Love Island review 2021: For all our sakes Faye, pull Teddy for a chat

Another day, another Love Island episode. While I would usually bemoan any boring moment in a series I watch purely for salacious content, after all the show’s recent turmoil, the sheer mediocrity of yesterday’s episode came as a welcome respite. Dull dates and dead chat – one subplot involved Liberty losing the magnetic bracelet Jake had given her until she found it three scenes later – felt like a soothing salve after the burns left over from the weekend’s on-screen mayhem.

Things picked up where Sunday night’s episode left off: a “dramatic” dumping that was in no way dramatic. Literally no one was surprised when Abigail and Dale were given the boot. It’s hard to stir up suspense when the producers insist on giving the Islanders the final choice. Their philosophy of “last in, first out” is obvious and boring to watch (yes, technically Abigail was an earlier arrival than Mary but at this point it’s splitting hairs). Honestly, leave kids to their own devices and there’ll be trouble; leave the Islanders with the power to decide and we’ll never see the end of Jake.

A tear was shed watching two of this season’s genuinely nice contestants sent packing, but maybe it’s better this way: better to die a hero than live long enough to see yourself become a villain. There wasn’t much time to mourn anyway, with two new bombshells quickly arriving to replace them. Although it does feel like the producers have slightly given up. Medical student Priya and footballer Aaron arrived into the villa without any of the usual fanfare. There was no slo-mo filming, nor was there a melodramatic soundtrack. It all felt a bit haphazard watching the two newcomers traipse into the villa. Instead their arrival was signalled by Chloe, who let out a customary “heyyyyyyy” in her drunk-baby drawl. Then came the dates: Aaron with Mary and Chloe, while Priya chose Teddy and the newly single Matthew.

There seems to be hope for Aaron and Mary, with conversation coming to the pair easy, like a mutual checking of boxes, or rather one box: Hot? Check. Although any favour he curried with viewers at home was lost on his next date with Chloe, during which he told her – a 25-year-old woman – that she was “passing her prime”.

On the Freddy front, it seems the door is not as closed as we thought. In true Teddy fashion – that is, being a perennial good egg among a bunch of rotten ones – the financial consultant gently let new girl Priya down, telling her it wouldn’t be fair to get to know new people in his current state of mind. That state of mind being: will Faye ever take me back? While just two days ago, the answer would’ve been a firm and resolute “no”, 48 hours is practically 48 weeks in the villa and Faye appears to have had the time and distance necessary to realise her reaction to the events of Movie Night was decidedly not OK.

Later on in the episode, as Teddy is getting ready for another night spent on the pull-out bed, he tells Tyler that Faye should pull him for a chat. Whether it’s to get back together or just apologise for your behaviour, please Faye, for your sake and ours: PULL THE MAN FOR A CHAT.