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The Bachelor: Is it more fun to watch it spoiled or unspoiled?

By Claire Delano

THE BACHELORETTE - "1708/Men Tell All" - It's time for Katie's former suitors to talk it out. But first, one of the men has an emotional realization about his journey to find love, which leads to a heartbreakingly honest conversation with Katie at the resort. Then, it's time for the men to get real when they reunite for the first time since New Mexico to hash out all the drama and laugh at their mistakes, all in front of a live studio audience. Plus, a look at the final two episodes of the season. Find out on "The Bachelorette," MONDAY, JULY 26 (8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC. (ABC/Craig Sjodin)KAITLYN BRISTOWE, TAYSHIA ADAMS
THE BACHELORETTE - "1708/Men Tell All" - It's time for Katie's former suitors to talk it out. But first, one of the men has an emotional realization about his journey to find love, which leads to a heartbreakingly honest conversation with Katie at the resort. Then, it's time for the men to get real when they reunite for the first time since New Mexico to hash out all the drama and laugh at their mistakes, all in front of a live studio audience. Plus, a look at the final two episodes of the season. Find out on "The Bachelorette," MONDAY, JULY 26 (8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC. (ABC/Craig Sjodin)KAITLYN BRISTOWE, TAYSHIA ADAMS /
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(Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)
(Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images) /

The Bachelor spoiled

Ah, the spoiled crowd. If you belong here, you’re probably more than just a casual viewer. You either seek out the juicy details yourself, or you spend enough time reading Bachelor-related content to stumble across them.

If you can’t fathom why somebody would want to know how the story ends while watching it, here are a few pros. But, as with everything, there are downsides, too.

Pros

Sometimes, it’s just too hard to resist

If you spend time in online fan spaces and you get the feeling that something’s gone down, you don’t want to be out of the loop! It’s not easy to squash curiosity once it’s been piqued.

You get to discuss with other spoiled fans

The community is an integral part of The Bachelor for many people. I have no idea whether spoiled viewers are the majority, but they are a sizable portion. You’ll have access to a lot more discussion when you’re willing to be spoiled.

For example, I went unspoiled during Hannah Brown’s season of The Bachelorette in 2019. I don’t regret it, but part of me wishes I’d been there for the absolute chaos when Reality Steve announced that cheater Jed Wyatt had won Hannah’s heart instead of fan-fave Tyler Cameron.

You know who to pay attention to

Some watchers don’t care to get invested in contestants who aren’t going far. They would rather know who wins so they can focus on that love story.

Cons

The filler is tough to get through

The Bachelor can have a lot of filler. Filler is content that doesn’t progress the “story” in any meaningful way, like a one-on-one date with someone who doesn’t stand a chance.

When you’re unspoiled, the filler isn’t so obvious – after all, you don’t know who wins, so time spent on any contestant could be important, right? But if you already know that the Bachelor is sending this woman home without a rose, the footage just feels like a waste of time.

Spoilers can be wrong

Reality Steve is trusted by most of Bachelor Nation…but he’s not foolproof. In 2017, he claimed that Peter Kraus won Rachel Lindsay’s season of The Bachelorette, causing fans to swoon over “Pachel” before we knew anything about them. When he admitted that Bryan Abasolo was the real winner, there was a mass disappointment. The same thing happened with the Tyler Cameron/Jed Wyatt switcheroo a couple of years later (although, unlike Hannah and Jed, Bryan proved to be the right choice for Rachel).

Sometimes, Reality Steve’s mistakes have serious consequences. Just look at Jenna Cooper, whose life was turned upside down by Steve’s false cheating allegations.

Spoilers heavily color the audience’s view of cast members, and those views can be hard to erase, even when they turn out to be wrong.

It can just be…boring

This one really depends on personal preference and what the season is like. Some people care about the journey more than the destination, so spoilers aren’t a problem. And some seasons of The Bachelor, Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise are wild enough that the journey is worth it even if you know everything.

But during a tamer season, the suspense of not knowing who wins might be the only thing that makes the show worth watching.

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