Two more suitors looking for romance got the axe on Monday.
The second season of Love Island is heating up in a big way. It's been a week since the "Islanders" first arrived at the villa (in Las Vegas), and fans have now had to say goodbye to three of the original 11 contestants.
On Monday, the moment that many of the guys had been dreading finally arrived -- a recoupling ceremony in which the ladies would choose their partners and the guys left single would be leaving.
In reality, there was really only two couples who seemed to be mixed up in drama this week, and one was a fan favorite: James and Moira. When new islander Calvin came into the villa earlier this week, it threw a monkey wrench in their well-oiled love machine, and James handled it poorly.
The sweet, scruffy James got increasingly jealous and paranoid, while Calvin seemed to charm Moira off the bat. James was told by almost everyone to cool it and quit acting so unhinged, and he did his best to win her back.
Meanwhile, Rachel's connection with Jeremiah just felt off, and Jeremiah seemed pretty indifferent toward their romance. Caleb, however, was a warm shoulder to cry on, and that proved to be the tipping point for Rachel.
When it finally came time to recouple, most of the women chose to stay in their previous relationships. However, when it got to Rachel, she made up her mind and want with Caleb. This essentially sealed Jeremiah's fate.
When it came to Moira's turn, it seemed like a tough choice, but she ultimately decided to see what romance could be found with Calvin, which meant James' time in the villa had come to an end.
From the tears on all the guys' faces, it seemed that they were more emotional about the eliminations ruining their bromances than their love chances. After all, James and Jeremiah had formed a pretty close connection with their fellow suitors during the past week.
"I played the hand I was dealt. Justine and Rachel, they were wonderful girls but I just don't think they were the perfect fit for me," Jeremiah shared in a candid interview after the elimination. "I'm going to miss the friendships and the bonds that I made with people here. It kind of sucks right now."
ET's Ash Crossan spoke with James and Jeremiah after the episode, and they reflected on how they built such close friendships in such a short amount of time.
As James explained, in the villa, "Every day was like a week."
"It was a long time, it felt like, and we built some connections and a lot of love," he shared. "It was tough to say goodbye but they're lifelong friends now."
"When we first came in we didn't expect for it to be like that. You look from the outside and like, ain't no way you get that close, in that short amount of time. But until you are actually put in to that situation, and you're around each other 24/7, that bond that builds up... It was like a family," Jeremiah reflected. "We built a family."
"It was an amazing experience," he added. "I wouldn't trade that for nothing else in the world."
James also reflected on his imploded romance with Moira after her date with Calvin, and said that he thinks things probably ended up the way they should have.
"She kissed me goodbye before the date and was like, 'Oh I don't even want to go.' And then when she came back, she's like, 'Hey, listen, I think I'm going keep my options open.' So basically she was feeling the dude but couldn't even tell me straight up," James said. "She confused me the whole time I was with her anyway. She would open up and then she would go back... it was kind of like a roller coaster of feelings, so I'm kind of glad it went down like that."
As for Jeremiah's missed connection with Rachel, he said he realized that she just "wasn't the fit for me."
"I kind of felt like I was forcing it and you never want to have anything forced. You'll make yourself miserable trying to force it. So I owed her 100 percent honestly and I owed it to myself," he continued. "I could have rolled it and played the game... but that's not the type of person I am. I was keeping it real with myself. Keeping it 100. I don't regret anything. I feel like I did the right thing."
To cap off a dramatic episode, a new Islander was introduced into the fray: Lauren, who hails from Oxford in the U.K. As a twist, fan voting will determine which of the guys goes on a date with Lauren later this week.
Love Island airs nightly at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS with highlight episodes airing Saturdays.
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