'Bachelor in Paradise' Is the Strongest Show in Bachelor Nation
Published Aug. 10 2021, 1:50 p.m. ET
Some Bachelor fans wait with major anticipation for a new season of Bachelor in Paradise to drop at the end of the summer. It's a time when the best contestants from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette come together to cross the invisible barriers of their respective shows and maybe/hopefully fall in love.
In some ways, this makes Bachelor in Paradise so much stronger and — dare we say — better than other Bachelor Nation shows. This spinoff isn't about one just suitor or suitor-ette, but a handful of them. And viewers don't have to root for just one couple when many pop up from one episode to the next.
It's a way for fans to embrace the *journey* of the franchise without all of the stress and pauses for dramatic effect that come with the other shows. But there's enough of the latter thrown in for good measure.
'Bachelor in Paradise' guest hosts Wells Adams and David Spade
'Bachelor in Paradise' is more lighthearted than other Bachelor Nation shows.
The premise of Bachelor in Paradise involves producers bringing cast-offs from the most recent few seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette to a secluded resort in Mexico.
They're meant to mingle with one another and make romantic connections. Along the way, newbies arrive to shake things up, and drama inevitably ensues. But, unlike The Bachelor, it's so much more lighthearted.
On The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, the stakes are high. One lead is meant to wade through a sea of potential partners to find his or her future spouse. While contestants often get engaged by the end of Bachelor in Paradise, there's less pressure for them to do so and they don’t have to choose from a couple dozen people.
Instead, connections are made right away. And if new couples want to get intimate with each other, they can. If they want to discuss their prospects with their Bachelor Nation friends who are also on the show, they can. Of course things get dramatic, but Bachelor in Paradise seasons always boast a carefree air.
Viewers get to see former Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants in a different light. Whereas some of them might have been a little stiff in their evening attire on one of the other Bachelor Nation shows, Bachelor in Paradise allows them to wear their best Tommy Bahama getup and relax. And then there are the dates.
Carly Waddell and Evan Bass on 'Bachelor in Paradise' Season 3
On The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, some romantic dates culminate with a private concert with some B-list country singer crooning away. On Bachelor in Paradise, you get romance for sure.
But you also get dates like the one Evan Bass and Carly Waddell had back in Season 3. They had to eat habanero peppers and then kiss long enough to break the world record for the hottest kiss.
Couples from 'Bachelor in Paradise' are just as legit as those on 'The Bachelor' and 'The Bachelorette.'
If fans cling to The Bachelor or The Bachelorette for their tendency to make lasting couples, Bachelor in Paradise has a pretty solid record in that department. To be fair, not all of the couples that came about from the series are still together. But there are a few that go down in Bachelor history as proof that the journey works. Even on Bachelor in Paradise.
Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert from Season 2 are still regarded as a couple that contestants look up to. They were married on TV following their love story on Bachelor in Paradise, and they have three kids together now.
In Season 4, Raven Gates and Adam Gottschalk met and fell in love. They got married in April 2021 and were expecting their child together shortly after.
And although Astrid Loch and Kevin Wendt broke up during Season 5, they got back together after filming. And they, too, are expecting their first child together.
Hannah Godwin and Dylan Barbour and Caelynn Miller-Keyes and Dean Unglert, both couples from Season 6, are also still going strong. Clearly, the process can be quite effective.
'Bachelor in Paradise' is also new viewer–friendly.
You could start any season of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette from the start and follow the episodes just fine. Bachelor in Paradise is a little easier to follow.
Because new people arrive throughout the season and there's so much discussion among the cast members, it's not hard for viewers to hop in halfway through and understand what's going on.
No one is saying that The Bachelor or The Bachelorette aren't both worthwhile shows in Bachelor Nation. They started it all and we wouldn't have Bachelor in Paradise contestants without them.
But these days, the biggest purpose they serve for some fans is giving them prior knowledge of contestants on Bachelor in Paradise. It truly is the Bachelor spinoff that keeps on giving.
Bachelor in Paradise Season 7 premieres Monday, Aug. 16, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.