Let’s pick our jaws up off the floor and discuss the craziness that was the Bachelor in Paradise reunion last night.
The reunion was filmed only a few weeks ago, on November 4, which came roughly five months after the crew finished filming for this season.
And, well, a lot has clearly happened in those five months.
The television screens of Season 8 viewers have been filled with chaos as the contestants found themselves dealing with copious amounts of fights, love triangles, and condescending comebacks. However, the highly anticipated reunion did not fall short in terms of bringing the drama.
In fact, as Jesse Palmer might say, it may have been the most dramatic reunion in Bachelor Nation history.
Whether you tuned in or not, we’ll wrap up the best and most shocking moments for you — in no particular order.
1. Brandon Jones and Serene Russell got engaged
Before we delve into everything else, let’s take a second to recognize a moment that didn’t shock Bachelor Nation — Brandon and Serene having one of the most endearing proposals to ever take place in the franchise.
Jesse even told the couple that he got ordained the night before and prompted them with the idea of getting married on the beach immediately after getting engaged. However, they decided to decline due to the fact that they would want their families to be present.
Their love was beautifully evident as they ended the reunion on a high note, and we’re thankful to have at least had one “sure thing” during this tornado of a season.
2. Logan Palmer stood up for himself against Kate Gallivan
If you’ve been a religious Season 8 watcher, you know the number of times Kate belittled Logan while the two tried to work on their relationship. Ultimately, the age gap was too much for Kate to handle, and she wanted a “man” who didn’t have to walk dogs for cash and could afford an Equinox membership.
(If you could even recognize him with his clean-shaven face), Logan didn’t miss his chance to finally stand up for himself and how hard he worked to make it in the film industry after moving to LA. Which meant he did, in fact, have to be a dog walker to get by as he worked on building a successful career for himself.
Logan got a well-deserved applause after his speech, and Kate, for once, didn’t have a comeback.
3. Michael Allio told Danielle Maltby he loves her
Oh god — it was already time for the tissues as soon as these two sat down, and Bachelor Nation could see that they were still going strong.
But in other good news, Danielle revealed that she has met Michael’s son James and is planning on moving to his city. And as if that weren’t enough to make watching Paradise this season all worth it, Michael dropped the “L word.”
That’s right — after saying he has never told another woman other than his late wife Laura that he loved them, Michael told Danielle he loved her for the first time. Danielle was visibly caught off guard, and the moment was one that truly captured viewers’ hearts.
4. Jacob Rapini swept Jill Chin off her feet
When Jacob broke things off with Jill after the show’s Split Week, many viewers were sad to see the two “wild personalities on the beach” not prevail.
But, after leaving Paradise, it seems the two may have rekindled that wild flame, as Jacob asked Jill to be his girlfriend during the reunion.
In true Tarzan fashion, Jacob even swept Jill off her feet and carried her out of the door.
5. Rodney Mathews said he’s finally moved on from Eliza Isichei
Leaving the beach visibly heartbroken after Eliza decided to end things with Rodney, Eliza memorably flew across the country in an attempt to rekindle her relationship with Justin.
After Justin rejected her, Eliza took to the reunion to back peddle and see if Rodney would be interested in the possibility of getting back together.
Rodney, however, stood up for himself and kindly let Eliza know that he had finally moved on from all the heartbreak she caused him.
This only added more fuel to Bachel Nation wanting #RodneyForBachelor.
6. Victoria Fuller and Johnny DePhillipo ended their engagement
In what was undoubtedly one of the most intense moments to ever air on Bachelor time, Victoria and Johnny revealed that they were no longer engaged just minutes after fans watched their proposal on the finale.
The two both took the hot seats, and let’s just say they weren’t shy in airing out their dirty laundry.
The ex-couple went back and forth about why they decided to end things while making different claims about horrible things the other person did. It was a trainwreck, and by the looks of the castmates and audience members, most people were clearly on Johnny’s side.
7. Victoria revealed she’s dating Greg Grippo
To piggyback off of her and Johnny ending their engagement, one of the reasons may have been because Victoria started dating former The Bachelorette contestant Greg Grippo — possibly while she and Johnny were working on their issues.
Rumors of the relationship have been circulating for weeks now, and it was finally addressed and confirmed during the reunion.
Greg was even brought out to join Victoria on the stage, where he revealed they flew all the way to Rome to grab their first-date drink to hopefully avoid being recognized.
They even got matching “ciao” tattoos, which was hilariously received by the castmates.
8. Tyler Norris announced his breakup with Brittany Galvin
Although rumors of this were circulating in the days leading up to the reunion, this was truly a heartbreaking moment for Bachelor fans — especially since she has been hinting at having a boyfriend and the two left BIP seemingly in love.
Post-Paradise, Tyler revealed that Brittany flew to Europe to be alone and, while she was there, decided to end things with him over FaceTime.
Tyler even said that Brittany dumped him the same day his breakup with Rachel Recchia aired in real-time.
Brittany was brought out to speak with Tyler, but it was clear there was no chance of the two getting back together.
9. Aaron Clancy and Genevieve Parisi have a healthy conversation
… for the first time!
For viewers, it has felt like an ongoing circle with the relationship between Aaron and Genevieve this season. The two have had their fair share of meaningless fights, which often caused Gen to pack her bags and head down the infamous “jungle path.”
However, during the reunion, Aaron fully took accountability for the way that he acted, and they truly seemed to have ended on a good note. Will they date again? Most likely, no, but at least they can be cordial in the same setting now.
10. Romeo Alexander is not held captive by Kira Mengistu
In what has been a hilarious ongoing bit over the past week weeks, Romeo did, in fact, “blink twice” to reveal that he has not been held captive by Kira since she asked him to leave Paradise with him.
Wells even said that the meme of his face has been the funniest to circulate on the internet in all of Bachelor history.
However, the two shared a kiss, and it seems as if they are still happy in their relationship.
And on that note, it’s been quite a wild ride, Bachelor Nation. See you all in January as we see what Zach Shallcross has in store for us as the next Bachelor.
The Bachelor premieres on Monday, January 23, 2023 at 8/7c on ABC.