There comes a time during every season of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette when we must ask ourselves this question: What are we doing here?
Are we here (and by “here” we mean “watching this show,” not like, “in existence”) to watch two (or more) people fall in love or are we here to watch a bunch of aspiring Instagram models fight over a date? Are we here for important conversations about love, loss, race, sex and humanity, or are we here to watch a bunch of women make fools of themselves? Are we here to hold a TV show accountable or watch it manipulate people for our enjoyment? Do we want real romance or do we really just want drama?
Similarly, are the contestants really here for a 1/32 chance to end up with the lead or are they actually hoping for the much more likely Bachelor in Paradise fame and #ad fortune that comes after?
This week’s episode of The Bachelor was the ultimate example of this conflict, complete with a lesson in erotica-writing and one very dramatic exit.