For many, The Bachelor franchise is an acquired taste. Hardcore viewers cannot seem to get enough of the drama, tears, friendships, traveling, funny moments, and loving relationships (even if said relationships are short lived). It is also these same themes that turn people away from the shows. I align with the hardcore viewers. Nothing makes my week better than an episode from The Bachelor franchise airing on a Monday (and sometime Tuesday) night.
There are so many different contestants that come and go on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, and most of the time, a contestant or two sticks out amongst the rest and captures the attention and hearts of the viewers. Or, they end up becoming the villain of the season and usually end up the face of a meme. Since at the end of the season only one contestant gets engaged, usually, to the Bachelor or Bachelorette, many of the noteworthy contestants end up alone and broken hearted. But, there is a place for these contestants to turn to hopefully get another shot at love: Bachelor in Paradise.
For the last five years, ex-contestants have traveled down to a beautiful beach house in Mexico for a second chance at love, or for the villains of the season, redemption. A couple dozen of past contestants live, interact, and usually fall in love with one another with one goal in mind: to be in a steady relationship buy the end of summer. While this is the newest show in the franchise, it is quickly becoming the most popular and for good reason.
First of all, the show is 100% less awkward than The Bachelor or The Bachelorette. On the traditional shows, there are 20+ people dating one person, but on Bachelor in Paradise, there are multiple one-on-one relationships. Besides a few love triangles, contestants usually keep to their own individual relationships and focus on finding love with one person at a time.
Second, you are able to watch all your favorite people on TV once again. Some of the girls are really funny. Typically, the guys are good looking. Sometimes, the villains are shown in a different light and you grow to love them. The contestants are real people, and the viewers cannot help but root for them to find love and happiness. There is nothing better than when your favorite couple ends up happily engaged. And, thanks to social media, weddings and babies occasionally follow in the years after their season.
Lastly, there is so much less pressure to end up engaged at the end of the show. Many of the couples decide to keep their relationship casual and forgo the engagement to see if they can make the relationship work outside of paradise. In that sense, the show is more representative to actual, adult, real-life relationships. This is also the reason why there are more lasting, successful couples from Bachelor in Paradise than there are from any of the traditional shows. The couples are able to take their time and really get to know one another because the show’s focus is on multiple couples, not just one.
Bachelor is Paradise is a great show to watch, even if you do not enjoy The Bachelor or The Bachelorette. Season five just finished airing this past week with two engagements: Chris and Krystal and Jenna and Jordan. A handful of couples decided to keep their relationships at the dating level and continue to get to know one another, such as Kendall and fan-favorite Grocery Store Joe. Here’s to the happy couples and hopefully lots successful relationships (and weddings!) for years to come.