The Bachelor franchise emerges as a winner, despite Peter Weber being this season's biggest loser

Vox

The indecisive Pilot Pete was a dud of a Bachelor star, but producers deserve credit for keeping the crazy ending to the season under wraps. "For the first time in a long time, the Bachelor franchise managed to keep at least the ending of the season from being spoiled," says Emily Stewart. "Even Reality Steve, the guy who has been leaking information about the show for years, had to guess at how the season would wrap up and was changing his predictions to the very end. The season was far from a black box — there was plenty of information out there about what happened beyond who got the final rose. But to find out who Peter wound up with and how the whole thing shook out, everyone had to watch to the end. And it was refreshing for the entire audience to be in the same boat. Every year, the Bachelor producers say this season is going to be the most dramatic season ever. Did this year fit the bill? Not exactly — I’d argue that the Ari-Becca breakup of 2018 was much rougher. But the franchise showed it can still surprise us and mix things up throughout Peter’s season."

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• The Bachelor realized that it could scoop Us Weekly by following couples after filming is done: "Bachelor fans don’t really watch for the happy endings," says Rodger Sherman. "We watch to laugh at the over-the-top dates, gawk at the infighting, roast the decision-making of the contestants—and we like to snidely comment about how most of the couples break up after the show ends anyway. In the last few years, The Bachelor seemingly realized this, and instead of letting the couples break up off-camera, they started filming and airing them. (Sorry, Us Weekly, your exclusives are over!) It started with Arie’s decision to break up with 'winner' Becca and propose to runner-up Lauren, continued last year when Hannah Brown confronted Jed, and for a while, Tuesday night’s episode followed that formula to a T." Sherman ads: "We love The Bachelor for the drama, sure, but it’s best when it’s the petty, silly type. We like thinking about a Bachelor couple breaking up because they’re both clout-horny Instagram climbers with nothing in common. But it’s tough to laugh about Peter and Madison’s almost-certain impending breakup, because we saw the uncomfortable causes of it on a live stage. The Bachelor heard we liked unhappy endings, and it showed us the least happy ending in the show’s history. It was deeply uncomfortable, and yet, I kind of need to see Thanksgiving at the Webers: A Bachelor Special—although I’m not sure we can count on Peter and Madison still being together in November."
• ABC reality boss Robert Mills defends Peter as The Bachelor: "I think Peter has been judged harshly as the Bachelor, and I think, over the past two nights, we learned why he did some of the things that he did because of his family. But I hope he finds happiness with Madison, and then we’ll see that the whole roller coaster ride was worth it. That’s how we feel with Colton and Cassie — it was a weird route, but they did find each other in the end." Mills also was asked if Peter will continue being filmed. "If it’s warranted. I think, right now, they deserve their privacy," he says. "But of course we’ll check up on them. If there’s something that warrants us filming, we would love to be there."
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• Peter's mom Barbara Weber responds to criticism of her After the Final Rose appearance: "I ignore all the negatives!!"