Astrid Breaks Down The 'BiP' Wedding & If You Really *Can* Eat The Date Food

After competing for Nick Viall's heart on Season 21 of The Bachelor, Astrid Loch ultimately found love on Bachelor in Paradise Season 5 with Kevin Wendt. She knows first hand what it's like to weather emotional ups and downs of Paradise, and she's dishing all to Bustle. Read what she has to say about Clay and Angela's reunion, JPJ and Derek's fight, and if you really *can* eat the date food in this week's recap.

Quote of the week:

“It’s still my birthday.” -Caelynn

There comes a point every season when things take a turn in Paradise; the serious relationships get tested, people start going stir crazy, and some of the storylines become a bit… unusual. Well folks, we have officially reached that point!

This week took a turn for Tayshia and JPJ right off the bat, as we see Tayshia telling him to be open about exploring his options, and like clockwork, in walks Tahzjuan. Personally, I freaking loved all of Tahzjuan's interviews and am a little upset we didn’t get to see more of her on Colton’s season. And let me just say, she is absolutely right about the heat in Mexico in the middle of June.

Tahzjuan decides to take John Paul Jones on the date and he agrees and it was… interesting? I can’t say that I saw much of a romantic connection, as it was mostly the two of them being silly, but I have to admit I laughed the entire time. Now, I do have a little bit of insider info for all of you about the date food: First of all, most of the time you get fed prior to your date so that you’re not starving the whole time. Secondly, the reason we don’t see people eating on the dates is because the mics would pick up the chewing (gross), so we eat randomly when a mic battery or lighting needs to be changed.

Meanwhile on the beach we see Caelynn starting to question her relationship with Dean, so she decides to confide in therapists Demi and Wells. I’ve got to say, when you have one of your boyfriend's best friends warning you about their dating habits, you should DEFINITELY listen. Ultimately, Caelynn decides to approach Dean with her concerns and my heart was breaking watching him tell her to “convince me otherwise.” Ladies: you should NEVER EVER have to convince someone to be with you. RED FLAG. Also, who doesn’t like dinner parties?

With a new day in Paradise comes Haley, who is riding as a solo twin this season, and she decides to also take JPJ on a date. This quickly sends Tahzjuan into a downward spiral that is kind of crazy but also is kind of a mood. Eating spaghetti in the pool: mood. Calling other girls pigeons: a little crazy. Wondering how people are all over each other in this heat: mood. Asking for guacamole while being treated for dehydration: both.

You know who isn’t bothered by any of this? Tayshia, who seems to have her sights set on Derek, and I honestly don’t blame her. Derek is a catch.

This week's rose ceremony definitely feels a lot more somber than previous weeks. It’s obvious that some really hard decisions have to be made and the men have to decide whether they want to commit to the women they’ve been seeing or if they want to keep exploring their options. And for some, the decision is whether or not they want to hand out a friendship rose. I know Kristina is getting a lot of flack this season, but she is my friend and I’m obviously a bit biased, so I’m not going to say too much on this. What I will say is that the relationship Blake and Kristina have has a lot more history and is a lot more complex than what we get to see on TV. Unfortunately, Caitlin was caught in the middle of this, which ultimately ends her time in Mexico. We also say our goodbyes to Tahzjuan and Jen, as Chris choose Katie (yay, my favs) and JPJ chooses Haley (after losing Tayshia to Derek). WHAT A NIGHT.

But the night isn’t over, as Tuesday's episode picks up with Dean pulling Caelynn aside at the end of the rose ceremony (it’s still her birthday) to let her know he’ll be leaving Paradise. I can’t say that his reasoning doesn’t make perfect sense, as dating in Paradise is as easy as it gets. You’re hanging out on the beach with no real responsibilities, no bills, and no distractions, and the hard part doesn’t truly start until after the show is over. But if Dean isn’t ready for a relationship then, why is he here? I think it might be because he himself is so sold on his bad reputation that he won’t allow himself to get close to anyone anymore. In short, he’s scared and choosing the easy way out.

But just when you think Paradise doesn’t work, we get to be a part of Chris and Krystal's wedding day. The wedding was truly beautiful (both on TV and in real life) and the love between these two is undeniable. Unfortunately, some people don’t have proper etiquette, as JPJ decided it was a good idea to confront Derek about Tayshia. During this argument JPJ threw some pretty serious allegations at Derek, who per usual, handled himself as well as he could given the situation. In my opinion, JPJ was grasping at anything he could because he felt threatened, and I’m curious to see if this pushes Tayshia further away. I really wish I could give behind the scenes details on this argument, but I’m pretty sure I was trying to find tequila during all this and missed the whole thing.

During the reception, which didn’t include all of the cast, we see Angela and Clay finally come face to face. I know the girls were trying to say that Angela had something to do with Nicole not being able to come to the reception, but that is seriously a STRETCH. Did we forget about producers? I love how mature and calm the conversation went between these two, almost like they’ve been taught how to behave at a wedding. I feel for both of them as I cannot even imagine what Angela must feel like knowing her ex was heading to Paradise. On the other hand, I do believe Clay when he says he still cares for her. Just because you were the one to break off a relationship doesn’t mean it was easy and it’s even harder to figure out when the appropriate time is to move on.

Speaking of moving on… sometimes all it takes is 24 hours, as we see Caelynn hit things off with Connor at the wedding as well as the next day, when they go on a date. Although it was a bit hard to take these two seriously with paint all over their faces, their date was cute and they seem compatible. But judging by next week’s previews, we shouldn’t get our hopes up about these two. And will Clay and Nicole survive the arrival of Angela? Im at the edge of my seat.

Until next week!

Xx,

Astrid

P.S. Kevin wouldn’t let me submit this recap without mentioning Demi’s impressions during the credits. So here it is :)