Entertainment

6 Twists To Spice Up 'The Bachelor'

by Chelsea Mize

The Bachelorette has barely concluded, Bachelor In Paradise has just begun, and yet Bachelor Nation still can't get enough. In light of ABC's strategic maneuver to wait to announce who the new Bachelor is, there is rampant speculation about which Bachelorette contestant will be the next apple of America's eye. Following the great double Bachelorette twist of 2015, it only seems fitting that ABC would continue their shenanigans and give us another twist in the upcoming season of The Bachelor. The question is, what twists should we see on The Bachelor?

The Bachelor has been on for a hot minute now; this will be the 20th season of the show. Yes, 20. The Bachelor and ABC are both big fans of spectacle and dramatics and so I can only imagine that they will do something special for their 20th season. What do those wily producers have up their sleeves?

Though I fear their approach for next season of The Bachelor might be a touch tamer than what I have in mind, a girl can dream, right? I have watched far too much reality television in my lifetime to not dream big when it comes to speculation about reality TV show plot twists. So, whether these hopes come to fruition or not, it gives me (and hopefully you) great pleasure to imagine these fantastical twists The Bachelor could implement next season.

Two Bachelors

In the name of equality, it seems only fair that ABC put two dudes through the hellacious task of going head-to-head like they did Britt and Kaitlyn. Except, in my much-more-entertaining version, they could keep both Bachelors around all season and let all of the girls date both of them until there's 12 girls left. Then there's a ceremony where they pick sides and choose which Bachelor they want to pursue.

Bisexual Bachelor

This is 2015. We live in a more progressive, open-minded society. What is more progressive (and entertaining) than a bisexual Bachelor? The show could feature male and female contestants who compete for the heart of the Bachelor (with the added promise of drama if any of the bisexual contestants in the house feel a spark for each other). Basically, I just want another season of A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila with a less-trashy host.

A Bachelor and G.U.T.S. Mashup

Instead of having date cards, the Bachelor chooses three girls to compete in a series of grueling events planned by Nickelodeon, culminating in the epic race up the Aggro Crag. Winner gets the date. The girl eliminated each week gets slimed as she leaves the mansion. It would be simply amazing.

Silent Bachelor

Renowned scientist Albert Merhabian famously concluded that only 7% of communication is verbal and the remaining percentage of communication isn't accomplished through the words we say. Given The Bachelor's less-than-stellar success rate, perhaps it is time to mix things up. This next season of The Bachelor could include a silent twist. For the first several weeks, say, until it's down to 12 women, the Bachelor and the women aren't allowed to speak. They can touch, they can gesture, they can write each other notes, they can make sultry eye contact, but speaking is off limits. The dates could either be very physical — like yoga or scuba diving or ballroom dancing — or creative and spiritual, like meditating or figure drawing. Once the contestants have passed the silent portion then they have earned the right to communicate verbally. They would have so much to say and it'd be a great social experiment.

Twin Bachelors

Not sure if they are any good viable twin candidates in the Kaitlyn Bristowe pool of cast-offs but how epic would it be if they did a season of The Bachelor with Bachelor twins?! Just think of all the twin metaphors ABC could implement! And all the hilarious hijinks the twins could pull by switching places. They could even pull a Big Brother move and not reveal that the twins are, in fact, twins until several weeks in! Just think of the possibilities.

Family & Friends Choose

No one knows you better than your family and friends. Everyone knows that the episodes of the Bach where the families meet the contestants are the most crucial. What if the the girls went on dates with the families and friends and were eliminated based on the family's opinion? Then once the family had narrowed down the pool of women, the Bachelor could swoop in and do the usual.

Images: Rick Rowell/ABC; Giphy (6)