The Bachelor is a widely popular show on ABC that continues to grab the attention of viewers with each new character and storyline.  The new season of The Bacheloraired on Jan. 2 with Nick Viall as the season’s star.  He previously participated in two of the spin-off shows of The Bachelor; he was the runner-up on the 10th and 11th season of The Bachelorette, and he also appeared on Bachelor in Paradise.

Viall is one of the most controversial bachelors  in the show’s history, due to his appearance on multiple seasons and spin-offs of the show.

“Nick has been on so many of these types of shows that now it seems like he just wants the attention and the fame that comes with being the Bachelor, not to find his true love” said junior Davida Harris.

The first episode of the new season introduced the thirty women that are potential partners for Viall.  Although there are many women introduced in the first episode, often times, a couple of them stand out for certain reasons.  For example, on the opening night, contestant Alexis Waters introduced herself to Viall wearing a shark costume to show her love of dolphins. Waters’ persistent determination to convince people that she was a dolphin not only became the talk of the night, but also a comedic situation. Liz Sandoz is another contestant on the show that stands out from the other girls, as she had a brief encounter with Viall a couple months before the show.

“It’s funny how all of the girls seem friendly on the outside, but they all secretly hate each other” said junior Cory Levy.

After each week, Viall decides which girls are eliminated and which girls continue.  At the rose ceremony, roses are given to the girls that Viall wants to continue to pursue.  If a girl is given a rose, it means that he is interested and sees a potential relationship between them.  By the end of the first episode, there were 8 women eliminated, and 22 left to continue onto the next week. As the show progresses, fewer and fewer roses are given out and more women are eliminated.

The show runs for a total of ten weeks. Each week brings more suspense and excitement to the viewers.  By the end of the 10th week, Viall must make a very difficult decision: he must choose the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with.  This could be a very stressful choice for both the Bachelor and the audience. After each season, fans wonder whether the Bachelor or Bachelorette made the right decision.

Some couples that emerge from the show don’t stay together in the long run, but there are a special few who live happily ever after.  This season, the audience hopes that Nick Viall will finally have the odds in his favor, and find the perfect girl to spend the rest of his life with.  Only time will tell.