★★★☆☆
The 29th season of one of America’s most popular reality shows, The Bachelor, is here. The season debuted its first episode on Monday, Jan. 27 on Hulu, Tubi, and Disney Plus.
“Love is on the horizon as 25 remarkable women prepare to open their hearts to Grant Ellis; a bold, new twist on the traditional first impression rose,” reads the show’s IMDb page.
The new bachelor is Grant Ellis, a 30-year-old athlete from Houston, Texas, whose “first love was basketball.” Last season’s bachelor was Joey Graziadei, who caused a rave on social media and made season 28 a big hit.
This was my first impression of the show, which is a series that follows a single bachelor among a group of around 25 romantic interests he will date throughout the season. By the finale, he must choose a fiancee, and although it might seem straightforward, this reality TV show will keep you on your toes.
During the approximately nine-week series, Ellis will go on various romantic and adventurous dates to see who he will choose, conflict unfolding as the elimination style of the show kicks into gear.
The season premiere starts with a background on the show’s protagonist. Ellis’ introduction was vulnerable as he delved into hardships from his childhood, such as dealing with his father’s addiction and his parents’ divorce.
“Addiction is a hard thing because, you know, growing up, my pops was everything,” said Ellis.
“He was my superhero.”
The audience meets his mother, Renee; father, Robert; and older sister, Taylor; who are all very protective of him. He was sweet and heart-warming, yet still added funny moments to keep the audience engaged—will he be deemed America’s sweetheart? The family montage ended with a touching moment where Ellis handed out his first rose to his late grandma, Corine Frank Russell.
Soon after, the audience was introduced to the love interests of the show, and each woman made sure her first impression counted.
Throughout the evening, Ellis met 25 contestants, who made memorable entrances. The women varied from mid-20s to early-30s, all very eager to meet one another and their possible future husband. Notable moments included the first love interest, Rose, who cheekily asked Ellis “Will you accept this rose?” as she pointed to herself.
There were women from all over the United States—even Puerto Rico. Carolina brought out her native tongue and established her meet-cute by introducing herself in Spanish, boldly telling Ellis she would be his future wife.
“I have to invest in some Rosetta Stone,” Ellis responded.
Each woman brought their own touch, but my favorite was when Alexe brought Linda, a “no-drama llama”—definitely a way to make a first impression.
After the initial meetings, Ellis spent some time alone with each contestant. The one-on-one sessions included an absurd amount of selfies while wearing matching wigs with Bailey, a social media manager, and laughs with Parisa, a pediatric behavior analyst, who presented a hilarious PowerPoint about their potential future together.
Each moment was entertaining, and by the middle of the episode, love started brewing. One of the women stole the first kiss while the others watched, wishing they had been the one.
The episode concluded with the first rose ceremony, where Ellis gave roses to 18 women to continue on the journey with him, while seven women went home. Amid the dramatic music and shedding of tears, the season promises a mix of romance, emotional depth, and unique storytelling as Ellis seeks his future partner.
As for my first impression of the show, The Bachelor is a fun and light-hearted watch, perfect for a cozy night with your friends. It is a tad ridiculous at times, given that it is a reality show. It seemed a bit strange seeing so many successful women agree to date one man at the same time.
For the sake of entertainment purposes, however, it does its job. It is a drama-filled show that will keep you on your toes.
With 25 women competing for one man, there will definitely be some interesting scenes between the women, and even Ellis himself. Want to know who got the first impression rose, first one-on-one date, first kiss, and who were the seven sent home? Cuddle up with a friend and watch the premiere together.
