Warning: Spoilers Ahead!
ABC’s Bachelor in Paradise Season 7 came to a close in an epic finale with happiness, heartbreaks, romances, and engagements filling the 3 hour TV slot on Tuesday night. Now let me preface this reaction by stating this is the first time I have EVER watched an episode, let alone a whole season from The Bachelor Franchise. Well, that is aside from the occasional Jarvis Johnson YouTube video on The Bachelorette Speedrun or The Worst Dating Show Contestant on TV (The Bachelorette). From those videos alone, I was a little worried about what exactly I’d be getting into by starting Episode 1 of Bachelor in Paradise with my roommate back in August. Little did I know, I’d be waiting every week to see what drama went down on the beach and which couples would end up getting the final rose. Now that the engagements are announced and the breakups are confirmed, this seemed like the perfect time to share my reactions. So whether you are a Bachelor Nation expert or a newbie like me, let’s talk about some of my reactions to this season and the finale of Bachelor in Paradise!
Who are these people, and why are they all attractive?
So apparently, all of the contestants are from previous seasons of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette… I got it! Also, they are all crazy attractive, but also slightly crazy? I’m looking at you, Thomas! How do you come on the beach and already have drama with all the guys there?
What’s the difference between this and all the other dating shows?
There certainly isn’t a shortage of dating shows with hot people on the beach. Love Island, Too Hot to Handle, Temptation Island, FBoy Island, Love Island… again (UK, USA, and Australia, to name a few countries with their versions)! You get the picture. So what makes this show different? For one, they all have backgrounds and aren’t just random people showing up on a beach and meet other strangers. Many of them have had bad breakups in the past and are hoping for a final chance to meet up with other hot singles who didn’t get that final rose and fairytale ending. I guess if you watched each contestant’s respective seasons, you would be interested in seeing if they will finally find love.
Why is everyone getting attached so quickly?
Even though I consider myself a hopeless romantic, these people were falling in love on day 1! It might be cute, but I wondered which relationships would last and make it to the final rose ceremony. When one person in the “relationship” says they want to meet other people on the beach or get excited when another contestant shows up, people become angry or insecure. Isn’t that why you came to the show? To meet people and find love? Did they expect to fall in love and meet their soulmate on Day 1? That seems unrealistic… even for a reality show.
I can’t believe they did this!
Even though my last point was that they should be free to explore and meet other people on the beach, some people took that and RAN with it. To name a few people who constantly surprised me: Demi (I should’ve known though since she is all about stirring the pot!), Thomas (all the guys already hated him, what did I expect), Mari (Kenny is not the only guy on the beach! We don’t need to throw the cake in a bonfire!), Aaron (bromances are excellent, but that’s not why you came on the show dude), Kendall (Girl, you are Joe broke up, move on. There are tons of hot guys on the beach who would love to take you on a date), Tammy (making out with someone right in front of someone you “liked” is not a good move when you are trying to find love, just saying).
What did I miss?
I may or may not (definitely did, though) miss a few episodes towards the end… school got busy), so I was very confused when some new faces showed up and others I had come to love had disappeared. It worked out in the end though, my roommate caught me up, and it did not matter much when the finale came. Ask anyone; the whole nation probably knows! If you miss an episode, there are many ways to find out what you missed.
Who are these new people?
Even when I was watching, I was constantly asking, “who are these new people?!” For a while, it seemed like a new person walked down those stairs every five minutes. When Riley came down those stairs, and Tahz (Tahzjuan) wanted him to ask her on a date so severely that she left Tre all by his lonesome, I was like; they can’t honestly add these new people and expect the contestants to find love … they are just creating drama. Considering this is a reality TV Show, this makes sense—no one would watch if there were no drama.
Who taught these people how to end a relationship?
Now we are getting into the finale! All of the previous “breakups” in the show went smoothly and seemed best for both parties involved. But none of them are as good, or should I say bad, as Aaron breaking up with Tia abruptly and riding off into the sunset on James’ back. Then the ending came, and it seemed like every breakup was just as shocking as before. One person would talk in the interview saying something along the lines of “I can really see a future with ___(insert name here)___” and then 5 seconds later, the other person will say something along the lines of “I don’t see us even liking each other.” Like dang, that hurt me, and I’m not even there! That had to sting.
Wait, what proposal?
At some point during the show, I forgot that the main goal was to get engaged. That was a big shock when contestants started mentioning that they hoped their partner on the beach proposed during the final ceremony. It’s crazy to me because they all JUST met and just a few weeks (or days, not sure what the timeline is on the beach) ago, their partners were on a date/making out with someone else. I guess it’s a dating speed run, but congrats to the couples nonetheless!
KENDALL???
Why does this girl keep coming back? Then at the final rose ceremony too! She shows up just as Joe is ready to propose to Serena P. and gets all in his head. The producers must be trying to milk the drama. I hope she didn’t do that on her own accord because that would genuinely be horrible.
Aw, a happy ending
So although I think it’s crazy to get engaged to someone you just met on a reality TV show, I believe the engagements at the end were cute, and I am happy for all of the couples! I’m glad Joe and Serena P were able to find happiness even as Kendall kept showing up. I’m happy Mari and Kenny got together (I guess this was a weird one to support given all the drama, but I’m not going to rain on their parade). Maurissa and Riley are so cute! I hope they stay together and can live out their dream of waking up on Sunday morning next to their spouse and hear the pitter-patter of little feet running to their room.
Overall, I think this season wasn’t bad for my first time watching! It is a friendly guilty pleasure, and I will be tuning in next season to see what drama goes down and who finds love in the end!