Their "Love" Is Too Awkward For Television

Four and a half episodes into Bachelor in Paradise, Robert Graham and Sarah Herron are one the most likable couples on the show. They came to one another as two of the cast-offs, and it was surprisingly sweet when Robert picked Sarah over the much more flirtatious Michelle Money at the rose ceremony a few episodes ago. They don't talk crap about the other people in the house, they make up silly handshakes, and they look like the reality TV version of Liam Hemsworth and Malin Ackerman.

And while it's easy to like them, every time they're on camera together, it's impossibly awkward, especially on their dates. That's in part due to some very unflattering editing from the Bachelor in Paradise folks and some weird added sound effects; the producers really seems to want to keep in all the uncomfortable moments that happen when you're first dating someone. But that's also why watching them is kind of infuriating. They're constantly in the very early stages of dating, not sure what to do with their feelings and attraction yet.

But Robert and Sarah are also just kind of awkward people. For all of Robert's flowery talk that makes their relationship sound like a romance novel, they're more like the klutzy leads of a PG-13 romantic comedy. There was literally a point where they bumped heads and there was a "thunk" noise.

They feel like a well-matched couple because they're both kind of corny, but that means that nothing smooth can ever happen between them. Sarah was desperate to kiss Robert, but couldn't send the right signals to prompt a move, and Robert is so oblivious Sarah could have rented a neon sign saying "MAKE OUT WITH ME" and he would think that it wasn't the right time. Things did get a little less awkward once Robert & Sarah managed to kiss one another, but let's just say that they weren't going to be the ones who had an impulsive threesome in Paradise while cheesy music played in the background.

Which brings me to the worst thing about Robert and Sarah: they're both a little judgmental. Sarah especially seemed to side eye the idea of Jesse, Lucy, and Christy having a threesome, and has judged some of the other girls in the past for being perfect "Bachelor girls." I mean, just because Lucy rolled in and was comfortable with a casual hookup doesn't mean that she was "not here for the right reasons." Besides, the time frame is so short, it seems easier to make a physical connection than an emotional one. While things are getting more emotional between Robert and Sarah, it would be nice to see them get a little more comfortable with one another — and with everyone else.

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