After weeks of hype, Season 4 of Bachelor In Paradise premiered Monday on ABC. Viewers who tuned in to see Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson’s encounter play out were likely left disappointed.
For those who haven’t been keeping up, here’s a quick recap. In mid-June, Bachelor in Paradise ceased production after two producers filed complaints due to suspicion of sexual misconduct between Corinne and DeMario. At first, reports suggested that DeMario had taken advantage of an intoxicated Corinne in a pool, but he was later cleared of any wrongdoing by the internal investigation.
Corinne Olympios’s team moved forward with an independent investigation, then backed down once no foul play was found. Once filming resumed in early July, fans were promised footage of the altercation but it’s clear that the BIP producers plan to stretch out the drama between Olympios and Jackson for ratings.
Much of Monday’s episode skirted around the event that likely drew viewers to the show in the first place and focused on introducing the cast members who have remained on the show. (Corinne and DeMario exited after the producers concluded their investigation into the alleged sexual misconduct.)
After a voiceover which referenced that drama between the two former cast members, the cameras did show Corinne and DeMario getting acquainted with one another. The show then referenced DeMario’s storyline from Rachel Lindsay’s season of The Bachelorette , where he was booted for having a girlfriend back home. Corinne’s introduction focused on her assertion that she was single, despite the fact that she later admitted she had a boyfriend back home as well.
Dark roots and icy tips by @hairbykristingrip???????? #changeisgood
A post shared by Corinne Olympios (@colympios) on
Interspersed between the hijinx of the other contestants, which included beach romps and drag makeovers, BIP teased footage of Corinne and DeMario but never really showed much of anything, which according to DeMario was quite the show. (In an interview with E! News , DeMario described their encounter as the “wildest night of his life.” Corrine Olympios maintains that she doesn’t remember the events of the night.)
Near the end of the episode, Corinne and DeMario were finally seen entering the pool fully clothed, smiling and laughing. Viewers were then shown DeMario and Corrine being pulled aside, and the camera men putting their own cameras down. Before you knew it, the show was over. The second part of Bachelor In Paradise premiere, which will air Tuesday on ABC, is supposed to wrap up DeMario and Corrine’s storyline.
A post shared by DeMario Jackson (@demariojackson_) on
Tell us, what do you think about the Bachelor In Paradise premiere? Will you be tuning into part 2?
[Featured Image by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images]
