Bachelor in Paradise: Ranking every season

BACHELOR IN PARADISE - "605A" - Sensational confrontations take center stage in Paradise this week. Angela's arrival brings trouble when Clay discovers feelings bubbling up for his ex-girlfriend that put his current relationship with Nicole in jeopardy. Angela also must tackle her unresolved feelings for Clay as she tries to move on with Mike on "Bachelor in Paradise," MONDAY, SEPT. 2 (8:00-10:01 p.m., EDT), on ABC. (ABC/John Fleenor)LUKE STONE, KRISTINA SCHULMAN, SYDNEY LOTUACO, MATT DONALD
BACHELOR IN PARADISE - "605A" - Sensational confrontations take center stage in Paradise this week. Angela's arrival brings trouble when Clay discovers feelings bubbling up for his ex-girlfriend that put his current relationship with Nicole in jeopardy. Angela also must tackle her unresolved feelings for Clay as she tries to move on with Mike on "Bachelor in Paradise," MONDAY, SEPT. 2 (8:00-10:01 p.m., EDT), on ABC. (ABC/John Fleenor)LUKE STONE, KRISTINA SCHULMAN, SYDNEY LOTUACO, MATT DONALD
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Bachelor in Paradise, Bachelor in Paradise Season 7
ABC/Craig Sjodin

Ahh, Bachelor in Paradise. The train wreck we all know and love.

It’s crazy to think we are already approaching Bachelor in Paradise Season 7 of this beloved island show! I confess, I initially didn’t really see it lasting. I was a huge Bachelor Pad fan and didn’t see Bachelor in Paradise successfully replacing it. However, it has proven me wrong, in some ways rising above the pack of Bachelor shows in terms of both entertainment and lasting couples!

As we look forward to Season 7, let’s take a look back and rank all the seasons of Bachelor in Paradise!

(Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Leisure Opportunities)
(Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Leisure Opportunities)

#6: Bachelor In Paradise Season 2

It pains me to have this season in the worst slot because it was still fairly entertaining, but Season 2 was still experiencing the growing pains of Season 1 without the “new show” shine to set it apart. Yes, it turned out a Bachelor Nation royalty couple, Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert, but their relationship was so perfect it just wasn’t very interesting to watch. The other ending couples, Samantha & Nick and Cassandra & Justin, just weren’t well-known enough to really warrant investment.

One good thing was that Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon met for the first time in Season 2, but it was painful to watch since Jared was still in the “just not that into you” phase!

By far the best thing to come out of this season was Chris Bukowski’s 24-hour return to Paradise, after which he penned a wonderful letter reflecting on his experience with reality television.

#5: Bachelor in Paradise Season 4

It’s not that this season didn’t have a lot of interesting stuff going on–it did! The Dean Unglert love triangle with Danielle and Kristina, for example. The problem is that much of the development of these relationships happened offscreen!

The consent scandal between Corrinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson shut down production for a few weeks after the cast members had already met. The result was a good deal of confusion upon return as viewers saw contestants reference relationship development that had happened off-camera–a road trip that Kristina and Dean took together, for example.

Frustrating, I tell you!