In the season 22 premiere Chelsea made a strong play for The Bachelor villain of the year. However, Chelsea’s reign as the top villain didn’t last long into season 22 as Krystal quickly emerged as the newest baddie on the block after her one-on-one. The 29-year-old fitness coach who (claims to) feed the homeless angered everyone on and watching The Bachelor during week two. It’s obvious that Krystal is the new villain of the season but she still makes for an incredibly disappointing antagonist.
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The Wrong Change of Pace
At the onset of The Bachelor season 22, Chelsea was an incredibly predictable villain. She was nasty, selfish, oblivious to everyone and, of course, talked to Arie first and often. Chelsea is the quintessential Bachelor villain, being full of rude one-liners but still managing to be oddly, even morbidly entertaining. Chelsea fit the mold of so many Bachelor villains before her that it seems nearly impossible that she didn’t figure out she was angling for the role of villain. Even if Chelsea is incredibly transparent she was at least fun. She is ridiculous and a human monster, but she was enjoyable in that trashy Bachelor way. Seeing Chelsea be replaced by Krystal, at least so far, is disappointing because Krystal’s villainous antics are far less enjoyable.
The one thing that can be said of Krystal is she sets herself apart. She has had a few of the classic Bachelor villain lines about not worrying about the other “insecure” girls and being focused on her relationship with Arie and nothing else. Outside of these typical reactions and responses, Krystal is a different beast. There’s no one in Bachelor villain history quite like Krystal. While that should make her exciting, it does the exact opposite.
Krystal quickly became the most hated woman on The Bachelor season 22 but it was through the most passive means. Krystal isn’t making enemies because she’s outwardly rude or mean, like most villains. Krystal is maddeningly passive.
Krystal’s selfish, that was made obvious by her talking to Arie twice after getting a rose on a one-on-one date, but she does little to make that selfishness active or interesting. Krystal’s selfishness comes out in very sly and boring-to-watch ways. She doesn’t engage with the other girls or seemingly want to play the game of The Bachelor at all. Krystal is unlikable but devoid of the spark of personality that makes villains entertaining.
Krystal angering the other girls isn’t fun to watch, at all. This is because there’s no real argument or fight to be had with her. Krystal refuses to engage with the girls, or really acknowledge the rest of the cast as people. The girls talking to or arguing with Krystal is a lot like them fighting with a brick wall who very occasionally talks in a raspy baby voice that has overloaded on vocal fry.
A Villainous Whisper
The chief problem with Krystal, both as a villain and “a match” for Arie, is that everything about her seems fake. Arie has been immediately attracted to and enamored with Krystal. However, the way Krystal has presented herself on the show (or has been presented) seems like everything she does is a part of an act. Krystal seems determined to come across as this wholesome and sweet girl but it all rings false.
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Krystal is so seemingly obsessed with acting demurely that she simply doesn’t fit into that villain role. A Bachelor villain needs to be feisty and ready to engage. Krystal is neither and no matter how unlikable she is, it’s never going to be satisfying to watch the other girls to argue with her. Bibiana is about as loud and full of life as a Bachelor contestant has ever been. Yet her big “fight” with Krystal was a huge snoozefest because Krystal did nothing but cling to her image of sweetness like a life raft in a fiery former Dolphin cheerleader storm.
Krystal does inspire passion, from the audience and the cast. Krystal creates emotion, which the ultimate goal of TV, reality or otherwise. Sadly most of those feelings are ones of frustration. Krystal is very easy to dislike but she’s just vaguely annoying. She’s a wet blanket of a Bachelor villain and the franchise needs way more gumption from their baddies. It doesn’t need someone who answers every criticism with a stony silence and a cryptic, supposedly bashful smile.
But what do you think of Krystal as a villain? How do you feel about her as a “replacement” of Chelsea? Do you even think that Krystal is a villain or just passionate about her relationship with Arie?
The Bachelor season 22 airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC. Want more news? Like our Bachelor Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of ABC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
