When Zach Shallcross was announced as the next lead of The Bachelor, there was a vote for the recipient of America's First Impression Rose, and it has become controversial. As Zach met five of the women early (including Bailey Brown, Brianna Thorbourne, Brooklyn Willie, Cat Wong, and Christina Mandrell), viewers voted for which woman would receive that coveted prize that would keep her safe during the first rose ceremony. Brianna won, and gained what everyone thought would be an advantage during The Bachelor season 27 premiere.
However, on The Bachelor premiere, Brianna felt uncomfortable as the winner of America's First Impression Rose. She was the last to arrive at the mansion, and therefore had to walk into a room full of 29 other women, holding America's First Impression Rose. When Christina jokingly told Brianna that she hated her because she looked so beautiful, Brianna was very hurt. She was also concerned because she knew that her rose was not from Zach, but from America. She eventually ended up self-eliminating from the competition. What was supposed to be a fun twist on the traditional Bachelor format ended up causing so much drama. Because of the amount of stress that it caused Brianna, The Bachelor should never have an America's First Impression Rose again.
The Bachelor America's First Impression Rose Caused Insecurity
Although the winner of The Bachelor America's First Impression Rose can feel good about being chosen by viewers, the remainder of the season has no voting at all. Every decision is made by the Bachelor himself. The rose did not make sense because Zach did not give it to Brianna. Therefore, although she was safe at the first rose ceremony, she had no validation from Zach that he actually wanted her to stay.
This rose put unnecessary pressure on Brianna to try to connect with Zach because she seemed like she wanted to justify herself having a rose. During the second week, Brianna was the only woman who had not received a rose from Zach because hers was from America. This also created a stressful situation, which seemed to affect how Zach and Brianna interacted. Their conversations were serious and forced, rather than easy and light-hearted.
The Bachelor America's First Impression Rose Forces A Relationship
The America's First Impression Rose created high expectations for Zach and Brianna's relationship. Both the other women and viewers were eagerly anticipating their next interaction. However, they did not seem to have a spark from the beginning. It is possible that Zach might have sent Brianna home on night one if she did not have the rose. Since America has no say in anything else that happens during the season, there is no reason to single out one woman to be safe on the first night without the Bachelor having any say in the decision.
The Rose Caused Tension Among The Women
The Bachelor is already a competitive environment, so a woman entering the premiere episode with an advantage is bound to cause jealousy and animosity. Of course, the producers love to create drama, so this was most likely their goal in the first place. However, the tension that arose between Brianna and Christina might not have happened if Brianna did not come in with America's First Impression Rose. The rose made Brianna feel targeted and isolated before she even set foot in the mansion.
Although The Bachelor America's First Impression Rose seemed like a good idea at first, it actually caused too many problems for Brianna. It was a pointless prize because it did not guarantee a connection between Zach and Brianna. All it did was give Brianna safety on the first night, which had the opposite effect that was intended and made her feel insecure.
Then Brianna struggled to make a connection with him, which made every one of their encounters seem awkward and forced. Her self-elimination relatively early on The Bachelor proves that the America's First Impression Rose ruined her experience. If the show wants to involve viewers, a better idea would be to have them vote for the Bachelor himself. America should not have a say about who is safe on a show like The Bachelor because no one can force two people to fall in love.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.
Source: The Bachelor/Instagram, The Bachelor/Instagram, Brianna Thorbourne/Instagram