The next chapter of The Bachelor franchise is finally here: The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart. When the series spinoff was introduced in January, it was met with many sour impressions from Bachelor Nation, who thought finding love through music was a bad idea —especially after the recent Jed Wyatt ordeal. Yikes.
But now that we are a month into quarantine, the show is merely a blessing … a beacon of hope. In the meantime, our favorite franchise is here to provide us with another mindless show to help alleviate the loneliness that the coronavirus pandemic has bestowed upon our lives. Thankfully, Listen To Your Heart is highly addictive and basically is Bachelor in Paradise without the beach and with a lot of singing.
Chris Harrison, himself, seemed to be quite skeptical about the concept initially but is now genuinely excited. “Immediately after watching the first episode, I realized this concept works,” Harrison said via Glamour.
With the spin-off show, contestants will no longer have to hide their ambition for notoriety, as they have the chance to get the best of both worlds: fame and love (and lots of drama in between). Here’s some highlights from the first episode of Listen to Your Heart:
Ryan gets the first date card
After the early love triangle with Trevor, the first date card of the season goes to Ryan, who chooses Jamie to accompany him. “I do wish I was on that date with Jamie,” Trevor confessed.
The couple spends the day at Capitol Records in Los Angeles, where they meet Grammy-nominated producer John Alagia. They work on a cover of John Mayer’s “Gravity” before heading to the roof to drink champagne during the sunset.
“I feel like it definitely sped up my connection with him way more than I expected,” Jamie swoons. “I’ve never had a first date like this. It’s wild.” They kiss, of course.
Matt gets the second date card
Back at the mansion, the second date card arrives for Matt. He’s already interested in two women: Rudi and Mel. Rudi says in an interview she would love to go on the date and regrets not kissing him the night before. But to her dismay, Matt chooses Mel. The two attend a Plain White T’s concert — the first practically mainstream performer ever on the show — and it’s easy to say there is little to no chemistry.
Instead of a rage-filled confessional, Rudi channels her frustration through song back at the mansion. She confronts Matt during the cocktail party, which turns into a he-said, she-said debacle and ends in his defeat.
“I feel like I just went 12 rounds with Mike Tyson,” Matt told others. Like everyone else, he spends the rest of the night trying to secure a rose.
Rose ceremony
It’s ladies' choice! Before the decisions are made, Chris Harrison reminds and encourages the women with the tagline of the show, “Last bit of advice ladies: listen to your heart.”
Thus far, the solid couples are Chris and Bri, Danny and Bekah and Brandon and Savannah. The rest of the men are absolutely flailing to secure a last-minute rose. Sheridan has his sights set on Julia. And what does that mean? A song for her, of course! Jed has to be losing his mind somewhere right now. Sorry, bro.
Matt is trying a last-ditch effort with Rudi because he didn’t have “much of a spark” with Mel. Rudi obviously sees the manipulation at hand and absolutely erupts on Matt for misleading her. “Out of all the guy, I was drawn to you and then you pull that s--- on me,” she tells him.
Knowing he won’t be getting a rose from Rudi, Matt responds with, “I hope that she doesn’t go and bad mouth me to every other girl in the house or else I’m going home.”
Jamie is forced to address her love triangle between Trevor and Ryan, who both know how to bring their A-game when it comes to charm. “On paper, Ryan is perfect. But at the end of the day, I can't help how I feel, and I love being around Trevor,” she admits.
In the end, Jamie chooses Trevor. But in a shocking twist of events, Matt is saved by Rudi. Awkward. “Sometimes you just have to take a chance,” Rudi said.
Michael Todd, Jack, Josh and Russell all get the chopping block.
The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.
