What I Learned Watching My First Full Season of ‘The Bachelorette’

Admission time: I’ve managed to avoid watching any derivation of The Bachelor franchise my entire life. I was only 6 years old when The Bachelor premiered in 2002, so of course I wasn’t interested (or even allowed) to watch it then, but even as it grew in popularity during my high school and college years, I still did not feel the slightest bit of interest in tuning in. The thought of one person dating a bunch of people at the same time in order to find true love just didn’t seem natural to me (and it still doesn’t). So I went on for years arguing with friends, rolling my eyes at social reactions, and refusing to give the show a chance.

That all changed this summer, though.

It’s hard to explain why I eventually gave in and started watching. I think my best explanation is that I was just tired of being left out of the conversation. It was simply easier to start watching the show than to avoid it. So after hearing my friends go on and on about Nick Viall’s season of The Bachelor this spring, I finally decided to give it a chance.

Looking back at this journey —see, the franchise has an extraordinary pull on you once you get into its orbit!— I can honestly say that the first few episodes were rough. The show was exactly what I expected (and what I feared). There were 31 men all fighting for Rachel’s attention. And while, some men were charming and polite, others were a bit more…out there.

Sitting through this madness proved to be annoying, yes, but also intriguing at the same time. As I got involved in the show, I started to seriously consider each candidate, weighing their pros and cons. I found it incredibly interesting to see the creativity in each man’s first impression on the woman they all wanted to walk down the aisle with. Sometimes it was cute, like Blake entering with a full marching band. Other times, it was just disturbing like the infamous Adam Junior (that creepy doll we will never forget). But even so, I powered through.  

Rachel Lindsay was the biggest surprise of this new experience. I went into the show worrying about how Rachel would handle all of this attention. I was scared that she was going to be played into the atmosphere of the show and completely get swept up in all of it, and she sure proved me wrong! Rachel sent home men left and right (and I’m not even talking about the weekly rose ceremonies!). She actually cut the number of men in half from 12 to 6 all in one episode! I mean, come on. She’s definitely a girl who knows what she wants and I’m totally supportive.

The second thing that surprised me was how open the men where when discussing the process of the entire show. I had the idea that everyone was just going to go on and pretend like this was all normal. I was wrong. Several men expressed their concerns with the process throughout the season. When the show was down to the final three, Peter even said directly to Bryan, “What’s awkward is having to sit here with her other boyfriend, knowing that her other boyfriend is home with her family right now.” The fact that the ridiculousness of it all was a theme throughout the show made the entire experience more real for me. It certainly got me more involved and eager to find out who makes it to the end.

Finally, let’s talk about the range of emotions that this show rips out of you, from anger (the entire Kenny and Lee drama!) to elation (when Rachel made a real connection with Dean, my personal fave) And don’t even get me started on what I was feeling during the finale! My point is that I got more involved in this show than I ever thought I would, which means that the producers (however evil they may be) had done their job. I felt like the atmosphere of the show changed so much with each episode and THAT’S what kept me interested.

Now, about the finale. You have probably already read hundreds of reactions to the confusing, contradictory decision Rachel ends up making. No matter how upsetting or frustrating it was, I found myself completely locked into my television, unaware of anything else in the room. Honestly, I had a feeling early on that Bryan was Rachel’s man. But after the whole Peter break-up scene, I started to doubt myself. So when it was finally revealed that Bryan was indeed the winner, I ended up being surprised. Infuriated, angry, and devastated, but still….surprised.  

So the bottom line is: Do I still feel like the show is completely ridiculous? Yes. Is it completely weird and crazy to date 30 men at the same time in the hopes of marrying one? Yes. But, is the show a complete waste of time? No. It was entertaining and most of all it made me think and feel and get involved. Isn’t that the point of good television anyway?

Watch The Bachelorette on Hulu