In a new preview for The Bachelor season 27, contestant Mercedes Northup becomes upset when she is chosen by leading man Zach Shallcross for yet another group date in London, proving that the reality dating series needs more one-on-one dates early on. So far, Zach has made strong connections with several of the women on one-on-one dates. He gave his first one to Christina Mandrell, during which she met his family at his mother's birthday party. Although he eventually eliminated her, they bonded quickly because of the date.
The Bachelor's Zach Shallcross had a few other one-on-one dates as well. He stayed overnight at the Natural History Museum with Kaity Biggar, and went skydiving with Aly Jacobs. In the Bahamas, he went snorkeling with Kat Izzo, and rode ATVs with Brooklyn Willie. The women opened up to Zach about their lives, which created strong bonds between them. Although the group dates were fun, the contestants on those dates did not have as much time to make connections with Zach. This caused some of the women to feel insecure and unsure about their relationships with him. Because of this, The Bachelor needs more one-on-one dates early on.
The Bachelor Preview Teases Mercedes' Reaction To The Group Date
During week 5, Zach and the women traveled to London. In a preview shared on The Bachelor Instagram account, Mercedes said, "I would love to not hear my name on that group date card. I would be really happy." Unfortunately, the exact opposite happened, as Mercedes, Brooklyn, Aly, Kaity, and Ariel Frenkel were invited on the group date. Mercedes immediately began to cry and said, "Sorry." She then said, "I'm gonna hyperventilate. I literally can't." Mercedes then left the room in tears.
Mercedes' fellow Bachelor contestant Charity Lawson is then shown in a confessional saying, "Mercedes is having a moment right now. She is reacting pretty heavily to her not getting the one-on-one date. I feel for her; I just wasn't expecting it to be this hard for her." Mercedes then said, "Half the girls that are going on the group date have had a one-on-one, so they do have that connection. It's just such a horrible feeling." Out of the five women on The Bachelor group date, only Mercedes and Ariel have not had one-on-one dates so far.
There Are Too Many Women On The Bachelor
Mercedes' reaction to not getting a one-on-one date is understandable considering that the women and Zach are already in week 5. He began with thirty women, which was way too many for him to narrow down so quickly. Perhaps if there were fewer women from the start, then the Bachelor would be able to focus his time on them instead of leaving some of them feeling neglected through no fault of his own. If Mercedes feels as though she is dating Zach, then it is preposterous that she has not had any one-on-one time with him four weeks into their relationship. If there were less women on the show, this would not happen.
The Bachelor Needs More One-On-One Dates With The Women
During the first week, Zach only had a one-on-one date with Christina. The rest of the women were split into two large group dates. Some of them did not have much time to speak with him at all. Gabi Elnicki was upset because she also hadn't spoken to him on night one. This puts too much pressure on the women to fight for time with Zach. Because of this, they end up in awkward and forced conversations. If there were less women, then the Bachelor could have more one-on-one dates, especially during the first week.
The Bachelor Group Dates Should Allow More One-On-One Time
Because there are so many women on The Bachelor, group dates are essential. However, they could be organized differently to allow the lead to interact with the women privately. During Zach's season, one of the group date activities was a tackle football game among the women. Although Zach had fun watching the women play and their personalities came out during the game, he did not have any time to speak with them. Group dates should be another opportunity for the Bachelor to bond with the women.
Even though group dates are not as intimate as one-on-one dates on The Bachelor, they still have potential for separate moments between the lead and individual contestants if they are planned correctly. The producers' purpose behind group dates often seems to be more about creating drama among the women instead of allowing the Bachelor to get to know them better. When the women who have had one-on-one dates with the Bachelor are included on group dates, this causes resentment from those who haven't had dates with him. Mercedes will most certainly feel the pressure to compete with contestants such as Kaity, who spent a whole night bonding with Zach. She will also feel upset if Kaity gets even more time with him.
Dating The Bachelor Lead Should Be A Positive Experience
Mercedes' frustration about not having private time with Zach illustrates the need for more bonding opportunities. As she entered week 5 with him, she realized that she was far behind the other women. Dating the Bachelor definitely can cause stress, but it should generally be a fun and positive experience. When it gets to the point that the women seem heartbroken about not having one-on-one dates, changes should be made to The Bachelor format. Although connections cannot be forced, and it is possible that Zach didn't give Mercedes a one-on-one date because he didn't feel a spark with her. It also feels as though they simply didn't have enough time together. It is upsetting for a contestant to be eliminated without getting to know the Bachelor lead.
It is clear that The Bachelor franchise needs to include more one-on-one dates. Based on the newest teaser, the London trip will be a stressful part of the season. In the preview for the next episode, host Jesse Palmer delivers bad news that leads to Zach crying on Zoom that his week was robbed. The speculation is that something happened that caused Zach to cancel some dates in London, so it is possible that Mercedes won't have any time with him. Whatever happens, it is obvious that The Bachelor must create more opportunities for the lead to bond with the women.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Source: The Bachelor/Instagram