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If you’ve already been experiencing withdrawals at the thought of not having Chris Harrison in your life following last week’s The Bachelorette season finale, fear not. The franchise’s host is back at the helm of ABC’s sexy new spinoff Bachelor in Paradise, which aired its drama-filled premiere tonight.
The premise of the show is similar to that of Bachelor Pad, the spinoff that lasted three seasons and involved Bachelor and Bachelorette alums competing for cash in the franchise’s L.A.-based mansion. For Bachelor in Paradise, 13 sexy alums are in Tulum, Mexico, where they will try to find love and will be sent home if no one is feeling a connection with them.
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The cast members began getting acquainted, with Elise confessing love at first sight for Dylan. AshLee admitted that she came on the show with the sole purpose of dating Graham. And Lacy quickly got to know Robert by pulling him into the ocean and straddling him.
Clare got the first date card and invited Graham, which throws AshLee into a teary tailspin. After AshLee referred to Clare as a “slut” who isn’t pretty (overreact, much?), Clare wisely rethought her date choice and instead opted for Robert. The two had a nice time exploring ruins, but they didn’t kiss, and Robert was quick to inform Lacy of this fact. Meanwhile, Lacy had recently been spotted in the ocean with Marcus, although Marcus admitted to still having trouble getting over his split from Andi Dorfman.
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Sarah got the next date card and invited Marcus, and the two went swimming and then kissed. Then, Bachelor Pad alum Michelle arrived, and she has a serious romantic history with Graham. Michelle chose Marquel for her date, which gave Marquel his first-ever opportunity to touch a horse.
Lacy got the final date card but couldn’t decide between taking Robert or Marcus. After pointing out that she’s “80-40” on who to choose (clearly, percentages are not everyone’s strong suit), she opted for Robert, and the two had dinner and then made out in the ocean.
Just as the rose ceremony is about to begin, Michelle K. shockingly took herself out of the competition and headed home. Earlier in the episode, she had implied that she might not be single, and we’ll be learning more about her apparently controversial relationship in next week’s episode.
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Here are how the roses were doled out: Marquel gave a rose to Michelle, Graham gave one to AshLee, Dylan gave his to Elise, Marcus’ went to Lacy, Robert chose Clare and Ben picked Sarah. That left Daniella as the odd woman out, and she was sent home.
What did you think of this week’s season premiere, and do you think anyone will develop lasting relationships? Who else are you hoping will appear on the show in later episodes? And do you agree with Daniella that math is overrated?
Email: Ryan.Gajewski@pgmedia.org
Twitter: @_RyanGajewski
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