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‘Bachelor in Paradise’ Recap: Tropical Storm Shuts Down the Beach

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not watched the Sept. 21 episode of “Bachelor in Paradise.”

This week’s episode of “Bachelor in Paradise” saw Kendall Long struggle to watch her ex-boyfriend Joe Amabile fall in love with Serena Pitt. She confided in bartender Wells Adams and ultimately decided that she needed to talk to Joe. But that wasn’t all the drama brewing, as a tropical storm caused a temporary production shutdown.

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First, Kendall confessed to Joe that being back on the beach — and in the environment with so many memories — was difficult. They had a tearful conversation about their relationship that finished with Joe admitting he came back to “Paradise” confident they had no future. He comforted her with a hug, but Kendall ultimately decided to leave.

After her exit, Joe shared his feelings with Serena — both his excitement about their relationship and his own struggle over seeing Kendall upset. Meanwhile, Ivan Hall also felt Kendall’s absence, as he was expecting her rose to keep him in Paradise.

The next day, guest host Lil Jon gathered the group to “turn things upside down” and introduced two newcomers to the beach: Ed Waisbrot and Demar Jackson from Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams’ season of “The Bachelorette.”

Demar immediately introduced himself to Chelsea Vaughn, and Ed greeted Natasha Parker. After that, Demar turned to Maurissa Gunn, who had been in a relationship with Riley Christian throughout the season. Riley quickly became concerned, as Maurissa and Demar had expressed mutual interest in each other. However, Demar ultimately asked Chelsea on the date, while Ed invited Natasha. The foursome spent the afternoon painting and building connections.

As a result, one of Paradise’s strongest couples wavered. Maurissa’s interest in Demar sparked doubt in her relationship with Riley. She second-guessed their steadiness and expressed concern about his ability to communicate.

Several of the other couples remained committed: Noah Erb and Abigail Heringer cuddled up in a hammock with margaritas, Becca Kufrin and Thomas Jacobs spent more time together, and Mari Pepin-Solis and Kenny Braasch had their first date together making tacos naked. While their date was playful and silly, their evening took a serious turn when they shared they were falling in love with each other and saw engagement as a realistic possibility.

As several couples solidified, others tried to secure their rose. James Bonsall tried to exit a love triangle in which he shared Tia Booth’s attention with Blake Monar. Meanwhile, Dr. Joe Park and Aaron Clancy waited as Natasha and Chelsea were on their dates, and Ivan moped about Kendall’s exit.

Maurissa and Riley got back on track after the Maurissa addressed her concerns. Riley admitted that he didn’t like watching her talk to Demar, and expressed his commitment to their relationship. But she was unsatisfied and pressed him to open up. He eventually shared his history and broken family and how those fears manifested in their current relationship. The two ended the night admitting they were falling in love with each other.

The next day, everyone prepared for the rose ceremony by blissfully commenting on their relationship statuses. But their joy was abruptly interrupted when three producers gathered the cast with a clear message: it was time to leave the beach.

A tropical storm was headed to the beach, putting production at risk.

“For the safety of all of you guys, our staff and our crew, we are recommending that we evacuate immediately,” one producer said. “We actually believe it’s no longer safe for you guys to stay in Paradise.”

The cast was tasked with immediately packing their bags and quickly evacuating. In rare “Bachelor” form, they broke the fourth wall, showing a gaggle of crew members and masked producers usher the cast into cargo vans. There was a sense of widespread panic as they all prepared to separate permanently.

But after an aggressive montage of extreme weather, the cast all reunited on the beach. Despite a brief moment of panic and “weathering the storm,” they moved forward with a daytime cocktail party and rose ceremony. The women had the roses, with four men on the chopping block for elimination.

One rose up for grabs was from Tia, who was still split between Blake and James. While she was vocal about her physical attraction to Blake, she challenged him to make more of an effort to spend time with her. He said he was willing to do “anything,” despite not initiating a conversation during the party.

Another rose still in contention was Chelsea’s. She went on a date with Demar but was previously attached to Aaron. Despite already having two men fight over her, Ivan made his own attempt to try to get her rose. The attempt was ill-received by Aaron, who accused Ivan of trying to steal his girl after he caught them kissing.

“He’s a desperate little b—– boy,” he said before confronting Ivan on the beach.

The outcome of that confrontation was left for next week’s episode, though.

“Bachelor in Paradise” airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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