Three couples got engaged during the Bachelor in Paradise season seven finale, but it was the final proposal that brought more than its share of drama.
On Tuesday, Oct. 5, viewers saw Kenny Braasch put a ring on Mari Pepin's finger, followed by Maurissa Gunn accepting a proposal from Riley Christian. Then, it was "Grocery Store" Joe Amabile's turn to profess his love for Serena Pitt following their delightful time in the fantasy suite. "I'm ready to get engaged to Serena right now," he told the camera.
However, things are never quite that simple in Paradise. Suddenly, Joe's ex Kendall Long reemerged on the beach after having voluntarily left a few weeks ago due to the pain she felt while watching Joe and Serena bond.
As Joe stood alone on the beach awaiting Serena's arrival, Kendall approached him. "Probably not what you were expecting," she quipped. Joe replied, "Ah, no, it wasn't."
She went on to explain that she had initially decided to participate this season in order to beyond her previous Paradise relationship with Joe that began on season five in 2018, but seeing him again where they once fell in love proved too difficult to move past.
"I came down on this beach and completely was surprised by how it made me feel and by how overwhelming it was," Kendall told him. "I ended up coming here to fully let you go, and you know, this beach has so many memories. And they're amazing, and I've loved every moment we've had, and you're an amazing person."
She explained that she wasn't here to make a final plea for Joe's heart but instead offered her blessing for Joe and Serena's relationship. "I'm really excited for you and Serena, and I felt like I couldn't leave this beach without fully expressing that to you," Kendall said magnanimously.
This led Joe to share, "Obviously, I'll always care about you, and nothing was fake with us. We didn't break up at the time because we weren't in love." Kendall agreed and told him, "We tried. It wasn't for a lack of love, and that's the hardest thing... There's always a part of me that will love you."
Kendall left the beach just after Joe reminded her that she's a "catch," and moments later, Serena joined him along the water. After Serena expressed her love for him, Joe pointed out that he and Kendall had just chatted.
"You're lying," a stunned Serena replied. However, Joe was as certain as ever to start his life with his new love. "If anything, it just made me more confident in how much that I do love you," he said.
Joe proposed, and then Serena held up her ring while shouting to the others on the beach, "Look what I got!" She added, "The two most logical people on this beach just followed their hearts and got engaged."
At the end of the episode, the show updated viewers on some of the popular couples. Despite splitting up, Becca Kufrin and Thomas Jacobs got back together after cameras stopped rolling, as did Noah Erb and Abigail Heringer. In fact, as the finale finished airing, Abigail posted adorable footage to Instagram of herself with Noah, adding the caption, "I love you @noah_erb."
Click here to read about the couples who called it quits during the finale, including Aaron Clancy and Tia Booth. And keep scrolling to revisit all the individuals who didn't quite make it to this year's final episode.
Eliminated: Week Six
Was this the same Ivan Hall we all rooted for on Tayshia Adams' season? After he snuck out of his Paradise hotel and used a producer's phone to contact Alexa Caves, who was about to join the show, Ivan was contrite in admitting his lapse in judgment.
"It was wrong of me—I shouldn't have gone around the system," Ivan told Wells Adams. "My mind was just in a weird place, and I was wrong. You know, love makes you do weird, crazy things. I made a mistake, and it was a giant mistake."
Eliminated: Week Six
Joe Park and Natasha Parker initially had some chemistry on their date, but his close friendship with Brendan Morais appeared to be a sticking point. Alas, Dr. Joe never really bonded with anyone else.
Eliminated: Week Six
Demar Jackson took Chelsea Vaughn on a one-on-one date, but the late arrival ultimately just didn't have enough time to establish a strong connection with anyone.
Eliminated: Week Six
Blake Monar clearly clicked with Tia Booth, but she decided to instead give her rose to James Bonsall, explaining that James made more of an effort to win her over.
Eliminated: Week Five
It had been clear for a while that Kendall Long only had Joe Amabile on the brain, and so she clearly hadn't enjoyed watching him canoodle with Serena Pitt. Finally, Kendall pulled her ex aside to make her feelings clear, but Joe wasn't on the same page.
"The reason I came out here was because I knew it was over between us," Joe told her. He added to the camera, "If she truly wanted me back, she should have told me before I got here, before I started this, because I really, really loved her."
Kendall ultimately walked away, getting quite emotional in the ride home. "Joe is my person," she said. "I just feel absolutely broken. This is the hardest thing I've ever been through, and it just keeps going."
Eliminated: Week Four
Pieper James made no effort to conceal the fact that she wanted to join Brendan Morais on the show in order to boost her social media following, as she told him she was "excited for the future possibility of making more money."
She also told Brendan defensively, "I have an entire masters degree in marketing—I think I can figure out how to get a few more followers."
Just before they voluntarily ended their time in Mexico, Pieper was heard telling Brendan, "I told you I didn't want to come—I told you."
Eliminated: Week Four
Brendan Morais probably stayed far longer than he should have, given that Chris Conran was sent packing last week for less offensive behavior than Brendan exhibited. Finally, Brendan read the room, and he voluntarily exited the beach.
"If Natasha wants to talk for the 17th time about the relationship that we had, we can talk some more, but I think it's just a pathetic attempt to intimidate me," he said.
"If you have any dignity left, you should just walk out the door," Demi told the camera about Brendan and Pieper. Thankfully, that's what happened.
Eliminated: Week Four
Perhaps Jessenia Cruz now regrets immediately dropping Ivan Hall for Chris Conran? Jessenia and Chris' fast connection spurred rumors that they had previously established a connection prior to the show, and then Chris was shown the exit after his co-stars suspected the same thing about himself and Alana Milne.
Regardless, once Chris was gone, and Ivan was busy exploring things with Kendall Long, it was clear Jessenia's time had run out. That said, given where the episode left things, it appeared that Kendall was still focused on Joe and might be ready to head home as well. Perhaps Ivan just can't win.
Eliminated: Week Four
Things went quite well for certain couples tonight, including Maurissa Gunn and Riley Christian, who enjoyed a date involving plenty of whipped cream. Other folks weren't so lucky.
During the rose ceremony, Demi Burnett stuck her tongue out as Kenny Braasch, who had previously joined Demi in the Boom Boom Room, gave his rose to Mari Pepin, which spoke volumes.
"Tonight's rose ceremony is terrible for me," Demi told the camera. "Kenny was using me to get over Mari, then went back to Mari. I feel like a [censored]."
Eliminated: Week Four
Although Deandra Kanu was a popular member of the cast, and she received attention from previous contestants Karl Smith and Chasen Nick, she never quite developed a real connection.
"This week, we had a lot more rivals than I thought we would, and a lot more drama than I thought we would," Deandra said before heading home.
Eliminated: Week Four
Tammy Ly, who recently took to social media to lament how things turned out for her, gambled with love and ultimately lost. After clicking with Aaron Clancy, she irked him by making out nearby with his nemesis Thomas Jacobs, who opted for a relationship with recent arrival Becca Kufrin.
"I trusted you because you reassured me," Tammy tearfully told Thomas just before the rose ceremony. "I trusted you with everything, and now I feel like a fool for trusting you. Everyone told me [not to], and I believed you."
Eliminated: Week Three
It's unclear whether Chris Conran just happened to be the recipient of ire that had already been building on the beach toward Brendan Morais and Pieper James bringing their own previously ignited romance to the show.
But for some reason, "Grocery Store" Joe Amabile, Riley Christian and others decided to confront Chris following his one-on-one date with Alana Milne—but not Brendan or Pieper—as Joe/Riley and Co. expressed anger toward Chris for jilting Jessenia. Chris' co-stars remained convinced that he and Alana had a pre-show arrangement, and perhaps Chris, who wasn't widely known among Bachelor Nation, was an easier target to pick on than Brendan.
A dejected Chris took a moment to chat with Alana, where he let her know he felt no choice but to leave the show. "I feel like this is where I leave Paradise, and it sucks," he shared. "I wanted to see if you'd be willing to come with me."
He then packed his things and left the beach without saying goodbye to the others.
Eliminated: Week Three
Alana Milne, we hardly knew ye. Shortly after returning from a romantic date with Chris Conran, Alana learned he was leaving. Although she made it clear she didn't want to exit with him, since she wasn't ready to start a committed relationship, she also decided the situation on the beach had become too tense for her to enjoy sticking around.
The other stars watched as Alana silently carried a single bag with her across the beach and then left the show, getting into a waiting vehicle. Moments later, Chris hopped in as well, clearly expecting a sympathetic response. He wasn't getting it.
"Chris, this is not your car," Alana bluntly told him as she delivered the line of the night. At that, he quietly stepped out of the car to find another ride. Ouch.
Eliminated: Week Two
On Tuesday, Aug. 31, Tre Cooper was the first cast member to exit from Bachelor in Paradise on episode five. He and Tahzjuan Hawkins had been paired up since the get-go, but it became clear Tre was no longer feeling the connection, and so he let Tahz know he was voluntarily walking away, and she didn't really try to convince him to stay.
Eliminated: Week Two
Tahzjuan Hawkins left almost immediately after Tre departed during episode five, as she also chose to leave prior to the rose ceremony. Tahzjuan's exit was so abrupt that she didn't even say goodbye to anyone, and Wells Adams had to announce at the start of the rose ceremony that her rose was no longer on the table.
Eliminated: Week Two
Perhaps this was the week's least surprising departure, given that Connor Brennan's lone romance was with Maurissa Gunn, and that relationship was cat-astrophic as soon as Riley Cooper stepped foot on the beach. You could say it was the day the music died.
"It just feels no matter what I do, I'm just not good enough," Connor said tearfully on the ride home. "I just want somebody to choose me, you know?"
Eliminated: Week Two
Chasen Nick appeared to be the leading contender for Deandra Kanu's rose until she stunningly gave it to Ivan Hall. The only other two roses up for grabs this week were the ones from Mari Pepin and late arrival Becca Kufrin.
Unfortunately for Chasen, Mari's rose oddly went to James Bonsall, while Becca took a chance by giving hers to Aaron Clancy, despite having little time to chat with him and the fact that Becca was surprised by Aaron being five years her junior. That meant Chasen's time on Paradise was incredibly brief.
Eliminated: Week Two
Karl Smith never quite found a connection. He immediately fell for Deandra, but after she accepted a date from Chasen, Karl seemed more focused on sparring with his competition, and things came to an abrupt end.
"It sucks how things had to end up, but I'm just glad she didn't end up with Cheesy Chasen," Karl said on the way out. "I'm always going to try to protect the people that I care about, even if it means that I don't get to win it."
Eliminated: Week One
Kelsey Weier said adiós to paradise after week one after failing to find herself in a beachside relationship.
Eliminated: Week One
Serena Chew's stint on Bachelor in Paradise was short-lived as she was eliminated during week one of season seven.
Eliminated: Week One
After not securing a significant relationship with anyone on Bachelor in Paradise, Queen Victoria Larson was sent home.
Eliminated: Week One
This was more of a self elimination as Victoria Paul quit season seven of Bachelor in Paradise after being confronted with rumors about her relationship status. Following her departure from BiP, Paul clarified her romantic situation, writing on her Instagram story, ""@teddyrobb and I broke up in May and we've remained great friends."