How Does Bachelor In Paradise Actually Work?

With the close of Rachel Lindsay's Bachelorette journey behind us, it's officially time for Bachelor In Paradise. The Bachelor spin-off takes the cast-offs from previous Bachelor(ette) seasons and throws them all together in a Mexican resort, hoping everyone will find love, drama, and greater social-media engagement. While the original romantic journeys (Bachelor/Bachelorette) are the anchors of the ABC franchise, Paradise is their margarita-drunk kid brother.

Although BIP is now in its fourth season, the reality show currently has more eyes on it than ever before due to recent headline-making accusations. Production of Paradise was shut down earlier this summer over allegations of sexual misconduct between cast members DeMario Jackson and Corinne Olympios. Slut-shaming narratives and stealthy racist undertones were soon flying, although no evidence of wrongdoing was found during an investigation by production company Warner Bros. Now viewers can see what led up to the much-talked-about encounter, as well as its aftermath, which led to Olympios and Jackson exiting the season.

Since it's likely a lot of new eyeballs are now on Paradise, we thought it was high time to actually explain how the series works. Keep reading to find out the basic premise, the newly-added rules, and whether or not anyone can actually even win something at the end of Bachelor In Paradise season 4.