Hello good people and Happy Holidays! I am an obnoxious person who believes the holiday season begins on November 1. Frankly, the world has been feeling so dark lately between unexpected celebrity deaths and another wild election cycle that pretending it’s basically Christmas and spending way too much time in the comments of Bachelor Nation contestants is one of the few things bringing me joy this season.
But I am not here to focus on doom and gloom, I’m here to talk about how Bachelor in Paradise is unfolding and the *unexpected* breakup of Gabby Windey and Erich Schwer.
Bachelor In Paradise Season 8
So far, this season has felt overproduced at best, and straight-up fake at worse. Y’all, we’ve had six weeks of episodes and only four rose ceremonies. FOUR!!! Someone at ABC/Disney/Warner Brothers decided there was enough content for six extra episodes, yet we’ve seen very little so far and I’m not feeling hopeful about the episodes we have left.
Not to mention, there have been so many self eliminations; Teddi, Sierra, Lace, Romeo, Jill, Salley, and now Rodney. What does that say about the experience that so many people chose to leave rather than find a connection with someone else? I guess you could argue Romeo and Rodney’s exits were a bit different, but they still left outside a rose ceremony.
I’ve managed to turn on pretty much all the contestants on the beach, which is the opposite of how I usually feel during Paradise, and I’m not convinced any of these people should end up together (yes, even Michael and Danielle). Besides that, here’s what stood out to me this season.
Michael and Danielle Dodging Split Week
I am still side-eyeing production, Michael, Wells, and anyone else involved in ensuring that everyone else had to suffer through the hell that was Split Week except for Michael and Danielle. Not only was it legitimately not fair, but think of the drama we could have gotten had someone called out the fact that they didn’t have to experience splitting up. I would have even loved to see them return from their date with Danielle’s bags packed and Jesse telling her she has to join the other ladies. Give us drama and manipulation that makes sense!
Also, I genuinely love that they have this (awful) commonality in having a deceased partner, but it seems like two people could trauma bond over that really easily and let that commonality carry the connection. I haven’t lost a former partner like that, so I don’t want to belittle the very valid and real grief both of them will forever deal with, but they seem like a forced match, rather than a real one. Their first date was sweet to watch (even though I was mad for my girl Sierra) but in last night’s episode, their date felt awkward and forced.
Genevieve and Aaron
Everyone has said it across Twitter and BIP recaps, but Genevieve and Aaron are that couple from high school. You know the one. The couple that would sit on top of one another on the bus ride to school, make out outside their first-period class, only to be throwing pudding at one another by lunchtime. They are pure chaos and dysfunction.
The show tried to sell us on that fake ass makeup story in the “jungle path” last week and then again this week during the cocktail ceremony when Aaron said he was in love with Gen, but my god I hope these two saw the light post Paradise and are no longer together. It’s giving toxic.
Women Finding Possessiveness Attractive
Like I said earlier, I’ve come to hate almost everyone on this show at this point. I can accept that much of it could be editing, but we’re 12-ish episodes in, annoying is annoying. And no one has irked me more these last few episodes than Kate and Eliza, two women I adored on Clayton’s season.
I understand wanting to be pursued, wanting your man (or potential man) to be so confident in your connection that they shout it from the rooftops, but this game Eliza and Kate have been playing makes no sense. You want a man to tell you what to do? Ladies, STAND TF UP! Have some agency over your own bodies and decisions. Can you imagine if Logan and Rodney would have gone full possessive and been like “you’re mine and if you go out with anyone else, I’m out.” We would have rioted! We would have screamed misogyny, manipulation, and possessiveness!
It’s wild that both women wanted their original men to be so sure about them when they weren’t sure about the men.
It was a losing game for Rodney and Logan. It would have been weird for them to “forbid” Eliza and Kate from going on a date with other men and clearly, the women didn’t love that they didn’t speak up enough.
Victoria’s Mess (Slight Spoiler)
The following section is what I would consider a light spoiler about Victoria’s relationship. If you’d prefer to know nothing about this, pick back up below the photo.
One of the contestants I have somewhat come around on is Victoria. Her commentary is funny and she seems a lot more free, confident, and goofy than she did on Peter’s season.
Unfortunately, Victoria is still messy as ever because despite her affinity for Johnny throughout the season, the Bachelor Nation streets are saying she’s no longer with him and that she in fact allegedly cheated on him. I won’t say with who, since this is supposed to be a spoiler-free newsletter, but the spoilers were so hard to dodge I gave in.
What I do know, based on what I’ve read, is that despite the mess this season has been, the Tell All and live finale will answer all our questions and be worth the watch. Let’s hope so.
Gabby and Erich Break Up
Last week, Gabby and Erich confirmed their break up to People after a few weeks of speculation from Reddit and Bachelor Nation sleuthing accounts. Apparently, Gabby hadn’t worn her ring for a few weeks during her appearances on Dancing With The Stars. Then, when asked directly about her relationship, she stumbled through an explanation.
The breakup is not surprising to me, but I am surprised it happened so soon after the season ended. I could sit here and speculate about what it was that caused the split, but I simply don’t care enough about an unemployed man who dabbled in blackface getting dumped.
I hope now that Erich is no longer connected to Gabby, he’ll make the rounds on the Bachelor Nation podcasts and be held accountable for his past actions and his lackluster iOS press release apology on Instagram. I also hope he’ll be a little messy and turn him not addressing it at ATFR on production/the show. Instead, I’m bracing myself for a mediocre interview with Nick Viall where Erich will be talked over 95 percent of the interview before Nick ends the interview absolving Erich of all his actions 🙃.
I am personally ecstatic that there was only one night of BIP this week. Not only did it give me time to write this, but it was a needed break from the circus that is this franchise. I might be back after the alleged crazy finale with more thoughts, but until then, you know where to find me. ✌🏾
I was thinking the same thing. If the guy would have said don’t go then the girls
Would have said don’t be bossy. Really y’all. Plus if they didn’t go then regrets of not knowing would have kicked in.