It’s a Wrap

Thoughts on the Fallout from Season 9 of Bachelor in Paradise

Season nine of Bachelor in Paradise premiered on September 28, 2023. Many fans, including myself, were eager to watch the franchise’s most campy offering. Simultaneously known as a show that doesn’t take itself too seriously and one that has built some of the most lasting and beautiful relationships in the franchise’s history, season nine had big shoes to fill after the recent marriages of former paradise couples like Serena and Joe, Hannah and Dylan, Kenny and Mari, Caelynn and Dean, and Becca and Thomas. So, how did we end up here, with all three couples who left the show together calling it quits not even a week after the finale aired? And what does this mean for the future of the show? Is Bachelor in Paradise no longer the foundation for everlasting love?

I think it’s time that we, as a nation, normalize couples breaking up after their season airs. While many successful couples have met on the beaches of Mexico, it’s not wise to assume that the couples who leave will stay together forever. The successful couples are an exception, not the rule, and the sooner we come to terms with that, the better off we’ll be. A few weeks in a tropical paradise devoid of distractions and real-life scenarios do not lend themselves to a successful relationship. We’re so used to the fairytale ending and the smiling couples showing off their rings that we forget that the contestants often quickly face reality without the cameras once Jesse Palmer closes the beach for another season. We don’t see the pressures of maintaining their actual relationship along with maintaining their parasocial one, lest they become the subject of relentless posts and fodder as fans speculate and scrutinize every post for signs of an unhappy ending. Good for these couples to nip that in the bud.

Many have complained about the lackluster season, recycled dates, and trite storylines, but surely we will not soon forget the avalanche of amicable and hostile breakups, all occurring while some still have yet to finish the three-hour finale on Hulu. All three couples have asked for privacy and respect during this difficult time, and I think it’s actually better for them to share the burden of dealing with a Bachelor Nation public breakup rather than facing days of solo scrutiny; perhaps the spotlight on each couple and their demise will be less magnified, allowing them the true time and space they need to heal. In fact, would this season of Bachelor in Paradise have even been memorable without this chaotic and public fallout? This season will live in infamy for this reason alone: none of the couples remain together today. We will never forget this occasion.

As a consumer of other island-based dating television shows, Bachelor in Paradise does have some true competition; Love Island’s twists, challenges, and fan interactions keep the audience engaged for weeks on end, but many of the couples often quickly split, even the most recent winners of season ten. In a surprising turn of events, the remaining finalist couples are the ones who still remain together today. In fact, the latest iteration of the show, Love Island Games, embraced the competitive and calculated side of the show when partners coupled up not only for love but also for strategy in grueling physical competitions and challenges, which made for compelling television. The franchise’s other main competitor, Love is Blind, only managed to have one remaining couple at the end of its season as well. So maybe it’s time to discuss a definition of post-show success beyond an engagement.

Maybe Rachel Recchia leaving on her own terms while endearing herself to the audience is successful. Maybe Blake Moynes getting closure after a public breakup is successful. Maybe Brayden Bowers and Christina Mandrell exploring a relationship off-screen without the pressures of cameras and social media speculation is successful. Do I think it’s beautiful that we’ve watched some couples' first sparks of interest blossom into marriage and babies? Absolutely. But do I think Bachelor in Paradise is no longer a worthy show? Absolutely not. Will I still tune in for the next season? You bet I will.

The franchise has proven with the Golden Bachelor that it is willing to take risks, so hopefully this bizarre and unprecedented ending will allow for a much-needed reset so that Bachelor in Paradise can continue to be the spinoff that we know and love. Even though the fallout was off-screen, the last few days have quite possibly delivered the most dramatic season ever.