Spring has sprung, which means we are halfway through this season of The Bachelor on ABC! This season features Zach Shallcross, a 26-year-old from Fullerton, California, as the bachelor. After Rachel rejected Zach in the final episodes of The Bachelorette, audiences wanted to see their 2022 prince charming back in front of the camera. Cocktail parties, extravagant dates and pool parties have returned to ABC as Zach tries to find his future wife. As of week five, 11 of the 30 original women remain to fight for Zach’s attention and eventually an engagement ring from him.
The beginning of the season brought viewers into the Bachelor Mansion in Agoura Hills, California until they traveled to the Bahamas for an island getaway in week four. For week five, Zach and his ladies were shipped off to London for royal romance. However, tragedy struck when Zach tested positive for the Coronavirus, forcing the competition to go virtual. Not only did Zach have an incredibly awkward video chat date with one of the women, but there was also a Zoom cocktail party and rose ceremony. Read about the Zoom date here. If this drama isn’t enough for you, here are a few FSU student-recommended dating shows to get your fix of betrayal, tears and “true” love.
Love Island
Six weeks, daily episodes, and all the drama. Love Island films in three regions: the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Singles are dropped off at the Villa for a summer of chats, fire pits, the Boom Boom Room and romance. “It’s a show where you can’t get bored. For the most part, it’s just good entertainment and not something I think I’ll ever get sick of. I’ve watched other reality shows and I lose interest, but Love Island I could watch forever,” said FSU student Jessica Sam. Her favorite series and the one she recommends most is Love Island UK.
Love is Blind
Is love truly blind? Love is Blind has three seasons on Netflix and brings singles who are ready for marriage together, but aren’t able to see each other. Contestants fall in love in pods where they communicate with… a wall? They speak to their prospective suitors through a wall until they reach an engagement. The real test begins when the couples try living together in paradise and then back in their hometowns. Eventually, the lasting couples must decide if they will say “I do” at the altar. “I feel like out of all the shows, it’s the most real because people aren’t coming on there with an alternative motive, they are only there for love. The couples from the first season who got married are still together and doing really well,” said FSU student Abby Gerding.
Are You the One?
Are You the One is an MTV program that features 12 single people trying to build a romantic connection with the person the show-runners had previously chosen for them. The catch is that the contestants do not know who the show-runners have them paired with. If by the end of the show the contestants are not paired with the correct person, all 12 lose the show and lose the cash prize. “I’m not the biggest fan of dating shows,” said FSU student Morgan Marisa, “but Are You the One is awesome because it’s a social and psychological experiment mixed into a dating show.”
Perfect Match
Netflix just unveiled its newest addition to its multitude of dating shows—Perfect Match. This show brings former contestants from other dating shows like Love is Blind, Too Hot to Handle and The Circle. They must find a match by the end of every other night to keep their place in the house. The dramatics are off the charts since these are returning reality television contestants, which is the best part for FSU student, Bianca Butler. In her opinion, “There’s so much drama that I would probably hate in my actual life, but I think it’s so entertaining.”
If these shows sound as intriguing as they are, check them out for yourself. The final four episodes of Perfect Match’s first season just hit Netflix on Feb. 28.
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