We are winding down this season of “Bachelor in Paradise” as only 4 episodes remain, with one of those being the reunion episode that was filmed yesterday. I’m pretty sure I’ll find out later today what went on so I’m guessing I’ll use the opening of tomorrow’s podcast to talk about what happened at the reunion. Tomorrow’s podcast is actually going to be covering something I’ve never talked about on the podcast before, and that’s “Big Brother.” Since this is the first season I’ve actually watched (outside of the two celebrity editions), I now have a ton of questions about this show. So I’ll be bringing on Melissa Deni who covers “Big Brother” extensively for “Rob Has a Podcast.” We are gonna wait until tonight’s episode airs before we record it so it’ll be up to date, and I’m going into this cold. I don’t read anything regarding BB online so I’m curious to see if my opinions are shared by others, or if I’m totally off. Looking forward to discussing this with Melissa tonight. But I should know the basics of what went down at the reunion taping later today, so I will start off tomorrow’s podcast with that info, if not even tweet out a few things in a few hours.
Last night’s episode was mostly about the Derek and JPJ fight. I think there are two issues to discuss here: 1) should it have happened at the wedding and 2) was what JPJ said accurate. Lets first answer question #1. No. Plain and simple. Of course there was zero need to confront Derek at the wedding. Idiotic. If Derek had been running around during the whole reception bad mouthing JPJ, instigating a fight, gossiping behind his back I still think JPJ could’ve waited til they got back to the beach to unload on him. But at least it would’ve made somewhat of sense for JPJ to storm across the room and confront him on it there. Tactless? Yes. There was nothing about what JPJ said that HAD to be done at the wedding and couldn’t have waited til they got back to the beach. Yes, of course production put him up to it and probably egged it on, and yes, they are shitty for doing that, but it’s still on JPJ. Just not smart of him to do it at the wedding.
As for question #2, lets get the exact quote that JPJ was telling, I believe Nicole, about his frustrations with Derek. This is what he said before he confronted him, “Derek has expressed to me multiple times his reaching out to his fans…taking advantage of them sexually as a result of acquiring fame through the process.” All of that was said on camera. It wasn’t a voice over. So JPJ had an issue with hearing that coming from Derek, then Derek going after his woman. Fair enough. I think most guys would. However, since we never saw any footage of it, or have any sort of proof, it becomes a he said, he said. Now, just the accusations in a vacuum of a male from this franchise using his popularity to get laid, is that really impossible to believe? Of course not. We know that goes on. So I don’t immediately dismiss the accusations just because we never heard Derek tell him that or have any proof. Of course it’s a possibility Derek said or did that, and if you immediately dismiss it, then you’re either Team Derek or you’re not being objective. Now, whether or not it DID specifically happen involving Derek, we don’t know.
As for how the argument came across on television, JPJ looked horrible. Take away the whole fact of doing this during a wedding, I’m more talking about afterwards when they were at the bar on the beach and JPJ just kept refusing to give him a chance to speak and saying “no, no, no.” That was the argument of a child. JPJ would’ve come across more believable if he sat there and let Derek tell his side and call him out for lying or whatever. But when you won’t let the other side speak, then yeah, it looks like you’re not so sure on your own argument. Also, I do think Derek was answering JPJ at the wedding and at the bar, but editing didn’t let people see it because they wanted it to seem one-sided. I mean, it’s a straight accusation that JPJ making. Especially when he’s telling Derek “Tell me one thing I said that was inaccurate,” then when Derek tried to answer that, it was either edited out, or JPJ really didn’t let him answer. Looks like this will be a matter which team you’re on to determine who to believe. I don’t know who to believe. We haven’t heard Derek’s side, but, I also don’t think the accusation is far fetched since we know plenty of guys in this franchise who do it.
I think Tayshia is dead wrong in her assessment of the Clay & Angela situation. Just because Clay chooses to talk to her, and Clay chooses to then go on a date with her, doesn’t mean he’s choosing Nicole over her. Seemed like Clay handled about as awkward of a situation as you could get as well as he could. He was respectful to Angela about their breakup, without leading her on thinking he wanted some sort of reconciliation. Yes, he told her he still cared about her, but when you’re with somebody 9 months or whatever, and they were only a few months removed from the breakup, then yeah, your feelings just don’t disappear. But there’s having feelings for someone as a person and still caring about them, but not wanting to be in a relationship with them. And that’s what Clay seemed to be trying to express last night. Yeah, he broke up with her for whatever reasons he had. Angela may not like the reasons, but she has to accept them. No break ups are fun. Or easy. Very rarely does one side of the relationship break up with the other side, and the person being broken up with says, “Yep. Totally get it. Thank you for your time.” Almost never happens, and if it does, then the person being broken up with wanted out too. Breakups are messy. We’re just happening to see theirs play out on TV.
Caelynn really confuses me. Well maybe not because I kinda see right through her. My opinion of her is this: she wants to be in a relationship so bad (probably bc her best friend Cassie is and she feels it would be fun to be in one too), that she just seems to like whoever has interest in her. We saw her connect with Connor at the wedding, and pre-BIP she did interviews where she threw out Connor’s name as someone she’d have an interest in. So this didn’t come out of nowhere. She went on that show for Connor, but they put Dean on the show before him. Other way around, and there probably isn’t a Caelynn/Dean thing. Anyway, after making out with Connor, all the things she seemingly loved about Dean are thrown out the window. She’s saying stuff like “Dean and I could’ve never worked…(Connor) has his shit together…doesn’t live in a van.” Yet we know Dean shows up next week, says he wants her back, and she drops Connor like a bad habit to run off with Dean. Wait, you JUST said “Dean and I could’ve never worked” and you referenced the whole van thing. Caelynn is pretty clueless as to what she wants. For the time being it’s Dean, but we all know that isn’t lasting, so it’s hard to take anything she says at face value.
Next week things are gonna start to heat up as we have 3 episodes to get through 2 more rose ceremonies and there’s still, what, 6 more people that need to come on the show? Chase, Luke S., Old Matt Donald, Revian, Whitney, and Bri. And we still need to show the 4 overnight dates and then decision day of those four couples before having a whole reunion show airing on Tues. the 10th that will serve as the finale. Better hurry up and get through all of this. Only 4 episodes left.
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