Time for serious conversations. Several couples took the next big step in their relationships during the Tuesday, September 21, episode of Bachelor in Paradise.
First, Kendall Long struggled watching her ex Joe Amabile build his relationship with Serena Pitt. Kendall didn’t want to give up on Paradise, but she was done letting Joe and Serena’s budding romance get in the way of her own happiness. Kendall told Joe that she loved seeing him thrive, but watching him connect with Serena only made her remember why she fell for him in the first place. Joe asked Kendall if she was over him, but she refused to answer — even though she acknowledged that she still loved him.
Joe comforted Kendall when she began crying, but he made his true feelings known, telling her he came on the show because he knew things were “over” between them and he thought she felt the same. Kendall then announced that she was leaving the beach. She felt “broken” because she believed Joe was her person, but he reasoned that if she wanted him back, she should’ve told him before Paradise and before he fell for Serena. Joe later noted that his second time on the show could end up meaning more to him than his first.
After Kendall’s exit, guest host Lil Jon brought in two new arrivals to shake things up — Ed Waisbrot and Demar Jackson, who asked out Natasha Parker and Chelsea Vaughn, respectively, on a double date. After her ordeal with Brendan Morais, Natasha was glad to hit it off with Ed during the outing.
Maurissa Gunn, meanwhile, was interested in Demar prior to coming to Paradise, but she felt like she was ready to get engaged to Riley Christian. She thought they needed to have a talk about where Riley stood, but she didn’t want to scare him off. She believed Riley was holding back, but after he opened up about his family situation, they said they were falling in love with each other.
Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin, for their part, furthered their relationship during a one-on-one date. Kenny told Mari that he was falling in love with her, and she felt the same way. He revealed that he was open to discussing an engagement soon too.
Amid all the relationship drama, producers informed the cast that a tropical storm was heading to Paradise, forcing them to cancel the rose ceremony and evacuate immediately. The strong couples wondered what the separation would mean for their relationships. After the storm passed, though, everyone returned to the beach for the cocktail party.
Prior to the party, James Bonsall tried to get to know Tia Booth better. She wanted to give him a chance since he was a good person, but she didn’t feel the same sparks with him that she experienced with Blake Monar. However, she and Blake hit a roadblock when he failed to make an effort during the cocktail party.
Elsewhere on the beach, Ivan Hall wondered who his rose would come from after Kendall left. He wanted to stay so he could meet new people, so he made his move on Chelsea after telling Aaron Clancy he was not trying to steal anyone’s rose. Aaron and Chelsea seemed to be in a good place after her date with Demar, but she then made out with Ivan, leading Aaron to confront him. As the two got in each other’s faces, a “to be continued” title card closed out the episode.
Scroll through the gallery below to see where the couples stand after episode nine:
