Entertainment
Michelle & Cody Are Aggressively Perfect For Each Other On 'Bachelor in Paradise'
There is nothing that I love more than a bewildered Chris Harrison, and the host with the most (linen suits) has definitively said that Cody and Michelle Money from Bachelor in Paradise are "the most surprising couple ever in the history of the show." The man does love hyperbole — I could think of about 10 completely random couples that have sprung from this show (and shortly after, un-sprung), and one of them got married on television this year, as a live feed of their empty honeymoon suite played in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. Romance!
Anyway, Cody and Michelle are such a surprise because you might not match up his sunniness with her snarkiness in your running Bachelor in Paradise algorithm, but when I reflect on Cody’s aggressive need to love, and Michelle’s aggressive need to be loved, I don’t know how I missed it. They’re just a couple of freakishly tan perfectly fitting puzzle pieces.
Image: Francisco Roman/ABC
Michelle Needs Endless Encouragement
Michelle Money is the kind of friend you describe as “a total sweetheart, but…” BUT she’s a little bit of a mess! Girl has taken me on an emotional roller coaster on her Bachelor in Paradise journey, and she’s only been on, like, two dates. First she liked Marquel and Marquel like her. Then maybe Marquel didn’t like her, and that was the worst thing ever until she moved onto Robert 10 minutes later, who she definitely, definitely liked the whole time. There was much assurance that she liked him, even when he had never given any indication of similar feelings. So then when he mentioned that he, uh, wasn’t into her, there was a lot or pain, leading to a Friendship Rose of Weeping from Chris Bukowski, because everyone has collectively decided that Michelle “needs” to be here… on Bachelor in Paradise.
Michelle is no Elise, but she needs someone to be all in on her, because she is all in on everything.
Image: Michelle Money/Instagram
Cody Has Endless Love to give
But Cody makes Michelle’s “all in” look like former bachelor George Clooney’s “all in.” He is an energizer bunny, he knows no shame (who else could possibly hashtag their own photo #codycode, and he loves everything. And by everything, I mean the first woman he locks eyes with while single, and if not her, then the next one. Cody came in raring to go with Clare, but she since she was taken, he scooted his affections over to Michelle, who he immediately fell in love with. The guy is a walking exclamation point with a Macklemore haircut.
Image: ABC (screengrab)
They're both a little out of touch
And even though Michelle is desperate for someone to love her, and Cody is desperate to love anyone, neither of them seems to be aware of their own slightly desperate tendencies. They both mostly seem to think that’s how everyone lives their life. That’s the kind of ignorance that builds bonds for life, if only it can find its equal.
Image: ABC (screengrab)
They're looking for the same things
Cody and Michelle are definition “here for the right reasons.” Michelle is ready to find her second and final husband and settle down into family life with her daughter, and while it’s almost impossible to assume that there’s no way Cody could be earnest in his Cody-code-ness — even Michelle is a little overwhelmed by how quickly he forms an attachment to her — Chris Harrison assures us he is. These two just want love; and hey, why not with each other?
Image: ABC (screengrab)
They're kind of out of options
Because frankly, if they want their love to be ABC-mandate, they’re about the only option each other has left. Nothing like the necessity of game play to build the foundation of a romance. They fell into coupledom because Cody was new to the game, and Michelle was available, which isn’t the most romantic story… but they can always tell their kids about the time they got pretend married on their first date instead.
Image: ABC (screengrab)
