Chris Harrison blogs 'The Bachelor' Season 22 premiere
Warning: This blog about the season premiere of The Bachelor contains spoilers.
Welcome back, Bachelor Nation! Janu-Arie is finally upon us, and we are ready to share one of the most romantic, exotic — and, yes, dramatic — seasons in Bachelor history. I hope everyone had a great New Year’s Eve, and now we are here to help you start your 2018 in the best way possible: with Arie and the 29 incredible women he’ll get to know over the next few months. Ever since we first met Arie, we knew there was something special about him. He was so great and open in his relationship with Emily, and we’ve all kept in touch over the years. Now more than ever, Arie is settled into his life and has a great career, but he also hasn’t lost the fun and romance that made America fall in love with him in the first place. Now, after watching his younger brother get married, it was perfect timing for Arie to finally get his own love story.
Who better to help Arie get ready for his first night than his old friend Sean, his amazing wife, Catherine, and their cute as all get-out son, Samuel. Sean and Catherine have an amazing love story that started in the very same living room where these guys all met. Arie learned a lot that day about Catherine and Sean — and also about how to change diapers. I would say this was a necessary meeting in more ways than one! Every love story on The Bachelor is different, and I think it’s important for Arie to remember to stay open, which is exactly how Sean and Catherine ended up finding each other.
In recent years we have had some odd numbers of women and men. While it used to be 25 or occasionally 30, we’ve really ended up trying to just get as many eligible women or men through that front door so the Bachelor or Bachelorette has as many chances as possible to find love. Of course, the question then is “Why not just have 100 people?” Well, we still want to make sure, with the limited amount of time the Bachelor has, that he at least has an opportunity to talk to every single person there. It’s a delicate balance, and as you can see, the sun generally starts to come up as the rose ceremony ends. This year we ended up introducing Arie to 29 women, and I’m glad that each and every one of them made it. There are always surprises and women who make a bad first impression in the driveway can end up changing everyone’s mind later, and vice versa.
There are so many interesting women this year, and over the coming weeks you’re going to see new sides of them. Chelsea’s dry wit, Jenna’s incredible energy, Kendall’s quirks, and of course Tia’s charming accent. I don’t think any of us were too surprised when Chelsea got the first impression rose. After all, the last woman Arie fell in love with was a beautiful single mother, and, subconsciously, he may have known that there was something special and different about her. Of course, Maquel made a big impression in her Indy car but in many ways it was Brittany who stole the show by setting up a race in the driveway. That was smart.
As the night came to an end, I think Arie was finally starting to remember how overwhelming these cocktail parties can be. He was exhausted and really trying to make the smartest decisions he could. The truth is there were no “right” decisions, and he had to just go with his gut. Two of the four Laurens were sent home, as were Nysha, Bri, Brittane, and several others. It’s just so hard to tell someone you don’t have a future based on just a few minutes, but those are the breaks, unfortunately.
Next week, the dates start, and right off the bat we do things a little differently this season. You’ll also see one of the most elaborate and dangerous dates in Bachelor history. And as this season moves on, you are going to see some things you’ve never seen before, as well as some things you never thought you’d see again! Get ready for the most explosive season of The Bachelor in years! And there’s a brand-new show coming your way soon with all your favorites. So much to talk about! See you next Monday, Bachelor Nation!
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.
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