This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Erika Gay. Find her on Instagram at @erikag0503. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
I don’t know about you, but Bachelor Mondays are something I look forward to every week and it almost makes Mondays less dreadful because it gives me something to get excited about and unwind to after a long day. If I am being sincere, this season is the first one I have watched in real time, the others I would just go back after the season had ended. I even have the recording set to record the whole series ahead of time. I will admit this makes the experience more fun, and I want to see who is closer to marrying the beloved Bachelor each week. But there is something off this season… I am not seeing genuine connections formed with this season of the Bachelor, Grant, the drama seems very forced, and the episodes seem very rushed and cut short. I think this season and its ratings might be a possible indication that this iconic reality TV series might be coming to an end after the hype has died down. I want to talk about why this may be, because this is season 29, so it has been doing well for many years. But beware! There may be spoilers in this article so be sure to catch up to episode 7 so you’re in the know.
A Change in Audience Engagement
For many years, The Bachelor was a cultural phenomenon, known for its love stories (and the occasional dramatic meltdowns) that kept viewers coming back week after week. But in recent seasons, the intrigue seems to have faded. This season, in particular, has been facing backlash for a lack of interesting storylines, girls who seem less interesting than in the past, and a lead who doesn’t bring the same level of enthusiasm among viewers. It’s not just a lack of interest either. The number of viewers has steadily dropped over the past few seasons. In an age where streaming services and instant seasons of shows being available, reality TV shows like The Bachelor face more competition than ever before. Netflix is especially killing it with reality shows like Love is Blind, The Ultimatum, Too Hot To Handle, and more. I think what people like these shows is because the drama keeps the viewers on their toes and each season’s cast brings something completely different. The Bachelor show relies on the same things each season, which are extravagant dates, dramatic confrontations, and an emphasis on love triangles — is starting to feel repetitive, which is leaving people to wonder if it has finally run its course on TV.
Interesting Choices This Season
One of my favorite things about The Bachelor is that the first episodes of each season are each girl introducing herself in a fun and creative way to show their personality. Usually the most memorable contestants do something out of the ordinary or super creative to catch his attention and I think that’s fun because some of them go over the top. Specifically this season, one of the girls was a bottle girl, so her entrance, she pulled up in a convertible with champagne bottles, sparklers, and a huge lit up sign for Grant, it was like a party for real! I think it’s fun when they put their personality or what they like into their introduction so the Bachelor can get a look into what they’re getting into. Unfortunately, the last three girls that are left this season were not memorable at all to the point where I don’t even remember their introductions. Although you don’t have to have a dramatic entrance to find a connection, I think an outgoing personality or an initial spark is a good start! I would not have guessed Zoe, Litia, and Juliana would be the last three standing because they did not stick out or excite me. I’m also not the only one, my friends are agreeing and wish others would have stayed instead. Speaking of Zoe, since the first time I noticed her out of all of the girls, she did not have the best first impression. On a group date where they were all doing a fun activity, she pulled Grant out of the activity and they went upstairs to talk, totally neglecting everyone else on the date. She was confronted about this and didn’t care, which gave us a little bit of a mean girl vibe. That was one of the first couple of episodes and from that point on she and Grant didn’t connect much, and he never took her on a solo date, which I thought meant a lot. However, even though it appeared they weren’t connecting, she was one of the girls that made it to hometowns, so basically they never had a private date to get to know each other, but he met her family! This was very strange to a lot of people and another reason why this season is facing backlash.
A Rushed Season
One of the biggest issues this season is how quickly the eliminations are happening. In past seasons, we had time to get to know the contestants, watch the relationships evolve, and see the connections grow (or fail). But this season, it feels like the leads are making decisions without giving enough screen time to allow for those emotional moments to truly hit home. Contestants who seemed promising in the early stages are gone before viewers get a chance to invest in their stories, and it’s left some fans feeling like the show is rushing to get to the “big moments” without building up to them. As someone watching, I feel like we didn’t get to truly know them until two episodes ago because things have been so rushed.
One thing is for sure: the franchise has some serious work to do if it wants to recapture the magic and engagement it once had. If it doesn’t find a way to reinvigorate itself, we could very well be witnessing the beginning of the end for The Bachelor.
So, is The Bachelor over? For now, it seems like they are still hanging on. But fans (especially me) are starting to ask the question more than ever before. Who’s your favorite girl you want to see end up with Grant? Let us know below!
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