While The Bachelorette may have ended just last week, The Bachelor franchise wastes no time gifting us our newest batch of drama and romance with Bachelor in Paradise (BIP), the messiest and trashiest member of The Bachelor trinity. For those unfamiliar with the franchise, BIP takes about 10 women and 10 men who have all been on some version of the show and throws them on a beach in Mexico where they get to know each other and attempt to find love. The hot temperatures, open bar, and shared pool of options all act as catalysts for some undeniably entertaining drama, yet the show seems to have some of the highest success rates. While the majority of couples from recent Bachelor and Bachelorette seasons have since broken up, there are many BIP couples who are still happier than ever, such as my personal favorites Dylan Barbour and Hannah Godwin or Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt.

Here’s the starting roster…

Women: 

From Clayton’s season- Hunter, Serene, Kira, Genevieve, Shanae, Jill, Teddi, Haley, and Sierra

From Matt’s season- Brittany

From Ben’s season/BIP season 3- Lace

From Peter’s season- Victoria

Men:

From Gabby and Rachel’s season- Johnny, Jacob (aka Tarzan), and Logan

From Michelle’s season- Brandon, Casey, and Romeo

From Katie’s season- Justin, Michael, and Andrew

Bachelor in Paradise' 2022 Spoilers: 'BIP' Season 8 Couples Engaged | StyleCaster

The episode begins with some corny and awkward intros that include Hunter talking about her IBS, Johnny starring in a makeshift rap video, Jill playing with a fake cat, and Casey calling himself a “geriatric millennial.” There’s also some talk about who people are and aren’t excited to meet on the beach; Genevieve is praying she won’t see Shanae but hoping to see Justin, and Andrew is excited about meeting Teddi. This is something that separates Bachelor in Paradise from the rest of the franchise because it’s the only version where everyone goes in with opinions and feelings for all the other people there, which makes the relationships even messier.

Once everyone begins to arrive on the beach, things move quickly with Jacob and Shanae sharing the first kiss of the season. Then, Brandon and Serene immediately hit it off and end up kissing. They’re really cute together, and it seems like they’ll be the most solid couple of the season. At night, Andrew gets a date card which means he can choose one girl to take on a date, and he shyly asks Teddi to go with him. I really like Andrew and Teddi together, and I feel like there’s a good chance they’ll end up leaving together. Andrew is usually so outgoing and confident, but he got so nervous and giddy around her; it was adorable. Johnny and Hunter, Sierra and Michael, and Justin and Genevieve also all seem to be getting along really well so far and have good nights.

Lace on the other hand does not have a good night at all. She spends a few hours crying in bed, complaining that no one’s talking to her and that this is the most boring season of paradise ever. Then, in a cry for attention, she says it’s her birthday–it’s July, her birthday’s in November–and uses the opportunity to go off and talk to Logan. They have one of the most awkward conversations I’ve ever seen on the show including the noticeable fear in his eyes when she says she’s only interested in him and her meltdown when he calls her the wrong name.

Kira also has a meltdown and starts a fight with Jill. Earlier, Kira ignited some tension by interrupting Jill and Romeo’s conversation and taking Jill’s drink. After interrupting Jill and Romeo for the second time that day, she gets offended when Romeo asks her to back off and let him pursue Jill. She yells at Jill and accuses her of slut shaming her, being rude for no reason, and other false allegations even though she was the one beginning all the issues in the first place. Still, nothing too serious really comes from this. From the previews though, it seems like there’s plenty of drama to come, especially with Victoria coming down with her eyes on Justin.