“The sun had almost set. Summer was almost ruined. Paradise was almost lost,” a dramatic voice says over images of a tropical landscape beset by thunderstorms, in the first, horribly flippant trailer for Bachelor in Paradise’s almost-truncated fourth season, which aired Monday night during The Bachelorette.
At the same time, sad tweets from fans of Bachelor in Paradise increasingly fill the screen.
Then things turn, and the voice says: “Until it wasn’t. Monday August 14th, Paradise is found.” Happy tweets fill the screen, interspersed with footage of the cast, purportedly after they returned to the set once production resumed on the show.
I’d love to say I have no idea what ABC is thinking by airing this promo for the forthcoming season of their show, which seems to treat the sexual misconduct allegations that shut it down like some sort of joke. But we have a good idea: because an internal investigation dismissed the charges, and because the two players involved will be returning to the show, however briefly, they seem to think the best way to promote the season is with the same lighthearted tone they promoted all others.
It does not bode well, nor does it indicate they’ve taken much responsibility in terms of the environment being created and the education the staff receives, or that the information will truly be imparted to the audience in a clear, productive way. But what did we think this was, an afterschool special? No, it’s reality TV.