It is still the early weeks of The Bachelor, but I'm ready to throw in the towel and call this season a wash. Something about this season seems off, awkward, and altogether a complete mess. From the first episode of the handful of "I want to gouge my eyes out" introductions that some of the women used to make Bachelor Chris Soules remember them, to THE MOST unimaginably uncomfortable rose ceremony in Bachelor history (a new tagline for Chris Harrison to use), Season 19 is rough. But whose fault is that? Is Chris Soules a bad Bachelor and the reason the season is the way it is, or is it the exhausted formula that the show has used for the past 13 years?
It could be a combination of both. Not only is The Bachelor a pretty overdone concept in need of a major makeover (and ABC, that doesn't mean I won't watch the overdone concept, I'm just sayin'), but it is always pretty difficult to get into the show when there are so many women to really connect with (I'm talking me connect with, through the TV, not Chris). Then again, Chris is Mr. Snoozefest, so maybe it is his fault, and not the show's. Let's examine what's going all wrong this season, shall we?
Why It Might Be Chris' Fault
Poor Chris. Watching Chris on this show is like watching a recording of my 4th grade holiday play where everyone forgot their lines. He looks so unsure of everything he does and he's just waiting for Mr. Harrison to whisper something from backstage to give him a boost in the right direction. Sadly, I don't even know if that would help Chris out.
Chris — how do I put this — is a complete bore to watch on television. Juan Pablo was a better Bachelor than Chris is. Why? Because even though JP appeared to be a terrible person, he was sure as hell entertaining. Chris might be a nice guy, but I can't tell because I fall asleep each time he starts talking. Sure, I get it that he seemed to be one for outgoing women in the first weeks, but someone's got to bring the excitement to the relationship, right?
Another reason this is all Chris' fault? Well this one isn't necessarily Chris' fault, but it is specific to his season: the traveling. Chris' season of The Bachelor is almost only stateside, which is patriotic and whatnot, but kind of beige. My point? At the point that Juan Pablo was going on a private jet date to Salt Lake City, Chris goes on a one-on-one date to Costco. And while I know that date was a kind-of joke on Jimmy Kimmel's part, it doesn't make it any more enjoyable for us to watch — at least from where I sit.
Finally, it has to be mentioned, there's the "home maker" comment that still plagues my mind. Is Chris thinking this the entire time he's with these women? "Which woman is going to be my home maker?" While there is nothing wrong with being a home maker, a lot of these women have careers of their own, and last season, Chris didn't offer many options for Andi to pursue her career past "home maker," so I can't watch without feeling the weight of that sure-fire ultimatum with the final rose.
Why It's Also The Show's Fault
This can be summed up pretty quickly: The only thing innovative about Chris' season that the producers added was the 30 girls at the top of the season. Besides that, there is really nothing special about the 19th season of this show... and watching 19 seasons of the same thing (someone is bound to say, "I didn't come here to make friends," one of the women is definitely going to throw another woman under the bus) gets pretty old, pretty quick.
Overall, we need a little more "oomph" from both the show and Chris. Chris, be more exciting. Be more animated. Just BE MORE. Show, come up with a new concept to add to the show. Maybe a revival round, where someone gets to compete to come back based on their knowledge of Chris (this could become "who is the best Chris stalker?" but I don't think I'd hate it), or a more diverse couple or cast — GASP — because diversity rocks and this show has lacked it since its inception.
Images: John Fleenor/ABC; Giphy (2)
