With Ashley I. and Jarrod and their time in The Boom Boom Room finally behind us, the Evil Genius Producers (EGPs) focused our attention on two new developing storylines. As I have been predicting from the beginning, one of those storylines involves Michael’s journey, and Monday night the EGPs launched Chapter 2 of that journey.
Just when things were looking bleakest for him, Danielle[1] arrives to the rescue, surprising me not in the least. I only wonder what the machinations were to make this happen.
They knew each other through DMs before the show, so she was a natural choice from the standpoint of someone he could be interested in. They share stories of tragic relationship loss, so there’s a point of connection he wouldn’t likely share with any other Paradisers. So, my question would be, when in the storyboarding process did the EGPs decide on sending Danielle:
- Before he broke up with Sierra?
- After he broke up with Sierra?
Either answer would be rife with fascinating details!
Once Michael started marinating on the possibilities of finding love with Danielle, Bachelor Twitter erupted and took sides on the matter of whether Michael did Sierra dirty by breaking things off with her. I am not going to take a side but will say that Michael is a very nice but very damaged guy. Whether you’re Sierra, Danielle, or anybody else looking for a relationship with him, buyer beware. And I do stand by my question of why he would choose to work out his trauma in front of a weekly national TV audience.
That said, I am rooting for him.
The second storyline is the introduction of the twist that will change everything[2]. Jessie sent the OG ladies off campus and the EGPs bussed in a new set of beach hotties ready to make mayhem with all of the “committed” relationships. How does this change anything exactly? Fresh arrivals come all the time to Paradise, presenting new opportunities to explore. In the past, you explored your something new while your something old was there to watch. Now your something old won’t be there to watch.
In either case, the drama queens and kings will melt down. We’ve already seen clips of G-vieve and Jill erupting, which is their move under any adverse circumstances. Does it really make a difference whether their insignificant others are there to watch or not? And how many of these relationships are really “committed?” Not very many, of course. To me, this is simply another example of “things can change quickly in Paradise” but one that is more gimmicky than usual.
Aside from the new storylines, two moments from Monday are worth mentioning. In a rare win for introverts, Shanae chooses the Logan side of her love triangle over the more gregarious James. And Casey. Duuuuuude. In about five minutes, he creates chaos between Pizza Pete and My Girl Brittany; faints; falls and breaks an ankle; gets an ambulance out of Paradise. Iconic stuff.
See you later in the week.
P.S. Monday’s viewing wine was a repeat of the very nice Headline Cabernet Sauvignon.
[1] Who I liked a lot from Nick Viall’s season.
[2] Insert sarcastic voice here.
Ray's Musings 
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