Oh, the dreaded 2-on-1 date. These have been a staple on The Bachelor for many seasons now, although they are an absolutely terrible idea. Now, on, Joey Graziadei‘s season, there was a 2-on-2 date with Maria Georgas and Sydney Gordon. Sure, it was dramatic and compelling, but will it actually help Joey find love? 2-on-1 dates have never gone well on The Bachelor, and this one was no exception. Though it was hard to look away from the messy date, it wasn’t in Joey’s best interest.
2-On-1 Dates Are Not Productive For Anyone Involved
The main problem with 2-on-1 dates is that they are just not productive. The Bachelor films in an extremely short amount of time, and it is crucial not to waste any minute. 2-on-1 dates do just that, however, as they take up a lot of time without adding anything valuable to the experience. This in turn, takes away from both the lead and all of the contestants.
One of the most infamous 2-on-1 dates in Bachelor history was between Genevieve Parisi and Shanae Ankney, during Clayton Echard‘s season. Shanae had been recognized as the season villain early on, and Genevieve was one of many women who got wrapped into the drama. As a result, Clayton (or producers) thought that it would be a good idea to have the two women go on a 2-on-1 date.
To the surprise of no one, this did not go well. Clayton ultimately decided to send Shanae home, and gave Genevieve a rose. While Shanae’s departure was long overdue at this point, there was no reason why Clayton couldn’t have sent her packing at any other time. On the other hand, Genevieve receiving a rose didn’t quite make sense either. After all, Clayton didn’t really make any progress on he and Genevieve’s actual connection during the date.
The 2-on-1 dates usually occur when there is drama between two of the women. As a result, the lead uses the date as an opportunity to get to the bottom of things and find out who is in the wrong. Neither woman is able to use the date to build a stronger connection with the lead, as they are simply trying to save themselves from elimination. This is counter-productive, and takes precious time away from everyone involved.
2-On-1 Dates Put Strong Connections At Risk
The other terrible thing about 2-on-1 dates is that they can dampen strong connections. Genevieve was definitely one of the frontrunners on Clayton’s season, although her issues with Shanae got in the way of that. While Genevieve didn’t necessarily do anything wrong, getting caught in the drama ultimately prevented her from strengthening her connection with Clayton.
Unfortunately, history already seems to be repeating itself on Joey’s season. Maria has been a frontrunner since night one, and clearly shares a strong connection with Joey. Sydney, on the other hand, has only been seen talking to Joey about drama that she created. Sydney claims that Maria is a bully, but cannot clearly explain why that is. It’s pretty clear that Maria never did anything to bully any of the women, and that Sydney just seems to have it out for her.
While Joey took Maria’s side during the pool party, he surprised viewers when he decided to give Sydney the final rose. Maria received the second to final rose, which also seemed a bit unfair. Maria has been nothing but supportive of the other women, and no one has stuck up for her. Now Maria’s reputation is at risk, even though she’s done nothing to put herself in that position.
Joe questioning whether he really knows Maria is all a result of Sydney’s ridiculous manipulation, and really puts Maria and Joey’s relationship at risk. This is one of the most frustrating aspects of the 2-on-1 dates, as one of the women usually has a pretty strong connection with the lead. Ultimately, Maria moved forward, but her connection with Joey will always be a little tainted by this.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF 2-ON-1 DATES? DO YOU THINK MARIA OR SYDNEY WILL GO HOME?
