Los Angeles, California - As season 9 of Bachelor in Paradise enters its final weeks, a happy ending may not be in the cards for the connections taking center stage on

Season 9 has already been filled with plenty of twists and turns, with new couples forming each week under the sunshine of paradise.

With just two episodes left in the season, it's crunch time for this year's stars to find their true match.

The latest iteration of the beloved spin-off faced a shorter production schedule than usual, which might mean that the pairings are not quite ready for a big commitment yet.

However, there are a few strong connections blooming on the beaches of paradise, some of whom could surprise Bachelor Nation with a big engagement.

To kick off the safest bets, Aven Jones and Kylee Russell are certainly end game, and their recent baby name chatter could make them the frontrunners for an engagement.

Also likely to continue pursuing their romance post-filming are Aaron Bryant and Eliza Isichei, who have proven to be quite committed, though perhaps only on the good old boyfriend-girlfriend level.

Kat Izzo and John Henry Spurlock have also emerged as some surprising frontrunners for a proper love story away from the cameras, but knowing how Hurricane Kat can be, nothing is guaranteed.

Thanks to last week's truth box, Tyler Norris and Mercedes Northup have evidently proven they're not likely to survive. Thursday's episode also saw a potential connection between Tanner Courtad and Rachel Recchia grow, but given the latter's fleeting interest in reuniting with Jordan Vandergriff, their odds are not looking great.

Also likely on the rocks are Blake Moynes and Jess Girod, who have experienced some fairly consistent turbulence in recent weeks. Then there's Olivia Lewis and Michael Barbour, who just may stand a chance after Olivia finally learned his name.

Will anyone survive the heat of paradise? The road to the finale continues with the penultimate episode of season 9 airing on Thursday, November 30, at 10 PM ET on ABC.