We may be right in the middle of a surprisingly refreshing season of The Bachelorette, but Bachelor Nation is already excitedly looking forward to the next iteration of Bachelor in Paradise because it will be populated by some of the franchise’s new and old favorites — including resident bartender Wells Adams.
ABC dropped the first (short) official look at season seven of Paradise, and it’s fun. In the 15-second teaser, the anonymous narrator (who very obviously isn’t Chris Harrison) attempts to wax poetic on the pleasures of kicking back on sandy beaches of Sayulita, Mexico for the summer, but his monologue is repeatedly interrupted by Wells’ incessant slurping of his coconut cocktail.
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“Ugh,” says the narrator. “Looks like Paradise is back.”
Paradise...and the drinks...are BACK! 🍹🥥😍 #BachelorInParadise pic.twitter.com/c0uos8RDF6
— Bachelor in Paradise (@BachParadise) July 18, 2021
The long-awaited return of Paradise is just on time, especially given the recent tumultuous events of The Bachelor. Matt James' historic season of the dating show led to a long-overdue racial reckoning for the franchise, exposing evidence of problematic antics from cast members as well as highlighting the need for fresh blood on the executive side. Godfather of the show Harrison was ousted after a troubling interview with Rachel Lindsay saw him making excusing for racist behavior, leaving the franchise without a figurehead and permanent host.
In response to the scandal surrounding Harrison, Bachelor producers quickly rounded up a team of in-house and external talent to fill the vacancy he left behind. Former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe are on host duty for Katie Thurston's current run as the lead, while Paradise has recruited a number of big Hollywood personalities to take the reigns; David Spade, Lance Bass, Titus Burgess, and Lil Jon will be guiding our singles in all things life and love this summer. And you know that Wells and his heavy, heavy pour will also be at the resort.
Even though Katie's journey isn't near the end just yet, it's hard not to get excited about Paradise. It's been a whole year since we last saw the (mostly) lovable, swimsuit-clad singles of this franchise "stealing" people for chats and getting temporarily engaged. Due to the intensity of the global pandemic in 2020, Bachelor Nation was deprived of the chaos that would normally keep us going in such hard time simply because it wasn't smart to attempt to gather people from across the country at any beach at the time. However, a year later, the franchise is looking to make things up to us by ensuring the maximum level of drama possible on this season. The initial cast list for season seven of Paradise has been released, and for better or for worse, we're truly getting the biggest personalities under one roof for an entire summer. (Hey, you've got to take the good with the bad!)
The next installment of Paradise will be an important one for The Bachelor, proving that it can actually be the diverse franchise that it's always touted itself to be. The cast list is promising, but it'll take a lot more to persuade the subset of fans that have side-eyeing the show for several seasons now that The Bachelor is still a franchise worth tuning into.
Season seven of Bachelor in Paradise premieres on August 16, 2021, only on ABC.