On ‘The Bachelor’s’ bowling date, there’s drama to spare
The competition is heating up, meaning “The Bachelor” cast is almost small enough to remember everyone’s names. The crew is in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., this week, where Arie has one-on-one dates with Chelsea and Tia, and a group bowling date sets off drama-about-nothing from Krystal, this season’s “villain.”
The best moment: The group bowling date
The faux-drama gets rolling at the group bowling date. The women split into two teams, with Arie supervising. The winning team is to receive an after-party with the Bachelor, because, this is a competition-within-a-competition; gotta keep it interesting.
Interjection for the normals out there: Bowling is a brilliant real-life date idea. It’s somewhat active but not strenuous; you can razz one another but also chat and get to know each other in between rounds. And if one person takes winning or losing a little too seriously, that tells you more about their ego than hours of get-to-know-you conversation.
It’s telling on television as well. When Arie decides to allow both teams to hang with him after the game, Krystal flips out — and it sets in motion a ball of drama that only spins faster down the lane as the episode progresses.
The worst moment: Arie actually indulging Krystal’s temper tantrum
Delusion, party of one. Krystal is this season’s token contestant who is under the impression that she and Arie are in a very serious relationship, and their only obstacle is this annoying group of women who want to steal her boyfriend.
As a result, she has her second meltdown of the season. During the bowling group date, Krystal’s team crushes the other one, and as she’s gloating about her victory, Arie announces that, the winners and the losers will come to the party.
Krystal, to put it mildly, loses it – especially because this means Arie will be able to spend more time with the other women. “The other team didn’t win, he took back his word. … He didn’t consult us, he didn’t take us into consideration,” she seethes. “I’m looking for a partnership, someone I can trust.”
On the way back to the hotel, Krystal vents so much about Arie’s decision – and calls him a liar – that the already-exasperated women are completely fed up. Then Krystal refuses to attend the party.
Downstairs, the women waste no time gleefully filling Arie in about Krystal’s temper tantrum. And Arie … completely falls for it! He indulges her bid for attention by going upstairs as Krystal is exceedingly pleased to have some one-on-one time.
What follows is an excruciatingly dull bickering session, as Krystal complains how she felt so hurt, while Arie is clearly annoyed about her cocktail party boycott. “This exactly what couples can’t do, is run away from their problems,” he says. He tells her to stay upstairs for the remainder of the night.
Krystal, still obviously thrilled to have received the attention she craved, ignores these instructions and heads down anyway to confront the other women, who despise her at this point. She uses the phrase “Arie and I” multiple times, clearly trying to show that Arie prefers her over everyone else.
The other contestants vent that it’s “not appropriate” for Krystal to be there anymore. Multiple women – Kendall, Tia, Bekah M. – confront her about her behavior. Krystal doesn’t seem to care – she sees none of them as competition. Later, she and Arie bicker once more about his “lie” at the bowling alley, and she says somewhat dreamily, “It’s our first fight!”
“It could be our last fight,” he says wearily. Could it be that this vanilla bachelor has a dash of spice after all? However, at the end of the episode, Arie gives her a rose regardless, with the defeated look of someone who has been told by producers to keep the contestant who creates the most drama.
The weirdest moment: Nostalgia for Corinne Olympios
Well, it finally happened. Jan. 29, 2018, the day Bachelor Nation collectively began to miss Corinne Olympios, the villain of Nick Viall’s season. Corinne was frustrating, but she was incredible television. So, it is by far and away the weirdest moment of this episode, and maybe the season itself to have the audience all cry out for our cheese pasta queen.
Krystal had one conversation with Arie’s parents, in the season’s second week, and all of a sudden, she is his greatest confidant? Please. Corinne was the human equivalent of $12 cold-pressed juice; you hated her, but at least she was original. How many 24-year-olds have nannies and coin such catchphrases as “My heart is gold, but my vagine is platinum”? Whereas the best part about Krystal are the other women’s impressions of her. She is barely Crystal Light.
We never thought we would say it, but: Bring back Corinne!
Some people weren’t happy I kept Corrine around so long, but she at least made you laugh and didn’t take herself too seriously. Krystal doesn’t even have a nanny. Like whateves #thebachelor
Also, it wouldn’t be a recap of the weirdest moments if we left out that close-up shot of Arie licking a bowling ball. Maybe the producers were trying to prove that Arie’s relentless make-outs just stem from his inability to keep his mouth off whatever is put in front of him.