Best of the Bachelor: Favorite Contestants, Episodes, Seasons

[regardez]

Thought I'd start a thread about past seasons of the bachelor. Who was was your favorite Bachelor? Bachelorette? Contestants? Season? Couple?

 

I love Sean and Catherine. At the beginning I never thought they would be a good match. I just think they are such a cute couple now and you could tell as you watched the season how much he cared for her.

 

I also really liked Tina Fabulous from Andrew Firestone's season. I really wanted her to be the Bachelorette. She was so sassy and funny.

[waving feather]

I don't like Sean. But he obviously loves Catherine so I'm fine with them as a couple. I thought Juan Pablo's season has decent girls and Desiree's season has decent guys.

Desiree wasn't the most entertaining Bachelorette but I thought she was the most genuine and she wasn't an asshole to any of her guys on her season and picked the right guys to advance each week. Not surprised Chris and her are still together and getting married this month. Since episode 3 I picked him out for her even through her whole Brookes' infatuation.

[Mabinogia]

Sharleen was my favorite contestant ever. She was just so different than the rest of them, way less pagenty which is funny because opera can be very pagenty. I love that she took it seriously in the right way, questioning if what she was feeling was real rather than taking it seriously in the "I'm going to kill myself if this one man I just met doesn't love me more than all these other women he just met" kind or way.

 

I didn't like Clare in JP's season but man she won me over on Bach in Paradise. Now she's one of my favs.

 

I actually don't care for any of the actual bachelors. I was kind of looking forward to Juan Pablo but he lost me quick. I think it might be a product of being the bachelor and therefore having to play the game the way the producers want, but none of them have seemed all that fun or laid back. I think it's all the talk they make them do about the journey and stuff. IDK, on paper many of them were attractive but in action, meh. I can barely distinguish between them.  

[Bugs Meany]

I loved Sean's season. He was maybe the best Bachelor ever--gentlemanly and genuinely looking for a wife--and his women were great. Not just beautiful but nice people as well. The friendships they formed are among the strongest the show has produced. If not for that useless troll Tierra it would have been a perfect season.

[JenE4]

Best season is too much pressure to decide, but best finale/ATFR to me was Jason crying over the balcony after sending Molly home, but then having this super romantic proposal with Melissa and they were so happy and in love that they jumped in the pool in their gown/suit. And I'm crying tears of joy at home over how adorable they are together. And, for ONCE, Chris Harrison speaks the truth that you don't want to miss the most dramatic ATFR ever! Ok, Jason's not in love anymore. Sad, but that wasn't the first time. He's still in love with Molly--and Melissa doesn't know any of this! And he proceeds to break up with Melissa--and ask Molly for a second chance! And not only does Molly say she was hoping for this moment, but here they are years later, one of the only Bachelor "success" stories...of course, no romantic proposal to show for the clip show...Nothing to see here, folks!

[regardez]

I was so upset about that ATFR. I just didn't like Jason breaking up with Melissa on live television. I agree that it was definitely the most dramatic and best finale. It is really crazy that they are still together so I guess in hindsight I am happy it turned out that way but at the time I was so angry at Jason about it. It makes me want to rewatch that season. 

[Bella]

I was so upset about that ATFR. I just didn't like Jason breaking up with Melissa on live television. I agree that it was definitely the most dramatic and best finale. It is really crazy that they are still together so I guess in hindsight I am happy it turned out that way but at the time I was so angry at Jason about it. It makes me want to rewatch that season. 

 

I was appalled at the time, but I'm glad the situation has since worked out so well. If I had the time, I'd love to track down the episodes from that season and rewatch to see what I missed.

[VanSensei]

Any seasons where the couple go on to get married and last are my favorites, IMO.

[jb0495]

I loved Ashley's season. Her & JP are a really good match. They went right back to normal life afterwards, not famewhorish, even though they did have their wedding televised. Their baby, Fordham, is adorable as well!

[Mu Shu]

I liked Trish from the football player season.   The bleach blonde drunk chicks doing keg stands  and their outrage over Trish the dish wearing a thong at the pool was hilarious.   She's here for the wrong reasons!   Which were that she was self assured, gorgeous, and wasn't doing keg stands.    She did a lot of modeling in the South Florida for several well known businesses and looked immaculate. 

[Rhondinella]

I'm going to tweak the name of this thread a little, but I have no problem with letting it continue.

[FireFoxy]

My favorite seasons are Andrew Firestone's, Blob's, Charlie O'Connell's, Byron's, Andy Baldwin's, both of Brad's, Jason's and Juan Pablo's.

 

Andrew's because he was sweet and his family calling Kristen dumb and then basically telling Andrew that there was no way he could pick her and him sobbing about it was amazing. Plus Tina Fabulous.

 

Blob's because the women were fun and we got Meredith who has been my favorite Bachelorette ever. I loved her reaction to all the women crying when they were asked to pick the best/worst match. Het WTF face was the best. 

 

Charlie's because it was fun and I loved how he didn't take it so seriously. Plus we had the delusional Kristin who was discriminated for being too pretty. And the fact that he went on to date his pick for 5 years is pretty impressive. 

 

Byron's because it was refreshing to have an older Bachelor. I would've picked the other one but oh well. Plus I liked Mary and was rooting for her and their FRC was really romantic. Too bad it seems like they were a messy couple ir. But 6 years is a long, long time.

 

Andy's because Tessa is my second favorite B'ette ever and it was obvious from day 1 he was all about her. I really, really thought they were going to make it.

 

Brad's because as much as he gets ragged on, I truly believe he went on the show with true intentions. People gave him shit for not picking anyone the first time but at least he was honest. I liked his second season because the women were fun and we got Chantal who was pretty awesome and Ashley who I really liked. I was shocked he picked Emily but on hindsight he really was wooing her and not the other way around. But ugh Emily. So fakety fake.

 

Jason because we got Jillian and she is tied up there with Meredith as my fave B'ette ever. She really made the season for me. Plus the whole mess in the ATFR was a first and truly shocking.

 

And Juan Pablo's for exposing this fakery of a show. Plus Sharleen, Renee and Clare are all cool.

 

Fave Bachelorettes are the ones that get the least attention and hype, expect for Jillian.

 

Meredith- My favorite, the most relatable one and Ian...*SWOON*. She got a fun group of guys and she was just so laid back. I knew it was Ian from day 1, it was so obvious. Their China Town date ranks up there with one of the most romantic dates on this show ever and that FRC! This is another couple I truly thought would make it because they both seemed to over the heels for each other and truly went back to as normal a life as you can have after this show.

 

Jillian- She just seems like so much fun plus all the guys on her season really liked her and to this day speak so fondly of her. Plus Reid! I still can't believe she picked douchebag Ed over him. And the fact that he came back and proposed was amazing. For a split second I thought she would say yes.

 

Ashley- She got ragged on a lot but the fact that she found JP made it all worth it. I loved watched them fall for each other. The other guys weren't even in contention after Bentley left. JP is so dreamy and they seem so happy and I love how non famewhorish they are.

 

Des- She is so sweet and I felt for her during her season. But in the end, she got Chris who I liked from the start and wanted her to pick. And they are now married so it all ended well.

 

For trainwreck factor I loved DeAnna's season. She was SO insufferable you could tell the guys were not very excited about her. Plus her desperately trying to woo Graham and him not having it was hilarious. And of course Andi's ATFR and Nick calling her out for sleeping with him. 

Edited January 20, 2015 by FireFoxy

[KR Vermont]

I identify more with fun, chill women like Des and Jillian, they had good seasons. Ed was handsome (and I dig tall), but alcoholism is a big turn-off. I'm happy for Chris and Des, they seem like a cool couple that might actually have a good go of it.

I only made it through plastic Emily's season because of Jef and Arie, they were a more entertaining couple than with Em. :)

Edited January 20, 2015 by KR Vermont

[TheFinalRose]

Best episode ever is the Brooks breaking up with Des. We watch that one a lot...yeah, I know how mean am I? It was just the realest episode, and when you know what is coming it's even more heartbreaking to watch.  

 

I am one of those people that really liked Des and am so happy for her and Chris. Of course, I thought Chris was great for her from the beginning and wish them a great life together. I totally don't understand why Chris Harrison ignores them.  

[Adeejay]

I am afraid I never got the Sean love; maybe it was because I was hoping it would have been Arie, instead.  My favorite Bachelor was Andrew Firestone.  He was nice, seemed genuine, kind and classy.  I loved Bob and Jake as contestants, but hated them as "The Bachelor".  While I don’t have a favorite Bachelorette, my least favorites were Jen and DeAnna. 

 

My all time favorite contestants:  Shannon (Alex), Charlie (Trista), Jerry (Jen), Bettina (Brad 1), Chantal (Brad 2), Chris L. (Ali) and Arie (Emily).  Least favorite: most of Jillian’s guys and most of Ben’s ladies.  Ugh!  I have to say my favorite episodes were:  Meredith's hometown visits (two guys were unemployed and one was a horse breeder) and DeAnna going bat sh** crazy at the barbecue because Graham was ignoring her.  Hee!

[SugarJones]

I'm way late on responding, but I'm newish to this board and want to give this topic a bump..haha.

 

Favorite Seasons:

 

Brad's second season - I watched his first season and I found it boring. Bettina was the best one and he should of picked her. His second season was a lot better. A perfect mix of great contestants (both Ashleys, Chantal, Shawntel) and a little bit of crazy ones (Michelle), plus there was just enough drama/'scandal' and we were introduced to Emily (for better or for worse, depending on how you feel about her).

 

Jillian - Overall, she had the best looking guys, in my opinion (except for Kiptyn..sorry, I don't find him attrative at all). Plus she's laid back, which I love. And she's wasn't afarid to make out with multiple guys, which I appreciate. Unlike uptight Jen who was dating someone else the whole time she was the Bachelorette and Emily who pretty much ignored all of her guys, except for Sean, Arie and Jeff. Unfortuneatly, Jake was probably the worst pick for the Bachelor - why not Reid?

 

Ben - His season reminds me a little bit of Chris's season - smoking hot chemistry with one woman while the others sit around and watch. Courtney was way more of a villian than Britt, but I always wondered why the rest of Ben's girls were so into him when he was clearly into Courtney; same thing I'm thinking watching Chris's season. He also had the best WTA and ATFR in recent history. The WTA for bringing Courtney on even though she was still in the running since the show was still airing. And the ATFR because they completely cut Lindsey like a bad habit to focus on Ben and Courtney.

 

Desiree - A Realtiy Steve spoiler being so, so, so wrong is always fun. He was wrong until the bitter end and it made kind of happy because of how big his ego was throughout that whole season. The show played right into his wrong spoiler as well and I truly believe that they edited the show with his wrong spoiler in mind. Announcing Juan Pablo as the next Bachelor was the final 'f you' to him. But her season had really good looking guys as well and she seemed genuine about giving them all a chance.

 

I would put Ali's season in here since RS was wrong about her ending as well, but I found her season very boring. Another Bachelorette who was obsessed with her top 3 and ignored the other guys. She is probably one of the most successful Bachelorettes with her gig at E!

[archer1267]

I know it's corny, but Ryan Sutter comes to mind as someone who was sincere and in it For the Right Reasons. I wasn't crazy about Trista at first but grew to like them together, if that makes sense. Even now I can see clips of the proposal, of their 1:1 date in Seattle, and think "Awwww…." She chose well. 

 

I also was thinking of Ames earlier today (Ashley's season) - he was sweet, a little more of a "march to my own drummer" kind of guy. I didn't see him on Bachelor Pad, but he seemed like a genuinely nice person.

 

As far as Bachelors, I liked the Andrew Firestone season and remember being really bummed when he and Jenn didn't work out - I liked the way their romance developed.

 

Regardez, Tina Fabulous eventually got married!

Edited February 11, 2015 by archer1267

[TheFinalRose]

My all time favorite contestants:  Shannon (Alex),

 

 

A blast from the past but she was awesome! And, considering she had no idea what she had just signed up for.  

[dbell1]

Still a sucker for Trista's season. "Me, and you, and Shamu". Ryan was just head over heels the whole time.

Favorite runner up was Bob's # 2. She looked like she was going to push him into the pond when he dumped her.

[Treebeard]

As I usually watch this show for the crazy and don't give a fig about the "love story"....This season's Ashley/Kelsey thunderdome battle on a bed in the Badlands.

"You think I'm not as smart as you because I don't use big words. You and I both have our Master's and I have one from a great place. I’m not from Pleasantville! I am from freaking 2014!”

"I may be a virgin, but I’m sexy and she’s not."

“Ashley is a Kardashian that didn’t get her princess date and wears way too much makeup.”

Just Gold.

Edited February 18, 2015 by Treebeard

[Adeejay]

Favorite runner up was Bob's # 2. She looked like she was going to push him into the pond when he dumped her.

 

That was Kelly Jo. Loved her.  I wonder if she ever got married.  One of the reasons I didn't particularly care for Meredith as the Bachelorette was because I wanted it to be Kelly Jo. 

[Bella]

Kelly Jo got involved with another guy almost immediately after filming and ended up marrying him. I believe that's the reason she wasn't considered as Bachelorette. It might also have been that she said she didn't want to, I'm not exactly sure except I do recall that the reason she didn't get the gig came from her end, not TPTB.

[sidekickgirl]

I loved Meredith. She was the most likeable, and you could really see her love story. With Ian unfold.

I also liked Todd from her season, he was a funny dude.

And Tina Fab. :) still wish she had gotten to be Bachelorette.

They don't make contestants like they used to!

[adhoc]

I haven't watched every season, but of the ones I've seen, I'm happy with how Ashley Hebert's season turned out. Why is that? Because TB staff reached an all-time low in how they treated her. Imagine, having the guys roast her! The bachelorette is supposed to be the  coveted goal, not the object of ridicule because she isn't a lush bombshell.  That was in such poor taste and below the belt. Plus there was the withheld info about Bentley...

 

Anyway, what I loved about it was that Ashley found her guy despite those bumps in the road, and they seem very happily married today.  Plus, now TPTB at the Bachelor franchise have to trot them out along with Trista and Ryan, Sean and Catherine, etc., as "one of our favorite couples" and "one of our success stories".   Please, hypocrites. Ashley succeeded despite your efforts to mock her.

[jb0495]

Speaking of Ashley's season, I'm re watching it now and completely forgot about all the Bentley drama in the beginning. I also compared it to the current season with Chris and I can't believe how different the show is now. On her season, they still had the fancy pictures of the guys and you saw Ashley looking at them, making decisions, talking to Chris etc. I'm also so surprised at Ashley's genuineness, she actually wanted to get to know the guys and they had real conversations right off the bat. JP's first one on one date, they even sat on the floor in PJ's and talked about past relationships, Bentley etc. it's AMAZING how little we know about the Chris's bachelorette or his connection with any of them. They edit the dates and conversations down to nothing! IMO, JP was one of the most good looking contestants the show has ever had!

I wish the show would return to form like Ashley's season, without the horrible dates planned (roasting!) but where you'd actually see what happens with the contestants and how Chris would talk to them!

[FireFoxy]

I really liked Ashley and thought she was a great B'ette despite of the Bentley situation. She got a pretty good group of guys and you could actually see the love story between JP and her. 

[hunneytot]

Speaking of Ashley's season, I'm re watching it now

Where!?! I would love to see some old seasons!

[FamilyVan]

Yes where?  I tried to watch Ben's season but you have to pay for it on On demand.  I am not paying for it.  Are the old seasons available somewhere?

[NoWhammies]

tried to watch Ben's season

 

I just rewatched Ben's season. He was even douchier than I remembered. 

[jb0495]

I had a credit on my Amazon account so I'm watching Ashley's season for free. I believe each episode is $1.00. Since Surfthechannel isn't a website anymore there are limited options to watch for free.

I'm past the Bentley debacle of Ashley's season & it's absolutely one of my favorite seasons. There was JP, Ames, William etc, all hot, good looking accomplished NORMAL guys. I like that they still feature Chris Harrison, talking to Ashley/the guys etc AND the episodes still have time to feature the guys bonding, Ashley/the guys having actual conversations too and beautiful scenery.

I don't understand how Chris's episodes are so long but have no substance. Chris Harrison is nowhere to be found either. I don't get it.

[FamilyVan]

$1 an episode at 15 or so episodes is too much for me to pay (for Bachelor).  Are they on Hulu?  Is Hulu still free?

Edited February 24, 2015 by FamilyVan

[Rhondinella]

I'm not aware of any (legal) place to get past seasons for free.  Hulu does have some free content (although I don't know if it does for this show), but its most in-demand content these days has been moved to Hulu Plus, which requires a subscription.

[JenE4]

I missed a span of Bachelor seasons when the VH-1 dating shows were all the rage. They were on the same night and, come on, The Bachelor couldn't compare to all of the Of Love spin-offs when it comes to watching for the Wrong Reasons! But I missed seasons that I still hear people talking about as the greatest ever: Byron, Brad 1.0, Meredith, Jessie (Ok, maybe I've never heard anyone say his season was great, but I missed it nonetheless)... I'm not sure who else was in that era. Is it possible to see those seasons, or are they just too old to be out there (pre-online TV)? And, while we're talking about the old VH-1 shows, I would pay money to see the last few episodes of Megan Wants a Millionare that never aired just because, after filming, the possible finalist committed a super gruesome murder and went on the lam, ending with him killing himself. That promptly ended that entire genre on VH-1. (Ok, now I'm firmly off topic, but there's no board for these shows and I've heard other regulars on this board also say they watched the VH-1 shows: Real from Real Chance at Love and I Love New York just passed away from cancer. How sad. He was one of the few genuinely kind people to ever appear on those shows. Well, him and Punk, who married Jennifer Hudson.)

[CalamityBoPeep]

But I missed seasons that I still hear people talking about as the greatest ever: Byron, Brad 1.0 [...]

 

For being one of the so-called "most controversial" seasons of The Bachelor, I gotta say, I absolutely loved Brad 1.0!  Such glorious train wreckage!  His leaving the final rose podium to pace and pull on his tie; his dumping both; his realization that Bettina wasn't going to work out because of her father's weird possessiveness and dislike of Brad's oh-so-charming-self.  So much fun.  

 

No other season has ever compared, and I was totally cheering him on for dumping both.  I always felt like if he wasn't feeling it, he wasn't feeling it.  Too bad, Mike Fleiss.  So sad.  Hee!

[Bella]

Brad totally did the right thing IMO - I kept reading "how could he not find someone out of 25 beautiful women?" and the like, and I kept thinking "what if they're the wrong 25 beautiful women? What's magic about the number 25?"

[chocolatine]

There was JP, Ames, William etc

 

 

You forget Mickey, IMO one of the hottest Bachelorette contestants ever.

[FireFoxy]

But I missed seasons that I still hear people talking about as the greatest ever: Byron, Brad 1.0, Meredith...

 

Those were great seasons. Meredith is still my favorite ever. Did you watch Charlie's? It was really good too.

[JenE4]

Those were great seasons. Meredith is still my favorite ever. Did you watch Charlie's? It was really good too.

Yes, I did see Charlie. He belonged on VH-1! He was SO skeevy! I still remember him doing body shots off of the girls on a group date.

[FireFoxy]

He was skeevy but I loved how he turned the show's formula on it's back. The casual rose ceremonies, meeting the women for the first time at their hotel with no makeup, dating the F2 after they finished filming. The fact that he was with Sara for so long and they were friendly after the breakup tells me he isn't such a douche as many thought.

[archer1267]

I haven't watched every season, but of the ones I've seen, I'm happy with how Ashley Hebert's season turned out.

 

I too missed a good many seasons, but tuned in for this one. I remember several guys walking of their own accord - Bentley, Mickey, and Constantine. Is this a record for the show? I know two women walked off Juan Pablo's season.

[Wings]

I was so upset about that ATFR. I just didn't like Jason breaking up with Melissa on live television. I agree that it was definitely the most dramatic and best finale. It is really crazy that they are still together so I guess in hindsight I am happy it turned out that way but at the time I was so angry at Jason about it. It makes me want to rewatch that season. 

 

 

That was a set up!  Melissa knew that was coming.  They realized their relationship was not working shortly after filming wrapped.  I felt badly for Jason since he got all the hate for something production staged.   

 

Sharleen is by far my favorite person in this entire franchise.

 

Emily and Jef's season was the most exciting, for me.   I became very attached to them making it work.   

 

I love Clare since I have seen her on BiP.   

 

I also liked Andrew Firestone and Jen.  

 

I cannot tolerate Sean.  Even before he became so sanctimonious, I didn't like him.  He bought into what the press made up, saying he is the favorite bach of all time.   I love Catherine, though.  

[FireFoxy]

I also liked Andrew Firestone and Jen.

 

I loved them too. I was so sad when they broke up. His F2 date where his family met Jen and Kirsten were hilarious. You could tell his mom and sisters loathed Kirsten and called her a moron to her face and she didn't get it. And when his brother basically told Andy in no uncertain terms he couldn't think about picking Kirsten and he teared up...Good times!

[CindyBee]

I loved them too. I was so sad when they broke up. His F2 date where his family met Jen and Kirsten were hilarious. You could tell his mom and sisters loathed Kirsten and called her a moron to her face and she didn't get it. And when his brother basically told Andy in no uncertain terms he couldn't think about picking Kirsten and he teared up...Good times!

 

Andrew's season was my first and by far my favorite and I can honestly say nothing will top his "meet the family" date with Kirsten.   I can remember sitting there with my mouth open as  his brother basically told him "she's a gold digger and I'll never talk to you again if you pick her".   Good times indeed.

 

Other favorite bachelor seasons are Jesse (loved the friend being a spy), Charlie, and Brad 1.0.   

[jb0495]

Love love loved Emily & Jef. I wanted them to make it but Emily is a total trophy wife & Jef deserved better.

I loved Jef's line: I want to date you so hard and marry the f*** out of you.

Rewatching Ashley's season, I love how obvious it is that she picks JP. And how confident JP was that they were meant to be! Even at the first rose ceremony, JP said "hell yeah" when Ashley asked him to accept the rose.

[Iwillnotacceptrose]

I didn't see some of the seasons (including Ashley's, Brad's 1st) and would also love to watch them somewhere but not willing to pay per episode.

My fave seasons are Andrew's (for Tina Fab, the BEST contestant ever IMO), and Brad's 2nd (for Chantal), and Emily's (for Jef and Arie).

I HATED Jason and Molly bc of the whole AFTR debacle, but now I listen to their podcast and have changed my mind.

[wonald]

Favorite Moments:

 

Mesnick's ATFR.

 

Lil Andy crying like a little bitch after big bro pointed out what a golddigga Kirsten was.

 

Brad 1.0 choosing himself in the finale.

 

Jesse Palmer's look of absolute terror when that model comes back on the show and interrupts his date,

 

Nick getting all the money in BP3. (One of the greatest moment in reality TV of all time.)

 

Favorite Suitors:

 

I agree with all who name the aptly named TinaFab as the best.

 

Ryan Sutter. So sincere that I cannot snark. What a sweetie.

 

Jef Holm. Great sense of humor and that voice!

 

Favorite TBs:

 

Trista. The gold standard. Bangin bod. I also loved how she couldnt contain her disgust when the black dude urinated the bed or when she saw that drug dealer's tiny NYC studio apt.

 

Jillian. Probably the fugliest TB but proof that self-confidence and a good personality/sense of humor might be the most important attributes for TBs. Great sense of style too.

 

Favorite Seasons:

 

Trista's. The only time I believed in the romance and it turned out to be real.

 

Emily's. The only time I believed in the romance and it turned out to be not real.

 

 

[chocolatine]

One of my favorite moments is Sharleen telling Juan Pablo "I wish I was dumber" when she eliminated himself from his season.

 

If we're also counting BPad, the question/answer game in the first season, with questions like "who do you think has the worst boob job".

Edited February 27, 2015 by chocolatine

[ByTor]

It looks like lots of people liked Tina "Fab"...ugh, I could not STAND her & never got what was so "fabulous" about her.

[Adeejay]

One of my favorite moments is Sharleen telling Juan Pablo "I wish I was dumber" when she eliminated himself from his season.

 

I don’t care for Sharleen.  She seems to have an inflated sense of self.  I don’t think she is as intelligent and clever as she would have others believe.

 

During Andrew’s season, I liked Tina Fab.  She came across as extremely confident and seemed to get along great with the other ladies.   However, her parting words about not wanting to be “bare foot and pregnant in a vineyard”, not only made her sound like a sore loser, but seemed to deeply affect Andrew.   He didn't deserve that.

[Bugs Meany]

I'm rewatching Ali's Bachelorette season, which is probably my favorite. It had one of the all-time best two-episode contestants: Craig M. You know how there are right-reasons and wrong-reasons contestants? Craig was no-reasons. He had no interest in Ali, and had nothing to promote either. He was there to drink free booze and harass the Weatherman. Awesome.