screenshot from abc
this season the Bachelor, Which is the number 27 for those keeping count, features of the East the bachelorette competitor zach shalcross In the lead role, and until last week, her biggest criticism was that she’s so boring.
Zach more or less seems like a nice guy, but he deserves significant criticism for doing something that former Bachelor Nick Viall rightly called him out on. First off, we should explain that Zach basically has a no-drama policy, which at first seemed like a big deal. They’ve wasted no time in sending contestants home and, in fact, don’t wait until the rose ceremony to do so.
Last week, she expressed to a contestant, Jess, that she was really into him, but still, didn’t pick him up for any one-on-one dates. He expressed to her that that was something that was important to him. His response was incredulous, saying it’s not about a face-to-face date, which makes no sense because he literally said it does. Do their feelings not matter in this matter? No, as far as Zach is concerned, they don’t. So they immediately sent him home.
It clearly shows that he didn’t care what she thought. Imagine telling someone you really like and feeling confident about the relationship only to say goodbye for good because the person expressed a sincere interest in seeing more of you. .
It’s like she didn’t deserve it. Nick Viall took to Twitter to say that Zach was a “total d**k,” which he certainly was, and “made Jess feel like she messed up for expressing a valid concern.”
Then came last night’s episode. Greer, who had not been allowed to travel outside for a week due to COVID, returned. It’s notable that Zach was also out with Covid, though a week ago when he bizarrely got angry at him for suggesting that being Covid before him could be compared to being Covid now.
He has since expressed regret over those comments. With his return, they had a chance to catch up. When the show started, they had an immediate connection so it seemed like they would be able to keep it going. Instead, Zach sat down with her and told her that her time away had helped her make faster progress with the others and that it was time for her to go.
So, he was sent home, which is really strange considering that he would wait until he was allowed to come back and then was sent off the show. At least, his reasoning is understandable but completely unfair to him.
Then Zach and Brooklyn go on a date. First, they went up in a hot air balloon over Hungary, then came down to spend a romantic time at a spa, only to end up outside at a private dinner where Brooklyn talked to Zach about her family (since meeting the women related family is the next step) and expressed how important her grandfather is to her as he stepped in to raise her when her father moved out.
Zach, who had been completely smitten with Brooklyn all day, asked to remove himself from the dinner table to take a moment alone. He then went into an awkward moment in which Brooklyn must be wondering “What in the world is going on right now?”
Zach tells the camera that he knows how important this is to Brooklyn, so he has to wonder if she really is the one because meeting her family is a big deal to him. He added, “She has incredible grandpas who love her and want the world for her and she doesn’t take it lightly when she brings someone into the house. If I can’t believe it, I’m in that house.” Who am I?
He then returns and tells her, “You don’t deserve the love I can’t give you.”
Didn’t Zach think things were getting serious at this point? Why would it be her expression about how important her family is that makes her think “Wow, that’s serious!” Especially considering meeting the family is the necessary next step on this show? Of course, he’s serious. Is it true? If she didn’t feel like she’d be in the final four before the date, she certainly did a good job of hiding it, but why would that mean she’s suddenly sent home after talking about her family? ?
The answer is simple. Zach is selfish. In a way it has to be. Ultimately, women are there for him but this has really gone to his head as he has failed to be there for most women. the show is called the Bachelor, and he is that bachelor. This is his show. Yet, it cannot be understood that he is not considering that these women are human beings just like him. Sending women home, out of nowhere, after expressing that they want to see more of her or that they look forward to her meeting family is not cool.
Regardless, he hasn’t done anything that deserves to be dismissed as such. Zach likely still sees that his “there’s no rose for you and I don’t have to wait” philosophy isn’t giving to women, he’s actually giving to them in a different way. He headed to Brooklyn, convinced that his date was great, choosing her as one of the final six women. He made it seem like he was doing everything, only to be whisked away in a moment’s realization, “Oh my god, she’s serious.”
She deserved better and Zach failed her in that regard. Besides, whoever has seen the BachelorOr the bachelorette, knows that one of these last four women is probably going to leave him. It happens almost every season, so it’s enough for Zack to feel so good about Brooklyn last night to reconsider his feelings for at least one night until the rose ceremony is completely over. Let it happen and it won’t happen to him (and, again, we can’t fathom what actually changed based on their corner).
Nick Viall reported that “every time Zack hears any woman express any sense of insecurity, instead of showing an ounce of empathy, his face sinks into despair.”
We’ll add that Zach, only 26, is probably not as mature as we originally thought he was. He can’t deal with the many real and problematic feelings presented by women, most of which are very good feelings. He totally treats such sentiments from women like he’s a quiz grading teacher and fails them, shows them he’s disappointed, and then fires them.
Granted, he does that part in a somewhat mature manner (which falsely leads people to conclude that he is totally mature) but his emotional intelligence is better defined as emotional irrelevance because if you If you express feelings then you are irrelevant to him.
It doesn’t make him a villain. He’s still a nice guy at his core, but just because someone is a nice guy doesn’t mean they’re treating everyone right. Zach is very focused on how he is treated and many of his evictions, especially the ones that happen, are completely unnecessary.
spoke to brooklyn us weekly of her elimination and said, “I felt really blindsided.” Ultimately, she expressed respect for Zack, but also expressed, “I’m looking for someone who is emotionally intelligent.” She added that Zach is “very capable of speaking up about how he’s feeling,” but that she is “looking for someone who is able to have those difficult conversations and be able to have them, but Get them yourself too.”
Maybe Zach learns that he just can’t be that guy and is doing everyone a favor.
Brooklyn made sure to add that “He’s a great guy but, you know, if anyone has any doubts about me, he’s not someone I really want to be with.”