Another one of “the most dramatic seasons ever” of the Bachelor/Bachelorette has come and gone.
In this case, it was the Bachelorette that just wrapped up with its season finale on Aug. 6 and the pseudo-reality show hosted by Chris Harrison is known for always being “the most dramatic season ever” – no matter what season they are in. There are countless “shocking” moments and the “worst heartbreak” ever but, of course, that is to be expected. What else could we anticipate when more than two dozen guys vie for the attention and ultimate love of one woman? (Or in the case of the Bachelor, flip that and it’s 24-plus girls battling it out for one man.)
Don’t get me wrong, I have been indoctrinated into the Bachelor Nation and must confess, it is definitely my guilty pleasure. My newsroom staff thought that was just hilarious that I would get drawn into the drama but I put it this way; I don’t smoke, I don’t drink and I usually only swear on Tuesdays (deadline day pressure, you know) – so please, let me have my Bachelor and Bachelorette.
Through the wonder of DVRing, I don’t have to miss it. The show runs on Monday nights and since that is prime time for getting last minute things done for the papers, including usually writing the front page for Escalon, my Monday nights are spent in front of my computer typing away. So the DVR does its work and, Tuesday nights, after all the deadlines are over and breathing returns to normal, I can enjoy the show.
It is definitely a ritual at our house. For the past few years, since my roommate got me hooked on the show, the three of us – my daughter, the roommate and I – settle in on Tuesday nights to watch the drama unfold. The first night, when all the hopefuls arrive to meet that season’s bachelor or bachelorette, we put their names in a hat and draw them out, picking our people at random. One by one, they get crossed off the list as they are sent home in the “most heart-wrenching break up ever” in the history of the show. It gives us people to cheer for and, amazingly enough, we all seem to hang on to one guy (or girl) right through to the end. This season, we each had at least one person in the final four that got to go on the hometown dates. My daughter ended up with two in the final three and my roommate had the other – they went head to head in the finale and my daughter came out the winner.
That’s because Becca, this season’s Bachelorette, chose Garrett, who was on my daughter’s list.
Truth be told, we were all sort of pulling for Garrett because he was raised in Manteca; we can almost claim him as our own. At least he was a 209-er at one point, even though he now lives and works in Reno. Still, there was some pride in rooting for a guy from the same area code and what a kick it was to see them planting tomatoes on their hometown date when Garrett brought Becca to Manteca. They also planted a rose bush – which, if you have ever watched the show, you know roses are a pretty integral part of this whole deal. You get one of those, you’re good for another week and you definitely want the final rose.
Our own Studio 209 crew, which produces weekly video features around the 209, broke out a special episode when they got wind of the Bachelorette being in Manteca a few months ago. She was presented with the key to the city as Garrett beamed – that part wasn’t in the televised show but it was in our Studio 209 episode.
Though Becca often said she thought it would be Blake (the other guy in the final two) at the end, it turned out her heart picked Garrett.
Now we wait and see … do they get married and have their happily ever after?
My daughter, the social media maestro who already knew Garrett won well before the show was over, will keep me updated on their fate, I am sure.
Plus pretty soon we’ll see who our next Bachelor is– and the fun will begin all over again.
Marg Jackson is editor of The Escalon Times, The Oakdale Leader and The Riverbank News. She may be reached at mjackson@oakdaleleader.com or by calling 847-3021.
