Bailey and Rebecca demonstrated a perfect rupture and repair. He was warm and forgiving and she realised she’d got it a bit wrong by not accepting responsibility for his valid upset at her breaking her part of their sensible deal about not being drawn into who else you might fancy on the show (the ixperts favourite divisive ‘game’ played in different ways over the various series). These two are growing on me.
Hotdog is fun and very likeable but so young and immature. April’s disappointment in this is totally understandable. She could probably mould him a bit over the years but why would she want to - a long and dull task starting with dictionary lessons. He needs more of a fellow airhead really. For the moment anyway.
Grace really needs to admit a little of her own weaknesses rather than solely focus on Ash’s. He told her what he didn’t like about her and she made it his fault. She told him what she didn’t like about him and made it his fault. At some point she needs to be able to say - sometimes I am a bit of a dick - but without lowering her standards for how she’s treated. If Ash was a bit more nuanced and thoughtful in the way he expressed himself, they could probably reach more of a compromise. But he is limited in a toxic blokey way, embraced by blokey culture and banter designed to rip the piss out of your rugby team mates. Whereas Grace is a nerve endingly achy mass of electrical currents screaming I’m being wronged, I’m being wronged.
Steven accepts totally that Nelly cares more about him that he, her as a God given right. Of course she does. He wouldn’t ever have a relationship if it wasn’t the case. You can imagine the kind of scenario that could play out here - when she finally realises how downtrodden she is and scrapes herself out of the dirt, he will have bad, bad things to say to her and about her to try and grind her back into the mire into which he lowered her (too easily, Nelly love. You are worth so much more. )
The speed with which Joe and Maeve sped to and then from ‘love’ contrasts directly with the very slow and gradual growth of connection between Leigh and Leah. L&L have a far more honest and possibly even sustainable model of the development of a relationship. Joe has shown a huge error in leaping in the water only to scramble out in a panic when he finds out how hot it is. He’s left Maeve - who is happy with her hot bath - really hurt and rejected. It could have been avoided if he’d been more cautious about getting into the water. I hope the same doesn’t happen with the other two genuine love at first sight couples - Keye and Davide, Abi and John. Both of those couples feel like they have genuine connections. Fingers crossed.