Nicole Moschella
“Bachelor In Paradise” is back!
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After controversy on-set nearly ended the series for “Bachelor” fans everywhere, the much anticipated season 4 premiere finally aired, and it did not disappoint. For those of you who may not know, the series brings together past “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” contestants at a gorgeous Mexican resort to take another shot at finding love.
I really like to think of it as “adult spring break.”
The season kicked off in true “BIP” fashion with host Chris Harrison welcoming fans to the new season, lovingly referring to it as the one that “looked like it might not happen.” Harrison played coy about the scandal that rocked “Paradise,” as some of our favorite castoffs, including Robby Hayes, Raven Gates, Taylor Nolan, Alexis Waters, Amanda Stanton, Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson, arrived at the island one by one.
Things seemed to be business as usual in “Paradise,” as the men and women mingled and enjoyed some fun in the sun. Cast members gave DeMario a hard time when he arrived on the island — he was sent home from Rachel Lindsay’s season of “The Bachelorette” when his then-girlfriend crashed the set and claimed they had been together just before he left to start competing for Rachel’s heart.
Corrine arrived soon after, two glasses of champagne in hand, and toasted with Harrison to her time in Mexico. She assured him that she was there to have a good time and was currently single. Within minutes of arriving on the beach, she looked pretty cozy and seemed to have a connection with DeMario. Sparks flew between the two, and even the cast picked up on it. At one point when DeMario was spinning Corrine in his arms, Raven asked if they were “getting engaged.”
“They look like they’re enjoying each other’s company. They seem like they’re ‘clicking,’ if that’s the word that us young folk are using these days,” contestant Alex Woytkiw narrated as Corrine and DeMario jumped in the pool fully clothed. “Corinne and DeMario are already attached at the hip.”
Seriously, can he narrate the entire series? He was like a wilderness expert narrating the mating rituals of hyenas.
The camera caught DeMario and Corrine kissing and flirting in the pool before moving on to other cast members lounging on the beach. Nothing too scandalous so far.
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We later learned that the women had the roses this week for “the first time in BIP history,” and then the saddest news of all came: Jorge, the beloved bartender for the past four seasons, is moving on to the greener pastures of “Jorges Tour-ges,” and “The Bachelorette” alum Wells Adams has joined the cast as the bartender. But he’s not there “to find love,” though his instant connection to “friend” Danielle Maltby tells me otherwise.
Things seemed typical for a day in “Paradise” but took a tense turn when the first date card arrived. Kristina Schulman was given the date card and asked Dean Unglert to join her. (I am here for #KrisDeana, by the way, and so is most of “Bachelor” Nation.)
Back at the house the next morning, it appeared Corinne and DeMario were pretty normal, just ever-so-slightly awkward as they ate breakfast side by side with fellow cast members around. Lacey Mark, who made a connection with Iggy Rodriguez, broke the news that she had to go home after her grandfather had passed away. She told Iggy she hoped he’d still be there when she returned, but he had a hard time showing sympathy and just seemed more distraught about where to get his rose.
The day moved on, and more dates happened between Robby and Raven and Jasmine Goode and Matt Munson.
Robby and Raven discuss life and denim speedos. 😊#BachelorInParadise pic.twitter.com/CNfx8wgeU4
— Bachelor in Paradise (@BachParadise) August 15, 2017
Jasmine commented that she liked that Matt was not “trying to be a character,” which really had me thinking, because the man showed up dressed as a penguin, but love is blind!
That evening, the mood seemed normal on set during the cocktail party leading into the rose ceremony. The guys were clearly thirsty for roses and doing their best to make last-second connections with the women before they were possibly sent home.
In the final two minutes of the show, “Bachelor” Nation finally saw that moment when everything went crashing down. Producers approached Corrine and DeMario, as the cast wondered what was going on around them, and cameramen put their equipment down.
The screen faded to black. Well played, ABC.
Guess I’ll have to tune in to see how it all unfolds as the season 4 premiere continues tonight (Aug. 15) at 8 p.m. ET.
All GIFs courtesy of Giphy.com.
