The Bachelor Season 21 Episode 1 Review: Meet Nick (Again)
Sarah Hearon
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Even Nick Viall can't believe he is the new Bachelor.
The Bachelor Season 21 Episode 1 marks the beginning of Nick's fourth appearance on the franchise.
It’s so interesting to see flashbacks of Nick from his days on The Bachelorette because he is so much better looking now (which ABC made very clear with a shower montage). He earned his right to post shirtless selfies.
This is not another season of The Bachelorette. Or Paradise. This is actually The Bachelor. I know, I’m as surprised as you are.
Nick
It’s funny that Nick’s sister Bella is giving him notes based on his past performances, but I disagree with her that his biggest problem is that he mumbles. I think it’s the whole falling in love with someone after 20 minutes thing.
I would definitely prefer not to be the first Bachelor rejected at the end of all of this.
Nick
Former Bachelors Chris Soules, Sean Lowe and Ben Higgins are all here to give Nick advice. I guess two out of three alums that are still married/engaged ain’t bad.
He’s like that choo choo train we all read about in school that just keeps chugging along.
Ben Higgins
The best part of this conversation is Ben is trying to give Nick genuine advice (including don’t tell two different women you’re in love with them) and Sean and Chris just cannot stop making fun of him. All I can think during the scene is: Do all of the former Bachelors have a group text?
Sean: A lot of people don’t like you... and I say that in the nicest way! We all like you!
Nick: Still?
It’s finally time to meet the women. I don't know why some of them get intro packages and others just get out of the limo, but here's a basic rundown of everyone who was featured and some predictions about their fate.
The first woman we meet is Rachel. She’s an attorney, which just so happens to be the same career choice of Nick’s first Bachelorette Andi Dorfman. Debatable if that is an advantage or disadvantage. However, the fact that her parents each have a million siblings just like Nick is definitely an advantage.
Josephine is the token quirky girl... so quirky that she brings Nick a hot dog and asks him to “lady and the tramp it.” She reminds me of last season’s chicken enthusiast.
I’m a little bit lonely... I have my cat, but it’s not the same.
Josephine
Corinne stole her opening from Legally Blonde and still lives with her parents. She also has nanny who she plans to take with her when she eventually moves out. I predict she’s going to make it super far and all of the girls are going to hate her.
Corinne’s world is glamourous.
Corinne
Jersey girl Alexis is relatable because she likes to do “weird things” like walk to CVS in a sumo wrestler outfit and practice dolphin calls. She came out of the limo in a shark costume. She thinks it's a dolphin, but all of the girls are fairly confident she is dressed as a shark. So is everyone else in the world, including Nick.
When Nick tells Alexis that she's a shark, she thinks he is joking. It is hard to imagine their relationship going very fair. She should book a ticket to Paradise (where the producers will definitely have her swim with dolphins) ASAP.
I want to be friends with the dolphin shark!
Raven
The plot thickens when we meet Liz, who was fellow Bachelor alum Jade Roper’s maid of honor at her wedding to Tanner, which aired earlier this year on ABC. Nick and Liz had a one-night stand the night of the wedding, but instead of getting his number then, she decided to join the cast of this show to talk to him. Interesting.
Nick initially doesn't say anything to Liz that makes it seem like he recognized her, but after a quick convo with Chris Harrison, he remembers. Hmmm did production tip him off or did he see through productions trick?
She kind of looks like Kate Middleton, and I thought she had a good chance with Nick, until he points out that it is sketchy that she didn’t just get his phone number from Jade. This makes Liz the first person to be accused of being here “for the wrong reasons.”
Back to the limo entrances, they have been fairly conservative compared to years past, and most of them are just making jokes about how Nick has been on this show before. Sarah, who wore sneakers and ran up to him so he didn't feel like the only "runner-up,” did it best.
Good luck meeting the rest of your girlfriends.
Christen
Taylor told Nick that all of her friends think he's “a piece of shit” after watching him on TV, so that's one way to make an impression. I'm sure he's looking forward to meeting her friends.
Lauren didn't hold back and delivered one of the best lines of the night about Nick’s last name Viall and her last name Hossey.
You and I were blessed with some pretty terrible last names... so basically together, you and I, are a disgusting slut.
Lauren
Jasmine straight up just brought Neil Lane, who always designs the rings for the Bachelor proposals, and multiple ring choices, which is definitely the most aggressive limo entrance in Bachelor history. Nick had mixed feelings about seeing Neil. Again.
Hailey went commando, and made sure Nick knew it.
Hailey: Do you know what a girl wearing underwear says?
Nick: ... No.
Hailey: Either do I.
One of the first girls that Nick seems super intrigued by is Vanessa, and not just the fact that she knows three different languages. She definitely makes it to the top three, or at least hometowns.
Lacey made an entrance on a camel that a lot of the other girls were jealous of, which says a lot about the type of person who applies for this show.
I know you like a good hump and so do I.
Lacey
One of the highlights of the episode is that all of the women are shocked that there's about ten of them in red dresses. They’re all acting like red is their thing and not the most basic dress color ever. I mean, there’s even an emoji for a red dress.
When the first impression rose comes out, the women look at it like a piece of meat after they have been starving themselves for days.
Corinne solidifies her role as the villain of the season when she is the first person to steal and kiss Nick. Then she sang the Nickelodeon theme song (Nick... Nick... Nickelodeon!) in her confessional, and the Olivia vibes were undeniable.
All of the women start to freak out when they realize that Corinne already kissed Nick and the first impression rose will be given out any second. There was even some tears, which is impressive on the first night.
The last time I dated someone I didn't know he was dating other people, so at least this time I know.
Astrid
While Corinne is convinced that she is going to get the first impression rose, Rachel (the attorney who likes to dance around when she cleans the house that we met at the beginning!) is the lucky winner of the first impression rose. I’m predicting she is our first African American Bachelorette.
And it’s about damn time, am I right?
Stay tuned to find out who gets a rose and watch The Bachelor online.
Sarah Hearon is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.
