We’re getting hot.
Walking into the headquarters trap Matt James took the reins as America’s sexiest man in the coming months, with the start of the 25th season of “The Bachelor”.
And their girls are irritated: it looks like it’s going to be the most exciting season in the history of the bachelor. One of the contestants brought a vibrator for Matt, another made a reference to “WAP”. One stepped out of the limo in lace lingerie and made Matt choose his dress. Someone called him daddy on a promotion. We love to see that.
Although they are on the cold East Coast (the Bachelor Mansion has temporarily moved to a luxury resort in Pennsylvania), this season looks peppered with drama. And luckily for us, it comes just 13 days after the end of “The Bachelorette”.
Here’s what happened on night one.
Meet Matt
Unless you follow Tyler Cameron – Matt’s best friend – on Instagram, most longtime viewers were not familiar with Matt before tonight. He is biracial and raised by a single mother in North Carolina. He played football at Wake Forest University, lives in New York City and volunteers with children. He is the first black bachelor in history, and this is weighing on him: “I don’t want to annoy blacks, I don’t want to annoy whites,” he told Chris Harrison.
Meeting the ladies
Thirty-two women were quarantined for weeks and performed four COVID-19 tests in hopes of sharing droplets with Matt. There were some genuine winners, like Mari: “Have you ever met someone and just don’t know what to say?” Matt said after she walked away. Magi came from Ethiopia to be on the show.
Chelsea wore the dress from hell.
Many came face to face in an apparent competition for the most absurdly written names – looking at you, Pieper, Khaylah and Kali. But this is a competition for love, not for badly placed vowels. In this column, we’re focusing on the changes made to get Matt’s attention:
- Anna he brought him a survival kit with real “red flags” for him to wave to women.
- Khaylah, who is from North Carolina like Matt, arrived in a truck.
- Alicia, a ballerina from NYC, danced out of the limo.
- Alana brought spaghetti and kissed her “Lady and the Tramp”.
- Kali she came up with a lace bra and panties. Matt helped her choose between two dresses. “Damn it,” he said as she walked away. “You have to love a woman with confidence.”
- MJ tried to get into a pizza delivery car with a pie in hand, but was blocked.
- Katie brought a vibrator for Matt “because it helped her overcome the pandemic”.
- Kimberly brought a big fish and threw it at Matt for a reason I don’t understand.
- “Queen” Victoria she was carried on a throne and wore a tiara – and then she fell up the steps.
The cocktail
As an introduction, Matt led his ladies in prayer instead of a toast for their journey. So the women went into a war of “can I steal it for a second?” God bless you.
He talked to Sarah about how he is fighting expectations of being perfect. When Mari confided to him about her family in Puerto Rico dealing with the hurricanes, Katie and her vibrator interrupted.
Khaylah continued to take advantage of his hometown, sharing a sweet tea toast with his man. “Princess” Kit tried the same strategy, presenting him with a New York-themed snow globe – although Queen V pressed her and then harassed some women for not having time alone with Matt yet. I’ll take a chance and say that this one is not here to make friends. She is working overtime for the villain’s edition.
Bri and Matt had a similar education: she is also biracial and raised by separated parents.
The first kiss (real)
But it was Abigail who stole her heart: after revealing that she is partially deaf and uses cochlear implants, Matt was honored that she opened up to him.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her and they kissed.
First impression increased
Unsurprisingly, this was also for Abigail.
The rose ceremony
A bunch of really solid ladies won roses like Bri, Mari, Chelsea and Kristin. But * collective groan * Victoria also had one. At least we know in advance who’s here just to make trouble in the house – but they don’t usually survive the fifth week.
Prediction
I think the first face-to-face goes to someone who caught Matt’s eye, but didn’t have much time with him tonight, like Chelsea. But the promos showed more women arriving and a lot, a lot of crying, a real mess of the producers doing. Get ready.