SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not watched the Sept. 28 episode of “Bachelor in Paradise.”
Ivan Hall had a rough time in Paradise. Before he left Jessenia Cruz for another contestant, he first pursued Jessenia Cruz. After Kendall Long left him, his relationship with Kendall Long was cut short. As the rose ceremony approached, he was no longer interested in staying on the beaches.
He fell in love with Chelsea Vaughn, a woman he had previously been married to Aaron Clancy. Ivan and Chelsea had an affair, which angered Aaron. It led to a confrontation. The two got in each other’s faces, and the whole beach chimed in on who was in the wrong.
Aaron accused Ivan of being deceptive, as flashbacks showed Ivan say he wasn’t going to steal anyone in anticipation of the rose ceremony. Ivan justified his actions and claimed he hadn’t lied, but rather, Chelsea pursued him. The group attacked Aaron in retaliation. He was defeated and left.
Chelsea was not present for the conflict. But, when she returned, she clarified that Ivan had pulled her and that he had lied to the group.
Trouble didn’t end for Ivan there. Ivan was pulled aside by Wells Adams, guest host and bartender. He explained that Ivan had broken production protocol while sheltering from the tropical hurricane the night before. Despite being sequestered in his hotel room, he left and found Alexa Caves from Peter Weber’s season of “The Bachelor.” She was supposed to arrive on the beach later that week.
He admitted to finding her room number on a producer’s phone, and the two spent the night together on her balcony. He attributed the decision to his brainspace and made apologies for violating the rules.
Wells suggested that Wells tell it all. Ivan confessed to the rest of the cast — and directly to Chelsea — before he left the beach for good.
The rose ceremony was resumed. Serena Pitt gave Joe Amabile her rose, while Abigail Heringer followed her and gave hers too to Noah Erb, Maurissa gunn to Riley Christian and Mari Pepin-Solis. Chelsea, Aaron, Natasha Parker, and Ed Waisbrot also received their roses. Tia Booth settled her relationship triangle and gave her roses to James Bonsall and Blake Monar. Dr. Joe Park, Demar Jackson, and Blake Monar all returned home.
Wells reminded the cast about the short time left and encouraged them to take a serious look at their relationships.
Many of the couples had conversations after Wells reminded them. Kenny and Mari reevaluated their relationship, and Kenny worried they needed to “pump the breaks” while Mari was prepared to move forward. Maurissa was worried her strong feelings for Riley weren’t totally reciprocated, and Natasha knew that she and Ed had to catch up to the others. In addition, Abigail expressed concern that she and Noah weren’t as locked in as the other pairs.
Newcomers arrived while the existing couples were being reevaluated.
Anna Redman from Matt James’ season arrived with a date card in hand and struggled to find a man who was not already in a committed relationship. After failing to find a man with Thomas and Kenny, she approached James who accepted her invitation. They had a great time together, making human churros as well as getting snake massages.
A second newcomer arrived on the beach – Mykenna Dorn from Peter’s season of “The Bachelor.” She briefly appeared earlier on the season during the VIP party, where she was introduced to several contestants. Anna struggled to find a suitable man. Aaron was open to talking with her, but she declined her invitation to go on a date.
Mykenna was in tears after the rejection. She felt like an outsider as the newcomer. Ed tried to comfort her as the cast observed her sadness. He encouraged her stay and asked her if he could go with her on their date.
After declining his initial offer, she accepted it and they left together. Natasha received another rejection, despite the support of the cast. Ed was determined to cheer Mykenna, and the pair spent the night rolling around the resort before sharing a meal and kiss.
Many couples had been working on their feelings while they were waiting. Mari and Kenny enlisted the help of an energy coach to realign them and it made them “stronger than ever.” On the flip side, Noah and Abigail struggled to stay on the same page. He was open about his feelings for her and she refused to reciprocate. Her silence was concerning for Noah, who felt that they couldn’t move forward if she wasn’t able to communicate.
Relationships were in varying degrees of functionality, but everyone was invited to a “Paradise Prom” to mark the end of their time on the beach. Several men orchestrated “prom-posals,” leaving Tia feeling sad and single. Aaron pulled Tia aside the night before the dance and offered her a corsage, followed by a hot make-out.
Chelsea was blindsided by his interest in Tia, but she wasn’t the only one taken aback. Abigail was also shocked when Noah pulled her away and ended their relationship. Only moments before, they had been named “Most Likely to Live Happily Ever After” during prom superlatives by their peers. Despite telling Abigail he was falling in love only a day earlier, he didn’t think they were going to work long-term and reiterated on several occasions that she wasn’t “his person.”
Abigail was blindsided, as she was planning to share that she too was falling in love with Noah. He was accused of leading her along during their time together. She questioned the sudden change in heart. Noah tried to reason with Abigail, but it only made matters worse. She ran off to the bathroom to weep.
The episode ended in her tears and left their relationship hanging for next week’s episode.
The three hour “Bachelor in Paradise” finale airs Tuesday, Oct. 5 at 8 p.m. on ABC.