If you watch a TV show long enough, you might start to notice some patterns. It can happen in scripted TV shows, but it can also happen with supposedly unscripted reality TV shows. Even if you’ve just watched The Bachelor or The Bachelorette for a couple of seasons, you will notice some things that occur every single season.
We do expect there to be some overlap with the show given that every season has the same premise: Someone dates a group of people in the hopes of finding love and proposing during the *most dramatic Bachelor finale yet.* But beyond that, there are some surprising things that seem to happen every single season among the different contestants. Count to see how many you’ve noticed and pay attention to the others on the next season of the reality TV dating show.
18. Someone Ugly Cries.
When it comes to matters of the heart, you know that there are going to be tears. After all, there’s one person and a group of semi-desperate people looking for love. When they don’t get a rose, there will be a flood of tears. And pretty much every group date or interruption results in some waterworks. With so much crying going on, you would think The Bachelor would have its own special waterproof mascara, but they don’t. Streaming mascara is as common as ugly cry faces.
17. Someone Says They “Didn’T Come To Make Friends.”
Yeah, we know that the franchise’s shows are all about finding the one. We knew that from when Chris Harrison introduced us to the concept back in season one, but it doesn’t stop a contestant from announcing that they “didn’t come here to make friends” every single season. We’re pretty sure that no one else came on the show to find a best bud. They key difference is they don’t feel the need to announce it.
16. The Whole House Picks One Person To Be Public Enemy #1.
When you get a group of strangers all vying for the attention of one person while on camera, there’s bound to be a whole lot of drama. What’s interesting is that there always seems to be one person who is singled out as public enemy #1. In the vast majority of the cases, the person totally lives up to their reputation in the house then cries to their date about what a bunch of betches the rest of the people are.
15. There Is A Showdown When Someone Accuses Another Person About Not Being There For The Right Reasons.
You can almost guarantee a mid-season showdown, often involving public enemy #1 and/or the person who said they “didn’t come to make friends.” (It’s normally the same person.) The fight usually involves lots of pointing and people interrupting each other. Of course there are always threats about telling the bachelor/bachelorette. The remaining people will look on awkwardly while sipping their drinks – unless, of course, the showdown comes on the 2-on-1. In that case, even better.
14. There Is A Steamy Scene With Subtitles Of “Sexy” Noises.
When it comes time for the fated overnight dates on The Bachelor/The Bachelorette, you can guarantee that there’s going to be a shot of someone closing a door and hanging a “do not disturb sign” from it. We might then get the season’s first music montage with sexy noises that may-or-may-not have been uttered on the date. Of course, sometimes the slurping, sucking and grunting noises are heard earlier, normally on a late night date under the stars.
13. Someone Recites A Song Or Poem They Wrote Especially For The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Despite Not Knowing Them.
There’s a lot of competition in the house so people want to make sure that they stand out and make a good impression. (There is a first impression rose at stake.) Some people go the basic route and decide to showcase their personalities. Others get a bit more creative and decide to make things personal by writing a poem or love song about the bachelor/bachelorette. Problem is they’ve never met the person until they’re performing their “masterpiece” and they had no inkling about the person.
12. There’S A Terrifying Date Where People Bond By Facing Their Fears.
There are a bunch of cliche dates that you know The Bachelor is going to tick each season. Cute animals? Check. Romantic dinner? Check. Exotic beach location? Check. Mildly terrifying activity? Check. Nothing bonds people (and makes for great TV) like forcing them to overcome their fears in an attempt to win a rose and the heart of the suitor. Skydiving, bungee jumping, and extreme free falling have all been featured… along with visiting some very tall bridges. Oh, and then there was that zombie date from season 19.
11. After One Date, Someone Says That They Are Madly In Love… With At Least Two People.
It’s nothing out of the ordinary for contestants to be head-over-heels in love with the bachelor/the bachelorette after stepping out of the limo and giving a corny introduction. What is also expected is when the bachelor admits to the camera or confidant Chris Harrison that he/she has deep, intense feelings for at least two of the people in the room.
10. Somebody Shares A Deeply Personal Story About Their Family As Soon As They Step Out Of The Limo.
When it comes to making a first impression when stepping out of the limo, some go for humor while others try to wear the sexiest outfit. Others seem to want to completely skip by the light getting-to-know-you topics of conversation and develop an intimate connection with the bachelor/the bachelorette by telling a really personal story, normally involving a family tragedy. What’s interesting is that if they have a kid or they’ve been married, they’ll usually wait until about episode five to reveal those details.
9. A Chill Pool Party Ends Up With Major Drama.
What would The Bachelor be without pool parties? When people aren’t at rose ceremonies or going on dates, they’re lounging by the pool. It’s not all gratuitous swimwear shots, though, as there’s normally a showdown in the pool. It could be the aforementioned argument about someone not being there for the right reasons or it could be about someone who hogged too much of the bachelor’s time on a group date. If we’re lucky enough, someone ugly cries in the pool and/or someone falls into the pool while wearing their fancy evening clothes.
8. After Being Rejected, Someone Tries To Make It Seem Like They Weren’T That Interested Anyway And This Was Their Choice.
When someone gets rejected, they usually handle the situation one of two ways: 1. They breakdown into a fit of tears and hyperventilating and lament about being single again and “starting over at square one.” 2. They try to reclaim the situation and act like it was their decision to get eliminated and like they totally weren’t into the bachelor/bachelorette despite there being a lot of footage that shows otherwise. In the latter case, the limo drives away as they’re still saying what’s wrong with the bachelor and why they’re a much better person.
7. Someone Goes On A Balcony To Get Fresh Air Then Breaks Down Into Tears.
Romeo and Juliet had their balcony moment and The Bachelor has theirs. On the reality TV show, the balcony is less about star-crossed lovers and more about people going to have a breather and do some deep soul searching. After about two minutes, you see them get weak in the knees and collapse onto the rail of the balcony.
6. Some Has A Breakdown Or Does Something Attention-Seeking In The Attempt To Get A Rose On The First Date.
Someone (often public enemy #1) is feeling the pressure of the high stakes of the first date. In the hopes of locking things up, they do something bold to get the bachelor’s attention. No matter how desperate, cheesy or sneaky it is, it usually works. The bachelor/bachelorette is flattered/impressed while all of the other contestants think the act reeks of desperation. There will likely be a confrontation in the pool about it later.
5. Someone Professes Their Undying Love For Someone Within The First Three Seconds Of Meeting Them.
Luckily for us The Bachelor/The Bachelorette viewers, we don’t just get people opening up about their feelings in their video confessions/to Chris Harrison. We also get people professing their love to their crushes. It normally takes place on a couch by the pool right before someone interrupts with their own love confession.
4. A Rejected Suitor Says That This Decision Was A Major Mistake And The Person Will Regret It.
Forget about going out on a high note. If you’ve just got rejected on The Bachelor, the most dramatic way to go out is shouting that the person will live to regret their decision and that they’ve made a huge mistake. If they say it while crying in the limo, it has even more impact. The best part is when the contestant is actually right and there’s a major bombshell during the After the Final Rose/ Bachelor Women/Men Tell All specials.
3. A Bachelor/Bachelorette Attempts To Have An Intimate Conversation But Gets Interrupted By At Least Eight People.
There are some interesting rules in modern dating. The Bachelor has its own unique set of rules. One of them is that it’s perfectly acceptable to “steal” the bachelor/bachelorette away from someone even if they are having a deep heart-to-heart conversation. It doesn’t matter if the conversation is about their kids, a dead family member or the significance of the tattoo on their elbow — interrupting people is a way of life.
2. Someone Brings A Prop To Meet The Bachelor/Bachelorette.
There have been 22 seasons of The Bachelor and in that time, there have been a lot of bizarre props that have appeared in the limo meet-and-greets. We’ve seen everything from guitars to shark/chicken costumes to rolling hot tubs to, erm, grandma or a full Church choir. You know there are going to be more crazy things.
1. Someone Makes A Huge First Impression But Normally Ends Up Forgotten About By Week Four.
They say that a first impression is so important, but the way things often play out on The Bachelor/The Bachelorette might prove this theory false. There’s normally someone who comes out of the limo and has the bachelor/bachelorette swooning. You might think all of the contestants should pack their bags and leave. By the third episode, you’ve forgotten all about the “intense connection” they shared with the bachelor/bachelorette. Then they’re eliminated the next week and you don’t remember who they were.