As we all know, the only good part about January is getting to bond with people over The Bachelor. Is it trashy reality tv? Yes. But it’s 2020, and we are allowed to like things that are fun, entertain us and make us happy. So, if you’re not with me on at least that then it’s probably wise to click off.
We’re only in the first few weeks of this season of The Bachelor, so it’s a little early to call, but it’s just not as good of a season for me. This is a story in 3 parts- that of the bachelor, that of the contestants, and most heinously, that of production and ABC as a whole.
First, the Bachelor himself.
Last year we watched former Bachelor contestant Hannah Brown as the Bachelorette, and she defied every single person’s expectations and gave us an incredible show. Hannah “Beast” was an entertaining, feisty, empowering and fun lead to watch. Now, this is not a piece about her, but that’s part of the problem here. Enter Peter- a cute pilot who made Hannah’s top three as a contestant on the Bachelorette and the current Bachelor. I do really like him. He’s a charming and likable guy, but he’s not the lead we deserved (cough ~ Mike Johnson ~ cough).
The biggest problem with Peter is that he’s just not that interesting. Following a high-intensity and big personality like Hannah, Peter just doesn’t command attention in the same way. Peter’s two most distinctive qualities coming into this season were his pilot license and the fact that he and Hannah did the devil’s tango four times in a windmill, which was pivotal for Hannah’s story arc, but Peter was just a supporting character in that. So far in the season, Hannah has come back a multitude of times because people like her and she’s interesting. ABC keeps pushing Hannah because she has so much more personality than Pilot Pete.
Also, as a friend of mine pointed out, he almost always just leaves every time he has a problem? A little bit of a red flag if you’re trying to foster a long term relationship.
I also need Peter to stop canceling rose ceremonies. I’m tired of how unfair it is that he just never spends any time with all of the girls? Does he know the rules of the show?? Is Peter okay??? Mike Johnson would never.
Peter is demonstrably bad at this.
Next, we have my problems with the contestants (aside from the obvious issues of diversity in race, ethnicity, ability, body type, etc, which are a consistent problem within the franchise and a work in process).
On Colton’s season of The Bachelor, the last one before Peter, we saw all kinds of female friendships and fun, empowering women. Sure, there’s always drama, but it’s one of the hallmarks of the series. However, especially in past years, we’ve seen more and more women supportive of each other. We see more lasting friendships come out of The Bachelor franchise than we do relationships or marriages. However, the girl on girl crime is rampant this season, and not in a normal, dramatic way, but one so specifically catty that it’s a little hard to watch.
Aside from that, much like the Bachelor himself, I don’t really feel invested in any of them. No one, especially the front runners, seems particularly interesting or provides me with any reason why I should care about them. I’m not rooting for anyone. Honestly, I can still barely tell any of them apart if they aren’t actively involved in the drama being pushed on me. I don’t really like anyone left so far (other than Tammy, a queen), and I’m not having as much fun watching them.
I’m tired of the Alayah drama. And apparently, according to Peter, Kelsey is drama-free? Despite being involved in the first fight of the season? And maybe half of the biggest following drama points? And weirdly emotional over basic mechanisms of the show? It’s just a lot. And if you keep up with Reality Steve, you know exactly which problematic front runner to watch out for (no spoilers from me though). Lastly, and most importantly, I have some beef with ABC. It’s currently the 24th season of The Bachelor, and there has never been a man of color as the lead. Enter Mike Johnson. The charming Air Force vet with the most beautiful smile and a fan favorite who fans strongly advocated on behalf of for the part. Apparently Johnson was never even approached and they passed up the opportunity to have the first Black Bachelor, despite the fact that Johnson was a contender that Bachelor nation loved so much. The producers have instead pushed Pilot Pete onto us just as they’ve pushed the drama with the girls, and the whole season just feels so much more obviously forced than in the past. It’s just not as fun, at least for me.
Chris Harrison told us to expect turbulence, but (so far) the season feels less like turbulence and more like being stuck taxiing on the tarmac.
PS: Am I still watching every Monday at 8/7c? Yes.