Attention Hopeless Romantics: “The Bachelor” is about love again
It’s 8 PM on Monday night. I can’t help but feel the familiar pull to tune into ABC and watch the latest season of the Bachelor unfold with its new lead, Zach Shallcross. There’s something about those limo entrances, the inevitable tears from one of the contestants not getting their time with the lead, someone rudely interrupting someone else’s conversation (or worse, going back for seconds!) and two girls showing up in the same dress. Who will get the first impression rose? And who’s the stand out for season villainess or the potential next Bachelorette? Will there be an engagement and happily ever after? There’s always so much hope at the beginning of every new season.
It’s no secret that this beloved franchise has taken a hit in recent years, with its historically white-washed casting, strictly heteronormative romances and its iconic host Chris Harrison leaving the show – this show is no stranger to scandal and negative press.
In every season, it’s the most dramatic season yet. But the continual dedication to make every season monumental in drama, has become its own downfall. This franchise was once the trailblazer in romantic reality television. Now, it has become second tier to other romance reality television, like “Love Island” and “Love is Blind.” These shows used “The Bachelor” formula, and made it better. Beat it at its own reality television mess.
“The Bachelor” franchise seemed to have lost its way ever since Season 22 with Bachelor Arie Luyendyk Jr. when the producers decided to film Arie breaking up with his final pick, Becca Kufrin, unedited with a split cam. The whole thing was yes, the most dramatic we’ve seen. But the desire for drama led the show into a territory that felt too personal. Watching Kufrin get dumped with a camera crew filming her every reaction while millions of nosy strangers tune in. I cringe to this day thinking about it.
A show that once claimed to be there for love, not drama, was seemingly only there to shock viewers and get people talking and tweeting Tuesday morning. Soon, the show became much more focused on the antics from the hated season villains, and cared less about falling in love. And as a hopeless romantic, this show wasn’t what it used to be.
It’s a fantasy, I know. But there was something so exciting about it. Watching these people on screen who can’t believe they actually found someone on a dating show. It felt real. The show always took itself seriously. Telling contestants to refer to their time on the show as “a journey” to find love.
It was also, extremely formulaic. A formula they rarely strayed from in early seasons. At the end of every episode, there was a rose ceremony. Where we see the current Bachelor hand out roses to women he’d like to continue the journey with. It’s how the number of 25 women eventually dwindled down to one.
But in recent seasons, they moved away from the formula. In some cases, the episode would end in a despised cliffhanger, where viewers will have to tune in next week to see who got the rose. This choice was not only a cheesy gag to get people to watch next week, but it also felt like a different show. A show that cared more about surprising viewers than producing believable content. It reminded viewers they were watched a produced show.
But “The Bachelor” Season 27 feels different. When the promos for “Mr. Here for the Right Reasons” surfaced, I got sucked in. It’s a play on the idea that the contestants must be “there for the right reasons.” Meaning, they’re on the show for love. Not Instagram followers, fame or pretending to fall in love with the lead just so they can keep visiting all the exotic filming locations.
This season feels like a breath of fresh air. Just watching the first episode, you can feel there’s something different. They bring back bachelor Sean Lowe, one of the few successful bachelors who married his final pick, and is currently raising a family with her. There’s also an absence of ridiculous limo entrances – it feels like it used to. Back when I used to watch this show with my mom on our couch every Monday night, her with white wine and me with ginger ale. Gasping at the utter shock when we stayed up late to watch Jason Mesnick dump his final pick live on TV and ask is runner up for a second chance (she said yes). And swooning over every contestant on Hannah Brown’s season. This new season gives me nostalgia.
That difference could be Zach Shallcross, the “boring bachelor,” himself.
When host Jesse Palmer announced the new bachelor after the groundbreaking double bachelorette season with Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia, everyone had a collective reaction, “Who?”
Despite that Zach was Rachel’s final three pick, we didn’t really know him on screen. Because of this double bachelorette season, there were double the men, dates, falling in love montages and less time dedicated to each contestant. In regards to Zach, we barely got any screen time with him. Normally, if a contestant makes it as far as he did, we’d know everything about the guy.
Abs, a pretty face and a willingness to have a camera crew film him while he’s showering for promotional videos — those are pretty much the only characteristics needed to make the bachelor cut. Even if he’s a jerk (we’re talking about you, Juan Pablo and Jake Pavelka), it’s okay as long as he’s about six foot tall.
Zach is here for the romance, not the drama. And that much is made evident from episode three, when contestant Brianna had a little drama with fellow contestant, Christina. When the issue was brought to Zach’s attention, he immediately decided to shut it down and sent both the girls home. Despite seeming to have a strong connection with Christina, he decided to eliminate the drama entirely.
Additionally, there were a few moments where I genuinely believed the romance. For example, when Zach took Kaity on a museum one-on-one date. There was something so genuine in the way they talked to each other, ran around the museum together hand in hand. It felt real, like his could actually be two people falling for each other. And almost any interaction he has with Gabi, I’m getting butterflies by watching their clear chemistry. I haven’t had one of those moments “Aww” moments with this franchise in a long time. We’re already halfway through the season and I’ve had several. I haven’t had one of those moments from the franchise in a while.
The show doesn’t need fabricated drama. There’s enough drama that naturally surfaced when 25 women date the same man. When they all live together and watch their man make out with other women. Go on dates with other women who are also becoming friends. They’re instantly comparing themselves to the girls next to them, making insecurities skyrocket. And that’s before they make it to fantasy suites.
The show that began as a romance-centered show is attempting to correct itself back in this season. And I think there will be. After seeing Zach at SCAD TV Fest on February 10th for a live episode screening and a Q&A for “Clickbait with Bachelor Nation” with Bachelor in Paradise couple, Serena and Joe, Zach had to keep his current relationship status a secret. But he did say, he was very happy. And there were a few additional off-handed comments about weddings and bachelor parties. Now, that easily could have been him teasing the audience, or there could be some truth to it.
If there’s any recent bachelor I’d bet to get down on one knee, and have a genuine happily ever after, it’d be Zach. He might be the “boring bachelor” but he really does seem to be here for the right reasons. And if the rest of this season is anything like what the first half of the season is like, love might actually be in the air. All we can hope for is a proposal at the end that leads to a happy marriage. “The Bachelor,” help us believe in love again!
