It Looks Like Paradise Isn't Getting An "After The Finale Rose" This Season
Here's what we know.
After weeks of summer lovin’ and (attempted) social climbing, fans of ABC’s Bachelor in Paradise are wondering what the heck is going on with all of the couples formed at the beach. Breakups, makeups, and awkward food dates aside, the Oct. 5 finale had viewers itching for more info... but it doesn’t look like they’ll get it in the usual “After the Final Rose” format. If you’re hoping there will be a Bachelor in Paradise Season 7 reunion special, prepare for some potential heartbreak.
If you’re new to Bachelor Nation, you might not be super familiar with the usual post-show special, probably because it’s kind of been sporadic over the past few seasons. While Katie Thurston did have an “AFTR” — which resulted in a super uncomfy convo with her ex, Greg Grippo — Season 16 Bachelorettes Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams didn’t get a reunion special. While this could have been due to COVID-related production complications, by now it seems like the Bachelor producers have the safety protocols down. So, uh, what’s the deal with Paradise this season?
So far, there has been no sign a Bachelor in Paradise “After the Final Rose.” First of all, ABC usually promotes the heck out of the dramatic special, and since there’s been absolutely zero news about it, it’s pretty clear viewers aren’t going to get to see any post-Paradise updates in this capacity.
It’s not just ABC’s lack of “ATFR” teasers that make it seem like the special’s a no-go, though. BIP host/bartender Wells Adams also provided some insight. On Sept. 28, the Bachelor Nation fan-fave told Us Weekly he didn’t think they were doing a reunion, and even provided a reason for it. “I don’t think we are [having a reunion] because I think we’re going straight into Bachelorette,” Adams said.
With Season 18 of The Bachelorette premiering on Oct. 19, ABC technically had a free week to squeeze a special in, so it’s unclear why it’s apparently not happening. Maybe it’s because fans can simply refresh their social media feeds to see who’s still together, or maybe ABC just didn’t want to hire another celeb host for the special. Either way, it seems like Bachelor Nation will have a short break before Michelle Young’s Bachelorette season airs and will simply have to resort to Instagram to find out what happens after the final Paradise rose.
That said, this is Bachelor Nation, which means viewers should expect the unexpected. Who knows? Maybe this is a producer trick and a reunion will happen when fans least expect it. Your move, ABC.
