On the first night of Bachelor In Paradise, Blake Horstmann thrust himself right into the vortex of relationship drama, and Kristina Schulman planned to take advantage by tricking him with her date. She entered the show aware that she wasn't the only woman Horstmann had his eyes on, and intended to make him pay for his indecisiveness.
When Horstmann starred on Becca Kufrin's season of The Bachelorette, he was an instant fan favorite, capturing the hearts of Kufrin and Bachelor Nation with his kindness and vulnerability. When he was rejected as he was getting ready to propose, the audience was crushed for Horstmann, who took the breakup especially rough. He was one of the names in the running to become The Bachelor, but after Colton Underwood's run on Bachelor in Paradise, the ex-NFL player got the nod over the ex-college football player. Horstmann's second chance thus far on Bachelor in Paradise is beginning to prove that perhaps a leading role on The Bachelor wouldn't have worked out too well for him. Luckily for the women, they've caught on to his shenanigans quite quickly.
In an attempt to fool Horstmann into thinking she wanted to date him, Schulman asked him on a date once arriving in Paradise. This upset Caelynn Miller-Keyes, who expected to couple up with Horstmann. Schulman's real plan, however, was to make Horstmann her "b*tch". Schulman was on season 4 of Bachelor In Paradise and was handed the short end of the stick when Dean Unglert ditched her for Danielle Lombard. A mustachioed Unglert is expected to return on this season, and comparisons are already being drawn to him and Horstmann for their inability to commit to one woman.
Now that he has not two love interests but potentially four, Horstmann has been harder to root for. Even before arriving in Mexico, he was setting the stage for his villainous edit. One night he was hooking up with Schulman, the next with Miller-Keyes. While in bed with Miller-Keyes - according to her - he messaged Hannah Godwin to inquire about Tayshia Adams. He'd soon find himself in a love pentagon with all of the aforementioned women.
While the season still needs to unfold, things aren't looking good for Horstmann's public image, and he's starting to figure this out himself. It's one of the most significant 180s a contestant has made in terms of fan perception, especially if Horstmann remains unable to commit to one woman. It's also what makes Bachelor in Paradise more entertaining than, say, The Bachelorette. Give 25 men one woman to date, and their only choice is to try to fall in love with that woman or leave. Add more women to the mix, and it allows the audience to see each man's true colors. The question is, will Horstmann be able to reverse his poor decisions with Schulman and the others, or will he only make things worse?
Bachelor In Paradise airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8pm EST on ABC.