At the beginning of every episode of The Bachelor recap show, A Beautiful Podcast to Fall in Love, Liam Mathews asks his co-host Jacqueline Trumbullhow she thinks the Bachelor “did” that week. Every time, the question and its implications frustrate me. What do you mean, how did he “do”?
Mathews, (who, full disclosure, is my TV Guide co-worker and beloved frenemy) clarified in a Slack chat the sort of answer he’s looking for: “Did they behave like a decent person? And if they didn’t, was it at least fun to watch?… It’s sort of like analyzing a sports performance.”
Clearly, the bar is on the floor for The Bachelor contestants. We aren’t rooting for these people to find love, as host Chris Harrison might want viewers to believe. We’re just hoping to be entertained while they drag us through this long con launchpad for influencer gigs.