As many know by now, Nick Viall was chosen as the next Bachelor. It shocked some, infuriated others (looking at you, Bre Payton), and left the rest with zero feelings. This season of “Bachelor in Paradise,” the best show within the Bachelor franchise, was supposed to be Nick’s “third time’s a charm” moment. He’s finished second in two seasons of “The Bachelorette” and now that he’s been chosen as the next Bachelor, it’s safe to assume things don’t end well for him in paradise either.
Bachelor fans expected the show to follow the normal pattern and choose one of the “favorites” from JoJo’s season of “The Bachelorette.” Instead, in a shocking turn of events, Viall was given a chance to avoid being the runner-up again. This time he would be in charge of his own love story.
I’ve been waiting for this season of “The Bachelor” for so long. This is a guy genuinely trying to find love—even if the haters are calling him a dud.
Nick took a lot of heat for telling America he had sex with Bachelorette sweetheart Andi Dorfman, but I think he had every right to get answers from her. Yes, this clearly caused problems in her relationship with Josh Murray. Andi wrote all about it in her tell-all heard around the Bachelor world. However, I don’t think this should discredit Nick from trying to genuinely find love on Kaitlyn’s season or this season in Paradise.
This brings me to paradise, where Nick’s journey to find love was doomed from the beginning. They stuck him on a Survivor-type island filled with unlimited booze and Murray’s testosterone-filled rage.
Nick arrived at the island and found interest in Amanda Stanton, only to have her ripped away by his former rival. He then spent the rest of his short time in Mexico fighting with Josh and taking forever to let down his walls with the only girl on the island he liked. He built those walls after two women broke his heart on national television.
This time Nick will not be set up to fail or run the risk of having someone else chosen over him. He will be standing there, week after week, controlling who gets a rose. Nick deserves his moment and a woman who can handle his intense, yet honest, emotions. I’m rooting for you, Nick. I’ll be filling up my wine glass every week to watch what I can only hope is the most successful and dramatic season of “The Bachelor” yet.
