'Love Island’ Is A Bleak Reminder That The Grass Isn't Always Greener On The Other Side
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Last night, the nation watched Love Island with their hands over their eyes as Curtis Pritchard declared his interest in new girl Jourdan Riane - only to then couple up with his original love interest, Amy Hart.
Completely oblivious to Curtis's behaviour over the last three days, Amy walked back into the villa delighted to see her "half-boyfriend", telling Caroline Flack that she had "thought about him every minute of every day for the last four days".
The scene was one of the most brutal Love Island moments we've ever watched. Before Casa Amor burst onto the scene, everything had seemed rosy between the couple, with only a couple of minor blips in their otherwise smooth relationship trajectory.
Curtis had spent weeks building up Amy's confidence, showering her in compliments and generally being a top partner - only to immediately have his head turned by newbie Jourdan.
However, because the pair had been separated, Amy had no idea that Curtis's loyalties had wavered, and spent her time in Casa Amor telling the girls that she believed she was in love with the ballroom dancer, that she couldn't wait to see him and that she hadn't stopped thinking about him.
Her heartfelt declarations were all the more painful to watch as Curtis cracked on with little remorse, telling Jourdan he'd like to pick her in a recoupling, and admitting to Tommy that he didn't even feel bad about going with his gut.
When Amy finally walked into the villa and saw Curtis standing on his own, she clearly felt that nothing had changed between the two of them, and was none the wiser to his change of heart.
She comfortably told Caroline - and the rest of the villa - how she had missed him so much and how she been "laying in bed all day moping around".
Only the most heartless of viewers wouldn't feel close to tears for Amy as she opened her heart up in front of millions of people who knew exactly how Curtis felt, when she had no way of knowing herself.
Fans took to Twitter to express their heartbreak for Amy, pointing out how much Curtis had been investing into the relationship previously.
Like them or not, Amber & Amy 100% don't deserve what Curtis & Michael have been doing behind their backs. No one should get their heart broken like that, especially when they don't know that the boys have been kissing other girls & slagging them off. :broken_heart: #LoveIsland
- Jasmin (@ItsJasminHere) July 2, 2019
Not Amy's biggest fan but hearing Curtis say the physical attraction isn't there has made my heart break a little. This will wreck the girl, & all of you tearing into her looks should have a fucking word with yourselves. #loveisland
- Lyndsey Hogarth (@LyndseyHogarth1) July 1, 2019
Idc what anyone says, Curtis and Michael are 100% in the wrong. Whether you actually like amber or Amy is irrelevant, they played them into a sense of exclusiveness and reassurance only too go for the girls they've met for 24 hours. Maturity has nothing to do with age #loveisland
- georgiapearlman (@georgiapearlma1) July 2, 2019
Me listening to how much Amy loves Curtis and knowing Curtis doesn't feel the same way #loveisland pic.twitter.com/70PUsNUev4
- baileyjamesshort (@baileyjameshort) July 2, 2019
Curtis has said he doesn't find Amy sexually attractive after doing stuff with her & telling her how he's "never felt this way about anyone" & "she's so beautiful" for a MONTH, that's gonna destroy her & wipe her self esteem clean out. #loveisland just hope she's mentally strong
- char (@charhesslewood) July 2, 2019
The way Amy will react to Curtis's betrayal will become apparent in tonight's episode, but what is patently clear so far is that this series of events cuts right to the heart of our deepest insecurities as viewers.
There's something unnerving a man who had so clearly declared that his head wouldn't be turned seemingly stop caring for his partner, who he had known for weeks, in a matter of days.
It's true that in the real world, couples wouldn't be tested in this way; in real life, you wouldn't spend 24 hours a day in a sunny Spanish villa with six new bronzed, bikini clad potential love interests.
In real life, couples are not separated and thrown into a villa with six gorgeous boys or girls. In real life, even if you fancied someone new, you wouldn't be forced to declare it in front of the nation, breaking someone's heart in the process.
However, while the villa is not representative of the real world, these are real people, with real emotions. Curtis is, of course, entitled to reevaluate his feelings towards Amy, and, as he says, if he is having feelings for someone new, that is perhaps a sign that things with Amy were not as rosy as he previously thought.
Curtis isn't the first Islander to throw away a romance the moment a new person enters the villa, and he certainly won't be the last. It's also important to remember that Curtis is being true to his own feelings, and that he has only known Amy for a month.
But if you ask us, one of the reasons Curtis' change of heart struck such a painful chord with viewers is that it shows us that even if someone promises us the world, the grass often looks greener on the other side - and, no matter what anyone says, we are all ultimately replaceable.
In the age of Tinder and Bumble, it's easy to become tempted by the first good-looking person we see - or to want to throw it all away at the first sign of a hurdle with so many options at our fingertips.
The grass may look greener on the other side, but more often than not it isn't, and simply "following your gut" all the time with no regard for other people's feelings, or for the rewards you might reap if you simply work on things, can be a dangerous game.
It remains to be seen what will happen between Curtis and Amy. But what is certain that she will be heartbroken - and that he might end up regretting jumping ship at the first sign of doubt.
Love Island encourages contestants to pursue who they're attracted to, which is all fun and games - but it ends up teaching us that hard work, commitment and compromise are less important than attraction, a dangerous lesson when it comes to the outside world.
Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2.