Leaving Early Could Be the New Trend on the Bachelor and Bachelorette

I was trying to explain to my friend why I am able to talk in detail about the intricacies of last season's Bachelor.

The show has been on my TV every Monday night since my wife joined my side, so, yes, I've seen it. But last season, Juan Pablo's season, at the end, I was one with the Nation. Bachelor Nation. I couldn't wait to see what happened.

The reason I was so glued was because Juan Pablo's season was different. Before he took the stage, I would just walk through room, trying to hear as little as possible of the show. It was all the same.

He's so great.

She's the love of my life.

I must be with him.

I will do anything for a rose.

Then, during Juan Pablo's season, women started leaving. In the history of the Bachelor that I can remember (confirmed by the wife, one of our planet's foremost experts) no one has ever left completely of their own volition.

There have been people who weren't totally into the whole thing and were eliminated, but they've always left via the Rose Ceremony. I think there were a few sketchballs that were kicked off the show. But I don't remember anyone deciding to leave.

During Juan Pablo's season we saw not one, but TWO, different women up and say, "Yeah, I'm pretty positive that I don't want to spend the rest of my life with this guy, so I'm gonna make way for the ones that do." Unheard of.

There is normally a quivering embrace, a hasty walk away, a tear stained limo ride and perhaps even reflection on what went wrong. Not with Juan Pablo's season.

Sharleen departed first. Her sentiment seemed to be "You are great to make out with. Unfortunately, I need a bit more than that."

Then, Andi followed. She seemed to be frustrated by the fact that Juan Pablo's explanation for everything was "It's ok."

It wasn't ok, especially later, when he said something off camera while he was in a helicopter with Clare that caused her to have a fit and blew up into another mini scandal. I wrote about that here.

Anyway, after the train wreckage of Juan Pablo's season was cleared, all the women who are independent were throwing their hands up for one of the Bachelor pioneers who left the show outside the Rose Ceremony to become the next dispenser of roses.

That brings us to Andi, your new Bachelorette.

I was always a Sharleen guy, but I'm going to give Andi a chance. After all, she sort of bucked the trend. She took a small step in reality TV evolution. I felt like I was watching a science experiment when the light bulb over her head went on, and she realized that no amount of network TV pressure was worth even acting like she was down to stay with Juan Pablo.

Now, since the 'early leavers' are so popular, I predict a rash of such behavior. People could be vying to be the next big 'B', or 'B'ette, or they could just turn around and decide that looking for a soul mate on network TV isn't the thing after all. Either way I think we are going to see it happen a lot.