I absolutely hate how the Love Island USA editors made Ace look like the hero—he was clearly gaslighting Amaya

The editing team on Love Island USA, in my opinion, let viewers down in episode 8 by portraying Ace's treatment of Amaya as acceptable or even empathetic when, in reality, it was textbook gaslighting. The narrative framing of the episode made it seem as though Ace was the sensible party in their dispute, which made it feel to me like I was being pushed to view a manipulative situation through rose-colored glasses. The editors' presentation of their argument was not only deceptive but also perhaps detrimental to viewers who might not have noticed Ace's communication style's warning signs.

The editing of the episode, for me, was most annoying since it minimized Ace's deceptive strategies in favor of making Amaya seem too demanding or emotional. Ace systematically suppressed Amaya's attempts at physical contact, refused to express his true sentiments, and then pretended that she was being unreasonable for seeking basic relationship clarity.

It seemed to me that he was gradually isolating his partner while making them feel crazy for having typical relationship expectations when he told her not to touch him, kiss him, or use terms of endearment without explaining.

I think the Love Island USA editing decisions deliberately shaped a story that portrayed Ace as the victim of Amaya's purported zeal, when in fact he was the one who made things impossible. I believe that Amaya had every right to be upset and frustrated by the time of their violent dock argument, since she had been on edge around someone who had chosen her but had instantly made her feel unwelcome and uncertain of her position.

The gaslighting tactics the editors conveniently ignored during Ace and Amaya's argument in Love Island USA

I believe that Ace's tendency to start issues and then pretend to be shocked when with his partner on Love Island USA, Amaya responded to them, was what made his actions especially pernicious. The most obvious instance, in my opinion, was when he boldly selected her at the recoupling and then started imposing limitations and hurdles right away without providing a reason for his abrupt behavioral shift.

This traditional bait-and-switch strategy is intended to cause the other person to doubt their own judgment and think they're asking for too much when, in reality, they're only requesting basic communication. The most harmful part of their entire dynamic was Ace's inability to accept responsibility for his inconsistent behavior, which the editors totally overlooked.

For me, he decided to make Amaya feel bad for having typical expectations rather than admitting his remorse for picking her or being open about his ongoing emotions for Chelley. Love Island USA star's strategy of ignoring her attempts at intimacy and not explaining, in my opinion, was a classic case of emotional manipulation that the program portrayed as appropriate boundary-setting.

Ace's tendency to get defensive and turn the tables on Amaya whenever she attempted to confront their problems head-on is the most telling instance that the editors chose to ignore. His tendency to give her conflicting signals and make her feel bad for wanting to know their relationship status was, in my opinion, psychological manipulation masquerading as relationship preferences.

He had practically chosen her as his Love Island USA partner, so it infuriated me to see him act as though her need for simple affection was overbearing or excessive. As for me, the worst mistake made by the editing team was not emphasizing how Ace's behavior worsened throughout the show, leading to his makeout session with Chelley in public during the game.

This wasn't simply rude; it was a planned attempt to make Amaya feel inferior after she had previously indicated that she was uneasy and unsure about their relationship. In my opinion, the show's failure to portray this as the last deceptive blow demonstrates how utterly they misinterpreted the dynamics at work.

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Stay tuned to Love Island USA Season 7 on Peacock every day at 9/8c.

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