Another episode of The Bachelor, another shocking exit from one of the girls. In week 5, the pressures of the competition turned out to be too much for Jubilee. Ben Higgins said goodbye to the adopted war veteran and Jubilee ended her search for love in Mexico City. Jubilee’s exit isn’t exactly surprising but it is upsetting. Jubilee was one of the few women in the competition who was interesting and appealing without qualification. Ben might have just made a huge mistake eliminating her so soon.
Jubilee’s Story Feels Unfinished
The chances of Jubilee becoming the next Bachelorette feel even more distant now. That’s a shame though because it feels like there is so much left unsaid with Jubilee. Granted it’s hard to imagine now watching Jubilee’s whole journey on the show why she even agreed to be on it. Still that’s what made Jubilee so exciting, she felt so different from the other girls.
Jubilee was a bit of a mess, sure, but it was different kind of mess from the other “crazy” girls on The Bachelor. There’s no comparing Jubilee’s insecurities about The Bachelor experience to Olivia’s worries about her legs. You’ve got to imagine being the only African-American woman in a sea of blondes who look and sound nothing like you, the pressure was on for Jubilee. She didn’t respond well to do it. Her story is still given such a unsatisfactory end.
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I don’t really blame Ben for breaking up with Jubilee and sending her home. It’s sad but you could see that the writing was on the wall. It just seemed pretty rushed in the way that it happened. Who knows how long Ben and Jubilee were actually talking and what it was edited down to for the show. While watching though it felt like Jubilee opened up about her problems, Ben didn’t know how to handle them and set her packing. It was almost like an afterthought. Given how many “layers” Jubilee had and how much Ben appreciated them it seems cruel to give her such an unceremonious end.
Jubilee Didn’t Belong on The Bachelor
Now there are some harsh realities to the Jubilee situation. To speak quite plainly, Jubilee did not belong on The Bachelor. There’s definitely a difference between knowing what a reality show is about and actively experiencing it day to day. Jubilee’s biggest problem with the experience on The Bachelor was that other women were also dating her “boyfriend”. This is pretty much the basis of the entire franchise. It’s understandable issue but it’s also pretty ridiculous when you look at the situation in context.
Jubilee’s feelings of being lost in ocean of peroxide are sad. To anyone who has felt different or out of place, it’s even relatable. It’s also at the core of what The Bachelor is about, none of this is normal. Jubilee’s reaction to the process showed that it wasn’t for her at all. Jubilee might want to find love and she may have been really attracted to Ben. Jubilee just didn’t belong on The Bachelor with all that entails.
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I still think Ben could have broken up with Jubilee in a more graceful way. It seem overly harsh and unforgiving the way he let her go. You do have to respect Ben for acknowledging that it wasn’t just going to work out between them. Jubilee would only get more uncomfortable on the show and Ben would form other connections with other girls. It’s good that Ben (and to a lesser extent Jubilee) recognized this wasn’t working and cut it off before things got even more complicated. It’s just a shame that Jubilee was one of the few genuinely compelling women left in the competition for Ben’s heart and now she’s gone.
But what do you think? Should Ben Higgins have tried to make things work with Jubilee? Was it her time to go? What did you think of Jubilee on The Bachelor? Did you enjoy her or did you find her to be every bit as much a mess as Olivia or Lace?
The Bachelor season 20 airs Mondays at 8pm on ABC.
(Images 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.
