape with Jason was a little upsetting with me.' Ryan continues the narration 'The girls are all friends, but after today, it seems like they are going to be catty with each other.' Hmmm...
Kara only sees Jules as a friend or a brother - so they decide to have fun on a trampoline in the middle of the water. Kara puts oil on his back, and they have fun - though Kara admits that it would be more romantic with Jeff.
Jeff, meanwhile, is going out on another kayak ride with Stephanie. They eat by the table, and Jeff is a good talker. Like the first date, it doesn't seem like there's any sparks, but Jeff thinks that Stephanie is better for him than Kara. Here come the claws...
Kristin and Derrick go horseback riding and have a picnic in the field. They talk about what everyone is doing on the island - and they turn into Chatty Cathys. Or should I say that she is - and talking, and talking. She is having a great conversation with him, according to her - but it seems like she's having the conversation with the picnic basket. Derrick looks like he wants to doze off. 'I don't think I will be going on another date with her. There may be a possibility - but a slim one.'
Sterling stands up for Jerome in his date and conversations with Melissa - and she says that she will trust his instincts. Definitely not a love connection, but it seems like it could open some doors...
That night, the party opens some inhibitions, as Sandra talks to Mike about Tiffany. That turns Mike off. 'Sandra is driving me nuts...I gave you no inclination that I have feelings for you.' Mike likes Tiffany, and she says 'If I was Melissa, I'd be upset that my boyfriend is being close to someone else...we haven't talked that much about her - we've talked abut us.' Mike rubs Tiffany's belly - maybe hoping that a little Mike can be in there someday.
Anthony thinks that Ashley is flirting with him - and he's right. Anthony is flirting right back - but he has no intentions of hooking up with her - for now...until the hammock shows up. They spend the night in the hammock and Anthony is as surprised as Ashley is that they are there.
The sky is coming out - and Michael wakes with the sun to hang out with Tiffany. A nervous Sandra is playing with her napkin. Anthony sees 4 chairs at poolside - and that means that some women must go. 2 of them are guaranteed to be leaving in around 10 minutes. The men discuss this - and Jason is the spokesman. He puts the bye-bye necklaces on Kristin and Melanie - no not from Paradise Hotel, but because they were not fitting in with the group. Melanie says that the 4 guys don't deserve her company. Meow, meow, meow.
Now it's the women's turn. Once again, we have the Jerome angst infiltrating the vote - but will he be going home? The women get to save people - and in Round 1, Kara saves Jeff, Stephanie save Ian, Melissa saves Sterling and Kristin saves Jules. Second round - Kara saves Ryan, Stephanie saves Derrick, Melissa saves...well, she can't make up her mind. Will she listen to the guys and be a wussy, or will she listen to her heart? She keeps Jerome, which makes him happy - but he's the only one happy. Kristin saves Michael - which means that Chris becomes bootee #1. 'I can't choose for anyone else - I have to chose for myself.' says Melissa. Jerome shows his gratitude by taking her out on a hammock, and you have t wonder what's going on there...
We have the bonfire for the guys - and Eric, as usual, isn't concerned - because he never watches the clips - but the producers get tricky and have the guys watch a must play clip. Before we get to that, the guys are asked to see a personal private clip. Eric, as usual, says no, and Anthony, as usual, says yes. He sees them walking and talking - no real damage - but not to Anthony, who's wondering about Stephanie.
This time, Eric gets someone who also doesn't want to see the tape - Jason. Michael wants to see the clip - and he may not have wanted to. Ryan narrates the tape by saying that Melissa took her necklace off - which is a sign of where the relationship is going - and then watches her in the hammock with Jerome. ''l make my judgement as to what I see - I'm the ice man, I don't break.' no, but you can shatter...
With the men gone, the women get to go - and this is a must play clip, so they have to see it. They get to see all the naughty bits, including Mike rubbing Tiffany and Anthony in the hammock. 'There's so much going through my head.' says Stephanie. Kristin didn't see anything really bad, 'he's not as connected as the other guys were to the girls.' Kara says it seems like Jason made a good friend , but nothing more.
Time for Melissa - and she takes off the necklace for good. 'I'm not wearing this anymore...I'm not going to do this again.' It looks like Melissa has had enough. 'I want to know what's going on in his head..tell him he's a jerk.' She throws the necklace in the sand - only because she didn't want to throw it in the fire. She wants a long talk with Michael. She says she will be alright, but Stephanie is shaking her head as in to say 'They are soooo screwed.'
If you want any more info this show, you are screwed - because this episode is over. Stay tuned to see if we get any more deconstruction on the next show.
This week, we have a 2 hour special! You can read that either 2 ways - 1 - They need to get it through before the baseball post-season, or 2. They need to kill it quickly thanks to the declining ratings, I'll let you draw your own conclusions...
Speaking of drawing conclusions, that's what the women are doing after the bonfire. Stephanie is especially unhappy because she sees that Anthony is actually enjoying himself. (Gee, wouldn't you be?). Melissa, meanwhile, is about to take her necklace and deposit into the Survivor Voting Treasure Chest. She then has a change of heart and wants to know what's going on in Michael's head before being too extreme.
The women decide then to have some fun with the guys. Some of them are pooling, but Stephanie decides to be alone with Jeff, who has now dumped Kara. 'It was one of those moments that you wish could last forever - and it will last forever in my mind'. Melissa, meanwhile, spends some pool time with Jerome - and they are left alone - mainly, because everyone else can't stand Jerome. 'I think he is misunderstood' says Melissa. Nonetheless, they stay in until they get all wrinkly. Stephanie and Jeff get all wrinkly - in the bed on the top floor of the hotel. Uh-oh...
The girls, meanwhile, tell the guys that a woman did rip her necklace off - but someone is spreading a rumor that Jason ripped off his necklace (while the person who really ripped it off is Melissa). An angry Jason calls the women - and specifically calls out Sandra on it. Now when you call someone out on lying, that's one thing, but when you curse out the women and throw every name in the book at her, that's another, and the women are stunned by Jason's potty mouth.
Sandra is visibly upset and tries to deny it, but apparently she did tell Michael, who balks about saying it in public. An enraged Jason tells her that if voting time is tomorrow, to pack her bags, because she's gone. Half of the women are on Jason's side, and the other half want to throw him in the pool - and drown him.
Giulio is noticing that Jeff is moving towards Stephanie - and he is wondering what Kara thinks - but Kara already knows 'Good job, Jeff.' and apparently, she is over Jeff already. Jeff, meanwhile, is now talking to Kristen - but he's telling her about his feelings for Stephanie. Stephanie meanwhile, is confused about her own feelings, and feeling like the women does about Jeff liking to press too hard, she wants to go home.
Jason wants to go home, and he eats breakfast in silence. The women are split - some of the women were appalled by his behavior, but other women thought that she had it coming. As for Sandra? 'Michael completely betrayed me.' That doesn't sound like a woman who is innocent, and Michael concurs, as he regrets keeping her around.
He can now rectify that mistake as we get to the elimination ceremony. Marky tells the guys that this is the date before the final date and Temptation Island does their version of 30 second dating. The women have to say something nice about the guys, and vice versa. The most telling statement is when the women praise Jason for his loyalty for his girlfriend.
Unfortunately, the men are also stuck with 30 seconds worth of Sandra, and she continues to spiel smack about the guys and how she used to like them. Jason isn't remotely buying what Sandra is selling, and he tells her to talk to the hand. They bicker for another 30 seconds and I don't see any way that she is going to stay on the island.
It's time for the guys to pick their first date. Michael does not pick Tiffany - but selects Ida, Anthony goes after Ashley, Jason picks Eve and Eric goes for Caileen. That's it - no one gets eliminated, which means that Sandra will still be there to cause chaos.
Michael takes Ida to a deep fishing/snorkeling adventure. He picked her because she's smoking - but probably more because she isn't Tiffany or Sandra. He thought she could be a snob, but he was pleasantly surprised. Could we see a Tiffany for Ida switch?
Eric takes Caileen out for a bike riding - which was a mistake. Caileen's rate of speed is more like walking with the bike, and we see why she hasn't gotten any dates yet. The talked a little, but it looks like there are no sparks there.
Jason and Eve are having just as much fun as the cyclists when they try to windsurf. He had a good time with her, but it also looks like there's no match - especially when he wants to buy something for his girlfriend - during the date. D'oh. Well, there's a strikeout.
Anthony and Ashley ride on a boat - and they had a good time. They fell off the plastic boat that they were riding on numerous occasions. Anthony is leaving the relationship open - but he's maintaining a 'wait and see' attitude. Ashley wants to know more about him - but she likes what she sees so far.
Mark comes over, and Sandra is nervous, 'When Mark comes, it's either an elimination or a date.' She's right. It's time to get rid of one of the nine women left. The men huddle, but it doesn't take a brain scientist to figure this one out. Mike rails against Sandra, and he has Jason's support. Michael says that Sandra doesn't need the drama right now, and he takes the high road.
Mark gives Sandra the last word - and she says that she was hurt by Mike and has no words for Jason. She says that the other 2 are wonderful. Jason is staring at her, daggers in the eyes, as Sandra leaves. The rest of the girls are silent during this and we get a new Sandra out of this. 'I'm not going to take anyone's crap anymore.' The women are all somber, and Mike tries to bring the mood back to being happy and cheery, but the women look like they all want to leave right behind Sandra.
Over on the women's side, the ladies decide to surprise the guys be wearing black dresses to dinner. I'm sure the guys would be even happier if they wore nothing to dinner. Jeff has rotated to Stephanie, and Kara has no problem with that. 'Jeff says whatever he feels - whether he's changing it every day, at least he's honest about it.' Stephanie, who doesn't feel the same, asks Jeff to back off. 'I have a lot on my mind right now, and he keeps putting it out there.' Jeff's reaction? 'She's taking 4 steps back.' Jeff is pushing himself on Stephanie - and we all know what's going to happen when that occurs.
After the drama, it's time to party! Kara , without Jeff, now hangs with Ian, who's miffed that Jeff took up all of her time to begin with. Melissa is grinding with Jerome, who the other women aren't too thrilled with. Kristin asks Melissa why she is hanging with Jerome, and that went just as well as if Kristin was Jeff and if Melissa was Stephanie. Melissa says that Kristin shouldn't be judging her, and we now have a catfight. 'We are making the decisions for ourselves. This is my experience, not hers.'
They argue about maturity and Melissa leaves. 'I need to get away from you, because I WILL strangle you.' Melissa tells Kristin to leave her around and Kristin now feared for her safety. So because she fears for her safety, what does she do? Run after Melissa. Kristin says that she can get a restraining order, and Melissa (along with myself) would like Kristin to get a restraining order between her and the show.
The next morning, Ian talks about what happened to Melissa - and he tells her that Kristin is jealous. Kristin says that Jerome is affecting her stay here at the island - and she wants to see him go. Huh? Stephanie - 'We need to get (Kristin) a T-Shirt - 'Drama Queen'' Very nice.
But how nice will it be when it's time to get rid of someone? Marky Mark says that it's time to get rid of one - and then the women have to choose a date. Before the voting, one of the guys decided that he wanted to go home - well, according to Melissa. 'Am I actually understanding that you all actually agree?' asks a flabbergasted Mark. They say yes - and Derrick, who was getting involved with Stephanie at the beginning of the show, but who would obviously be on the losing end, since she wanted to be more with Jeff. Derrick didn't want to be in between them, so he's gone.
Now it's time for the date, and just to confuse (or confirm) all of us, Stephanie picks Michael instead of Jeff. 'I just needed to take the day off and get away from everybody' explains Stephanie. Kristin picks Jules, Kara selects Ian and Melissa, once again, goes after Jerome. 'This is going to upset some people - but I don't care what they think.'
We get to see Melissa's date first. 'I know Jerome gets defensive and he gets loud, but that doesn't make him a bad person.' They go boating - and they are enjoying themselves. 'I feel myself changing, I can't explain what's going on.' I can - bye-bye, Michael.
Kristin and Jules decide to have a gossip-free day. It's not a fish-free day - she catches a fish. She also catches Eric 'Kristin is finding out that she's into her boyfriend more and more.'
Stephanie and Michael do some zip-lining. 'You really can't do that in Jersey.' She credits the day - and Michael - for helping her pick up her spirits. Kara, meanwhile, goes snorkeling with Ian. They had some lunch afterwards - and the conversation was good. They finally get to hang out once Jeff isn't there, but it could be too late for Kara to find a romantic connection - and she doesn't think she will find one with Ian.
NIght is setting on the guys camp - and Eric continues to get to know Ida. Ida is getting Eric out of his shell. 'He didn't bring his emotions with him - he left his emotions with his girlfriend...he hasn't changed at all.' The women also think that Jason is closed-minded, but he will learn a lot about himself. They think that Anthony should be given the most props, because he is letting go and finding about himself and his relationship with Stephanie.
As for Michael...has he made a connection with Tiffany? He thinks so. 'These are the consequences that you make when you agree to come on the island.'He really opens up - and says a lot of dirty stuff. 'If Melissa knew that Michael was saying all of this dirty stuff to me, she'd be upset.'
Anthony and Ashley are waking up together - well sort of as Ashley wakes Anthony up. She is putting herself on the line - and she knows she may get hurt. Meanwhile, Jason is very hurt - because he misses Kara very much. Michael is concerned about Melissa's standing on the other island - and he should be, as we all know what Melissa is going to do. 'As long as she says 'You know what Michael, you're the one for me, and I want to spend my life with you', I'll forget everything that's happened in the past, and I'll move on from there.'
As for Melissa? She misses Michael - but him and Jerome are 2 different people. She seems torn towards him - there's a lot that she doesn't know - but she likes what she sees. Kara has a lot to think about - and she's not sure if she wants to stay with Jason. 'I do think we have a lot to think about as individuals before we decide to be a couple together.'
With that being said, here comes the Bonfire ceremony. The guys are first tonight. Mark tells them that the final dates will be coming up soon, The guys have the option to see the tape - or to not see them. Eric, as usual, passes on his video, and he tells everyone else to shield their eyes. Michael, on the other hand, wants everyone to see...Melissa and Jerome in the hammock, in the pool, and Melissa fighting with Kristin. Michael has no problem with the video - because he kept Tiffany twice as well. Mark asks Michael if he's ready for forever with Melissa, and he says yes.
Jason gets to see Kara fool around with Ian (which doesn't upset him) and her speaking about Jason at the end on whether she wants to continue on (which does upset him - but he understands). Jason says that he has grown up more mentally - and that he has found flaws that need to be addressed.
Anthony's turn - and he sees Jeff going out - and making out - with Stephanie. You can see Jason visibly give a sigh of relief here. Anthony calls it flirting - and as far as Ashley goes, 'When I go home, it's Stephanie that I think about.' Mark warns them about the final dates - and to not take the easy way out in picking someone that they are not attracted to. So 4 dates, 4 occasions that the guys want their girlfriends back.
The women now come for the bonfire, and once again Mark says that he must play the clips - but the women don't have to watch them. Kristin goes first - and this time, she watches it, which just has Eric hanging out. Neither of them have really put much into themselves - which is why they are not getting much air time. She feels fortified, and that's pretty much it. Zzzzzzzzzzz...
Kara's turn - and she doesn't see Jason with a woman - she sees Jason chewing out Sandra - and then Sandra bad-mouthing him as the clip ends. 'It seemed pretty childish for him to yell at a girl like that...is that the kind of guy that I want to give my life to and grow with?'
Stephanie sees Ashley and Anthony making out - and her worst fears are realized. She is getting teary, but 'I'm always going to be alright.' She seemed visibly shaken...
but not as shaken as Melissa thinks she's going to be. Mark is giving her headphones 'because some of what's said on the tape will not be appropriate to be shown - or to be heard. I think we all know what part Melissa will be seeing, won't we? Yep - here comes Michael talking dirty. 'Oh G-d' says Melissa, and that may have been the straw that breaks the camels back. Melissa can't talk about it 'I've never heard him talk that way.' says Melissa. 'I don't understand who that person is - I can't understand what he's thinking...he's never talked about me in that manner before...I don't even know what to say right now.' Marc tells her that that's why she's here - to know more about Michael - and herself.
Marky Mark tells them all that tomorrow, the last date night, and the final night ,will be the most important. With that, the women leave and the episode concludes.
I'm glad that the episode was truly a 2 hour episode, and not 2 back-to-back one hour episodes smushed together (ie. Paradise Hotel). At the beginning of the series, I predicted that Eric/Kristin and Kara/Jason would be vulnerable. I'll make my predictions and say that Kara/Jason will be splittsvile - but also Michael/Melissa, while Stephanie/Anthony and Eric Kristin should stay together. We'll see how right (or wrong) I am in the season finale on Monday.
It's time for the final temptation. How many of the couples wil stay together? How many will go? Will Melissa and Kristin give us any more good drama scenes? Will Jeff and Jerome make off with the women of their choice? We will find out in the next 2 hours (or in your case, the next 10-15 minutes)...
We start this episode on night 13, 30 minutes after the last Bonfire. Melissa and Stephanie, according to Kara, were really affected by the Bonfire, and Melissa, who had to hear Michael being dirty (and not to her) was really upset. 'I don't know who I've been with for the past few years - I felt like I was looking at a stranger.' Stefanie was concerned that Anthony was doing things to his woman that he hasn't been doing to her. Of course, Jeff and Jerome have no problem consoling the women.
For the guys, however, we have come to the final date. There are 7 women left (from yesterday, Eve got knocked out for no reason that we know of), so the guys can pick any of the remaining women. Anthony says that he has learned a lot - and the guys are either at their or near their decision about what to do with their current girlfriends. Michael's heart is torn, between Tiffany and....Ida. No mention of Melissa, eh? Hmmmmm...
Marky Mark explains that these dates will blow the other ones out of the water. In addition, they will continue overnight, which means that there will be their first chance of intimacy (read - SEX) that the men can have with the women. So many women, so little time...
Eric goes first - and he selects Ida. Ida REJECTS him (which Marky Mark says you can do), for 2 reasons - 1. 'I don't think you'd be taking me for the right reasons' and 2. 'I've made a better connection with someone else on the island.' (That someone else, of course, being Michael). Eric's reaction? 'Anyone would be great to go with', which means that Eric still hasn't made any connections with the women on the island - and apparently, based on Ida, he had no intention to from the beginning. That's lame.
Jason selects Amy - even though he had an awful first date -but apparently, he has his heart set on Kara, so this shouldn't be interesting, either. Anthony selects Ashley - and he is finally picking this like it should be played. Michael's turn...and he...selects...Ida. 'I'm sorry, Tiffany, but I feel something really strong with her.' Tiffany accuses Michael of being untrue of his feelings. 'Michael wants to cheat on his girlfriend, but he is unable to, that's why he's not going out with me.' MEOW.
Now back to Eric - and the 4 women who don't want to go out with him. Eric picks Kaileen, and being that she has only gone out an one date, she says yes. We all know that nothing is going to happen with Eric. Blah.
Now it's time for the women. Kristin, who hasn't really tried at all either, wants to be with Eric. Snore. It could be interesting with the other three women, though, and Marky again implores them to let their heart decide what they will do - so they can have their questions answered. Kara decides to play the game the way it should be played and picks Ian. Melissa, of course, picks Jerome. Stephanie does decide to go with Jeff, who says that anthony is not the right person for her. For Kristin, she picks...well why should we care, she's going to go back to Eric....but she picks Ryan, who has never gone out with her before. You get the feeling you know where this one's going?
The guys and the women enjoy themselves over dinner - and they find out where their final date destination will be. Anthony and Ashley wind up in Antigua in their own villa. 'If this isn't going to be temptation, I don't know what is.' says Anthony, who winds up comparing her to Stephanie.
Speaking of Stephanie, she and Jeff wind up in Belize. They do some spelunking in the caves. 'She's more than words can say' says Jeff. While that relationship is heating up, Kristin and Ryan's is ...snorkeling, which is what they do. Ryan thinks he actually has a shot at her, which is pretty funny (yet sad at the same time) to see. 'It was been a long 2 weeks, and I am very excited to see Eric.'
As for Eric, he and Kaileen see the ruins, which enlightens Kaileen, who knows that he is devoted to Kristin. 'He's counting the minutes until he sees her.' Zzzzzzzz. Guanaja is far from Zzzzzzz, and Jason and Amy chase the Zzzzzs away by doing some scuba diving. Jason says that hanging out with her is like being one of the guys - but he's not mentioning love either, and he wants to be with Kara.
Will Kara say the same when she and Ian go to Chan Chich lodge? They decided to go into the jungle and visit some king's tombs, which is in a dark cave - which is already occupied with bats. 'That's it, I'm done.' says Kara.
Will Michael's relationship with Melissa be done? It looks like it, as he and Ida do some white-water rafting. 'Ida is someone who I can take home with my parents...she's ideally what any man would fall for. She is perfect.' Ida thinks that this is the start of a new romantic connection...
Stephanie may be thinking the same thing, as she and Jerome get mud treatments together. They continue the evening by drinking aphrodisiacs and putting fruit and other things on each other's bodies. 'Shes's just an amazing person,' says Jerome, and it's apparent that he wants to bring this to the next level. Does Melissa?
Michael is worried. 'I've been with Melissa for 2 years now, and I have never been in bed with someone else.' He brings up Melissa when it's time to go to bed, and Ida is clearly uncomfortable. Eric told Kaileen that they would be friends - and according to Kaileen, 'Eric is eager to end the date.' Kristin does the same thing with Ryan. 'I didn't find any temptation here...nothing could pry me feeling for Eric, and this just proved it even more.' I preferred Kristin when she was whining at Melissa.
Jason is doing the same thing - but at least he tried and is good at finding himself. Amy - 'Jason is the guy that every girl would want.'Kara, on the other hand, starts talk to Ian as to what they would want in their future, adding that this opened up the possibilities to what she wanted to do in the future. Uh, Jason, that's not sounding too good...
It's not sounding too good for Anthony either, as Stephanie is dancing with Jeff - but she didn't want to cross the kiss boundary. Anthony returns the (un)favor, as he was holding back before - but now he opens himself to Ashley, 'And everything flowed real nice.' Ashley? 'I know I'm falling in love with him.' as they kiss...oooooh, la la...
The next morning, Anthony talks about how it's going to be a new beginning. Melissa found it very hard to say good-bye to Jerome - and I think is curtains for Michael, who is in love with his girlfriend. This ought to be fun to see later. Stephanie says that she wouldn't change a thing - but Kara says that she changed a lot - ad she's nervous on the effect that this had on Jason. He says that he has changed - and it made his love for Kara stronger.
There are now 2 hours left until the final bonfire - and Marky Mark is there to greet the women. They all have 5 minutes to say good-bye to their fellow tempters. It ranges from heart-warming to superficial (Kristin is talking about Kara while Ryan says 'I'm right here.'). Melissa doesn't want to go to the Bonfire - she wants to stay with Jerome.
Now for the guys - Michael says that he wants to go back to Melissa - and he says good-bye to Ida. Won't he be surprised...Ashley will miss Anthony, and they share a goodbye kiss.
We are down to the final bonfire - the individual one. I figure that you may as well start with Eric and kristen to get that over with, but it is Jason who is first. He says that he has grown up for the last 2 weeks - and he sees his faults - anger management, his being childish. He says that he's a spur of the moment guy, and that he will listen to Kara. 'What will be, will be.' Mark talks to Kara, and she feels nervous - but ready. She really misses him - but she needs her independence too. She's hoping that he is who he is - and understands that he has a lot to change.
They finally get to talk to each other. Jason says that there are things that he needs to change for him to be a man and that she means everything to him. Kara says that she learned a lot - and that she learned that she loved him - but she needs her independence and they both need a breather. She says that she needs to be on her own and Jason looks like a dump truck fell on his head. Jason says that he says it's the total opposite of what he feels, but if time apart is what they need, then that's what he will do. They hug, and their journey is over. They walk off alone and sadness permeates the camp.
Michael is next, and I'm expecting a lot more sadness here. He's very nervous - but he wants to continue the relationship. He says that he's looking forwards to marriage - and that he does everything and that she should appreciate what he does for her. Boy, is he going to be in for a rude surprise...Melissa is there and she is overwhelmed, nervous and confused. 'I do love Michael...I don't think that's going to keep us together, though.' and she brings back the bonfire and what Michael did during the time.
Here comes Michael - and this ought to be fun. Melissa goes first, and she says the experience was real, scary, and she loved him. She says that the video clips were shocking, and the video let her open up and see somebody. Mike looks like the dump truck that hit Jason bounced off his head and nailed Mike too. Mike wants to know about her connection, and Melissa says that it put her off because of the video. Mike says that her video upset him too - and he purposely picked out the women that he didn't select in the final date because he wanted to go out with Melissa. Melissa says that she met someone new - and she doesn't want to go out with Michael anymore. Michael is probably now regreting that he didn't go out with Tiffany - or at least get a phone number.
She says that she wants to talk to him more, but Michael is shaking his head in disbelief and he is done for the evening. Mark - 'Michael, Melissa says that there will be a time where she can discuss this.' Michael - 'No there won't.' He shakes Mark's hand, and he walks out, leaving Melissa there. As for her? 'It hurts right now, but it's just going to make me stronger. I'd rather fins this out now, then years form now, or be married and be divorced, which is what I don't want.' She hugs Mark and she leaves too. Tempters 2, Couples 0.
The couples will get on the board now though - it's time for the boring Eric and the boring Kristin. Eric says that it's cleared his head and he's excited to see Kristen. 'If she's as excited to see me and feels the same, then I see us continuing as it was before.' Mark cuts this short, as there is no suspense here, whatsoever. Kristin is less sure, as Eric has had a history of cheating and Kristin is insecure about it - maybe he's want to go back to that lifestyle.
Eric says that the idea was to let himself experience it, but he said that he couldn't, because none of them possessed what he wanted - her. She is excited when she hears that - and she says that she came scared that Eric would stray. She met guys, but none of them were Eric. This is around as pathetic as it sounds. None of them really tried or are open, so of course they are going to do that and they hug as Mark wishes them the best. They scream when they are told that they are free to go and the casting people must be kicking themselves in the head over that choice of couples. You know what's coming from me...AwwwwwBLAUGHABLBALBALABLABBALLBALBALBABLAH.
Finally, it's Anthony and Stephanie. Anthony says that he learned a lot about himself, but ;How can you compare 3 years to 1 week?' Anthony is still wavering, and though he wants to see Stephanie, you can tell that he's not happy about it. Stephanie is nervous - and she doesn't know what to say to him either. 'I'll know what to say when I see him.'
Well, you have just seen him. What are you going to say? Stephanie is pausing, and Anthony knows that what she is going to say isn't going to be good. It isn't, as she says that she is very upset at what she saw - because she saw him much happier with the singles he was with than he was with her. 'You haven't touched my ear in a long time - and you looked so happy and you looked so peaceful. It so made me happy to see you so happy. All want is for you to be happy.' Anthony was hoping that that she'd be happy to see him, but he sees that she doesn't want to be with him. She says that he has to be in her life in some way but she calls the relationship over and they cry in each other's arms.
We now get our updates. Jason and Kara, after the break, are back together and are back in love again in Vegas. Melissa and Michael remain friends - but Melissa is going to visit Jerome in Miami. Stephanie and Anthony call is splittsville and Stephanie has moved to California with Jeff. Anthony is still alone in Chicago. Eric and Kristin are in L.A. as a couple. Togetherness = 2, Breakup = 2. Fade to Black.
My take? Well, if you've seen the other 2 series, you've seen this one. Besides the twist at the beginning, there was nothing really new here. That being said, what they do, they do well. The show gets bonus point for the drama, but loses some for the lack of effort from Eric and Kristin. Still, the show is solid, and gets a solid 'B' from me. We'll see next Summer if we get more temptation in the air.
