‘Bachelor’ Viall getting another shot at love
Waukesha native picked to star in latest season of ABC show
“When did I become the bad guy?” Nick Viall asked Andi Dorfman as they dined in Italy midway through Season 10 of “The Bachelorette.”
Viall was on his second one-on-one date with Dorfman, who was using the time to confront Viall about his “salty” behavior on a recent group date. It was easy to see why he was tagged with the “bad guy” label. The other contestants called him smug and arrogant as he showed off his front-runner status. Dorfman even wondered if he was manipulating her.
What’s unclear is when Viall morphed from “The Bachelorette” villain into a man worthy of holding “The Bachelor” mantle. ABC announced recently that the former Chicago software salesman and Waukesha native will be “The Bachelor” on the show’s upcoming 21st season after two turns as runner-up on “The Bachelorette” and an uneven stint on “Bachelor in Paradise.”
“(Viall) has just become that perennial, second-place guy who wants to find love and is as sincere, if not more sincere, than anybody about finding it,” show host Chris Harrison told People magazine. “It’s about giving him his chance to find love. Who deserves it more than him?”
“The Bachelor” will be Viall’s fourth chance to find love, an unusually high number, even for a franchise that encourages second (and third) chances. It’s also surprising that this extra chance has been given to Viall, who has consistently shown skepticism for “The Bachelor” way of matchmaking since his nervous introduction to fans on Dorfman’s season in 2014. Viall, who recently moved to Los Angeles to pursue a modeling career, was unavailable for comment last week.
Viall’s time on these shows may give hints to how he will act as “The Bachelor” next year. Here’s what we learned about Viall after watching him try to find love on three seasons of “Bachelor” spinoffs — about 36 hours of television without commercials — and how he solidified his place as one of the most divisive “Bachelor” stars yet.
He makes a lasting first impression with his boyish charm, but his eventual overconfidence blinds him to signs of trouble: As Dorfman gave Viall her rose honoring the best first impression, she noted their immediate connection and called him genuine, endearing, cute and sweet. Throughout the season, he remained certain that Dorfman would pick him. But she wouldn’t even let him pick out an engagement ring because she said she had stronger feelings for Season 10 winner Josh Murray.
Viall surprised Kaitlyn Bristowe when he asked her if he could join Season 11 of “The Bachelorette.” Bristowe said the two had struck up a friendship over social media before she became the star of the show.
“The idea that you could potentially get engaged and I wouldn’t have met you kind of bugged me,” Viall said. The two kissed shortly after meeting and Viall became an immediate front-runner. He got to pick out a ring this time around, but Bristowe chose personal trainer Shawn Booth in the end even though Viall said “she feels things with me that she has never felt before.”
California aesthetician Amanda Stanton set her gaze on Viall at the start of this season’s “Bachelor in Paradise,” which features castoffs from “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” pairing up at a Mexican resort. But just as she and Viall started to form a bond, in came Murray (again) and out went Viall.
He doesn’t do well in group settings: Part of “The Bachelor” schtick is having contestants participate in group dates with eye-rolling themes so they can show the star that they are willing to do anything for love. This backfired on Viall when he stood out for his lack of participation in a miming session. Dorfman said she didn’t like his standoffish attitude. Viall said then that he finds group dates to be unnatural and “the worst thing in the world.”
Fast forward to last year, when Viall was shown participating in a group date writing and performing a mariachi song for Bristowe in San Antonio, Texas. “I really missed embarrassing myself on group dates,” he said. Bristowe appreciated the effort — he was the only one to serenade her on a balcony — and gave him the groupdate rose, although she said he seems to come off as cocky.
He’s also gotten heat for kissing and telling. He slut-shamed Dorfman after the Season 10 finale by asking her why she “made love with him” if she didn’t have feelings for him. He also alluded to hooking up with Bristowe after a date in Ireland, which upset the other contestants.
He has no problem rejecting someone: After being dumped again and again on television, Viall was finally the one to initiate the split at the end of “Bachelor in Paradise.”
Viall, 35, sobbed as he broke up with Florida small business owner Jennifer Saviano on Tuesday’s episode after spending the night with her, an ironic twist after criticizing past “Bachelorette” stars for doing the same to him.
Saviano said she saw a future with Viall, who worried “that I am incapable of saying, ‘I love you’ to anyone.” Fans will have to wait until next year to find out if that’s true.
Estimates of the weekend’s box office take at U.S. and Canadian movie theaters:
“Sully,” $35.5 million. “When the Bough Breaks,” $15 million. “Don’t Breathe,” $8.2 million.
“Suicide Squad,” $5.7 million. “The Wild Life,” $3.4 million.
“Kubo and the Two Strings,” $3.2 million.
“Pete’s Dragon,” $2.9 million.
“Bad Moms,” $2.8 million. “Hell or High Water,” $2.6 million. “Sausage million. Party,” $2.3