The Bachelor has been accused of producer manipulation for many years, but it seems like current leading man Zach Shallcross is not allowing them to control him. Zach is a 26-year-old tech executive from Anaheim Hills, California, who currently resides in Austin, Texas. He got his start on The Bachelorette season 19, when he had a strong connection with Rachel Recchia. However, he self-eliminated when he felt that Rachel was being inauthentic in the Fantasy Suite. Zach is serious about getting married, so he entered his season determined to find someone who was on the same page as him.
In past Bachelor seasons, villains have dominated screen time, overshadowing the love stories between the lead and his final four women. However, The Bachelor's Zach Shallcross is different. During Matt James' and Clayton Echard's seasons, it was suspected that production forced them to keep certain women on the show in order to maintain a heightened level of drama. Matt was flustered as he dealt with arguments between women (such as Jessenia Cruz and MJ Snyder), as the reality celeb was forced to sit and mediate their conflicts. Clayton continuously gave Shanae Ankney roses, although the other women warned him about her bad behavior. He even had to suffer through a two-on-one date with Shanae and her enemy, Genevieve Parisi, which was obviously more about production creating chaos than Clayton finding love. As Zach navigates his own journey, it is evident that he is not allowing production to manipulate him.
The Bachelor's Zach Shallcross Does Not Feed Into Drama
Zach has repeatedly told The Bachelor contestants that he does not like drama. When Brianna Thorbourne first tried to tell Zach about a conflict she had with Christina Mandrell, he told her that if it was settled, he did not even want to know the name of the person she had a problem with. When Brianna self-eliminated and revealed Christina's name, he immediately confronted Christina, and then eliminated her at the rose ceremony.
Even though they had a strong initial connection, he sent a clear message that he has no time for petty arguments while he searches for his wife. It was a refreshing change from past Bachelor seasons. Previously, this feud would have become a main storyline for weeks, most likely due to production forcing the lead to keep the women.
Zach Shallcross Breaks Up With Women Before Rose Ceremonies
Zach is very transparent with the women when he does not feel a connection with them. Instead of putting some of them through the agony of being rejected at a rose ceremony, Zach has eliminated a few beforehand. On premiere night, Madison Johnson was behaving erratically as she tried to create a connection with Zach. She even forced him to kiss her. When she asked to speak to Zach before the rose ceremony, he let her go on the spot. In past seasons, a person like Madison might have been given a rose just for the chaos, but Zach did the right thing.
Zach also had honest discussions with Bailey Brown and Brianna, during which they agreed that it would be better for them to leave immediately, rather than to wait for the rose ceremony. These eliminations prove that Zach is not there to create drama for television, but to make a sincere attempt to find his mate. As he narrows his search, the screen time is devoted to women who will most likely make it to the end of the season with him, which helps to tell their love stories. This also makes those love stories more believable.
The Bachelor's Zach Shallcross Eliminated Christina Mandrell
One of the most shocking moments on The Bachelor season 27 so far was when Zach eliminated Christina. They had shared a meaningful one-on-one date, during which she met his relatives at his mom's birthday party at his childhood residence. She also opened up to him about being a single mom to her five-year-old daughter, Blakely. Christina appeared to be a frontrunner for Zach's heart because she had a connection with him that seemed to be light years ahead of the other women. However, as soon as Zach's feelings toward her changed (due to her being involved with drama), he eliminated her.
During filming, The Bachelor production had no way of knowing that Christina would become a fan favorite, but they had to know that she would be someone whom viewers either loved, or loved to hate. With her big personality and famous family (she is Irlene Mandrell's daughter and Barbara Mandrell's niece), Christina was poised to be a main character on The Bachelor season 27. The fact that Zach eliminated her early in the season proves that he is not going to allow the producers to force him to give roses to women whom he knows don't have "forever" potential, just to keep them on the show.
Zach is a strong Bachelor leading man who knows exactly what he wants. He is looking for a best friend who will become his wife. While Matt and Clayton often seemed unsure and confused when the women began arguing, Zach is decisive. He does not seem to be letting the producers dictate his story, which is making his journey enjoyable to watch. Because of this, Zach is one of the best Bachelors in years.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Source: The Bachelor/Instagram