Bachelor In Paradise - Recap: A Storm and a Rainbow
Recap and results of Bachelor In Paradise Episode 3:
Bachelor In Paradise got pretty out of control in last week's episode, but then, that's kind of how we like it here. For a show like this to have any real value, it has to be inherently more over-the-top than its parent shows. The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are hardly prestige shows themselves, but they still have a certain facade of haughtiness that makes those shows seem less trashy. Thankfully, this show has none of that haughtiness, and it's been an incredibly fun ride because of it.
So who will get the boot tonight? And what connections will be made/reinforced? And which new arrivals will shake things up? The guys are the ones handing out the roses, so it should be interesting to see how the Rose Ceremony plays out this week.
Credit: ABC
AFTER THE ROSE CEREMONY
Graham and Sarah felt that Elise's grandstanding and self-important speechifying before giving out her rose was ridiculous and cringe-worthy. They feel if she wanted to give her rose to Chris, she should have just called Chris, and not put Dylan through all that. Basically, the tide of opinion is leaning towards Elise being crazy, and Dylan being right to put the kibosh on that relationship. And the edit sort of proves them right, as Elise is now badmouthing Dylan and saying he's not the man for her, and talking about wanting to fall in love with Chris, hoping that he's her rainbow at the end of all this. Now, I'm not getting on her case for changing her mind on a guy so soon, even though just last week insisted she didn't like Chris all that much, and that their kiss didn't mean anything. Rather, I'm miffed by the intensity with which she changed her mind. It's not like she decided, "Well, Dylan didn't work out. Let me give Chris a try." It was more, "Well, Dylan didn't work out. I'M IN LOVE WITH CHRIS NOW!" I really don't see any of this ending well for her.
Things also aren't going well for Michelle Money, as Danielle from Juan Pablo's season arrives and immediately goes after Marquel. Turns out, she's had a crush on Marquel ever since seeing him on Andi's season, and only came on the show to meet him. So, naturally, she uses her date card to ask out Marquel, prompting fiery jealousy from Michelle. In fact, Michelle declares she's "over" Marquel, and decides she's into Robert now, telling Claire that it wasn't until he was nearly eliminated last week that she realized how into him she is. Claire affirms that Robert is definitely into her, since she's totally his type, which seems like a pretty big leap. But then I remember that Claire and Robert know each other from outside the show, so she'd know better than most, probably. However, Michelle does have a concern about how close Robert and Sarah have become, especially since this is a week where the guys are the ones handing out the roses.
Credit: ABC
LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE
So Marquel and Danielle take a plane from Playa Del Carmen to this gorgeous hacienda in Campeche. They swim in a very luxurious pool, as Marquel reveals in a confessional that he just wants to keep things loose, and not too serious. However, Danielle reveals her long-standing crush on Marquel, explaining that she noticed him on Andi's season and was hoping he would be here when she agreed to come on the show. She worries, initially, that she's possibly creeping Marquel out by revealing so much, but he insists that it's quite the opposite, and that he isn't freaked out at all. What does freak Marquel out, however, is a bolt of lightning that lands just five feet from where he's standing. Marquel has an incredibly difficult time holding it together, explaining that his heart has never raced like that before. "My life flashed before my eyes!" I bet it was a pretty sexy life though.
However, the day after the date, Jackie from Sean's season arrives, and suddenly, Marquel has another date on his hands. Danielle is now the one worried about possibly losing Marquel -- and to her new roommate, of all people! I'm sure Marquel would insist there's enough to go around, but it's apparent there really isn't.
Meanwhile, Elise gets a date card and uses the opportunity to make more analogies about rainbows, as she thinks she and Chris could have something beautiful together. She then gets her hair done by Michelle Money, and the girls vow to stop talking about Dylan. They follow through on this vow by talking about Dylan, as Elise spends an inordinate amount of time comparing him to Chris. The show almost seems to take glee in highlighting just how badly Elise has misread Chris, as she insists he's this sweet, loyal guy, unaware that Chris is basically telling the other guys that he's more focused on getting in her pants than anything else. And it looks like he'll have that chance, since it's an overnight date. So Chris isn't going to let anything stop him from going with Elise -- not even a random, debilitating knee injury he suffers, which prompts the sudden arrival of the show's medical team, who ice the injury and let him rest.
So Elise and Chris go on their date, which basically amounts to dinner at a scenic colonial vista in Campeche, and this is yet another moment where the editing illustrates the contrast between where Elise and Chris are at, in terms of what they want. Elise spends the night talking about how great Chris is, and says, "You will be blessed. You will be so blessed for being so sweet to me." Chris is hoping this means what he thinks it means, since he feels he's been spending way too much of this night listening to Elise and not enough time actually doing things with/to her. The couple receives a second date card during dinner that features two Fantasy Suite keys. Chris plays coy and tells Elise they don't have to spend the night together, but in his confessional, he notes that he wants to get Elise behind closed doors, and will make it happen. "Chris is truly a gentleman," Elise says, before retiring with him to the Fantasy Suite in what may be the most hilarious editing juxtaposition in some time.
Credit: ABC
DOUBLE DATE
Michelle approaches Sarah and gives her a heads up that she and Claire are planning a double date, although she insists, "I'm not marking my territory or anything!" However, her confessional afterwards pretty much affirms that that's all she's doing, as she wants a piece of Robert and doesn't want Sarah to have him all to herself. Sarah is miffed that Michelle is now going after someone she very publicly made a play towards, but instead of staking her claim on Robert, she decides to sulk and be vague with Robert about what's troubling her. This leads Robert to suspect that things have cooled off between them, and that's really not the impression Sarah should be trying to give off, especially since Robert apparently seems to have no idea about this date Michelle and Claire are planning.
Hell, he doesn't even know a date is coming until Michelle and Claire show up in full dress to ask if they want some company. Robert acknowledges to Zack that he's concerned about Michelle, since her decision to give Marquel a rose makes him wonder about what kind of connection they have. He notes that because the guys have the power this week, the girls are going to try that much harder, prompting him to wonder how much of it is genuine. But the date goes well for Michelle, who seems to recover her standing with Robert somewhat. Of course, things aren't exactly going well for Sarah, who allows herself to succumb to self-pity. She's reduced to tears in a confessional as she theorizes that Robert really just wants one of these pretty, "put-together Bachelor girls," failing to recognize that it was her own sour, distant attitude that prompted Robert to pass her by in the first place.
LIGHT IT UP
Graham is a bit weirded out by AshLee essentially locking him down. He's flattered and all, but he feels AshLee may have set a precedent by "claiming" him, and her intensity can be a bit difficult to manage. Naturally, because Graham is voicing his concerns about this, AshLee gets a date card and decides it needs to be with Graham, saying he's someone she can imagine spending the rest of her life with. Graham can at least admit that if this relationship is going to continue, now is the time for them to finally have a first date.
Their date is surprisingly tame, considering that AshLee seems raring to go. I actually liked that AshLee wasn't just throwing herself at Graham. No doubt she was interested, but the interest was reciprocated by Graham, who had to take the initiative a bit in the dinner conversation. This was basically the first time where I could see that these two have any sort of chemistry whatsoever, as they seem like old friends whose connection is maturing into something more. But Graham is very much about giving the relationship the proper time to mature. He lays down the ground rules by saying he doesn't want things to get too serious, too fast. Unfortunately, that means that when the second date card comes with two keys for separate Fantasy Suites, Graham affirms that he doesn't want to spend the night together. That said, AshLee certainly tries to change his mind: as they walk along the villa and encounter a mariachi band, she dances suggestively in her skin tight dress. They even make out a little bit, with Graham noting just how hard it is to stick to his principles around someone so gorgeous. But they go their separate ways, since Graham isn't willing to compromise just yet. However, AshLee does note that she and Graham would have "hot babies," since we know AshLee has pretty much found her guy already, and is in the process of planning the wedding and baby registry in her head.
Elsewhere, Lacy and Marcus are pretty much an exclusive item at this point, spending all their time together and entertaining no other options for mates. Marcus says he isn't interested in any other girls, and that he sees an actual future with Lacy. For her part, Lacy notes that Marcus makes her downright giddy. So it seems like this thing is mutual. However, Danielle is concerned about just how mutual her connection is with Marquel. She feels that if Marcus were really into her, he wouldn't have agreed to go on a date with Jackie, although I find it kind of weird that everyone expects exclusivity from connections that have only lasted a few hours, at most. It just seems like a grown-up version of high school.
Marquel has the right idea by exploring his options, noting that he has solid chemistry with Jackie. He feels their date is the best date he's been on so far, even though the location is basically the ruins from Claire and Robert's date in the series premiere. Marquel seems to be in a constant state of wondering why anyone is into him, as his big question for Jackie on the date is the same he had for Danielle, "Why me?" Jackie says he knows what it's like to be a late-comer to this entire spectacle, and adds that she felt like she could have a good time with Marquel. They then get into their respective definitions of love, as Jackie feels love is more of a best friendship that blossoms. It's at this point that Marquel pretty much gets stars in his eyes, saying she just might be the one he's been waiting for. He proposes going in for a kiss, even though he doesn't normally kiss on the first date. She doesn't kiss on the first date either, but she's feeling it, and so they get a little smooch in. This was actually kind of adorable, as both are adults about the entire situation and don't seem overly clingy like some of the other people in Paradise.
Meanwhile, Elise gets to prove to Chris that she's wife material by taking care of him the day after their date, as Chris goes to the hospital to get his knee looked at and learns that he has a sprained ACL and a torn meniscus. Chris is upset that the injury will keep him off his feet for the remainder of his time in Paradise, but he's going to soldier on as best he can. Elise waits on him, hand and foot, as she's basically obsessed with him now. "Chris is my man now, forever," she declares in a confessional, and I'm sure if Chris could hear that, he'd probably run screaming out the door. It can be great to have a beautiful woman into you, but I'm not sure a fanatical romance forged in the crucible of two days' time can be all that healthy.
Credit: ABC
WE'RE NOT HERE TO GIVE OUT FRIENDSHIP ROSES
Chris is in excruciating pain, to such a degree that he has the other guys help carry him to the cocktail party that night. Michelle Money asks Chris how he's holding up, and he admits he's actually thinking about leaving, despite how well things are going for him in Paradise. His rationale is that he's just in too much pain, as he says he's "miserable". But Michelle insists that if he's going to be miserable, it might as well be here, in Paradise. But Michelle has her own issues to worry about, as she and Sarah are still at war over Robert. Each takes Robert aside and argues their case for why they should stay, and awkwardness abounds in both cases. But, as Claire notes, "We aren't here to give out friendship roses. We're here to find love." Granted, it's hard for me to feel all that bad for Michelle, who is seemingly only showing interest in Robert because Marquel ditched her. But Sarah doesn't really handle the situation all that well either, as she seems kind of passive-aggressive and bitter towards Robert for things that aren't exactly his fault, such as being asked on a double date. I don't get where all the entitlement is coming from, as the whole point of this show is to explore and discover new relationships while testing the connections you might already have.
Marquel, for his part, seems to be leaning towards giving his rose to Jackie, which will leave Danielle out in the cold, as well as Michelle Money, provided she can't secure Robert's rose. So it's all basically up in the air as we head into the Rose Ceremony. The guys' Rose Ceremonies so far haven't been as interesting as when the women are handing out the roses, but hopefully tonight sets a new precedent.
ROSE CEREMONY
Both Michelle and Sarah wish they had more security. In particular, Sarah feels like Graham and AshLee are going to end up getting married after this, and that Marcus and Lacy should probably just get engaged already. And expectations go pretty much as expected. Graham gives his rose to AshLee, Marcus gives his rose to Lacy, and Zack gives his rose to Claire.
Marquel then gives his rose to Jackie, which absolutely devastates Danielle. Marquel notes afterwards how difficult it was to choose between two beautiful women, but there's something there with Jackie. "I just followed my heart, and I think I made the right decision."
Robert seems to have a similarly difficult time in reaching his decision, but he ultimately gives his rose to Sarah, leaving Michelle Money every bit as torn up as Danielle, if not more so.
Well, until the final twist...
Chris announces he's leaving to go home and recuperate from his injury, but not before asking Elise if she'll come home with him. It's practically a proposal, and Elise is all too thrilled to accept. In her confessional, she brings the rainbow analogies full circle, saying she feels like there was a storm, and now Chris is her rainbow. As she notes, she was hoping and praying she would meet someone fast like this. And, as they leave Paradise in the van together, Chris actually admits that he just might be falling in love. Everyone is kind of shocked that Elise, in three days, has made the decision to leave for Chicago. "Last I heard, she was buying Boston gear, but now she's a Cubs fan," says Marquel, gloriously distilling it all into a single soundbite.
However, it should be noted that, before he leaves with Elise, Chris offers his final rose to Michelle Money, arguing that she's a great person who deserves her chance at love. Michelle is absolutely overcome with emotion, saying this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for her, and is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said about her. She can hardly keep from crying.
DANIELLE is eliminated from BACHELOR IN PARADISE!
CHRIS B. and ELISE quit BACHELOR IN PARADISE and leave together!
You know what? Maybe I was wrong about Chris. Maybe he really was there for the right reasons. Or maybe he actually did recognize the merit of what he'd found in Elise. And maybe he is a sweet guy. That may be the biggest twist of all.
But what did you think of tonight's show? Did you think the right choices were made? And what will be the repercussions of Robert eliminating Michelle Money only for her to stick around? Next week we're back on both Monday and Tuesday for a dramatic two-night event. Should be interesting! Until then, thanks for hanging out!