I know this is an impossible question to answer, but who do you think are the most memorable contestants on Bachelor in Paradise ? It's basically like asking you to pick a favorite kid or say which is cuter, kittens or puppies, except harder. Every single person who goes on Bachelor In Paradise is, by their very nature, memorable. It's an insane concept to submit yourself to — six weeks on an island with a group of fellow Bachelor Nation castoffs, where you'll either experience rejection or make it to the end, where no discernible reward awaits you — so everyone who agrees to appear on the show has already more than earned their spot in your memory.
But then, of course, it gets even stranger and more dramatic and overwhelming than even the concept could have predicted, and all bets are off. And that, my friends, is where the men get separated from the boys, or, to put it another way, where the average Joes who stumble onto the show get separated from those odd characters who still have us shaking our heads months (or years!) after their seasons have ended. And those, of course, are the people I want to focus on today. By and large, the people who stuck most in my mind weren't members of a couple, and thus didn't make it to the end; they were just random people scattered throughout the cast who were completely unforgettable.
1. Clare Crawley
Ugh, poor Clare. I feel like she genuinely wants to find love, which is completely natural after getting d*cked over by Juan Pablo Galavis the way she did, but, every time she shows up on BIP, the rest of the contestants take her less and less seriously and give her more and more crap. There have only been two seasons, but, on both, she's been isolated early on as "old and desperate," which is absurd on so many levels. The bullying doesn't have the best of effects on Clare, and her breakdowns memorable and often tragic.
2. Samantha Steffen
I'm honestly not convinced Samantha isn't a witch. And not even in a bad way. She just has powers beyond any of our imagining, and they all center around creating drama and then screening herself from the consequences.
3. Sarah Herron
Watching Sarah on Season 1 of BIP was especially frustrating because she was the most rational person within 50 miles, and everyone around her was not only oblivious, but melting down. It was insanity, and I'm shocked she stuck it out as long as she did, and still nobody scooped her up. Please come back for another season, Sarah.
4. Joe Bailey
Where to even start with Joe? I think he could've had a normal experience and slipped into the background Season 2 if he hadn't gotten involved with Samantha, but that didn't happen. Instead, he's blazed inside my mind as one of the most confusing people I've ever seen on the show. I was convinced he was a nice guy, but then he became a total monster in his interactions with Juelia. Then I thought maybe Samantha was the mastermind behind the whole thing and I was sad for him, and then I just lost complete track of his personality and have no idea where I stand with him. I'm still wondering.
5. AshLee Frazier
Remember how earlier I said that Clare had been bullied? Well, for all her seeming-sweetness, AshLee was one of the biggest culprits, and her behavior was so off-the-wall in Season 1 that Michelle Money actually spoke to Graham Bunn about it. He was "with" AshLee at the time, and promptly broke things off when he heard what she'd been doing. You don't forget a girl like AshLee.
6. Ashley Salter
What. A. Character. It seemed like things were heating up between Ashley and Dan Cox in Season 2, but, ultimately, Ashley had a closer relationship with the birds than anyone else on the island. Any time the conversation lagged, or I was regretting my decision to spend two hours watching Bachelor in Paradise on a school night, there was Ashley with the perfect random quip to pull me right back in.
7. Ashley Iaconetti
I mean, good for Ashley for being so open and vulnerable, and really letting us see her true self, but, based on the footage, I would say the girl only stopped crying for about 45 minutes of her entire time in Paradise. She was in love with Jared Haibon, who unfortunately was still into Kaitlyn Bristowe from her season of The Bachelorette. Any time he reminded her that he just wanted to be friends, Ashley would explode into sobs. Probably cathartic, definitely intense for those around her and as a viewer, but above all — memorable.
8. Cody Sattler
Remember how ready Cody was to jump into love head first on Season 1 of Bachelor in Paradise? Whereas most of the guys who make it as far as Paradise struggle with commitment, Cody told Michelle Money he was falling in love with her incredibly early on. So early on that, even in the context of this massively sped-up process, Michelle was visibly uncomfortable with his revelation.
Oh man. All these memories just have me in the mood to get started on a new season of Bachelor in Paradise post haste. Bring on Season 3, and don't skimp on the personalities. As you can see above, you have a lot to live up to.
Images: ABC (9); Giphy
