The Renaissance of the Bachelor Franchise
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This season of The Bachelor definitely deserves a rose.
28-year-old Joey Graziadei found himself heartbroken by Charity Lawson on the season finale of 2023’s The Bachelorette. Fans fell in love with the tennis professional on-screen, excited to see that his time in the spotlight was far from over when he was announced as the next bachelor.
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The Bachelor series’ ratings and approval appeared to plummet after season 24 with lead Peter Weber. Weber was a contestant on season 15 of The Bachelorette, where he vied for Hannah Brown’s heart. Critics have argued that Brown’s season was the peak of the series. According to Business Insider, none of the seasons “hold a candle to the shocking drama, tender relationships, and standout casting viewers witnessed on Hannah Brown's season.” Brown took home the number one spot on Insider's rankings out of all The Bachelorette seasons aired. Brown’s confidence and authenticity, as well as her mix of toxic manipulators among stellar contestants, set the stage for an enthralling season.
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Since her time in the limelight, the series has taken a turn for the worse.
To promote the diversity that was sorely lacking prior, Matt James was cast as the first black bachelor in 2020. Despite the long overdue effort, fans were disappointed in the selection. James was chosen over countless beloved past contestants and had no connections to the series prior. The winner of James’s season, Rachael Kirkconnell, was quickly “canceled” after social media images resurfaced online of her attending an Old South, antebellum-themed party. Shortly after, the once beloved host Chris Harrison was under fire for an interview he conducted with Kirkconnell in which he defended her character. He took to Instagram to apologize and announced his resignation from the show.
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Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe assumed hosting duties during Katie Thurston's season of The Bachelorette, which was the lowest-rated season in Bachelor history. Things seemed to be on the upswing when season five bachelor Jesse Palmer was cast as the new host; however, the season 26 bachelor, Clayton Echard, was considered tired yet controversial, followed by the “boring” Zach Shallcross.
All hope seemed lost until fans finally got the bachelor they had hoped to be cast.
Being a fan favorite from the get-go and seeing his genuine love for Lawson, fans were elated to discover Graziadei’s time on the ABC show was just beginning. Graziadei’s charm, along with his hodgepodge of eccentric, hotheaded, and inspirational women, has created the perfect cocktail for a home-run season.
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Throughout the season thus far, Graziadei has shown a level of genuineness, humor, and intimacy that was missing from the series. He has somehow found a way to connect on a deeper level with multiple women in the hopes of finding his fiancé at the end of the season. Graziadei’s charm and wit may have saved the franchise from collapse.
Strike Out,
Writer: Layne Schulte
Editor: Lindsey Limbach
Tallahassee