The finale of the ABC season saw a surprise engagement for one couple, while another left 'Paradise' in tact.After arguably more drama off-screen than on, Bachelor in Paradise season four has successfully wrapped.
For those outside of Bachelor Nation or who need a refresher, ABC’s Bachelor spinoff faced an internal investigation of sexual misconduct, a mid-season production shutdown and a cast shakeup before resuming its run. (More on that here.)
After five weeks on the air, Monday night's finale of The Bachelor's raunchier, boozy summer spinoff saw a surprise engagement for one couple, while another left Paradise in tact. Much to Taylor Nolan's surprise, boyfriend Derek Peth popped the question before a live studio audience, while Raven Gates and Adam Gottschalk vowed to stay committed in the real world while sitting down with host Chris Harrison.
"I choose to love you this minute, this hour, this day and everyday from here on out," Peth told a stunned Nolan before popping the question before an ecstatic live audience. Through happy tears — and raining rose petals — she said yes, marking another success in the Bachelor couple books.
In four seasons, only two other couples have stayed together after the BIP cameras stopped rolling: Jade and Tanner Tolbert (married and with a child) and Carly and Evan Bass (who married earlier on the season and are now expecting).
Beyond the spinoff, other franchise shows have not had the most successful results in the post-TV match-making game. There are only seven couples from the Bachelor and Bachelorette's 34 combined seasons that are still together: Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo from the most recent season of Bachelorette, JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers, Kaitlyn Bristowe and Shawn Booth, Sean and Catherine Lowe, Ashley and J.P. Rosenbaum, Molly and Jason Mesnick and Trista and Ryan Sutter. Most recently, two Bachelors called off their engagements, Ben Higgins and the most recent star of the cycle, Nick Viall.
With those odds, how realistic is it to find love in ABC's reality TV setting?
Despite the Bachelorettes faring better than their male stars, Harrison told THR the success rate is really on a couple-by-couple basis. "I don’t think it’s necessarily The Bachelor vs. The Bachelorette. I think it’s each relationship," he said after the Paradise finale, which was pre-taped.
Harrison, along with Gates and Gottschalk, Amanda Stanton (who revealed her split with Robby Hayes) and their co-star Jasmine Goode (who walked away single, but did fall for one of the contestants), all speak to THR about why they believe this process works, many of their statements echoing Bass' memorable love letter to the show.
