‘Winter Games’: Same Roses, New Rules | Happy Hour

Summary

Bachelor Happy Hour Episode Summary

Episode Overview

Title: ‘Winter Games’: Same Roses, New Rules | Happy Hour
Release Date: January 6, 2026
Hosts: Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt
Theme:
Joe and Serena revisit and recap the 2018 Bachelor spinoff “Bachelor Winter Games” – a unique blend of Olympic-style competition and dating, featuring contestants from international versions of The Bachelor franchise. The episode explores the show’s differences from regular Bachelor productions, its international cast, competition elements, and connections to current Bachelor Nation spinoffs.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Recap “Bachelor Winter Games” Now? (01:55)

• Joe and Serena decide to revisit this often-overlooked spinoff as it shares competitive elements with the new Bachelor Home Rental show and the revamped format of Bachelor in Paradise.
• “Bachelor Winter Games” originally aired in conjunction with the 2018 Winter Olympics and brought together contestants from Bachelor franchises worldwide.

2. The Show’s Unique Format and Cast (03:00–05:00)

• The concept combined dating drama and winter sports competitions.
• Serena notes: “They’re in a house in the winter, different location, all star cast, people from different countries… Bachelor’s take on a Winter Olympics meets Bachelor competition dating show.” (02:52)
• Noted how some Winter Games cast members (Bibiana, Kevin, Eric) directly joined Joe’s season of Paradise afterwards, raising the visibility of international contestants.

3. Setting: Goodbye Mansion, Hello ‘Winter Cabin’ (04:26)

• Joe and Serena praise the cozy, cabin setting, which they found refreshing compared to the usual LA mansion or beach.
• Joe: “My favorite part of this was the house—also that, like, Winter Cabin look, that was my favorite part.” (04:26)
• Serena: “It’s just giving, like, cozy Winter Cabin vibes.” (04:45)

4. Prolonged Opening Ceremony – Too Much Fanfare (05:16–07:44)

• Both felt the Olympic-style intro, featuring a parade of international contestants and musical performances, was overly long and slow.
• Serena: “That dead ass is the first 30 minutes of this show… They could have picked up the pace.” (06:16)
• Joe: “I haven’t seen like eight of these people. When they’re doing the rose ceremony, I’m like, who?... There’s like 30 people in the house.” (06:50)

5. Casting & International Representation (07:44–09:29)

• Interesting to see franchise “favorites” (Ben Higgins, Bibiana, Dean, Claire Crawley) along with international Bachelor alums.
• The show struggled to integrate the stories of non-American contestants unless they formed connections with U.S. cast members. Language barriers impacted screen time and dating dynamics.
• Notable recurring franchise guests like Trista Rehn (first Bachelorette) returned for the opening.

6. Competition & Dating Mechanics (10:12–11:41)

• Competitions began with skiing; male and female winners earned dates.
• Hosts suggest competition could be a fun, recurring twist in Paradise: “Maybe we keep these competitions, and whoever wins gets the date card.” (10:30)
• Joe: “[Winter Games] did a good job of incorporating the games, but this one really still felt drama, relationship, Bachelor-esque heavy.” (11:16)

7. Relationship Dynamics & Notable Moments (11:41–15:44)

• Kevin’s Love Triangle: Kevin finds himself at the center of attention with Bibiana and Ashley Iaconetti, though he only realizes Ashley’s feelings later.
  • Serena: “I like that about her, that she’s like, I know who I’m looking for, and it’s him, and I’m all in…” (13:13)
  • Joe: “Whenever Ashley I is on this show, I’m like… She is there to fall in love.” (14:09)
• Spoiler Discussion: Despite first impressions implying otherwise, Kevin and Ashley I. become a couple by the season’s end, though neither relationship from Winter Games lasts long-term.

8. Other Couples and Franchise Legends (16:08–19:48)

• Rebecca & Luke: Go on a date, nothing dramatic (16:08)
• Leslie & Dean, Claire & Benoit: Early sparks, but as Joe admits, “If I just watched that first episode… and you were like, those two actually end up together, I’d be like, oh, whoa. Like, how does that come to be?” (15:36)
• Claire Crawley: Praised for her on-screen presence and chemistry, particularly in cross-cultural flirtation:
  • Serena: “She is really good at creating chemistry and flirting… I do feel like she’s one of them.” (18:01)
  • Joe: “Every time she’s on screen, I’m paying attention… She makes for good reality television.” (17:44)
• Discussed international contestants’ unfamiliarity with the franchise’s staple of multi-person dating and how it created cultural friction.

9. Evolution of the Franchise (19:48–21:27)

• Reflections on how Bachelor/ette and spinoffs like Pad/Paradise have widened opportunities for returning contestants.
• “It’s almost like you’re part of, like, this sorority, you know, fraternity type gig.” (21:06)

10. Rose Ceremony: Survivor-Style Voting (22:00–24:29)

• Instead of the standard rose handout, contestants vote to eliminate, “Survivor-style.”
• Joe: “People gave out roses, but then… everybody went in and voted for the person they didn’t want in the house.” (22:35)
• First eliminations: Eric (US), Zoe (China), Laura (UK), Jamie, Lauren G. (US).

11. Impact and Show Legacy (24:29–29:55)

• None of the Winter Games couples lasted, but several contestants became mainstays in Bachelor Nation.
• Bachelor in Paradise is acknowledged as the most successful spinoff for lasting couples and engagements.
• The competition element is seen as a fun addition, but the show’s heart remains in romance.
• Serena: “It works well because watching people on vacation in bikinis fall in love is fun.” (25:58)
• Joe wonders if introducing money/competition will shift relationships from love-driven to more strategic.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Opening Ceremony:
  • “That dead ass is the first 30 minutes of this show… They could have picked up the pace.” – Serena, (06:16)
• On Ashley I.:
  • “She really is a wear her heart on her sleeve [person]; there’s no gameplay or strategy…” – Serena, (13:40)
  • “Whenever Ashley I is on this show, I’m like… She is there to fall in love.” – Joe, (14:09)
• On Claire Crawley:
  • “Every time she’s on screen, I’m paying attention… She makes for good reality television.” – Joe, (17:44)
  • “She is really good at creating chemistry and flirting…” – Serena, (18:01)
• On Recurring Spin-Off Lessons:
  • “There’s clearly one winner [among spinoffs]… People on a beach from Bachelor in Bachelorette.” – Joe, (25:44)
  • “It works well because watching people on vacation in bikinis fall in love is fun.” – Serena, (25:58)

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Important Timestamps

• 01:55  – Episode premise: Recapping Bachelor Winter Games
• 03:22  – Show’s original Olympic-inspired concept
• 04:26  – Hosts discuss Winter Cabin vs. Mansion setting
• 05:16–07:44 – Olympic opening ceremony critique
• 10:12  – Start of competition: Skiing challenge, dating mechanics
• 13:13  – Breakdown of Kevin, Bibiana, Ashley I. triangle
• 16:08  – Rebecca and Luke’s date
• 17:44  – Claire Crawley’s reality TV appeal
• 22:00  – First Survivor-style rose ceremony and eliminations
• 24:29  – Review of which relationships (didn’t) last
• 25:44  – Discussion: Paradise’s lasting legacy and competition format

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Final Thoughts

• Joe and Serena appreciate the fresh format but prefer a brisker pace (“Let’s chop the beginning down”) and more emphasis on interaction.
• Winter Games brought innovation but didn’t match Paradise’s staying power for relationships.
• Both hosts are curious if future seasons will find the right balance of competition, clarity in rewards, and authentic romance.

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For fans new and old to Bachelor Nation, this episode offers a fun, candid look at a quirky chapter in franchise history—warts, fumbles, strong personalities, and all.

Transcript

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[B]

Hey everyone. Welcome back to Bachelor Happy Hour. I'm Joe. And I'm Serena and we are here today with a little holiday recap. We have decided to recap Bachelor Winter games that came out back in 2018. Maybe this will correlate a little bit with the new Bachelor home rental show in a sense because there's a little bit of competition involved.

[A]

Yeah, actually I didn't even think about.

[B]

That was the first thing I thought about.

[A]

Well, it's definitely one of a handful of Bachelor spin offs. I mean, they had that singing show at one point. I think it was called Listen to your heart. Oh yeah, they did Winter Games.

[B]

I've never seen Listen to your heart.

[A]

I don't Think I've seen it either. It was a bunch of, like, aspiring singers, right?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, but I heard it was. I heard from.

[A]

Actually, I think I did see some of it.

[B]

I haven't seen any of it, but I remember hearing from people that worked on it that they really enjoyed it.

[A]

Well, I'm sure it's fun for people that work on the show to switch it up and do something different. And I'm sure Winter Games was one of those things. Like, you know, they're in a house in the winter, different location, all star cast, people from different countries. Like, there was a lot to be excited about. I feel like when this launched and it was. The concept of Bachelor Winter Games was that it was airing in alignment with the Winter Olympics. So it was kind of Bachelor's take on a Winter Olympics meets Bachelor competition dating show.

[B]

I remember because I watched the first episode. Because the day the first episode came out was the day I found out that I was cast on Becca's season. And I was like, all right. I actually like, what. What the fuck is going on here? Like, I gotta really. I gotta pay attention. I remember watching. I don't think I got through the whole thing, but I remember watching it, like, a majority of it, and like, okay, I don't know what I'm doing now. This is really.

[A]

What's crazy is I actually have never seen Winter Games. It's my first time watching it. But a lot of these people ended up being on your season of paradise, which is crazy because the next season of paradise, the people that ended up single on Winter Games filtered their way onto.

[B]

Yeah, it was funny because Bibiana, Kevin and Eric were all original cast in Paradise MI Season 2. So they weren't even like, oh, it didn't work. You come down. They were all original cast, which is kind of crazy.

[A]

Yeah. So, I mean, if you didn't find love on Winter Games, it kind of set you up for success. Probably going on paradise because you were able to make it down there earlier than you might have if you didn't do Winter Games.

[B]

Yeah, definitely. One. One thing I will say before we recap it, which we can start recapping it now, my favorite part of this was the house. Like, I. I love that. Also that, like, Winter Cabin look, that's. That was my favorite part.

[A]

I like it too, because Bachelor is so identified by the mansion, this, like, beautiful Spanish home in la. And to see. See these people in a very different aesthetic, I think is fun. And it's just giving, like, cozy Winter Cabin vibes. Like, it's a good. It's a good feel. It's a different setting. It's not a beach, it's not la. I feel like rarely do we see them in this setting from longer than like one episode that they've like flown somewhere for.

[B]

Definitely. Okay, so starting from the beginning of the episode, we get some intro packages, which is fine because they carry on for. The intro of this show was just too, too long.

[A]

It was really long.

[B]

Have like a. We have like a, like a Olympic ceremony esque style intro that I'm just like, all right, but this isn't the Olympics, so.

[A]

So, like, yeah, they're definitely trying to mimic an opening ceremony for the Olympics, but doing it Bachelor style. And what's unique about this season is they're pulling contestants from different places in the world. So, like, they pulled someone from Bachelor China, from Bachelor New Zealand, Australia, uk, Germany. So it's this coming together of the countries, which is really cool concept. But they do this parade. That dead ass is the first 30 minutes of this show.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

They could have picked up the pace. Now, I know this is 2018. TV moves a lot faster now, I think, than it did just media in general. Our attention spans are shorter. Social media is, you know, playing a role in that. So it could just feel outdated more than anything.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But it's slow. It's a long intro. But we're introduced to some of our Bachelor nation phase. We've got Ben Higgins, we've got Bibiana, Dean, Claire Crawley. So some really strong people that they've cast on this show.

[B]

And I will say they're at the. Like, you're so used to. If you're watching a spin off of Bachelor, you're used to watching Bachelor in Paradise where you know, like the first episode, you know, ever. Even if, like, you've never seen, even if you don't remember the person from their current season, you. After the first episode, you know, everyone who's there at the end of this episode, I was like, I didn't. I haven't seen like eight of the eight of these people. When they're doing the rose ceremony, I'm like, who? How Many? There's like 30 people in the house.

[A]

Oh, yeah. No, it was wild. Wild and kind of interesting because obviously the show is about this coming together of the countries, but they don't show really any of the people from the other countries unless they are forming a relationship with one of the American bachelor faves.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Which I guess makes sense because we don't know half of this cast. And you're more invested in the people that you do know. Right. Like, you know Ashley. You want to see her. You are. It's harder to get you invested in, like, all of these people from Germany and the UK Et cetera. However, it's like, well, what's the point of having all of these people here? And there's also an intense language barrier for some of them. Not all of them.

[B]

Yeah, like Yuki. Yuki, who is also on my first season of paradise as a bartender, but, yeah, she didn't speak any English.

[A]

So it. It is challenging to date when there's people in the house that are fluent in your language and then there's people in the house that really don't speak your language at all.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

So there was a little bit of that. They have Tristan Ryan come out with the Flame of Love lantern situation to end off the opening ceremonies, which was kind of just, like, so hilarious to me because, like, I just still feel like that is something they would do today is call Tristan Ryan and be like, get back here for, like, our opening ceremonies. Like, they.

[B]

I would love to know the number of times Trista has appeared on a season of Bachelor, Bachelorette, Bachelor of Paradise, Bachelor, like, anything, if I had to.

[A]

Bet, who has not been a contestant on the most, but who has made a guest appearance the most in this franchise? Without a doubt, it has to be Tris.

[B]

I mean, she has to be. I would say, if I were to throw out a random number, I would say over six. Over six or seven. Yeah.

[A]

Right.

[B]

I would think.

[A]

I mean, I get it. She's their first Bachelorette. She's so beloved. She's so fantastic. But, yeah, it was just funny. I was like, oh, my God, I feel like 2018, this could be 2025. Like, Tristan Ryan coming out for the opener.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then they had two musical performances, which just truthfully felt really unnecessary. I was like, can I just see some people date? Can I see any of these contestants talk to any other contestant at this point? Like, I've been watching for 30 minutes. I'm about to watch two musical performances. Not really necessary, but necessary to play into, like, the opening ceremony element.

[B]

I mean, we're both in agreeance. It was too long in the beginning.

[C]

Like.

[B]

Like, the ceremony was unnecessary. And I don't think anyone's going to be mad at that because the show's from 2018.

[A]

Yeah. Then we get kind of more into the show element.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

They get to the house, and we find out that there's going to be these Competitions. The first one is a skiing competition. And whoever wins, one guy, one girl, they get to take someone on a date. Which honestly could be a fun integration into Bachelor in Paradise.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, maybe we keep these competitions, these games, and whoever. The guy, the girl that wins, like, you get the date card or maybe you introduce that halfway. You know what I mean?

[B]

Well, I think. I think this. I think this show what had to be part of the inspiration of Bachelor in Paradise this year. Yeah, I think so. Because I do think, like, when we had our talk with Andrew and Alex and Andrew mentioning, like there. And I remember even going back there, we. We had just like, we would do nothing. Like there was like, like majority of the days, unless you were. Even if you were involved in, like, the drama, there's just so much downtime, which is.

[A]

Is just boring and kind of exhausting.

[B]

And it's. Yeah. And it almost like, I think, I think Winter Games. What I realized from watching this first episode is they did a good job of incorporating the games, but this one really still felt drama, relationship, Bachelor esque heavy. Like they didn't steer away from that. You see, Ashley, I cry five times more.

[C]

More.

[B]

Seven.

[A]

Yeah. I did feel like as much as I think the games on the season of paradise are a little more exciting to watch, it did feel like this ski competition, it wasn't like they were trying to make it a competition show. It still felt like they were focusing on, like, people falling on the skis, the girls waiting to see who wins, like, rooting for the guy that they want to win because they want to go on a date. Like, the competition did feel still very ingrained in the dating element and like, both sides had something to gain and something to lose. And I thought it was fun watching, like, Leslie be like, I like Dean, and we hit it off last night and I want him to win so he can take me on a date. And then. Yeah, so we see Kevin wins for the guys.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Canadian skiing competition, naturally.

[B]

Also, did I mention Kevin? Yeah, I said he was on my. He was on Paradise. Yes.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then Rebecca wins for the girls. Rebecca is from. Wait, let me check. I can't fully remember. She's from Sweden. So that was good. Because honestly, I don't know if we would have gotten introduced to her had she not won.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And Kevin is kind of in this little love triangle situation with Bibiana and Ashley. I. Ashley. I is.

[B]

I don't think he really knows it yet, though.

[A]

He doesn't know. He doesn't know. He thinks he's just hitting it off with Bibiana.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Because Ashley, as much as she's expressing in her interviews that she's into Kevin, I don't know how much she's actually opening up to him at this point.

[A]

No, I would agree with that. Yeah. He had definitely hit it off with Bibiana already. He ends up taking her on a date that's not really a surprise to anyone except Ashley, who I think, like, has kind of locked in on Kevin and is like, that's the guy I want, which I like. I like that about her, that she's like, I know who I'm looking for, and it's him, and I'm all in on this person, and I'm gonna figure out how to make that work.

[B]

Yeah, we don't have that as much nowadays on this show.

[A]

And she's shameless about it. Like, she's like, I'm devastated that he took someone else. Even though we haven't really talked yet. I want that guy, and I'm gonna be vocal about him and tell everyone I'm disappointed. Like, she really is a wear her heart on her sleeve. Like, there's no gameplay or strategy to her. The way she moves. It's all about her feelings.

[B]

I mean, she is someone that, like. Yeah. Like, it makes. Like, she. It just makes so much sense that she was casted on this. On this show.

[A]

She's so good. She really is.

[B]

Like, I want. And, like, I know there's, like, all this. I don't love it, but, like, yeah, like, there for the right reasons and all. Like. Like, I watched whenever Ashley I is on this show, I'm like, that she's. That she is there to fall in love.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Like, Ashley is like, I'm going on a show because I'm going to fall in love on this show.

[A]

Yeah. And she really wants to. And she's like, I. That's. If there's alternative motives, they don't even come close to how important finding love is for her.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And I love it, which is great. I'm so excited. Okay, so she does get asked on the date. She's crying. She's crying in an interview. She's crying to Ben. She's disappointed. What's interesting to me is watching this first episode, it does seem like Kevin and Bibiana are kind of hitting it off. It seems like maybe, like, there could be something between Ashley and Kevin, but it's so early. But spoiler alert. We obviously know because this came out in 2018, that Ashley I and Kevin end Up together after the show. Right.

[B]

I think so.

[A]

They are, like, in a relationship when they leave the show.

[B]

Yeah. I don't know how long it lasts, but I think so. And then. And then I don't know how it ends up playing out. But then Ashley and Jarrett start dating again.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then they get married, and now they have two kids, so. But Kevin's also married and has two kids.

[A]

Yeah. Which is so lovely. But I. Watching the first episode, you wouldn't see it going that way necessarily.

[B]

Oh, like them and them. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Like, if you. If I just watched that first episode not knowing how it ended, and you were like, those two actually end up together, I'd be like, oh, whoa. Like, how does that come to be really.

[B]

Oh, I.

[A]

Him and beyond it to me, I'm like, oh, that kind of makes sense. I could see them going the distance.

[B]

Oh, see, I know. But I'm viewing it from a different lens because, you know, these people know them. I only know Ashley and, like, Kevin and Bibiana both. Being on my first season of Paradise, I never thought that was, like, Kevin and Astrid, I think, hooked up pretty soon. But, like, I never thought I was like, Bibiana and Kevin. I don't.

[A]

I don't see that really. Okay, interesting. Rebecca takes Luke on the date. Luke is from JoJo season of the Bachelorette. That's pretty nice. Nothing too juicy there. The other two couples that we are introduced to, our Leslie, who was on Sean Lowe's season the Bachelor, and Dean, who we now know as Dean and Kaylin from.

[B]

I think they actually dated off of that season as well for a little bit.

[A]

Oh, they do. They have a good thing going in the first episode.

[B]

Yeah. They both seem to be, like, chill and, like, okay, let's see where this goes type of thing.

[A]

And then we have Claire Crawley, who is just another, like, oh, my God, she's just so good on camera. Like, I just. I love watching her.

[B]

Well, I mean, I only saw her on her latest season of when she was the Bachelorette. Yeah, but, like, what.

[A]

But you've seen, like, her iconic moment.

[B]

I've seen clips. And then just like, even watching this first episode, I'm like, oh, it makes. Because, like, when she was named the Bachelorette, you were kind of like, this.

[A]

Is a blast from the past.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, isn't this out of left field if you're, like, newly watching the show? Or even, like, just like. Yeah, you're like, that's an. That's an interesting choice. Mainly because most people, they pulled at that Time were all from like previous seasons. Like, like the season right before.

[A]

Yeah. She was the first one I think, since like Ari maybe that they dug back into the archives where they hadn't just pulled someone off of the previous season who had come runner up and was kind of the obvious choice.

[B]

But it makes, it makes, it makes total sense. Like I watch, even watching her episode one, I'm like, oh, I'm. I'm. Every time she's on screen, I'm paying attention, you know, I'm not really scrolling on my phone.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Cuz I'm like, she's, she makes for good reality television.

[A]

She does. And you know what is great about her? And there's, there's a few things, but she is really good at creating chemistry and flirting. So these guys you do see, like they're interested, like they're hooked. And I mean, she's beautiful, obviously, but I do like watching people on these shows, and I've said this about Victoria Fuller before too, who are just kind of smooth and good at flirting, good at creating chemistry, good at creating connection. And I do feel like she's one of them. Like she's skilled in it.

[B]

Well, it's also, it's also interesting like listening to her then like start flirting with the guy from Germany who's like.

[A]

Well, yeah, because we watch her lock in with Benoit, who's from Canada. And then at the end of the episode, she starts locking in with this guy Christian, who's from Germany and Switzerland.

[B]

But he, but in his head he's like, well, wait, like if you, if you're talking to someone else, like, I'm already clocked out. Yeah, like.

[A]

And she's like, what do you mean I can talk to both of you.

[B]

She's like, this is. This is the batch. Like, this is, this is what this show is. And he's like, well, that's not like how I do things. Like.

[A]

And she's like, well, it's about to be how you do things.

[B]

Which is, which is she's like horsing.

[A]

Him into this love triangle.

[B]

Yeah. Which I think was probably the fun part of, of bringing people from other countries who, you know, different cultural backgrounds and, and different, you know.

[A]

Well, and Claire had done paradise once or twice prior to this, right.

[B]

I would assume.

[A]

Yeah, I, I'm just trying to. I know she had, I'm just trying to remember the timeline. So if she had. Paradise is very love triangle friendly of like, go on a date with this person, try this person, and if these guys have come on only having Been the Bachelor. The concept of, like, talking to multiple people is probably a little bit more foreign to them.

[B]

Well, I think she might have did that Bachelor Pad, which was. Which is pretty similar. Which is the origin of Bachelor in Paradise and pretty similar to this, too.

[A]

Yes. Okay. Did she do Bachelor Pad?

[B]

I think she might have done a season of Bachelor. She didn't do the season that we watched a couple episodes of, but I'm pretty sure she was on that.

[A]

I think so.

[B]

Which makes sense.

[A]

God, she's a true veteran of this franchise.

[B]

Yeah. I forget how many people, like, I think the beginning of this franchise, like, especially when they like you, you forget that, like, it was only the Bachelor then when they. I think once they, like, rolled the Bachelorette out, they were bringing people back constantly and, like, different characters. And I think people were more willing to come back because there wasn't online hate.

[A]

Yeah. And it must have been a fun time in the franchise once they were like, okay, it's not just the Bachelor. We're going to do Bachelorette now. We're going to roll out Bachelor Pad. Like, they were developing all these new shows and all these opportunities that you didn't have as a contestant before started to be put on the table of, like, well, if it doesn't work out here. Yeah, maybe you could be the Bachelorette. Maybe you could go on Bachelor Pad.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

I feel like that would have added a lot of motivation to contestants when they were on the show.

[B]

Yeah. You know, like, yeah, this is fun. And then you. It's almost like you're part of, like, this sorority, you know, fraternity type type gig.

[A]

Well, yeah. Well, think about for, like, 10 years, it was just a bunch of girlies.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

One dude every season.

[B]

Was it 10 years? Was it 10 seasons? I don't think it was that many. No way.

[A]

It was.

[B]

No way. Anyways, so what else? Anything else big happen in this episode before we hit the rose ceremony?

[A]

No, that's kind of it. I mean, not a ton of drama yet.

[B]

Just, I would say the most, like the. The biggest cliffhanger. What you're waiting to see is Ashley. I. What's happening with her. And also there's Ben Higgins, who at the time was, you know, he was. His Bachelor season was massive. He's back on this show after his breakup with. What's going to happen with him.

[A]

Yes. This is kind of his reemergence.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

He had a huge season, the Bachelor. He got engaged. Him and Lauren, I think, did like a spin off show after, didn't they?

[B]

Yeah, yeah. I think so.

[A]

And then it obviously didn't work out for them at the time. You know, they're both married with kids now, which is so fantastic. But that story is definitely playing a role into him on the show. There's this talk of, like, is he ready? He doesn't feel fully present. And the vibe you're getting from Ben is he doesn't know if he's ready or not either. So you're kind of waiting to see his journey unfold. And I would imagine a lot of people who. I mean, so many people were huge. Ben fans were very locked in on him in this season.

[B]

Yeah. And then we see how they're doing. Chris comes out and basically announces like we're doing. I. I would have thought, like, yeah, if whoever you give your rose to, it. The rose ceremony was interesting because people gave out roses, but then at the same time, it was like everybody went in and voted for the person they didn't want in the house.

[A]

Like, the same as the new Paradise. It's like, Bachelor cannot end episodes without a rose ceremony. But the reality is, like, this was Survivor style. It's Survivor style where you all go vote someone out.

[B]

Yeah. And you see people then, like, start, like, you know, like, campaigning for themselves. We see Eric go home, which was kind of, like, out of left field.

[A]

Yeah. You didn't even really see him in the entire episode, so, I mean, you didn't see half this cast in the entire episode, but it was a bummer to see him go. Did he end up on your season of Paradise?

[B]

Yeah, he was. He was original cast, too.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Eric and Kevin were all original cast.

[A]

Okay. Gotcha.

[B]

Benoit made an appearance.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Yuki was the bartender.

[A]

Was Yuki the bartender with Wells?

[B]

Yeah, they were. They were. They were together. And she was fun. I actually met her. I met up with her in Tokyo.

[A]

Did you really?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, she took us to, like, a restaurant.

[A]

That's awesome. That's so funny. Oh, my gosh. And then, so, yeah, we see Eric gets voted out. We see the girl from the UK get voted out. The girl from China get voted out. I need to get these people's names. Okay. Zoe from China, Laura from the uk and then Jamie, Eric and Lauren G. From the US Yeah. A big elimination. However, too many people.

[B]

There's so many people.

[A]

People. Yeah.

[B]

I mean, you might as well eliminate 15 people at this point.

[A]

I mean, I only saw literally people on my screen for most of the episode, so it's fine, you know, get. Get rid of them.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. So I think. Curious to see where they take this, but we know, like, the results, so. So not.

[A]

Who did declare. End up with that guy Benoit?

[B]

I don't. I think. I think there was. I think, like, he might have got. I think they, Like, I think he might have got down on, like, one knee at like, the reunion show or something.

[A]

Oh, my God. He proposed to her.

[B]

I think there was something like that. But he was definitely. It definitely didn't work because he was on my season.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. So, like, they got engaged, but I don't think it was. I mean, clearly it didn't work out. Clearly it didn't work.

[A]

I don't. Did any of the relationships from Bachelor Winter Games work out? I don't think so.

[B]

No, I don't. I don't think so.

[A]

Sounds like it was Leslie and Dean, Claire and Benoit, and then Kevin and Ashley. I are the ones that I'm aware of. And none of them are still together.

[B]

Yeah, the most. I mean, the most successful show has truly been proven to be Bachelor in Paradise.

[A]

It is interesting diving back in. Obviously, we've recapped a little bit of Bachelor Pad on this podcast, talking about Winter Games. You know, we were on the old version of Bachelor in Paradise. We've got the new one. Kind of seeing how they draw inspiration from all of their different spin offs and they build on it every single time.

[B]

Yeah. But there's clearly one winner. Like, there's clear, like, clearly, whatever it is, people on a beach from Bachelor in Bachelorette, it's.

[A]

It works well because watching people on vacation in bikinis fall in love is fun.

[B]

Yeah. You know, I mean, obviously the show work, but I'm saying it works amongst the contestants, like, the most. The most engagements come from paradise.

[A]

Yes. 100%. Bachelor pad didn't even really have that option. And I don't think Winter Games was really ending in engagements either.

[B]

Yeah. But I'm curious if they keep the competition element in. It will produce as many. Will it produce as many engagements or successful relationships as it has in the past?

[A]

I mean, this season of paradise, it won't, but this season did.

[B]

Well, this season of paradise with the competition element. It did. They're still successful couples.

[A]

Yeah, there's three. Jeremy and Bailey, Alex and Andrew and Jess and Spencer are all still together. They all seem very happy.

[B]

Yeah. Which is a lot. I mean, when you have. When you have three that are still. Still going after. I mean, it's been. Has it been. It hasn't been a year.

[A]

No, it's been about six months. Um, but I mean, Justin Spencer are engaged. Like, it's definitely a successful season, but I do wonder if the competition money element continues to play an active role, if people will go in with a competitive mindset and there will be more strategy about how to win the money. Because this season, as much as the competition played a role, it was told to them that they were going for love. So they all came in with the mentality of wanting to find a relationship.

[B]

I think it'll. I think it will all depend on, A, how much money and B, if there's a clear path to winning the money. And I think, like, even I don't know if there's money involved in this Winter Games. They didn't really address any money being involved. I think it's just competition. Yeah, I, I like Winter Games because I like the fact that, like, the competition of it plays out of, like, is this. Who's this person going to take on a date? Because then, then the reward is, is potential. Like a potential relationship.

[A]

Well, and as you see the relationship start to evolve, that competitive spirit is going to escalate because you're going to see guys and girls be like, I've been with this guy for three weeks. We haven't had the chance to go on a date yet. Get me out of this house. Like, I want to win.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And it's all going to be these, like, fun Winter Olympic themed activities. So I do think it's a fun layout.

[B]

Yeah, I, I would think that's what. In my opinion, I think that's where they should, where they should pivot. Like in Paradise. I think it should be more of like, the competition is a result of, like, who gets to stay, who gets to go, who gets to take someone on a date, make it more personal. Like that.

[A]

Yeah. Like, the reward of these competitions is a date is a relationship activity.

[B]

Like, and if, and if it is money at the end, tell me how I get it. And then when I get to the end, don't tell me like, oh, oh. But then it gets split in half and then this person gets a choice. And then wait, you didn't, you didn't win the money. You picked love. But, like, pick out of this card and win some money anyways. Because this is deal or no deal now.

[A]

Well, I feel like on this past season of paradise, if someone had picked the money, it would have been like, you don't get any money because you failed because this was your final test and the show's about love.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know what I mean? Whereas if you picked love, it was like, oh, you won and here's some cash. But they need to refine it a little bit more. I feel like it needs to be clearer next season and I think it will be.

[B]

But overall, thoughts on Winter Games? I thought it was fun. Let's chop the beginning down a little bit. And it's, it's, it's good. They do, they do a good job and they have a. And they have a strong cast of characters, for sure.

[A]

I agree. I honestly, I wouldn't be mad about seeing another season of Winter Games. Yeah, I think it's great. I do feel like I would love to see more of just like the hanging out, the chatting, like the conversations between people. But otherwise I thought it was great.

[B]

Yeah. Okay. That is an episode. Thank you guys so much for tuning in and listening to our recap. Make sure you download and subscribe to Bach Happy Hour.

[A]

We will have new and exclusive interviews for you every single week. Thanks for listening. Bye. This is an I heart podcast.

[B]

Guaranteed human.