I didn’t plan to watch “The Bachelor” this season. After five years of loyal viewership, I was feeling a bit burned out on the franchise. Zach Shallcross, the new Bachelor, didn’t inspire a lot of excitement, and an especially dull “Bachelor in Paradise” season left me feeling cold.
But I’ve been in a television drought. There’s just nothing that hits on a chilly Monday evening quite like a new episode of one of reality TV’s longest-running shows. It’s comforting, like a bowl of chili you’ve had a thousand times. It doesn’t have to be especially good to feel nourishing.
I’m glad I gave this season a try, though. I’m pleased to report, three episodes in, that Zach may, in fact, be the best Bachelor we’ve seen in years. While I’m not ready to decorate my metaphorical locker with posters of his face (he’s no Tyler Cameron, after all), I am happy – and maybe even a little excited – to continue on this journey, as they say.
Hesitation About Zach Shallcross
The selections for Bachelor are always less exciting than those for the Bachelorette. The women chosen for the role are always incredibly beautiful, accomplished, and stylish. They bring a lot of personality and charisma to the show. The men, on the other hand, are often generically handsome. They’re former high school quarterbacks who don’t seem to have much going on behind the eyes. When looking back at the “Bachelor” seasons I’ve watched, I guess I’d have to pick Pilot Pete as my favorite. He’s not anyone I’d want to be friends with, necessarily, but he brought a sense of boyish charm and a higher-than-average rate of chaos to the show.
Zach didn’t leave a big impression after his turn on “the Bachelorette” last season. He stuck out only because he was dismissed so quickly following a Fantasy Suite night with Rachel. I know the show – and much of Bachelor Nation – tried to frame Rachel as a villain. I never bought it. She makes TikToks with ABBA songs and tries (in vain) to dress around her large chest size, so I find her unendingly relatable. In my eyes, her teariness was endearing. I think I’d cry a lot if I were on the show, too.
So when Rachel unceremoniously sent Zach packing, claiming he was suddenly too young for her, I knew there had to be more to the story. Rumors spread that the pair were mismatched politically. This theory made the most sense to me – Zach is from Texas, after all. It shouldn’t be shocking if he does, indeed, hold conservative opinions. With that in mind, I was underwhelmed by the announcement that he would be our new Bachelor.
Cautious Optimism After Three Episodes
While I’m still not sold on the idea that Zach is this hunky dreamboat that girls are willing to risk everything for, he is growing on me. The first three episodes of season 27 have shown him to be respectful, kind, and a good listener. That last point is key. After years of miquetoast men who can barely summon words beyond “I’d like that” and “thank you for sharing that with me,” Zach has demonstrated his active listening skills and interest in his contestants. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still bland in the way the franchise demands, but he’s slowly winning me over.
In recent seasons, social media has been the underlying, unspoken driver of the game. It’s been less about a man seeking true love and marriage as it has been about gaining followers online and scoring influencer opportunities. Unsurprisingly, this makes for fairly boring television. The show suffers when people aren’t willing to be vulnerable or truly open their hearts. That’s why I’m most excited to continue watching; Zach actually seems to be there with the intention of finding a wife.
Minimal Manufactured Drama
Every season of “the Bachelor” is touted as the “most dramatic ever.” It’s a claim that just doesn’t hold up under any kind of scrutiny. While I enjoy a dramatic moment as much as the next member of Bachelor Nation, I’ve grown tired of the manufactured drama. I love watching people flirt and fall in love. Too often, those moments are completely overshadowed or sacrificed altogether in favor of meaningless, petty drama between contestants looking to steal the spotlight.
Don’t get me wrong, some of my favorite contestants are the ones willing to mix things up. An over-the-top villain lacking in self-awareness can be incredibly fun to watch – looking at you, Queen Victoria. But when the fights and backstabbing begin to take up more screen time than the actual romantic connections, it all starts to wash over me. Zach’s season hasn’t been like that so far.
Look at the way Zach handled accusations that Christina was mistreating other girls in the Bachelor mansion. At the first sign of trouble, he pulled Christina aside to clarify what happened. She switched into defensive mode, became teary, and begged for him to “help me, help me, help me” before collapsing in tears on the stairs. Other Bachelors would’ve slipped into superhero mode, rescuing her from her tantrum and giving her a second chance to change her ways. Zach simply eliminated her.
A Likable Villain
Christina is perhaps “The Bachelor’s” most likable villain in many years. Despite how quickly she burnt out, I expect Christina to remain a popular figure online and perhaps on future seasons of Bachelor in Paradise. Her alleged bullying was child’s play compared to the true Big Bads of seasons prior. Her biggest crime is believing a little too sincerely that she is “the main character.” While I certainly understand the decision to eliminate her early, I don’t think she’s especially cruel or even much of a bully.
Take the moment where Christina was accused of “stealing Charity’s moment” in episode three. After a successful group date, Zach awards a rose to Charity, a pretty therapist from Georgia. Christina pouts, voicing her disappointment and confusion. As a front-runner, she was understandably upset about not receiving a rose. A more savvy player would’ve kept their mouth closed and let Charity have her moment. After all, a front-runner should feel confident enough in their connection to not voice their insecurities to the group at large. Instead, Christina wears her heart on her chest, for better or worse.
The group is understandably frustrated with Christina in this moment, especially on the heels of her winning the first one-on-one date. She went home with Zach, met his family, and shared details about her own role as a mother. I really believe had Christina kept quiet in this moment, she would’ve stuck around at least another week. But hot girls aren’t used to playing second fiddle, even temporarily. I have no doubt we’ll be seeing her on our screens again.
Appealing Date Ideas
“The Bachelor” franchise has showcased some pretty lame dates through the years. This season, however, we’ve already seen some pretty romantic scenarios play out. In episode three, we see Zach take Kaity for a one-on-one overnight date at a natural history museum. This is incredibly cool, and something not many people actually get to do in real life. The intimate vibes also allowed for their connection to flourish in a way that felt really organic and believable.
Every season, there are a few musical guests who perform a private concert for the happy couples. Most of the time, they’re groups I’ve never heard of, making the shocked, excited reactions of the contestants feel cheesy and fake. This season featured Latto, a rapper who can actually be found on the Billboard charts. Her charismatic, funny contributions to the group date on episode two should be the new gold standard for having musicians on the show.
The Friends We Make Along the Way
I started watching “the Bachelor” in 2018 when a friend suggested weekly viewing parties and a draft. I’d never seen the show before, but it sounded like a good way to get out of the house and to meet some new people. While the group has sadly gone our separate ways, the Bachelor has remained a mainstay in my house. The group viewings are now digital, as I furiously share my thoughts in Facebook groups and via text with a friend watching a state away.
No matter who is on screen, “The Bachelor” franchise always delivers watercooler moments worth chatting about with my besties. In that way, it almost doesn’t matter who the powers that be anoint as the official Bachelor or Bachelorette. There’s something incredibly comforting about cuddling up each week with a glass of wine, some chocolate, and the buzzing of incoming notifications.
I’m not ready to unseat Pilot Pete as my favorite Bachelor lead, but I am cautiously optimistic about the rest of Zach’s season. If you’ve been curious about the first few episodes, I’d encourage you to give them a shot! I’ve been pleasantly surprised – and can’t wait to see how the rest of the season shakes out.
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Previously Published on thebackdrop.tv
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