Fans were very divided on how they felt about why Erin eliminated Shaq. There were two schools of thought on the elimination:
Some think she eliminated him because he was her biggest distraction and the person she was closest to in the house so he was too much of a temptation.
Others feel like she was creeped out by his lurking and pining and had enough of it.
This discussion played out on Reddit, and Reddit user got embroiled and attached to their statements.
Many thought Erin was being fake when she cried during Shaq’s elimination, or that maybe the tears were for her own situation.
Either way, fans were trying to make sense of why she would eliminate the person closest to her on the island.
Reddit users were not holding back on their opinions
Some viewers think it was obvious that Erin made it clear that she was not looking to leave the island with anyone. Rather, she wanted to learn more about herself and correct some of her troubling characteristics that are ruining her relationship.
Within this sentiment, one Reddit user believed Shaq was dismissive of Erin’s feelings and that his response to her boundaries was him thinking that she is “’just pushing me away cuz she’s scared she’s falling for me. He is so delusional it’s actually infuriating.”
Another onlooker said that Shaquille was too pushy and that, “he doesn’t know when to realize the girl is just not that into you. Erin straight up told Shaq she loves Corey and wants to stay with him but Shaq is in the interviews saying Erin is scared of their connection???”
There were others that thought Erin’s elimination choice was bold and personal, saying that she is doing the right thing to get the most out of the experience.
One person even called Erin kicking him off the island an “existentional” choice.
When addressing Erin’s tearful reaction to Shaq leaving, one fan said, “I think she’s been conditioned to be nice at all costs (as many/most women have been) and felt bad about kicking off Shaq because he’s a creep with a ‘nice guy’ front. That’s why she cried and said what she did about working on herself.”
One user speculated that they, “didn’t feel like she had romantic feelings for Shaq but she let it get too far with him and needed him to go to try and pursue someone else, maybe soccer boo?”
Who will Erin leave Temptation Island with?
At this point, Erin seems committed to focusing on changing her behavior so that she can have a stronger relationship with Corey. However, there is still time left for her to pursue a different direction.
She seems to have a connection with fellow soccer play, Griffin, and if Griffin turns on the charm enough maybe something could happen there.
Temptation Island is a scandalous social experiment, so there is room for surprises as the pool of singles is even more focused on the girls in relationships.
Temptation Island airs on Tuesdays, at 10/9 on USA.