Play Ball!

We’re almost at the halfway point and I’m starting to feel that Paradise energy that Jill described so well: “Paradise is built DIFFERENT. Totally, like wheels off the bus, careening out of control.”

Wait. Wut? We’re NOT nearing the halfway point? The suits at ABC (sABCs) have added SIX MORE EPISODES?? We’re going into the week of Thanksgiving?

Regarding the week at hand, in honor of the start of the Major League Baseball playoffs, I’ll use a baseball theme to describe what got my attention in this week’s two episodes.

Hits

Jill and Jacob are adorable together in their weirdness. I know she’s been a lot this season and we know that the Evil Genius Producers (EGPs) loves them some lot. But she’s one of those underdogs I have found myself rooting for and so I’m satisfied by this pairing even if it’s likely an ill-fated one.

Brandon and Serene are so perfect and if they break up, it is proof that humanity is a failed project and explains why we can’t have good things. Look at the cast looking at these two!!

Fighting to Make the Playoffs

Almost every season of Paradise features the redemption story of a prior villain, and this season’s story is Shanae. She is coming off as quite likable, not only as a cast member but as someone with two legitimate suitors vying for her: the assertive (she likes assertive) James and the less assertive Logan (who she wants to be more assertive). And she’s feeling quite torn. Which one will win?

Foul Ball

Kira coming back for a two-out, two strikes, bottom of the ninth inning attempt to steal Jacob from Jill.

Delay of Game

Jacob taking his sweet time letting Kira make her comeback attempt while Jill and the other girls watch and wonder what the ^%#@ he’s doing. I understand being a respectful listener, especially when someone is in a vulnerable position. But until Brittany directly challenged him, he seemed unaware of the impact he was having on Jill at that moment. But we’re talking Jacob, here. Not the most socially aware guy on the beach LOL.

Wild Pitch

A rejected Kira is comforted by Romeo, he of multiple rejections, which sparks a re-connection, which sparks them to leave Paradise together. No way these two loose cannons can still be together as I am writing this. It all had the feel of an EGP-arranged arrangement. Even Romeo looks terrified.

Swing and a Miss

Pizza Pete’s self-induced brutal date with The Beautiful Brittany who currently is #1 on my MVP (Most Valuable Paradiser) ballot.

Errors

Salley. Nobody likes her. Nobody believes it was “work” rather than her ex causing her to miss three flights. And nobody thinks that this storyline was anything other than silly. And by “nobody” I mean all of Bachelor Nation.

Ashley I. and Jerrod. Who needed this? Do we really care about their sex life? Does having it described in sophomoric terms make it entertaining? Is this filler to extend the season for six additional episodes? I muted or fast-forwarded through their regrettable segments. And will continue to do so.

Retired

Serene excused herself from Paradise after things didn’t work out with her and Michael. I’m still trying to figure out why he thinks going on nationally televised dating shows is going to heal his still-broken heart. But he was the first guy to arrive in Paradise, so the EGPs must know something about the second half of this season that we don’t know.

The previews promise much mayhem which is why we come for Paradise. Crying. They showed us lots of people crying. And we eagerly await having all this crying placed in proper context, if proper is even a word that can be used for Paradise. I’m on the fence about the introduction of temptation to put connections to the test. I’m curious to see how that plays out.

We’re going to Thanksgiving? Seriously?

See you next week.

P.S. This week’s viewing wine was an Intuition Cotes du Rhone blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault found at Costco.