TV

A Bachelor Nation History Lesson: The Franchise's Wildest Moments

Here are the most notable yet lesser known moments in the franchise's wild and problematic history.

ABC

Before Luke P. came around for the Bachelorette Hannah Brown finally gave him a piece of her mind, the franchise had plenty of wild moments.

Nowadays Bachelor Nation is compromised of many new fans who are unaware of the series' past. A proper history lesson can allow a fan to be better equipped to converse, compare, and critique shows like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Here are the most notable but less-known crazy moments for those Bachelor Nation newbies.

Jesse Palmer Says the Wrong Name

Before getting to harsher realities of the program, we'll start with something light.

Learning 24 names during one evening would be difficult for anybody. The Bachelor season 5 lead, Jesse Palmer, happened to say the wrong woman's name. Instead of giving a rose to Karen, he accidentally gave it to Katie, someone he meant to send home on night one. Embarrassed, he extended the invitation for Katie to stay, which she unfortunately accepted. Katie deserved better!

Jesse Gives Rose to the Wrong Girl - The Bachelorwww.youtube.com

Lindsay Yenter Reacts in the Best Way

During Bachelor Sean Lowe's season finale, he sent home frontrunner Lindsey Yenter. When he went to walk her out, she took off her heels in a smooth IDGAF move: big mood.

Sad Music - Sean Lowe says "Goodbye" to Lindsey Yenter - Bachelor 2013www.youtube.com

2-on-1 in The Badlands

Before the emotional intelligence showdown between Corinne and Taylor, Bachelor Nation staple Ashley laconetti got into it with Chris Soules's contestant, Kelsey Poe. Their 2-on-1 was one of the most uncomfortable, dramatic dates the franchise has ever seen. Iaconetti called out Poe for being condescending; Poe then used her talking head segment to put Ashley down for generally being dumb, fake, young, and wearing too much make-up. The season was shot in 2014, which demonstrates how recent tearing down women was seen as okay.

The Bachelor - 2-on-1 Date Awkward Silencewww.youtube.com

Skinny Dipping Seen Around the Nation

We remember when the season's villain, Courtney Robertson, won Ben Flajnik's heart on the 16th season of The Bachelor. Their engagement was a surprise to many. Similarly, viewers across the nation were shocked when the show aired the two skinny-dipping in Puerto Rico. In retrospect, the 2012 controversial moment now looks like a lot of good fun.

Ben And Courtney Go Midnight Skinny Dipping! | The Bachelor USwww.youtube.com

Brooks Forester Breaks Up with The Bachelorette

The season 17 Bachelorette, Desiree Hartsock, was shocked and heartbroken when Brooks Forester broke up with her right before the finale. In tears, she seemed ready to choose and build a life with the contestant. Luckily, all ended happily for the lead; in 2015 she married the winner of her season, Chris Siegfrield.

Brooks Breaks Up With Desiree - The Bachelorettewww.youtube.com

Everything Juan Pablo

Juan Pablo was the worst, most misogynistic Bachelor the show has ever seen. Andi called out the Bachelor for belittling her decision to be there, runner-up Clare told him off for breaking up with her after claiming he loved her, and yet he only told the winner, Nikki Ferrel, that he likes her "a lot," with a wink.

The Bachelor - Juan Pablo Tells Andi It's Okaywww.youtube.com


Who Can Forget This Epic Moment from Monday's Finale of The Bachelor?www.youtube.com


Bachelor 2014 - Nikki Ferrell Gets The Final Rosewww.youtube.com

Nick Viall Slut-Shames Andi Dorfman

Andi was never afraid to put a man in his place for his unwise words. On her Bachelorette season's "After the Final Rose" episode, Nick asked Andi why she had sex with him if she did not love him. The lead immediately rejected the inappropriate, sexist question, retorting that it was "below the belt" and should "be kept private."

Bachelorette Finale - Nick Confronts Andi About Sex Suitewww.youtube.com

Kaitlyn Bristowe's Caught on Camera with Nick Viall

On Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe's season, she decided to break from the format and be intimate with a contestant before the show's Fantasy Suites. Bristowe later received a lot of backlash for the decision. In fact, back to back Bachelorettes bore the brunt of the show's sexist double standard about sex.

Kaitlyn and Nick Get it On - The Bachelorwww.youtube.com

Rozlyn Is Accused of Hooking Up with a Producer

The show has never and will never fully protect the women on any of the franchise's shows. On Jake Pavelka's season of The Bachelor, the production team decided to humiliate contestant Rozlyn Papa for having an "inappropriate" relationship with a producer to stir up drama. The unnecessary moment will go down in the show's absurd and emotionally abusive history. PSA: No matter what anyone says, Chris Harrison is complicit and the show doesn't need him.

Rozlyn Accused Of "Inappropriate" Relationship With TV Producer | The Bachelor USwww.youtube.com

Jake Pavelka's On-Air Breakup With Vienna Girardi

The winner of Jake Pavelka's season, Vienna Girardi, broke down during an interview with Pavelka and host, Chris Harrison. As Girardi begins to explain herself, Pavelka butts in; when she tries to get in another word, he verbally reprimands his fiancé. The Bachelor continued to mistreat Giardi, truly looking like a psychopath comparable to Luke P.

Jake and Vienna's Breakup - The Bachelorwww.youtube.com

A Blatant Racist on Rachel Lindsay's Season

Instead of giving the racist contestant from Rachel Lindsay's season a cameo on this listicle, the harassed contestant Kenny King will get the floor. The Bachelorette production gained a lot of criticism for completely mishandling their first black Bachelorette's season by casting Lee Garrett on the show—a man who once equated Black Lives Matter to "terrorism." Critics are still questioning whether or not the show even deserves to have another person of color lead the show after this complete mess.

Kenny Voices His Frustrations About Lee - The Bachelorette 13x4www.youtube.com

Emily Maynard's Daughter Is Not Baggage

Single mother Emily Maynard shot down contestant Kalon after word spread that he called her daughter "baggage." Maynard refused to tolerate that and immediately sent him home like the badass she was.

The Bachelorett- Emily Vs. Kalonwww.youtube.com

Brad Womack Chooses No One

Brad Womack stunned viewers across the nation when he ended up with none of the 25 contestants from his season. While the Bachelor came back to lead a second season, he has still yet to find love, even after becoming engaged to the future Bachelorette star, Emily Maynard.

Brad Picks No One - The Bachelorwww.youtube.com

The Jason Mesnick Move

Before Arie Luyendyk Jr. broke up with Becca Kufrin to chase after the runner-up and his now wife, Lauren Burnham, in a historic, unedited scene, season 4 Bachelor Jason Mesnick broke up with the winner, Melissa, for Molly on-air. As the wildest moment on the franchise, this laid the foundation for Luyendyk Jr. to also get ripped apart by America's Bachelor Nation. Fortunately, all worked out for everyone involved; Jason and Molly are still married 9 years later and have a daughter named Anne, along with Jason's son, Ty. Arie and Lauren also are living happily ever after and have a daughter, Alessi Ren.

Jason Rejects Melissa for Molly - The Bachelorwww.youtube.com

#MikeForBachelor

ABC

The fifteenth season of The Bachelorette is winding down, which means buzz about who will be the next Bachelor has already begun.

Hannah Brown's season offers one of the best batches of men Bachelor Nation has seen in awhile. Although, from the get-go, it was apparent who the Bachelorette had her eyes set on (Luke P.), which came with the expectation that those remaining would head down to Bachelor in Paradise. The only viable candidates left for the Bachelor role are Pilot Pete, Tyler C., Jed Wyatt, and Mike Johnson.

Of those final four, two are embroiled in a scandal. People Magazine reported that Jed Wyatt had a girlfriend before leaving for the show. Soon after, news broke that Pilot Pete broke up with his girlfriend when he was cast on the show too. That leaves Tyler C. and Mike Johnson as the only solid options. Both are respectful of women and incredibly easy on the eyes. However, when it comes down to a white candidate versus a black candidate, the Bachelor franchise has selected white candidates 95% of the time.

Three years ago, the show finally cast Rachel Lindsay, the franchise's first black Bachelorette. She was only the second person of color to be cast as the lead in 14 years of the show. Her predecessor, the Venezuelan-born Juan Pablo Galavis, was the first POC to lead the show. He has since been deemed the worst Bachelor, because, well, he's a misogynist. So when it came to Lindsay's season, she faced a lot of pressure to be the first person of color to properly and positively represent her community.

ABC

In reality, the first black Bachelorette's season illuminated the show's toxic racial and gender biases. The franchise's creator (and an alleged domestic-abuser), Mike Fleiss, commented on why Lindsay's season had lower ratings than previous ones, "I found it incredibly disturbing in a Trumpish kind of way. How else are you going to explain the fact that she's down in the ratings, when—black or white—she was an unbelievable bachelorette. It revealed something about our fans."

But the poor reception could be attributed to how, after 37 seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette combined, there have still only been two people of color cast as leads in the franchise, comprising 5% of the casting choices. One reason Lindsay's season of The Bachelorette had low ratings may be because the show never appealed to an inclusive and diverse fan base. For how progressive the producers claim to be, the shows are clearly lacking in representation of non-white Americans. Maybe it's time for the Bachelor franchise to catch up to the rest of Hollywood by casting Mike Johnson as their first black Bachelor.

However, Air Force veteran Mike Johnson may be wary of furthering his involvement with the franchise because of its history. During an interview with Glamour, Johnson chose to identify himself as the "first veteran Bachelor." He may have said this because he's aware of the position he'd be put in as the first black Bachelor, and he doesn't want his race to be his whole identity.

In 2012, ABC was slapped with a class-action lawsuit by two-would-be contestants who claimed the show under-represented minorities. According to a 2016 Washington Post article titled, "'The Bachelor' Is Embarrassingly White": "The suit alleged ABC features minority contestants in their non-romance reality shows, such as Dancing with the Stars, but that it did not cast people of color in The Bachelor because it was afraid interracial romance would create controversy among its audience." A judge dismissed the case because the show can cast whomever they like under the First Amendment. Regardless, the franchise took note of the criticism. In 2013 and 2014, the show made substantial strides to diversify their cast, yet the number of people of color cast still went down again in the next two years.

Other POC contestants have clearly felt uncomfortable and unprotected by the franchise. Rachel Lindsay's season was a pivotal moment in the show's history, because the production team proved it was incapable of handling the subject of race. The franchise's past clearly shows that their format works to benefit white contestants and favor white leads.

Why does this show even deserve the opportunity to represent a person of color?

ABC

In 2016, Splinter's analysis found that 59% of black contestants from both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette left the shows within two weeks, leaving 41% to be sent home by week five. That remained the case until The Bachelor's 21st season, when Rachel Lindsey made it all the way to Fantasy Suites week, becoming the season's second runner-up and the next Bachelorette— the franchise's first black lead.

When her season of The Bachelorette debuted, the show congratulated itself on being "historic" for casting a black woman as the lead of a network television show, but tense racial issues soon became apparent on the show. From night one, Lindsay laughed off a contestant's (Dean Unglert) salacious pick-up line, "I'm ready to go black and never go back." In a later episode, another white contestant (Peter Kraus) rapped that Linsday was a "girl from the hood." To be clear, this Bachelorette is a lawyer whose father is a federal judge, and she was raised in an upper-middle class area of Dallas, Texas.

Problems escalated when one contestant's racist tweets surfaced. Lee Garrett had once equated Black Lives Matter to "terrorism," and yet he was permitted to remain on the show for weeks in order to play the villain. Lee went on to specifically goad black contestants. For instance, he continuously attempted to instigate altercations with single father Kenny King, to fuel the stereotype that all black men are aggressive and prone to violence. Another black contestant, Will Gaskins, informed Lee, "There is a long-standing history in this country of regarding black men in America as aggressive to justify a lot of other things." Ultimately, Lindsay sent Lee home after believing that sweetheart Kenny would never get physical or threaten Lee. Regardless, that didn't stop the show from editing the one-on-one footage for the episode's promos to make the viewer wonder if Kenny King did, indeed, become violent.

ABC

Lee's blatant harassment of black contestants highlighted many irresponsible practices within The Bachelor franchise. First, the show's background checks were clearly not thorough enough to catch this man's tweets. Secondly, producers allowed the Bachelorette to experience harassment herself: She was forced to deal with a racist contestant disguised as a well-meaning man vying for her affections. Thirdly, the production did not intervene when Lee created dangerous situations for black contestants.

Rachel Lindsay later spoke out about the show's mishandling of her season and mistreatment of her as a black woman. In an interview with US Weekly, she called out the Bachelor franchise for leaving out the loving moments between her and her winner, Bryan Abasolo. Instead, they focused the majority of the finale on her breakup with Peter, prompting Lindsay to assert, "You know more about the journey of my breakup than the journey to my proposal acceptance." Lindsay went on to explain:

"Let's just be honest, Becca did not have the finale that I had. There was no controversy and she was not put in a position to face any. She was protected and I was placed on display for three hours and labeled an angry black female. And there will always be that stigma attached to my finale because it has been said that when truth is blurred by misinformation, perception becomes reality and all is lost."

Linsday is referring to the former Bachelorette, Becca Kufrin, and her fiancé, Garrett Yrigoyen. Yrigoyen came under fire for liking very offensive social-media posts—ones that mocked trans people, immigrant children, and other minorities, including a post insinuating that the Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg was a "crisis actor." It's concerning but unsurprising that one of the Bachelorette's white, male winners (who was openly guilty of offensive actions) received more protection and support than was given to the show's first WOC lead.

Additionally, Lindsay was criticized for who she fell in love with: Abaloso, a Colombian man from Miami. At the beginning of Lindsay's season, The Root's Maiysha Kai wrote an article titled "Don't Bet on Black: The Bachelorette May Disappoint You." Kai discussed how Lindsay could be a disappointing Bachelorette to some because she didn't give her first impression rose to "a brother." The writer acknowledged, "Being the first—at anything—means the weight of 'the culture's' expectations rest firmly upon your shoulders." The article clearly implied that if the first black Bachelorette did not end up with a black man, she'd be letting down the culture by not representing "black love."

ABC

After Lindsay's season aired, The Bachelorette Season 13 contestant, Demario Jackson, hopped on "The E&G Podcast." During the interview, Jackson claimed Lindsay was attracted only to white men, noting, "I was only there for two weeks in the house. From the beginning you knew that she was attracted to white men. You knew that. No disrespect, you just knew. She had that vibe." Lindsay clapped back the next day, calling out Jackson for his hypocrisy, "Says the guy that dated Lexi," referring to the white girlfriend he had before coming on the show. She concluded, "Demario never knew me and still doesn't."

No matter what she did, Lindsay received the utmost scrutiny. Which leads us to the question: "Is America ready for a black Bachelor?"

In 2017, journalist Katie Barnes wrote an article for ESPNW, titled, "Why 'The Bachelor' franchise isn't ready for another black lead." Barnes noted how the show had not proven its ability to "deftly handle implications of a black man's sexual prowess or the historical context of a black man courting white women." She pointed out that American viewers still have a preference for same-race relationships, based on the Bachelor's lower ratings when they cast a black lead.

America has already had a black president, which should mean America is ready for a black Bachelor, right? Really, the question is whether or not The Bachelor production should be trusted to properly represent a black man on the network. The answer is, most likely, no.

Based on the franchise's history, it clearly cannot provide protection and respect to white and black contestants equally. The show has continuously put even white contestants, specifically the Bachelorettes, in harm's way by allowing emotionally and physically abusive men to remain on the show past their due. After the first black Bachelorette was treated unfairly based on race, how can any black man expect the show to represent him as a respectful, loving, funny, and kind man?

Why would a contestant as fantastic as Mike Johnson want to be the Bachelor when the show put the only previous black lead in danger by casting a racist contestant and manipulated edits to depict her as an ungrateful, angry black woman?

On the other hand, the veteran could have the opportunity to represent black men on a national scale. Of course being the first black Bachelor would come with unreasonable expectations and great weight, but he could depict a real black man's love and respect for women and love for his family, particularly his great love for his grandmother, mother, and sister. The decision to become the first of anything, like Maiysha Kai explained, is to be prepared for scrutiny all around. But it also means weighing the pros and the cons— is it better to contribute to the culture via representation or refrain due to the concerns of being misrepresented? By branding himself as the "first veteran Bachelor," Mike seems to be laying the groundwork to move the perception of his identity away from his blackness and towards his other qualities.

Truthfully, Mike Johnson has all the qualities to be the next and best Bachelor yet—and he happens to be black. Bachelor Nation has seen more genuine personality and heard more engaging soundbites from Mike Johnson than any other man this season. Mike is at a reasonable age to be "looking for love," he respects women, has life experience, he's a family guy, he's funny, he has a real career as a portfolio manager, and he's good-looking. Fun tidbit: He's the one who called out Luke P. from the beginning!

After boring, immature duds like Colton Underwood and Arie Luyendyk Jr., Mike could be the man the show needs to revitalize The Bachelor with a complex lead. And maybe this is exactly what Bachelor Nation needs to snap them out of their racial biases and tendencies— if Mike Johnson deems the franchise worthy.

If you're still keeping up with Season 15 of The Bachelorette, you've demonstrated great perseverance, maybe even as great as St. Catherine.

Hannah Brown's season has gotten messy, in the best and worst ways. After People Magazinebroke the story that Jed Wyatt, a contestant, had a girlfriend before the show and then also cheated on that girlfriend with another woman, Bachelor Nation went crazy. Every moment he's on the show is somehow more despicable than watching Luke P be a pathological liar. Still, Luke P. has stuck around for reasons that many are still failing to comprehend.

Hannah's One-On-One With Jed

After everything we know now, it's very difficult to watch Hannah go on a date with Jed. Their time together was boring until Hannah told Jed she was falling in love with him. Bachelor Nation cringed and defended Hannah against the true villain of the season, Jed.



Hannah's One-On-One with Tyler

Hannah's date with Tyler wasn't very exciting. They spent their awkward time together roaming the city on horses and eating odd food.


It wasn't until the evening portion that Tyler C. opened up about his family's past. His father lost everything he had after the 2008 market crash, and then his parents got divorced. Hannah went on to share details of her family life. She disclosed that her parents are in a happy marriage, but they're horrible at communicating. The moment was surprisingly honest for the show—to viewers' delight and her parents' embarrassment.


A Moment of Silence for Connor: He was never making it to hometowns.

Connor S. had barely received any screen time since his one-on-one. He faded into the background for viewers and, apparently, for Hannah. When the contestant knew he wasn't going on a one-on-one the week before hometowns, he went to visit Hannah for their own alone time. Hannah wasn't really ecstatic about the surprise and truthfully told him she just doesn't see it happening for them.

Hannah's One-On-One With Mike

After telling Jed she was in love with him and then an "explosive" date with Tyler, Hannah realized that she couldn't keep Mike around. She especially couldn't meet his family knowing how big of a step that was for Mike.

The contestant took the break-up with grace as he consoled Hannah.

Everyone:



After Mike went home, Luke P. was happy because there's one less contestant battling for Hannah's heart. Tyler C. called him out in the most glorious fashion.



The Group Date

To sum up the painful and barely entertaining group date, there was annoying drama between Garrett and Luke. Thankfully, our sweet Pilot Pete stayed in his own lane.





So there we have it: Luke P, Pilot Pete, Jed, and Tyler C. are all bringing Miss Hannah Brown home to meet their families.


Fin (@ Jed)

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The Sexist Double Standard on "The Bachelorette"

On The Bachelorette, it's a woman who bears the burden of other people's opinions about her choices and who's saddled with the repercussions. Why?

Before Nick Viall became a Bachelor Nation staple, he was the guy who confronted his ex, Bachelorette Andi Dorfman, on national television.

"Knowing how in love with you I was, if you weren't in love with me, I'm just not sure why you made love with me," he said accusingly. Dorfman retorted that was "below the belt" and should "be kept private."

What Nick Viall divulged might have been met with pity if a woman had expressed it—because men take advantage of women all the time. But on The Bachelor, no woman has taken issue with the leading man being intimate with another woman. In contrast, time and time again, the men on The Bachelorette become possessive and force the female contestant to defend her actions, specifically her sexual decisions. It's clear that the Bachelor can have sex with his female suitors whenever he pleases and receive no backlash from the contestants or from Bachelor Nation.

Bachelorette Finale - Nick Confronts Andi About Sex Suitewww.youtube.com

Meanwhile, Dorfman received a lot of flack for hurting Nick's feelings. Similarly, the following bachelorette, Kaitlyn Bristowe, also received backlash for having sex with Nick Viall before the "fantasy suites." It's an unspoken rule that the fantasy suites are where the final four contestants are free to do whatever they want during their first time away from the cameras. The production team typically stocks the suite with sweets, alcohol, and condoms for each pair's indulgence.

For Nick to have sex with Bristowe before the "fantasy suite" format seemed hypocritical. Here we had a man who implied that Dorfman was cruel to have sex with him because she did not end up committing to him. A year later, Nick even defended Kaitlyn's choice to have sex with him on the show, tweeting, "Sex is not shameful. Whether we want to admit it or not, sex is an important part of many serious and meaningful relationships." While Nick has since apologized, it's still important to acknowledge that he shamed Dorfman for her sexual expression in front of millions. Yet, it was Bristowe and Dorfman who received the brunt of the backlash, with people across the nation slut-shaming them, while Nick got away scot-free.

Last night, yet another Bachelorette had to address a man's issue with her sexual actions. While on her first one-on-one date in Latvia, Hannah and Garrett bungee jumped naked (as is Latvian tradition). The date was riveting, vulnerable, and fun. It was an experience for the couple and the viewers.

When Garrett came back from his date, he giddily recounted it to the other men, but resident villain Luke P. did not receive the news of the naked bungee jumping kindly. He told the camera that he didn't believe Hannah would do that, and if she did, it'd be a slap in the face to him.

On their group date, Hannah referred to her date with Garrett and confirmed what Garrett said. Reality finally hit Luke P., and he was pissed. During the evening portion of the date, he took Hannah aside to "clarify" what happened on her one-on-one with Garrett and express how he felt about it. He began by referring to her body as "a temple," then cited her nude bungee jumping as "a slap in the face"; he concluded by divulging that he's no longer "confident" that he wants her to meet his family now. When Hannah reacted poorly to this, he put his foot farther in his mouth by trying to win her back, claiming that he'll always stick by her whenever she makes "boneheaded mistakes."

Still mulling over the alarming conversation with Luke, Hannah decided to sit down with him on the day of the cocktail party. She addressed her concerns, which included the language he used, calling her nude bungee jumping a "boneheaded mistake" and using his family against her. But, all that aside, Hannah informed Luke P. that at this point, he shouldn't even be concerned with what goes on in her other relationships because, "You're not my husband. You don't own my body. You don't own me. It's my body." Luke P. claimed that she completely misunderstood him. He told her that she might not be remembering everything correctly and that she was twisting his language. Luke P. backtracking in such a manipulative and outright dishonest fashion furthers the argument that he's not only a pathological liar, but downright emotionally abusive.

Their interaction seems to be only the beginning of what's to come. The Bachelorette has teased Hannah's iconic line, "I have had sex and Jesus still loves me!" for weeks now and recently revealed Luke P. is on the receiving end of the sentiment. It's obvious that the narrative around sex and religion will come to a head this season, which will hopefully put The Bachelor franchise's slut-shaming to bed. As much as the franchise supposedly tries to uplift their "independent" women, the Bachelorette constantly has to reassure the men, reassert her strength, and defend her actions: a phenomenon that will most likely persist, since it appears that many men still can't understand that a woman's body belongs only to her.

Recently, host Chris Harrison suggested that The Bachelor franchise has showcased the changing realities of dating. Alas, that's true. As much as The Bachelor franchise wants to keep up with the times, The Bachelorette still plays into damaging stereotypes about relationships, gender roles, and how some men on The Bachelorette react poorly to not controlling the female lead. Luke P. isn't the first contestant, nor will he be the last, to impose his expectations of what a woman should or should not do with her body. As such, The Bachelorette reinforces the double standard that a woman can't express the same bodily autonomy and decision-making as a man.

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Does the Bachelor Franchise Really Need Chris Harrison Anymore?

Chris Harrison may need the ABC shows more than they need him.

Chris Harrison

Photo by AFF-USA/Shutterstock

This week, Bachelor Nation expressed their frustration with the episode's odd format.

The first hour climaxed in the most spectacular fashion: Hannah let the men have it after their petty bickering; but unfortunately, we didn't see what happened next. To the fans' dismay, The Bachelorette had an hour long, mid-season recap.

Last night, like every season, the lead snapped: The "journey" became too much to handle. Usually, the moment occurs when the lead isn't getting what they want, which forces him or her to question why they're even there.

Last season, Colton went AWOL after the woman he wanted, Cassie, left the show. Despite years of on and off relevance, Chris Harrison finally had the opportunity to play a vital role. On Episode 9, Chris Harrison became the season's MVP, jogging after Colton in the Portuguese country-side, juggling two phones while trying to answer his bosses' questions, and asking the tough questions.

Typically, Harrison receives the majority of his screen-time during the show's finale and rose ceremonies. He's the Bachelor's B-grade interviewer and unqualified therapist. Throughout the more recent seasons, Harrison's purpose on the show has been questioned. Leads have become more assertive and autonomous, which has left Harrison with little to do.

As reality programs become more scripted, TheBachelor franchise embraces the slip-ups of leads and expose behind the scenes elements. Earlier this season, Hannah sought her producers' guidance about Luke P. In the moment, they persuaded her to handle it, because viewers don't care about the middle man.

However, last night, Chris Harrison appeared out of the shadows to console Hannah. He played the role the network would want: he convinced Hannah to stay, just like he accomplished with Colton last season.

The next day, Chris and Hannah sat in a cafe to discuss how she felt and if she was hopeful she'd find love. It was difficult to ignore the insincere smize that never left his face.

Since Harrison's screen-time has dwindled over recent years, it's easy to be skeptical of his presence. After little to no screen time this season, the random hour-long recap felt misplaced. The unnecessary segment offered over 18 minutes of Harrison asking questions we all knew the answer to.

Viewers groaned as they watched and tweeted, frustrated that ABC used the episode's remaining hour to review old drama only six episodes into the season. As demonstrated by the negative reactions, Harrison's useless recap reminded the audience that he's only necessary when the show is effecting the lead's emotional well-being. The producers can try to insert Chris Harrison as a confidant, but we all know he wields no true influence.

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Is Luke P. Really a Psychopath?

On Episode 5 we saw an ostracized Luke crumble.

For the past four weeks, it's been so easy to dislike Luke P.

He weaponized his connection with Hannah to manipulate her, lied to her and his fellow contestants, and became violent. What others may see as an outright psychopath may be a man in a stressful circumstance, unable to put his hyper-masculinity aside to forge a meaningful connection with Hannah and the other men.

While others may throw the term "psychopath" around like it's nothing, Luke's actions thus far are still concerning. Revisiting the term, a psychopath is "a person with a psychopathic personality, which manifests as amoral and antisocial behavior, lack of ability to love or establish meaningful personal relationships, extreme egocentricity, failure to learn from experience, etc."

Combined with his inflated ego, Luke's behavior is definitely off-putting. His failure to make a meaningful connection with Hannah beyond their instant connection is difficult to redeem. Luke P. has constantly destabilized dates and caused drama wherever he's gone, unable to learn from experience. Throughout the most recent episode, it's apparent Luke was trying to connect with the men—but to no avail. He'd fall back on his antisocial tendencies in pursuit of the task at hand: winning the girl.

We know Hannah likes physical competition among the men. This week's group date involved Scotland's Highland Games; it was notably the most fun group date. She could not ignore the fact that Luke P. wasn't there, which contributed to the ease of the day. When Luke was finally chosen for a one-on-one date, he announced the date would finally help him know if he wanted to continue his relationship with Hannah. For the second time, Luke used the negative state of his relationship with Hannah as an opportunity to clarify what he wants, after declaring his undeniable love early on in the show. His refusal to be held accountable for his actions while threatening their relationship is a noticeable defense mechanism. When in front of Hannah for their one-on-one date, Luke shed his ultra-manly persona to appease her, pretending to be vulnerable by telling her what she'd want to hear instead of opening up to her about his emotional state.

During their confrontation, Luke put on a robotic facade which she then called out. She questioned why all the men dislike him so much. He did not fold, responding that in any other situation people "love me." Hannah did not take kindly to the reply, urging him to see how boastful he can seem and how that may turn people away. After all, she is a social woman who wants people to be drawn to her partner. Perhaps she was trying too hard to get him to open up about how difficult the situation with the men has been. All he could divulge was that it's been "hard," and he gave examples of how the men have wronged him. To Hannah, there was no emotion behind anything he said. She was so concerned that she begged producers to give her an out, to persuade her to send him home— also to no avail.

A person like Luke P. drives ratings, but the producers know when their lead has a genuine connection with a contestant. Seeing Hannah handling her frustration in real time instead of in a confessional was a necessary scene to convince her to figure out the relationship on her own. Unfortunately, Luke's prior actions were concerning enough for the producers to intervene, meanwhile, their date went in circles with no resolution. Hannah so badly wanted to send Luke P. home as easily as she had the other men who disrespected her, but she couldn't let him go just yet. It's confusing, considering what Luke P. did to Hannah. In a toxic, emotionally abusive relationship, the victim tends to feel like they're crazy or helpless. Hannah utilized their instant connection as a reason to keep him around, as a "what if" based on the past; but Luke gaslit the other men and then Hannah by coming up with scenarios that were outright lies, which led Hannah to question her judgment. Whenever he felt emotionally insecure or wanted to prove his dominance, he'd try to take up her time and hinder her ability to forge other connections. Instead of attempting to get to the root cause of Luke's behavior, Hannah approached him with too much sympathy when it came to his situation with the other men: Remember, he's been the one causing her distress to the point where she is mentally incapable of pursuing other relationships.

However, some contestants stepped up to reassure Hannah they were truly there for her. Others took up the role of protecting Hannah from Luke and attacking him for being a "pathological liar" and "psychopath." Luke P. could be a psychopath, but he also could be a victim of circumstance. Evidently, Luke wants to find love. Unfortunately, The Bachelorette is not a healthy environment for him. His arrogance and antisocial characteristics have ostracized him (rightfully so), which might've worsened the loneliness he's experienced. By isolating himself in a single-minded pursuit to win Hannah's heart, he's put her in the unfortunate and unhealthy position to rectify the relationship, even though he's been manipulating her from the start. Although Hannah did not give Luke P. a rose at the end of their one-on-one, it's obvious he'll be sticking around at least a little longer. The trying situation will test her ability to see past the bullshit and truly be an empowered woman who breaks from a draining, potentially toxic relationship. Hopefully, all will lead to a happy ending for them both, independently.