Entertainment

This 'Bachelor' Season Is One Of The Strangest Yet

by Marenah Dobin

This season of The Bachelor has only just begun and it's already getting weird — like, really weird. From just two episodes, we have a season's worth of strangeness to talk about. I can't even imagine what it was like for Ben Higgins and everyone else who actually lived through it all. Even at this point, there are a lot of reasons that this season of The Bachelor is the strangest one yet.

You might think that a show that has been on for this long with so many seasons would be stale by now, but that's far from true. There is actually so much more weirdness going on than ever before. The women on the show will do anything they can to stand out and be noticed by Ben — and also be noticed by the viewers for those contestants who aren't "there for the right reasons." I'm sure a bunch of them are looking for that 15 minutes of reality TV fame, and it's safe to say they've succeeded.

And aside from the contestants, the show itself is keeping things interesting with verydifferent dates, new twists, and the Bachelor himself isn't like most of the others who came before him. Here are all the ways this season is already like none other.

There Are Twins

Ben was pretty shocked to see double when twins Emily and Haley Ferguson showed up. I cannot be the only one wondering how this is going to work. How long are they going to rest on this twin gimmick until they start getting competitive for Ben's affection? Can we also address how every other woman has an occupation listed under their name and then Emily and Haley just have the word "Twin"? What's up with that?

Two Former Bachelor Contestants Are Back

Ben is not the only one who returned to reality TV with this season of The Bachelor. It was crazy to see former Bachelor contestants Amber James and Becca Tilley step out of the limo. Former contestants have returned in the past (Nick Viall, anyone?) but seeing two women return who were both on the previous season was pretty wild. Will they have a leg up on the competition or will their familiarity with this dating process hinder their chances? My guess is that this isn't going to work out, but maybe one of these women will end up as a Bachelorette at some point.

The Bachelor Doesn't Realize That He's A Catch

Ben was cast on both The Bachelorette and The Bachelor, so obviously there is something special about him. Before the contestants even got to meet him, they were all about him, but he is still so insecure. I get that Ben was burned in past relationships, which made him think he's "unloveable", but he need to realize that he has a lot going on and let this insecurity go.

So. Many. Laurens.

There were four Laurens on this season of The Bachelor and one Laura. Does this increase the odds of a Lauren winning Ben's heart or does the repeat name mean that it's going to be tough for Ben to keep track of the ladies? At this point there are only two Laurens left, so I guess we will see how things go.

The Dates Are Even Weirder

The dates have always strayed from conventional on The Bachelor. I mean, it is reality TV after all. But things are getting super strange this season. On the first one-on-one date Ben and Caila got in a hot tub with Kevin Hart. And on the first group date, the women had to wear matching white outfits and work out before submitting to a smell test from Ben. What kind of date is that?! I have a feeling that there are more odd dates to come this season — and not just you're usual weird Bachelor dates like bungee jumping.

Even at Season 20, The Bachelor is far from stale. There is always something weird and different happening on this show, and I'm excited to see what the rest of the season has to offer!

For everything Bachelor Nation, check out Bustle's podcast, Will You Accept This Podcast? and follow our Bachelor fan page on Facebook.