Ranking All Of ‘The Bachelor’s Shocking Twists

Sometimes, I’ll be sitting at home watching The Bachelor, and there will be this moment in the show that is so clearly meant to for shock value — it's still great, of course, but you just can't ignore a big plot twist like the ones this show doles out. From when the show went to Paris (because putting 25 women in a room and having them all vy for the love and attention of one man isn't a crazy enough twist already) to when the Bachelor literally couldn't decide, there have been some crazy twists on this show. Additionally, some of the twists on The Bachelor have also been kind of incredible.

So, because I am obsessed with this show and I love you all, here they are in all of their glory. All of The Bachelor twists, for better or for worse, ranked in order of how well they went over with fans. Because, even though there were a few hiccups and heartbreaks along the way, there were a couple of twists that definitely made things a little more interesting — and more than a couple that definitely made things a little more crazy.

10. When It Was Set In Paris

Because it’s the city of love! Except Season 8 ended with Travis Stork deciding not to pop the question to Sarah Stone, and then the duo broke up shortly thereafter. Suddenly, Paris was the city of heartbreak.

9. When There Were Twins

During Season 20, two of the contestants were revealed to be twins. It made for an awkward limo entrance, but otherwise, it's sort of faded as a plot twist since the first episode.

8. When One Contestant Was A Grandmother

Awkward! When a woman old enough to be Season 16’s Ben Flajnik’s grandmother stepped out of the limo, audiences everywhere were worried that they had tuned into the wrong show. Really, it was just one of the contestant’s grandmothers, sent in first to talk up her granddaughter and make a memorable first impression.

7. When There Were Two Bachelors

In Season 6, there were actually two Bachelors: Jay Overbye and Byron Velvick. Velvick was the one who made the cut, but no one at home really seemed to care. Maybe because the show wasn’t the cultural phenomenon it is now. Or maybe because these two dudes were total strangers to viewing audiences everywhere, and so our hearts weren’t in it as much as they were when they pulled this same stunt with two Bachelorettes.

6. When The Premiere Was Broadcast Live

To turn the heat on Season 19’s Chris Soules, ABC decided to air the first episode of live. Cue a countless number of awkward pauses and people freezing in front of the camera.

5. When The Bachelor Was A Prince

And women everywhere died. Just died. (But, like, not literally of course.) Except then the season started, and it was never really made clear what Prince Lorenzo Borghese was a prince of. Personally, I feel like unless this guy has a direct bloodline to William and Harry, I don’t care about his title.

4. When One Contestant Chose Her Career Over Love

My absolute favorite season of The Bachelor, mainly because, for the first time, a female contestant chose herself over her man. Ali Fedotowsky, in Season 14, chose to return to her career at Facebook over continuing to fly around the world with Jake Pavelka. It was the twist that shocked fans everywhere, but also the twist that felt like one of the show’s most empowering moments.

3. When Two Contestants Left

It’s pretty common for a contestant or two to peace out during the length of the season. Usually it’s for their own well being or because they’re just not into the guy. But when Sharleen and Andi both said sayonara to Juan Pablo in Season 18 because they were so over his behavior, it was definitely shocking. I’m pretty sure every fan watching at home was rooting these women on, though, because this was a twist that we could all get behind.

2. When There Was No Winner

Remember that time Brad Womack picked no one in Season 11? Yeah, that was crazy.

1. When The Bachelor Couldn’t Decide

Talk about a finale twist: Jason Mesnick, in Season 13, couldn’t decide what he wanted in a woman. He chose Melissa Rycroft as fiancé, but by the time the finale rolled around, he told her he actually wanted to marry runner-up Molly Malaney. The story ends happily for Mesnick and Malaney, though, who were married in 2010.

Some hits and some misses, but I think this list makes it clear that what audiences really want is The Bachelor in its purest form: 25 girls, one guy, and a whole heck of a lot of drama.

Image: ABC; Giphy (11)