As some of you may know - from reading my previous articles - I am a dedicated Bachelor Nation member. Some might say obsessed. Yet, I've been disappointed. I've been bored by dramaless seasons and anticlimactic endings. However, Bachelor In Paradise never fails me.
Season 6 of Bachelor in Paradise just premiered this past Monday, August 5th. All of the constant promos and previews were enough to get me excited, but I was not expecting the drama that was to come.
The premiere started with introductions of all of the bachelors and bachelorettes who are looking for love this summer. One by one, they arrived in paradise - Mexico - and got to work. Fan favorites, like John Paul Jones and Demi, came onto the scene full of energy and ready to spice up paradise. They were also joined by some not-so-favorites, Cam, and one special man, Chris, who quite literally came out of Bachelor retirement to look for televised love one more time. Blake and Hannah G quickly became the most pined for, but that all changed when Caelynn joined the group.
Once Caelynn hopped out of the van to greet host Chris Harrison, she made it clear that she was excited to see anyone...but Blake. Lucky for her, Blake was already beaching it with all of the ladies fawning over him. For the rest of the episode, Caelynn was seen crying in confessionals over the situation that soon became more clear once BIP alum Kristina arrived.
From several confessionals, chats with other contestants, and some awkward conversations with the man himself, the story of Blake's time off was pieced together. After being rejected by Becca Kufrin, season 14 Bachelorette, Blake took more than a year off before joining the franchise again. However, he did not keep the same distance from the ladies of Bachelor Nation.
During his time off, Blake dated Kristina for several months and talked to Caelynn as well. At this year's Stagecoach festival, Blake met up with Kristina again and ended up in her bed. He spent the next day with Tayshia and the night with Caelynn. In the morning, he was texting Hannah G and praising Tayshia, all while Caelynn was laying right next to him. He begged Caelynn to keep their time together secret, as it was a "mistake." He apparently kept contact with most of the ladies after Stagecoach, but somehow did not expect to see them all in paradise?
His first day, he went on a date with Tayshia, and then immediately agreed to a date with Kristina the next day. On their date, Kristina confronted him for what he had done. He then talked to Caelynn about what happened and seemed to not understand the weight of his actions. After realizing that everyone now knew what he had done, he delivered a frustratingly fake apology to Caelynn and too many fake tears to the cameras.
