If there's one thing we've learned, it's that life isn't always easy in Paradise. The Sunday, Aug. 16, episode of Bachelor in Paradise opened with franchise vet Clare in the middle of a pretty serious breakdown. "I don't feel like being here," Clare said to Chris Harrison as tears rolled down her face.
The host reminded the 34-year-old blonde that she had only been in Paradise for a week. (Meanwhile, back at the rose ceremony, everyone else pretty much agreed that it would be selfish for her to leave since it would force one extra guy to pack up as well.) Ultimately, Clare gathered her composure, telling Harrison, "I don't give up on anything."
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The ceremony resumed and roses were passed out. Ashley I. gave her rose to Jared, Clare gave hers to JJ, and, despite all of the warnings she'd received from friends, Juelia gave hers to Joe. This meant that Jonathan, Mikey, and Michael G. were headed home.
After getting his rose, Joe reiterated that Samantha was his "dream girl," while Juelia declared that she was going to "trust" Joe. Oops.
Joe's Dream Girl Arrives
It wasn't long after Juelia gave Joe his "stay in Paradise" pass that Samantha arrived and told Harrison that she thought Joe seemed "really sweet." It turned out that Juelia and Samantha were close friends, so Juelia was almost as excited to see the sexy brunette as Joe was—but that changed pretty quickly when Samantha asked Joe on her one-on-one date and they paired off at lightening speed.
"I am totally blindsided," Juelia confessed. (Really?!) Tenley stuck by Juelia's side as Joe and Samantha headed off for their date, already holding hands.
It wasn't just Juelia who didn't feel great about what transpired between Joe and Samantha, however. Suspicions began to arise that Joe and Samantha had started their relationship prior to ever coming to Paradise—but when Jared asked Joe point-blank if that was the case, Joe's strategy was clear: deny, deny, deny.
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"Joe lied to Jared," Tanner said. "I personally knew that Sam and Joe had been talking prior to the show because Joe told me."
Joe and Samantha Heat Up, Juelia Is Crushed
For their date, Joe and Samantha posed for a nearly nude photoshoot as they hung all over each other in a swimming pool and then made out in a shower.
"The chemistry with Joe is on fire, off the charts, so good in any way. It couldn't be going any better and I don't want it to end," Samantha giggled to the camera.
Joe continued to reiterate how little he cared about Juelia during every camera interview and made no apologies when he and Samantha returned from their date clearly coupled off.
"I think this is the most disrespected I've ever felt in my entire life by a guy," Juelia said.
Finally, after Jared and Joshua badgered him enough, Joe broke down and talked to Juelia—but he didn't really apologize. Instead he seemed to insinuate that she had "hurt" him by even talking to other guys the previous night. (ICYMI, Jonathan and Mikey both tried to warn Juelia about Joe's true intentions, but she opted to stand by her man—who turned out not to be hers at all.)
One Power Couple Thrives
Since the beginning, there had been three power couples: Jade and Tanner, Carly and Kirk, and Dan and Ashley S. But now some cracks might be forming in some of those bonds. Though Carly seemed all-in with Kirk, it sounded like he might be having second thoughts.
"I don't know how it happened so fast. It just kind of happened. I know Carly wants to sleep with me, I just don't know if I'm ready yet," Kirk confessed. "I'm starting to have those little panic moments, like, 'Hey, this is going really fast.'"
When Carly got a date card and asked Kirk, he seemed a bit conflicted at first—but as the night wore on, he came around. They bonded over the fact that it was her brother's wedding day (which she was missing to be in Paradise) and even called him to say hello. In fact, by the end of the evening, Kirk declared himself "one of the lucky ones" and said that ending things with Carly now "would be stupid." Then he asked her if she wanted to spend the night with him at the hotel. Spoiler alert: She did!
The next morning, they were both basking in the afterglow of… well, of whatever they'd done once the cameras retreated the night before. Kirk said that he could see a future with Carly, while she admitted that she might be falling in love.
And One Power Couple Falters
The future wasn't looking so bright for Dan and Ashley S., however. Though she declared to the camera that she was "falling in love" with the Hugh Jackman-doppelganger, he told Jade he wasn't sure they were compatible.
"I don't know if Ashley S. is going to be the one to get my rose this week," he told the camera before telling her the bad news.
"I just feel like I'm starting to see differences in our personalities that I don't know if they'll mesh up," he told Ashley S., who looked immediately crushed. "That's what I've been thinking about." He went on to acknowledge that everything was good and they initially had an intense connection—but that he'd started seeing red flags.
"Honestly, Dan, I was only here for you, so I'm literally going to leave right now if that's really how you feel. I don't like anybody else in this house," Ashley S. replied. Then she stormed off—and about two minutes later, Megan arrived.
Fresh off putting the breaks on his relationship with Ashley S., Dan headed after Megan. Though, at first, she had her eye on Jared, JJ, and Dan, ultimately she ended up choosing JJ for her one-on-one. Upon hearing that Megan hadn't swooped in on Dan, Ashley S. vowed to fight for him (which meant she'd changed her mind about leaving just yet).
Joe Is Confronted
It seemed that the more Joe and Samantha flaunted their chemistry, the more upset the rest of the cast became. (Ashley S. even called what Joe did to Juelia "emotional abuse.") Finally, Jared, Tanner, and Dan confronted Joe. Though he resisted, ultimately Joe agreed to speak to Juelia one more time. When he reached her, Jade and Dan remained in the room as well.
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"It sounds like you and Samantha were talking before this whole situation started," Juelia said to Joe, who halfheartedly admitted it while still trying to defend himself. (Meanwhile he told the camera it was "dumb" that Juelia wanted to talk to him any more.)
"I don't like the tone of voice that he's using with her," Jade told the camera about Joe's chat with her friend.
Clearly unsatisfied with Joe's lack of ownership or remorse for what he did, Juelia told him that she and Samantha were friends and she therefore had an obligation to tell Sam what had happened between the two of them before her arrival. That seemed to (finally) get Joe's attention, but before he could do much, Samantha walked in.
"This girl means a lot to me and I don't want her to get hurt," Juelia said, prompting Joe to reply, "I can promise you, as a man, 100 percent, that I will not hurt her."
Juelia sighed and said, "Well I feel like you said the same thing to me," while Samantha wondered what was about to go down.
Tell Us: How do you think Samantha is going to react to what Juelia tells her?
