Speculation continues to swirl about Season 25 of “The Bachelor,” with host Chris Harrison saying he’s stepping away from the show temporarily after he made comments that seemed to excuse racist behavior. Making that controversy even more awkward is the possibility that Matt James, who made history as the first Black star in ”Bachelor” history, might give the final rose to Rachael Kirkconnell. She may be a frontrunner to win James’ favor, but Kirkconnell has been criticized for her social media posts, and photos of her attending an “Old South antebellum” college party in 2018.
While all that’s going on, the show keeps chugging ahead. Tonight’s Episode 8 is a pandemic-altered version of what used to be called the hometown dates. In the quarantine world, the remaining four women James has chosen will be joined by members of their family and loved ones. Instead of hometowns, the family members will come to Pennsylvania’s Nemacolin resort, where this season is based.
(How to watch: “The Bachelor” airs at 8 p.m. Mondays on ABC. No cable or antenna? Live stream “The Bachelor” on fuboTV, which offers a 7-day free trial or Hulu + Live TV; you can stream episodes the following day on Hulu)
According to the episode description, the “final women’s loved ones arrive at the resort to meet Matt; over the course of four intense and emotional dates, they experience tough conversations, heartfelt moments and touching surprises.”
If nothing else, that sounds like a change in tone from the endless talk of “mean girl” behavior and a “toxic” atmosphere among the women. For Oregonians, though, it means we won’t be seeing our local contestants, Pieper James, a graduate student from Happy Valley, Oregon, and Abigail Heringer, a client financial manager from Beaverton, who were both sent home in the episode that aired last week.
In a development Monday, James posted a response to the racism controversy to his Instagram page. James wrote, in part, “The past few weeks have been some of the most challenging of my life, and while there are several episodes left of the season, it is important that I take the time to address the troubling information that has come to light since we wrapped filming, including the incredibly disappointing photos of Rachael Kirkconnell and the interview between Rachel Lindsay and Chris Harrison. The reality is that I’m learning about these situations in real time, and it has been devastating and heartbreaking to put it bluntly.”
James went on: “Chris’ failure to receive and understand the emotional labor that my friend Rachel Lindsay was taking on by graciously and patiently explaining the racist history of the Antebellum South, a painful history that every American should understand intimately, was troubling and painful to watch. As Black people and allies immediately knew and understood, it was a clear reflection of a much larger issue that ‘The Bachelor’ franchise has fallen short on addressing adequately for years.”
Between Lindsay’s reaction to the interview with Harrison, and group statement by women from Season 25 of “The Bachelor” expressing support for Lindsay, the conversation has been heated and ongoing. James appeared to address that, writing that the public conversations and reporting have “also pushed me to reevaluate and process what my experience on ‘The Bachelor’ represents, not just for me but for all of the contestants of color, especially the Black contestants of this season and seasons past, and for you, the viewers at home.”
James ended the post by noting that people will hear more from him about these issues, adding, “My greatest prayer is that this is an inflection point that results in real and institutional change for the better.”
More of our coverage:
‘The Bachelor’ Episode 7: The Oregon women learn their fates before Matt meets the families
‘The Bachelor’ resumes, amid Chris Harrison’s comments on ‘woke police’: How to watch online
-- Kristi Turnquist
kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist
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February 23, 2021 at 07:10AM
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