I have been a fan of ABC’s The Bachelor since it first aired. There have been 9 bachelors including a handful of bachelorettes. I have skipped a few seasons but enjoyed the series for the most part - something I am slightly embarassed to admit. So even though I only caught 10 minutes here and there of this season I had a pretty good lock on who would make it to the final 4, and then 2. Usually it is not difficult to guess who will end up the “winner” on the last episode. This year I was pretty sure the last lady standing at the end would be Sadie, but I was wrong. He went for giggly school teacher Jennifer. He pulled out a gorgeous diamond ring that his mother (I know a little weird) designed along with two Italian jewelry designers. It was a very romantic moment, and then in true Bachelor fashion he says I can’t ask you to marry me now, I want to wait until the camers are off and blah blah.

So here is the annoying thing about The Bachelor…the relationships never work out. Besides Trista and Ryan who actually got married and pop up from time to time in People magazine, none of the relationships really turned into anything much. There were a handful of engagements here and there but most were broken off with lightening speed. So why give a ring and say this isn’t an engagement ring when it actually is? Bachelor Bob did the same thing, here is a gorgeous engagement ring but since I don’t know if I really like love you love you, wear it on your right hand and we will think about it. Lame.

I assume the show forces them to present the ring in the finale. It must be in the contract, that during the finale a ring that was obviously paid for by the production needs to be presented in some way. So where does that leave the poor guy who has to give a woman a diamond and then explain it’s not really what you think it is?! And the poor bright eyed marriage-minded single girl has to stand there and pretend to be glad she got a ring that really has no significance at all. Promise ring my foot.

The Bachelor is a victim of itself. None of the relationships have worked out (for the most part) so why should these guys propose in the finale when they know that it probably won’t work out if they do? It leaves us with a boring skeptical ending every time. Boy meets girl, boy and girl sorta kinda maybe fall in love a tiny bit, boy gets gorgeous free diamond, boy doesn’t really want to give it to her but has to so he gives it to her half-as$ed making sure she knows it isn’t really an engagement ring just a token of his feelings….Boo!

The odds of any of these made for TV couples making it through the 4-5 month stint they are forced to be apart after the show is filmed and before it airs are pretty slim. What was different about Trista and Ryan? Were they the only genuine people to ever be on that show? Is everyone else that participates so jaded that there is no hope of another Bachelor wedding ever?!

At any rate, the show is outstaying its welcome I think. Time to switch it up a bit. How many more times can we see a non-engagement that is over before People magazine even gets to offer them a million dollar wedding?! Come on ABC, give us a better dating show!

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