Bachelor in Paradise Season 8, Episode 12 recap: Live and Let Love Die

Welcome back to the beach Bachelor Nation! We are slowly approaching the end of Bachelor in Paradise Season 8 with only four episodes left. Major couples have formed, but with another rose ceremony on the horizon, will everyone stay together? The newest additions to the beach have been men challenging to make a connection this late in the season.

The twins seemed to make a splash with Florence and Shanae but were it enough? Hayden took Kate on his first one-on-one date to win her heart. While the date didn’t seem to go for Hayden, Kate may have grown closer to Logan. Let’s find out what happened when everyone came back together in episode 12!

Bachelor in Paradise Season 8, Episode 12 recap

1. Kate’s Return

Kate returned for her one-on-one date wanting to talk to Logan to see where they stood after Hayden’s arrival on Bachelor in Paradise. The two had a heartfelt discussion in the rain, where Logan revealed that he didn’t want her to go on the date and still felt strongly about her. The two had a romantic kiss in the rain that seemed to put things back together.

This was good for that night, but maybe not the next day. Kate woke up not knowing who she should be in the end. Logan is much younger than her, and as she talks to the other girls, she starts to doubt life after the show with him. On the other side, Hayden has money, evident by dropping six digits on his dog, and could provide for them both. She said that Hayden checked many boxes for her (where have we heard that phrase before) and is closer to her age.

At the cocktail party, her turmoil continued as she sought out advice from Shanae of all people. Kate sought out Hayden to see where his head was and finalize her decision for the impending rose ceremony. She brought a tennis ball to their little chat to connect deeper with Hayden and Rambo, which seems to be the key to his heart.

2. Dear Eliza

Eliza has found herself in a love triangle with Rodney and Justin. After hitting it off with Rodney when she came to Bachelor in Paradise, things looked solid until Justin returned just for her. She wanted Rodney to tell her not to go on the date; instead, he told her to follow her heart and do what she needed to do. She went on the date and started to feel for Justin.

Now she is at the rose ceremony and has to decide which man she wants to keep. She first talked with Rodney, and he poured his heart out to her revealing that he could see a life with her outside of this and only wants her in the end. Next, she talked with Justin, who brought gummy bears, one of her favorite snacks, to the date to win her over. The two had a good talk that led to a romantic kiss as Rodney watched on, defeated.

After talking with both men, Eliza broke down in front of the girls. She has a tough decision and doesn’t want to make the wrong one. Victoria offered sound advice about seeing who you could picture a future and a family with and then going with her heart. What Victoria wanted to say, and later revealed in an interview, was to pick Rodney. She hoped it would be Rodney, and that would be the right answer, but she would support her no matter who she picked, smiley face.

3. Rose Ceremony

Four men were slated to leave Bachelor in Paradise after this ceremony. First up was Genevieve, who, of course, picked Aaron. What was lost in the shuffle of events above was that Aaron revealed he was not falling in love with Genevieve but in love with her. She felt the same, and the two finally hit a new level in their relationship. Next, Britney gave her rose to Tyler, and Victoria gave her rose to Johnny. Jessenia gave her rose to Andrew as well.

Danielle gives her rose to Michael and is all in on him, to no one’s surprise. Serene gave her rose to Brandon, the couple that was voted most likely to get married in Paradise High. Florence gave her to Justin while Shanae gave her rose to Joey, reuniting the twins on the beach. Kate was up next, noting she would rather be with a woman than give a rose to one of the twins, ouch.

Kate went through the men in her head, noting that while Hayden has money, Logan has youth and deeper love. In the end, she chooses Logan, saying that she knows something is there but needs more and asks if he could give it to her. He agreed but was confused about the sentiment as he no longer feels the same way towards Kate that she may feel for him.

Last but certainly not least was Eliza, who had the toughest decision ahead of her. She started to cry before taking the podium, which spoke to the gravity of the situation. She called Rodney to the podium, noting that she just wanted to thank him for being patient and sticking with her this week. Finally, she asked him if he accepted her rose, and he did graciously. Later, Eliza asked to speak to Justin separately, away from the crowd. He reassured her that she needed to do what made her the happiest.

Jacob, Alex, Hayden, and Justin were sent home. Maybe this is Justin’s last time this season. Eliza walked Justin to his car, and he told her how special she was and that she deserved all the happiness. She kept apologizing, but Justin told her not to beat herself up about it. Although she hated to see Justin go, the beach was relieved to see her make the “right” decision. However, Eliza returned hoping she would feel better but she may have felt worse. She may live to regret this position and always think about the inevitable “what if?”.

4.  Threes a Party

After the rose ceremony, mostly everyone felt safe and secure in their relationship. Jessenia revealed the next date card, which noted that Michael and Danielle would be going on a date with Wells. This ought to be good.

Mom and Dad set out on their date, which Wells kicked off with a horse ride through the city. As Michael was looking for quality time and conversations with Danielle, every stop had Wells offering them some food, drink, apparel, and what have you. After their horse ride, he joined them for drinks and talked about his relationship and how he met his soon-to-be wife.

He bid them adios and finally let the couple spend quality time together. They talked about how great the date was and that he would like to go back to Mexico with her someday. This indicates that he is picturing a life for the two after Bachelor in Paradise is over.

5. Love and Regret

Back on the beach, the couples were hanging out and having fun. Rodney was refreshed and renewed after surviving another rose ceremony on Bachelor in Paradise. While he is on the up-and-up with the other men and women on the beach, Eliza is in her bed sobbing. Andrew brought up that this could cause a rift in their relationship as she grabbles with the big decision she just made.

Eliza was still sobbing and wondering if she had made the right choice for her. If she did make the right decision, she wouldn’t be this upset about sending Justin home. This was a tough decision for her and showed during the ceremony. Again, this may be a decision she looks back on and thinks, “what if?”.

She finally got ready but packed her bags in the process. She went down the beach to find Rodney crying most of the way. The two find a cabana to hash things out in. The first words out of her mouth there were, “I can’t do this.” She proceeded to cry as Rodney watched on anxiously. He was wiping her tears away as she went through what was going through her head when she decided on the ceremony.

6. Change of Heart

She kept trying to rationalize her feelings and reasons for being emotional. Except she continued to be emotional through last night and the next morning feeling the same way. Rodney started to put the pieces together at this point. She felt it wouldn’t be fair not to tell him how she was feeling. He asked her if she felt like she made the wrong decision, and she said that she thought she did make the wrong decision and may have been swayed by how much love everyone else on the beach had for Rodney.

She said she has stronger feelings for Justin despite sending him home the night prior. She said that he might be a better fit for what she needs. He asked why and then told her not to answer. Eliza kept apologizing to Rodney, and he kept saying it was ok, but it wasn’t. He asked if she was leaving to find him, but just by looking at her, he could answer his question.

Rodney was short and sweet in his ending response, noting that he wanted the best for her and wished her all the happiness in life. Both parties walked away, upset. Rodney returned to the rest of the crew of Bachelor in Paradise and revealed what happened during their conversation. A group hug formed with everyone trying to console Rodney. There was no dry eye in the crowd. He revealed that Eliza was his world and future, but after getting his heart broken, he had no choice but to leave the show. This left everyone on the beach in tears. Everyone at the beach liked Rodney, and Brandon said it best when he said everyone fell in love with Rodney except the one person he fell in love with.

7. The Beginning of the End

After everyone talked to Rodney and saw him off the beach, the ladies turned their attention to Eliza. She was still conflicted about what to do next, knowing she had more feelings for Justin. Eliza revealed to the group that she felt Rodney was the right decision, but after walking Justin to the car, she realized he may have been the better decision.

She had a chance with Rodney but was never given a chance to try things with Justin. With her bags packed, she left Bachelor in Paradise, heading home to recenter. She hoped to reconnect with Justin in Baltimore, Maryland, where the crew went next. Eliza was all smiles as she walked down the street to look for Justin’s place.

The previous for next episode showed that Eliza’s decision rocked the rest of Bachelor in Paradise. Eliza’s conversation with Justin may not go the way she thinks. Two new women hit the beach, which challenges some of the relationships. Then Gabby and Rachel hit the beach to hear about all that has transpired, knowing that there are women from their Bachelor season and men from their Bachelorette season.

Speaking of Gabby, did you miss the news about her and Erich? If you want the scoop, check out the article above that reveals what transpired between Gabby and Erich leading to their split. What do we think about Eliza’s actions on the beach? Have you ever seen a breakup like this rock the rest of the beach? 

Let us know what you think in the comments below about Bachelor in Paradise Season 8, Bachelor Nation!