Bachelor Pad Is The Greatest Show On Television

TV

Bachelor Pad Is The Greatest Show On Television

1:30 pm, September 11th | by Sarah Devlin

There, I said it. I got totally Stockholm-syndromed by Bachelor Pad. Let me explain: Bachelor Pad and, really, the whole Bachelor/ette franchise, is frequently derided as either “chick stuff” or “boring,” and the latter, at least, is usually true. But oh boy, do I believe there is something for everyone in this franchise, and last night proved it. There were a lot of feelings, one proposal, and one former contestant dressed like a cross between Cleopatra and Pocohontas, sure, but there was also the birth of a reality tv champion (or villain, if you prefer) right before our eyes during the finale, one that no one saw coming. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Nick Peterson.

Enable JavaScript to check out our fancy slideshow.

1.Nick got at least 500% more screentime in the finale than he has on the show.

Per ABC's website: "Nick hasn’t been the most followed person in the house. He had to step up his game when Chris Bain was trying to get him voted from the pad. Since then, he has been coasting through the competitions and avoiding the cutting block. When his partner Erica Rose was voted off, he joined forces with Rachel, who had just lost her partner Michael. The two managed to win the most important final challenge that locked them in as one of the final couples. If they are selected to be the final couple, do you think Nick will keep or share the money with Rachel? Remember, if they both choose “keep” then the other contestants will receive and divide up $250,000."

2.Rachel spent most of the finale crying over Michael Stagliano.

As it turns out, after the show was over Michael told her he couldn't handle a long-distance relationship...before promptly beginning a long-distance relationship with another lady. Just keep in mind that, by the end of this episode, Michael will be maybe the second or third meanest contestant on the show.

3.While Rachel cried about Michael, Nick mostly made this face.

After they were partnered up following Michael's elimination, Rachel repeatedly expressed her desire to leave, alternating between that and reminding Nick how much better everything would be if Michael was still there.

4.After the heart to heart between Rachel and Michael, Chris Harrison reminded everyone that Nick was still on the show.

Nick laughed. Rachel seemed a little disappointed that the subject had to be changed.

5.When Rachel said that, rather than her partner Nick, it was her friend Jaclyn who kept her in the competition...

Nick made this face.

6.While the contestants voted on which couple should win...

The show's villains (until this episode, at least), partners Chris and Sarah, did this.

7.While the contestants voted and Chris and Sarah hugged...

Rachel and Nick made these faces.

8.While the contestants voted, Chris and Sarah hugged, and Rachel hugged Nick...

Nick made this face.

9.While the contestants voted, Chris and Sarah hugged, and Rachel hugged Nick...

Nick made this other face.

10.The eliminated contestants voted almost unanimously for Nick and Rachel as the final couple.

Following the vote, Nick and Rachel were sent to separate rooms to debate whether they'd opt to keep or share the $250,000 prize. It's a classic prisoner's dilemma — if they both pick "Share" they split 50/50, if they both pick "Keep" they get nothing, and if one picks "Keep" and one "Share" the keeper takes it all. After a speech about how he knew Rachel never wanted to be his partner and was dead weight for the rest of the competition, Nick picked "Keep" while Rachel picked "Share," argued that everyone else on the show would have done the same thing, that he basically played a solo game against the other couples in the show, and left the stage. Rachel chased him backstage to argue with him, where he told her "I did this myself," grabbed his enormous gym bag, and hightailed it out the service entrance to a waiting limousine. Chris Harrison was beside himself. Amazing, amazing, amazing. I don't know what to do with myself until this show comes back.