If you have noticed your roommates or suitemates gathered in a socially-distant group around a laptop or TV on a Monday night, chances are they are deeply invested in
The Bachelor
. If you want to know what all the hype is about, here is your quick and easy guide to the ongoing storylines on this season of ABC’s hit reality dating show. After reading this article, you can jump right in on the fun starting with the next episode this coming Monday.
Warning: If you are not caught up and want to watch the earlier episodes, there are spoilers below for this season of
The Bachelor
!
Who is Matt James?
First things first, you will need a bit of background on this season’s leading man, Matt James. He is 29 years old and works as a real estate broker in New York City (NYC). Additionally, he leads a non-profit organization in NYC with a focus on teaching nutrition and health to children from underserved elementary schools.
Typically, the bachelor is a fan favorite, selected from contestants on previous seasons of
The Bachelorette.
However,
Bachelor
producers this season went with a lead who has never been on the show before. Matt was supposed to be on the most recent season of
The Bachelorette
, but after the pandemic delayed filming, ABC decided to pick a contestant from that season’s cast before its filming even began.
Even though this season marks Matt’s first appearance on the show, he had already made his mark on the franchise before filming because Matt made frequent social media appearances on the Instagram stories of Tyler Cameron, who is one of Matt’s best friends from college and a fan favorite from Season 15 of
The Bachelorette
. Additionally, Matt and Tyler are featured on TikTok account @thequarantinecrew, which also included former bachelorette Hannah Brown.
Matt is also the show’s first Black bachelor in all of its 25 seasons. This long overdue casting decision came after an active social media campaign called “The Bachelor Diversity Campaign” (or @bachdiversity) called for Bachelor executives to cast more BIPOC leads and contestants and address inequalities in screen time of BIPOC individuals.
So how does this work?
If you have never seen the show before, you might be wondering how Matt will find a potential fiancé from a group of 30+ women over the course of a dozen episodes. Here is what happens: in each episode, there are usually three dates. At the beginning of the season, the bachelor or bachelorette either goes on a one-on-one date with a single contestant, or a group date with several contestants. However,
The Bachelor
is currently far into the season, where dates are typically all one-on-one dates. At the end of each episode, there is a Rose Ceremony, where Matt gives out fewer roses than the number of women that remain. At this point in the season, Matt will send home one woman per episode. Eventually, he will narrow it down to just one woman and will either end the season engaged or in a serious romantic relationship (unless he chooses to end up alone, which is rare, but has happened). It is also worth noting that most
Bachelor
seasons involve international travel, but this season was filmed entirely at Nemacolin Resort in Pennsylvania, where
Bachelor
producers created a COVID-19 bubble.
Tell me about these women!
Here’s what you need to know about Matt’s top four:
Michelle
:
Although she joined later in the season, this 27-year-old teacher from Minnesota immediately caught Matt’s eye, and made up for lost time. Matt gave Michelle the first one-on-one date after she arrived at Nemacolin. They connected over their favorite Maya Angelou quotes, and shared a romantic moment in a hot air balloon. What more could you want?
Rachael
:
Rachael is an interesting character. On screen, she seems like the loveable girl-next-door who has a great connection with Matt. However, off-screen, her social media likes and previous posts have caught the attention of Bachelor Nation because they feature Rachael accepting and embracing racist symbols and traditions, such as the Confederate flag, cultural appropriation in Halloween costumes, and southern plantation themed balls. This behavior is appalling and the producers should have caught it during casting. Unfortunately, with Matt telling her he is falling in love with her two episodes back, Rachael seems to be here for the long haul.
Bri: Bri’s presence on the show has been understated since her first one-on-one date in the second episode of the season. However, every glimpse of her and Matt together shows their undeniable chemistry and bond over their similar familial upbringing, as both Bri and Matt were raised by single mothers. Bri also has arguably the best fashion that the show has seen in years. The girl really knows how to rock a green dress. Her big moment in the last episode was her reveal that she quit her job to continue on this far into the show. This level of commitment impressed Matt, but scared viewers.
Serena P: This 22-year-old Canadian publicist has shown maturity that masks her youth. Her bubbly and kind personality shines through on screen. Serena has been one to stick up for women in the house who have felt excluded, and provide a good laugh in tough situations. Matt is clearly invested in his relationship with Serena, as she is the only woman to have had two one-on-one dates going into the final four. However, he has mentioned that he worries about their connection beyond a friendship level.
Honorable mention — Abigail: Abigail’s kind heart bled through televisions across America every week. She received Matt’s first impression rose on night one, and never failed to make him smile. Abigail is also the show’s first hearing-impaired contestant and opened up about her challenging life experiences to Matt in a way that made their connection all the more meaningful. Unfortunately, Matt progressed stronger in his other relationships and sent her home in the last episode.
Honorable mention — Katie: Although she was eliminated during her one-on-one date two weeks ago, Katie is worth knowing. I have never had so much respect for one contestant as I do for Katie, and I have been watching this show for nearly a decade. Katie went above and beyond to make sure that all the girls in the house felt welcome and comfortable, and actively stood up to ruthless bullying in a way that showed her selfless nature. Her kind heart and funny quips will be missed going forward.
What’s the tea?
A
Bachelor
season would not be complete without claims that it is “the most dramatic season ever.” With the early season drama of ‘the mean girls’ Anna, MJ, and Victoria behind us, we move on to the inevitable dramatic storyline of the next episode: disapproving parents. In this week’s episode, Matt will meet the families of the final four women. During hometown dates (which will not actually take place in the women’s hometowns this season), there is often a trend of nervous parents and prying siblings questioning the bachelor’s intentions and asking him to describe his relationship with their daughter in comparison to the other contestants. Matt will likely give a diplomatic answer to avoid revealing too much but also aim to reassure anxious family members. Be on the lookout for an intense level of grilling that will make Matt question his future!
Bachelor Nation News:
In addition to the on-screen drama, there is as much (if not more) drama happening in the
Bachelor
franchise off-screen. In a recent interview with former bachelorette Rachel Lindsay (who was also the show’s first Black lead), host Chris Harrison defended current
Bachelor
Rachael Kirkconnell for her racist social media posts. In the interview, he argued that viewers are too quick to become “woke police” in regard to every contestant’s past. Harrison continued to make inexcusable defenses of Kirkconnell’s racism, and rightfully faced major backlash on social media for doing so. As a result, Harrison, ABC, and Warner Brothers have decided that Harrison will temporarily step down as host for the show’s post-finale episode. I hope this is just the first step on the way to permanent, substantial change that allows
The Bachelor
to become truly anti-racist.
You should now be all set to jump into that socially distant viewing party on Monday!