February 6, 2019
By Clare Wiesen
Content warning for non-graphic mentions of sexual violence
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a huge fan of The Bachelor. I started watching in 2014 when Juan Pablo was the titular Bachelor. Curiously enough, fans of the show almost unanimously agree that he is the worst bachelor in the history of the show, so it’s a wonder that I kept watching. That’s the problem with the Bachelor franchise: They really know how to hold on to their viewers. Once you watch one season of The Bachelor, you’ll get sucked into watching the next few seasons, and then you’ll start The Bachelorette, and then if you’re really down the rabbit hole, you’ll get to Bachelor in Paradise, my favorite of the three.
After watching the show devotedly for a couple years, one could say that I’m pretty invested, or at least more invested than I should be. When Colton Underwood was announced as the Bachelor for the current season, I had my doubts. I had seen him in The Bachelorette, and then on Bachelor in Paradise, and maintained a less than favorable opinion. But now that we are four episodes into his season, I can say that I’m actually okay with him.
Even though Colton can be straight-up stupid sometimes with how he handles women, and the constant discussion of his virginity is exhausting, he’s entertaining to watch. And he has successfully convinced the audience—including me—that he genuinely wants to find love and a wife. Is it absolutely crazy to think that you could find someone to marry out of approximately 30 women on a TV show in just six weeks? Of course. Do I hope he can do it? Yes.
In the fourth episode of this season, The Bachelor had a first. On her one-on-one date, Caelynn opened up to Colton about how she was drugged and raped by men she knew during her sophomore year of college. I was aware of her experience going into the episode, as I found footage of her speaking about the assault at the 2018 Miss USA Pageant, but hearing her on the show was still shocking and inspiring. Especially considering the allegations of sexual misconduct between contestants on season four of Bachelor in Paradise, it was refreshing to hear someone speak so candidly and openly about the issue.
Surprisingly, my favorite part of watching the show isn’t what’s on my television screen. While I love it when someone is sent home on a one-on-one date or when Colton cries (sorry not sorry), my favorite part is watching the Instagram stories of former contestant Wells Adams and his girlfriend Sarah Hyland. Yes, someone who was on The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise is currently dating the actress who plays Haley on Modern Family, and it’s amazing. The pair watches every episode together, and Adams uses his behind-the-scenes knowledge to make their stories that much funnier. They also have a cute dog who regularly appears in the videos, which doesn’t hurt.
While there are still many more episodes to come, season 23 of The Bachelor is shaping up to be a good one. Although host Chris Harrison always says that the current season is the craziest one yet, in this case, he might actually be right. Will Colton lose his virginity in the fantasy suite? Will Cassie ever get more screen time? Will politics ever be mentioned? To get answers, I’m going to have to keep watching -- except the last question, which I can answer right now. No, politics will never be mentioned, not even a little bit.
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