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The Biggest Temptation Island Changes Over the Years
Some things remain constant on Temptation Island — but that doesn't mean the USA Network original series hasn't shaken things up over the years.
Sexy singles, couples at a crossroads, and host Mark L. Walberg delivering some hard but necessary truths. Some things remain constant on Temptation Island — but that doesn't mean the USA Network original series hasn't shaken things up over the years.
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Just like the couples on Temptation Island are putting themselves and their relationships in a new environment, the show itself isn't afraid to shake things up. Change can be a good thing (Mark would likely argue that it's the key to self growth), so let's take a look back at all the changes Temptation Island has brought to the singles and couples over the years.
One thing's for sure: Things will never get boring on the island.
Banning Dates
In Season 1, Mark presented the couples with the option to ban their partner from choosing specific singles for dates. Only one couple took him up on the option: Kady Krambeer and John Thurmond. Kady blocked single Katheryn while John blocked Roman from being able to formally go on dates with his girlfriend. The issues for both largely stemmed from thinking the singles were just too tempting.
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But while John and Katheryn made a connection at the Guys' Villa even without formal dates, Roman soon fell off Kady's radar.
While this feature hasn't been seen again on Temptation Island, we never say never.
Adding New Contestants – Sometimes
Imagine you've been getting cozy in the villas for a few weeks, getting to know the men or women who have been separated from their partners in order to be tempted by you and your fellow singles ... Only for a shiny new single to show up and knock everything off balance.
Seasons 1 and 4 saw additional singles added to the mix at different times in the season. So while this change floats in and out of the series, it's always a possibility. Singles beware!
Watching Bonfire Clips Alone
Here's another Season 1 exclusive: giving contestants the option to watch Bonfire clips of their partners using headphones and a tablet to make the experience more private. It seems fair to say that this feature didn't last beyond the premiere season because, 9.5 times out of 10, the contestants chose to watch their Bonfire clips with the others for emotional support.
(In fact, the only contestant who chose to have privacy to view her clips was Kaci, who was especially wrecked over her then-boyfriend, Evan, having sex and growing an intimate connection with single Morgan.)
As viewers and creators alike likely realized, potentially watching your partner give into temptation is a bit easier to swallow with friends to have your back.
Reunion Specials
If you're prone to rewatching your favorite shows and decide to start Temptation Island over again from Season 1, you might find yourself a bit surprised to remember that the premiere season didn't have a reunion special. Cast members didn't start gathering together for reunion specials until Season 2 — and it's only gotten bigger since.
Partying Together
Season 5 introduced several new and exciting elements to Temptation Island, the first of which was allowing the singles and couples to party together in one house on the first night. In seasons' past, the groups were separated into their rightful Villas (with the women partying with the single men in their own Villa and vice versa), but not in Season 5.
Instead, the couples were thrown together with the single men and women in one Villa. This resulted in plenty of drama and hurt feelings, with the couples able to feel out which singles were going to potentially tempt their partners — and where the issues in their own relationships were.
Temptation Light
The newly introduced Temptation Light was a source of distress for many in Season 5.
The concept is simple: If the light turns red, that means someone in the other Villa has "given into temptation." What, exactly, counts as "giving into temptation" is up for interpretation — but that didn't stop some of the couples from going out of their minds and convincing themselves it was their partner who'd given in.
We're hoping to see this feature continue past Season 5, given just how dramatic it became sometimes.
Catch up on Temptation Island now on USA Network and Peacock.
