The Bachelor did not end on the typical rose ceremony in week 5 of season 20. Instead it ended on a cliffhanger of a “To be continued…” style as Ben stopped Chris Harrison from talking (mercifully) and took Olivia aside. The implication from the cliffhanger is clear, Ben is considering taking away Oliva’s rose from the group date and send her packing. Just because that’s what The Bachelor wants the audience to think doesn’t mean that is what is going to happen, in fact it probably means the exact opposite. This doesn’t mean we can’t wonder though, is Ben Higgins really about to get rid of Olivia?
Is Olivia’s Drama Necessary Anymore?
I already detailed earlier about how Olivia is kind of a necessary evil at this point in The Bachelor. There’s still a big number of girls on the show and Olivia is a lightning rod for activity. Oliva’s crazy antics make for good TV. Hate or love her, you probably hate her, Olivia adds something different to The Bachelor. She’s a human train wreck but she’s a train wreck you kind of want to watch. This season of The Bachelor doesn’t have that many big personalities to create footage and drama for the season and Olivia is one of them.
The Bachelor Recap: Can Olivia and Jubilee Keep it Together >>>
Jubilee was a charismatic and likable person but she was still a big “character” on the show. Jubilee was very interesting, even when she was falling apart. Jubilee is now gone and Olivia is left with a lot of the heavy burden of creating drama. I’m reasonably sure though that she’s capable of the challenge. So if Olivia goes home, there’s really no one to take her place. Though I’m sure Emily would be thrilled to do it. Emily is desperately trying change her occupation from “Twin” to “Reality TV Star”. Emily might have the sass necessary but she is surprisingly too self-aware to be Olivia’s particular brand of crazy.
All that being said, Olivia’s behavior is becoming a bit too predictable and boring. It is a cycle. Olivia obsesses over Ben and talks how deep their connection is with one another. Olivia is then disappointed when she doesn’t go on a one-on-one date. So Olivia rationalizes and clings to Ben like a sucker fish with a mouth so big it house a black hole. Olivia is a never-ending cycle of crazy, rinse and repeat.
Olivia Is Not a Great Mean Girl
Olivia tried to add some spice to her routine by becoming the “mean girl” in Week 5 and it didn’t really work. Olivia doesn’t have the awareness needed to be the villain that The Bachelor tried to make her appear. Olivia calling Amanda a “Teen Mom” was insulting but it was also just stupid. Amanda isn’t, nor has she ever been, a teen mom and the problems Amanda were talking about were very mature. Amanda was discussing the lack of care that her ex-husband seems to have in her daughters’ life. There was nothing remotely trashy about it.
The Good, the Bad and the Believable from The Bachelor Week 5>>>
Olivia didn’t even have the commitment to stick to the insult. It was more like it just escaped her vacuous unhinged jaw, than it was a conscious thought put into words. Olivia doesn’t have the sense of self needed to be a really compelling villain. A good reality TV villain knows that they are bit unsavory they just don’t care. Olivia seems to have no idea what is going on or how she comes across. It’s not fun to watch Olivia be mean to the girls, it’s just kind of sad and very uncomfortable.
It Might Be Too Bold a Move for Ben Higgins
Olivia’s wackiness is wearing thin and she’s not a villain with a real bite. The Bachelor might need a lightning rod of a woman to keep things moving but Olivia has burned brightly and the flame is dying out. Besides there is only a few more weeks left before Olivia’s continued existence on The Bachelor would seem insulting. Ben’s not a member of MENSA or anything but he’d have to be a stone cold idiot to not know the “other” side of Olivia.
If Ben were to get rid of Oliva now it would be a bold and surprising stroke. The Bachelor doesn’t have a whole lot of legitimacy as a vessel of finding true love. The numbers don’t lie. The amount of lasting relationships and marriages that have come out of the franchise have been dismal. Ben ousting Olivia could restore some respectability to the series however. Olivia is there to win not fall in love and those are two very different things. Ben should realize that by now.
Bachelor Baby Roundup: Ashley Salter, Erica Rose and Ali Fedotowsky are Pregnant >>>
Ben, unfortunately, verges on being blandly nice and forgiving. Everyone is amazing and attractive, everything he does is incredible and he just wants to have “fun”. There’s a definite scenario that could happen where Ben gives Olivia another chance that could have nothing to do with the producers urging to keep her. At this point though if Ben wants a large chunk of the audience to take his mission to find a wife seriously he should oust Olivia. It’s not likely (at all) but it should happen.
But what do you think, is Olivia’s Bachelor journey at an end? Should Ben send her home? Will Ben send her home? Do you want to see Olivia implode for a few more weeks or are you done?
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.
