So I’ve known since last year that “Bachelor in Paradise” filming would not be returning to its normal location in Sayulita, Mexico. The hotel got sold to someone else and basically it’s been known it wasn’t going back there. There had been rumors thrown out there about it being in the Dominican Republic and a coupld other locations, but I really felt they would want to keep it on the West Coast and probably just a different location in Mexico. And yesterday, was able to confirm that to be true. This season of BIP will film at the Costa Sur Resort and Spa in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Filming is gonna be a month earlier than usual since there’s no “Bachelorette” season this year. Usually BIP has filmed for 3 weeks in June, but hearing it will be filmed in May this year. We don’t know any other details on how the format of the show will change, if at all. All we know is there’s a new showrunner who’s never worked in the franchise before. So until filming actually happens, since this franchise isn’t transparent about anything they do, I highly doubt we’re going to hear about any format stuff before it begins production.
Can’t wait for everyone to hear tomorrow’s weekly podcast guest, Lauren O’Brien from Love is Blind season 8. I know she’s done a few interviews so far, but I don’t believe she’s given a longer form interview yet. Our interview is about 50 minutes long and I try to go in order of her experience on the show: Pods, Honduras, Minnesota, then what’s been happening during airing. The whole interview is just dedicated to her experience on the show with Dave since it’s airing before the finale, we don’t talk about any of the other couples really, outside of Dave’s time in the pods with Molly. Such a good interview that I can’t wait for you to hear. While I believe almost all of social media is on her side in the Dave relationship (well, except for at least one insufferable blowhard that called her sloppy), it was still great to hear her explain everything from beginning to end. Finale airs on Friday (she’s actually in attendance at one of the weddings), and then the reunion airs on Friday.
Reader Emails begins now…
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Steve,
Haven’t really kept up with Grant’s season, just listened to your column. But the double standards around contestants baffle me. I am responding to the reader email that says “day trader” is code for unemployed.”
Theresa Nist is a day trader, but because she’s a woman and well-liked, she didn’t get criticized at all for it. It was “go girl boss get that bag!” And people criticized Gerry because they thought he just wanted her money. So clearly, even though it can be skeevy, day trading is a “real job.”
And yet Grant, because he’s a man, man-hating viewers are projecting on him and calling him unemployed? If you’re gonna criticize Grant for anything, criticize him for releasing a cringe single on premiere night.
Comment: People are always gonna find something to hate on. You think if Joey was a day trader it would’ve elicited the same response? In a word – no.
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I think Grant has to decide if he wants to do the break up first or the proposal and that’s what he can’t decide about. Remember Jesse’s season?! The winner went first! I don’t think he’s really going to be that torn between the two.
Comment: Grant’s been pretty clear in all post show interviews that it’s more in how it’s being edited than anything else. He’s not saying that specifically, but reading between the lines in his answers, you can kinda tell.
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I had a tour of the West Wing at the end of Obama’s era and one thing I noticed is there is NO WAY people didn’t know Clinton was fooling around with Monica. It’s an extremely old building and the hallways are very narrow and rooms are small and not very sound proof.
Comment: I can imagine. However in this day and age of social media, if it was around back then, it probably would’ve been found out a lot sooner.
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You talked about Temptation Island finally coming back this month, but did you see the Valley is also dropping a bunch of (new) episodes?
I know you were one of many who tuned in to last season of Vanderpump after Scandoval, then got hooked on the Valley…
Will you be watching this season too, or is there too much else to keep up with these days?!?
Comment: Yes, will definitely be watching The Valley, but as far as I know, they haven’t given a release date for season 2 yet. We just know it’s coming. All we’ve gotten in a mini trailer, but it wasn’t even clips from the season. It was just solo shots of all the characters and I think we got voice overs of things that were said during the season. Unless I missed something.
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Hi Steve!
I have a question for your next Reader Email batch! I’m catching up on Grant’s season and noticed that they aren’t showing a blooper or “light-hearted moment” at the end of each episode. I feel like they’ve done that for recent seasons but maybe I’m completely wrong and it hasn’t been done in a while? I could be losing my mind ?
Anyways, I always looked forward to that little segment and was disappointed that it’s been cut. Any insight into why or would love your thoughts on that segment. Thanks for everything 🙂
Comment: You’re right. It’s definitely not being done this season, but I can’t remember back to when they stopped doing it or if this was the first season. I feel like I remember seeing bloopers on Joey’s season didn’t we?
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Hi Steve!
I was wondering if you know where they did the Rose ceremony for Hometowns, city and the theater? It looked like Chicago, and it looked like a theater in the Chicago area but I couldn’t quite tell.
As always, Thank you so much for your Podcast!!
Comment: They showed it was LA. Not to mention when Grant had his talk with Joey, they were saying the rose ceremony was that night and they clearly showed they were at a place in LA. As for the theater, I can’t remember the name of it, but I know it’s a theater they’ve used before on this show a few times for dates.
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Hi Steve –
For some reason, I found it funny that you and Courtney each locked into your own pronunciation of “Carolina” on the podcast. I agree with your pronunciation. I guess I didn’t notice how she was pronouncing it, but watching the season, I know all the women have pronounced it “Caro-leena.” So I’m assuming that’s it.
Very happy to hear you got Lauren for this week’s podcast. I feel like Dave sought to last long on the show and would come up with some excuse to break it off. I wonder if her friend with benefits attempted to sabotage the relationship. An experiment I would like to see in a future season would be for the couples engaged in the pods to work with a sketch artist before the reveal to see what they envision each other look like. It may help stir up drama and give viewers some insight on whether they feel physical attraction. I’m glad that as many interviews as Lauren’s done so far, I don’t think she’s had a longer conversation with anyone yet. Interview is about 50 minutes long, and I tried to go in order of her time on the show: Pods, Honduras, Minnesota, and then what’s been happening during airing. Can’t wait for everyone to hear it.
Cobra Kai – Spoilers follow: While we like a happy ending, I feel that Silver, Sensei Wolf, and Iron Dragon got ripped off. I don’t have a Sekai Taikai rule book but feel that 1) Cobra Kai/Tory should have been disqualified as her dojo and sensei did not show up. 2) Johnny and Miguel should not be permitted to join Cobra Kai as they entered as Myagi Do and Miguel competed for Myagi Do. Pretty funny to see Mr. Myagi return but probably not a good thing for actors in the future. Man, now you have me questioning my own sanity. Have I given my thoughts on the Cobra Kai ending? I thought I did talk about it on the Daily Roundup, but maybe I haven’t. My short answer is, I liked it, but there were a couple “holes” so to speak. Or things I would’ve liked to have a better reasoning behind it. Yes, I get it’s a TV show, but I like my TV shows to make sense. Like, I knew Tory and Miguel would win, but the way they built up Zara in Barcelona, she was basically a machine. And then she’s leading Tory 5-0 after the first round. I need a good reason as to how all the sudden not only did Tory come back and win, but absolutely kicked her ass to the point where she won by like 20 pts and got Cobra Kai closer other than because her boyfriend told her he loved her and kissed her in between rounds. That was it? Zara literally couldn’t get a point scored on her.
As for Johnny, again, we knew he was gonna win when they announced because of a tie, the sensei’s would have to fight each other. And yeah, this is where you have to suspend disbelief. The first time we saw Sensei Wolf, he literally was killing a man with his bare hands in a cage. And now we expect to believe that he’s gonna lose to someone who’s almost 60 and 20 years older than him? I guess I’m nit picking. Because I still loved the show.
If measles is in your part of Texas, I hope you are vaccinated.
Comment: It’s not near me as far as I know and I’m good.
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Hi Steve!
Did you notice Matt James just deactivated on Instagram? I just noticed today.. he had been getting a lot of flack and his followers dropped every dang day.. think he’ll reactivate? I guess he’s a tantrum throwing toddler that doesn’t like being called on his bad treatment of Rachael.. He blocked me (which I didn’t know about until the breakup happened), so I had no idea.
Hey, do you think Rachael K will do Bachelor in Paradise? I would seriously doubt it.
Are you surprised Dina’s fam didn’t agree to appear on the hometown date? Did it really have any effect or was Dina going home after hometowns even if they showed up to meet him? I recall a few other families refusing to appear on camera- definitely I know that Melissa Rycroft’s parents opted not to attend.
Thanks for all the effort you do to spoil the season.. makes it worth it!!
Comment: According to Grant, he said her family not being there had nothing to do with why he sent her home. Heard that on an interview he did with Extra after the WTA taping.
Daily Roundup transcript starts on Page 2…
