Tag: The Bachelor

Summer season is for being outside, not inside.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t try or catch up on some TV shows.

Here are my quick takes:

Holey Moley

I tried this clearly made for summer TV show, but it was about as dumb as I thought it would be.

It’s “Wipeout” meets putt-putt with appearances by Kenny G and Stephen Curry in the pilot.

It’s mind-numbing entertainment that at least kind of pokes fun at itself, but that’s about it.

Skip it

Younger

I’ve heard good things about this TV Land show, and it lived up to the hype.

Hilary Duff gracefully stepped into a more adult role, and Sutton Foster rocks as a 40-year-old moonlighting as a 26-year-old. I wish they’d sing more, but it would be pushing the realism, which it’s already doing.

Is it a far-fetched concept? Yes, but at least it’s funny and the characters are charismatic. I watched the first five seasons within two weeks and I’m already ready for season six to come out on Hulu.

Watch it

Dead to Me

Why the Emmys are calling this a comedy is beyond me, though from what I’ve heard it’s solely because it’s a half-hour show. What a rule.

I figured out the maybe not-so-obvious twist by episode 2, so it wasn’t quite the nailbiter I wanted it to be. It was hard to root for most of the characters, but I did root for the friendship between Christina Applegate’s Jen and Linda Cardellini’s Judy.

Try it

Nailed It

I started watching this last summer, but recently fully caught up.

This Netflix show can’t survive much longer, because it’s so obvious the contestants are set up to fail. The times are too short, the designs are too intricate and the directions are vague at best.

But watching three people epically crash and burn in 25 minutes is pretty laugh-out-funny.

Watch it (with friends and alcohol if you can)

UnREAL

I hope this parody of “The Bachelor” is more parody than real, because if it’s more real than parody, yikes!

Without spoilers, the drama, created by an ex-Bachelor producer, contains so many crazy twists and turns that every character is terrible in one way or another.

Season 4 was a Hulu exclusive, and it was so incongrous with the rest of the show I wouldn’t recommend watching it. But if you’re a Bachelor fan, I’d recommend it since it is similar to hate-watching the reality show.

Try it

What shows are you watching this summer?

This blog was originally published on elkharttruth.com on Jan. 19, 2015.

I hate to admit it, but yes, I do watch ABC’s “The Bachelor.”

I blame it on the fact that there’s not much to watch on Monday nights during the winter.

But it’s one of the silliest, more far-fetched shows I’ve ever watched.

I don’t understand how anyone can truly believe people will actually find true love on this show or its “Bachelorette” counterpart.

Not that I’m an expert on true love or anything, but the premise of the show makes it impossible to find happiness with one person.

No one can whittle down a group of 20-plus people to one soulmate. It just doesn’t make sense. I can barely make a choice when it’s four things.

And then there are all the silly dates. A group date is not six girls and one guy. A group date is a roughly even match of girls and guys. With only one guy, guess where all the focus goes?

Yes, it’s plausible to fall in love quickly. But with one person, not five, which is how these shows play out.

There are “deep” connections made with multiple partners as a season progresses, but how in the world do any of these bachelors truly get to know the women well enough?

There are only about two group dates and one or two one-on-one dates per episode, plus a cocktail party before the rose ceremony. Obviously we don’t see everything that happens, but I doubt it’s enough time to get to know someone well enough to propose to them.

Yes, that’s right, they propose at the end. Which means on the “Bachelorette,” there’s a chance for multiple proposals. And the bachelors who don’t propose at the end are not well-liked among viewers (Except for Juan Pablo, the 2014 bachelor — he was not well-liked for a multitude of reasons, enough so that even producers said they didn’t like him.).

But back to these “dates.” They’re extravagant. I saw an episode where one date included a private Train concert and another was filled with amusement park fun with no one else around.

No wonder all these people “fall in love.” How easy is it to be happy when private jets, travel, concerts and more are involved? But once the cameras stop rolling, it’s back to normal life. Sorry, not sorry, but no more private concerts.

It shouldn’t come as a shock when these couples call off the engagement months after being on the show. Once the dust settles and real life kicks in, it’s hard to face the facts: They don’t know each other that well, and what happened during the show’s taping was just a twisted fairytale.

And just because people are happy on camera doesn’t mean they are really happy. Andi Dorfman, the most recent Bachelorette, and her fiance, Josh Murray, announced they were over days after appearing on the “Bachelor” premiere live event.

Of course they were going to act in love. But in case you didn’t notice, Dorfman repeated the same few phrases over and over, which to me was a sign of hiding something.

I will say it’s fun to watch these people fall for the bachelor or bachelorette. I guess I should say funny, because a lot of times, these people sound so naive and dramatic.

It’s such a trainwreck of a show, with its made-for-TV drama and all the crying and beautiful gowns and suits, that you almost can’t keep yourself from watching.

“The Bachelor” is in its 19th season, while “The Bachelorette” finished season 10 during the summer. But the absurdity keeps going, which leads to lots of quality watercooler moments, if people want to admit they watch.

I appreciate that people believe in love, but “The Bachelor” just isn’t the way to do it.

I should probably just make a drinking game out of watching this show. Any suggestions?