The Bachelor season 29 contestants Zoe McGrady and Carolina Sofia are already being painted as villains by the other women after their behavior during episode 2, but it's Grant who should be held accountable for his actions. Grant, a now-31-year-old day trader who's originally from Newark, New Jersey, but now lives in Houston, Texas, became the Bachelor lead after his appearance in Jenn Tran's Bachelorette season. He fell for her, but she said goodbye to him right before her hometown dates.
Hopes were high for Grant as he took the lead of The Bachelor season 29. During Jenn's season, he was romantic and thoughtful. He declared that his mission in life was to become a husband and a father, so he seemed perfect for the role. However, after just two episodes of his own Bachelor season, Grant has made some mistakes that have made two of the women appear to be villains, but he's the one who the other women should be blaming for the drama and conflict that ensued.
The Bachelor Women Should've Held Grant Ellis Accountable For Leaving With Zoe McGrady During The Group Date
Grant Should've Said No To Zoe
During the first group date of Grant's Bachelor season, the women played in a five-on-five basketball game. The date included Alli Jo Hinkes, Allyshia Gupta, Beverly Ortega, Chloie Costello, Juliana Pasquarosa, Natalie Phillips, Parisa Shifteh, Sarafiena Watkins, Vicky Nyamuswa, and Zoe McGrady. Before the game, the women went through skill drills, guided by some children, and then they were supposed to compete in a slam dunk contest.
Beverly went first in the slam dunk contest, followed by Zoe. However, Zoe forfeited her turn, and instead stole Grant away for some one-on-one time on the roof of the building. The women and the kids were shocked by this, especially when they were gone for an extended period of time. Zoe said in her confessional that even though it was a group date, she didn't know how much time she'd have with Grant, so she did what she had to do.
However, the other women were shocked and outraged by Zoe's actions. Sarafiena said in her confessional that she was really turned off by the situation. She pointed out that, as a group, it was their first time seeing Grant since the first rose ceremony the night before, and she felt that it was the wrong time and the wrong place for what Zoe did. Juliana joked in her confessional that she was definitely jealous that Zoe was spending more time with her husband. When someone said that they wished that they knew the rules, Chloie said that the rules were that there were no rules.
When Zoe and Grant returned from their one-on-one time, Natalie said in her confessional that it was so uncomfortable. Host Jesse Palmer then arrived to say that the slam dunk contest was over, which meant that most of the women didn't get to participate, which upset many of them, especially Alli Jo. During the game, Zoe played hard, and hit Alli Jo. Alli Jo then targeted Zoe, pushing her hard on the court and knocking her down.
It was shocking and strange that not one of the women blamed Grant for leaving with Zoe for so long. Just because Zoe asked him for one-on-one time didn't mean that Grant had to say yes. Sarafiena was right that it was the wrong place and the wrong time for it, but it was up to Grant to realize that and stay on the group date with all of the women and say no to Zoe. He definitely shouldn't have stayed away for such a long period of time with her. The fact that the women attacked Zoe and not Grant is very puzzling, but it shows that they were afraid to confront him because he could eliminate them from The Bachelor.
The Women Were Angry That Zoe Kept Taking Time With Grant
Grant Shouldn't Have Allowed Zoe To Steal Him Away
At the cocktail party, Zoe mentioned that Chloie, who'd been named the MVP of the game, had earned her one-on-one time with Grant. Alli Jo interrupted her, stating that Zoe didn't earn hers, and she confronted her about stealing Grant away. Some of the other women agreed, but Zoe questioned who there wouldn't take time. Several of the other women, including Allyshia, said that they wouldn't have. Zoe pointed out that they have one shot, and she gave it her all, and she was happy that she had time with Grant. She said that it was what they had to do, so if one of the other women stole Grant, she wouldn't be upset about it.
Sarafiena said that it was the wrong time and the wrong place, but Zoe replied that it was the right place because tomorrow they could be home without him. Juliana asked her if she'd do it again, knowing that the women felt that she was disrespectful to them. Zoe said that it was the first time that she was hearing the word disrespect, which made her realize why the women behaved the way they did towards her. Juliana explained that it was disrespectful of Zoe to try to take time for herself on a group date. However, Zoe responded, "Well, I think all is fair in love and war, and the [date] card said, 'Shoot your shot,' so I shot my shot."
Later, Zoe overheard Vicky, Alli Jo, and Juliana talking about her and how she took extra time with Grant. In her confessional, she admitted that she expected the girls to be a little bit upset, but more because they didn't think of planning alone time with Grant first. During Juliana and Grant's one-on-one time, Zoe interrupted them and asked if she could steal Grant away. Juliana said yes, and Grant walked away with her. Juliana said in her confessional that Zoe shouldn't move like that in a group of girls that respect each other.
When Juliana told the other women that Zoe interrupted her and Grant, Alli Jo lamented that she hadn't even talked to him yet, and Zoe had talked to him all day. Alli Jo said in her confessional that Zoe was being extremely disrespectful, and that everyone was annoyed and fed up with her. Alli Jo then decided to interrupt Grant and Zoe's time, as some of the other women cheered her on. She asked if she could steal Grant away, and Zoe requested two more minutes. Grant told Zoe that he'd be back. Zoe then returned to interrupt Alli Jo so that she could say good night to Grant, and he left Alli Jo to go back to Zoe.
Alli Jo said in her confessional that she was feeling rage. When Zoe returned to the group, no one spoke to her at first, but then Alli Jo yelled at her, asking her what her problem was. She called her out about taking too much time with Grant. Zoe didn't answer, so Juliana tried to intervene by saying that maybe Alli Jo's words were harsh and hard to hear. However, she hoped that she wouldn't have taken that as the overall consensus. Juliana told Alli Jo to let Zoe speak, but she didn't say anything. Alli Jo said in her confessional that she was feeling annoyed about the entire day, and she felt like Zoe knew what she was doing.
Alli Jo blamed Zoe for interrupting her and Grant, but really it was up to Grant to say no when Zoe asked if she could steal him away from her. It's puzzling that Alli Jo was upset with Zoe for being disrespectful, but never mentioned a word about Grant being disrespectful at all. Grant easily could've asked Zoe to wait until he was finished speaking with Alli Jo, especially because he hadn't talked to her all day and night. Alli Jo was misdirecting her anger and making Zoe the villain because she likes Grant.
The Bachelor Women Should've Been More Open With Grant About His Kiss With Carolina Sofia
Grant Allowed Carolina To Have The Public Kiss With Him
During the R&B singing group date, Bailey Brown, Carolina Sofia, Dina Lupancu, Ella Del Rosario, Litia Garr, Rebekah Garrett, and Rose Sombke had to write songs and perform them for Grant. Carolina kissed Grant during her performance. However, when she won the contest, things went even further. After they danced on stage in front of everyone while Mario serenaded them, Carolina straddled Grant while he sat in a chair, and they made out for an extended period of time.
Dina said in her confessional that it burned her eyeballs and that it was "disheartening," while Bailey said that all she could do was look the other way at that point. Rose cried in her confessinal because she wanted to be where the other girls were with Grant. During the after party, Carolina told her fellow contestants that it was really nice to be able to put her energy out there and have that recognized, rather than the talent. In her confessional, Carolina said that she and Grant really connected, and she was excited to hopefully pick up where they left off.
However, when Grant arrived at the after party, the vibe was totally off, and he could sense it. He pulled Rebekah and asked her if he was doing something wrong. She told him that she knew that she couldn't always be chosen, and it didn't feel good, but she was still very supportive of him. Grant said that he felt bad because he wasn't used to giving his attention to multiple women, and he wanted to make sure that all of the women felt good.
When Rebekah returned to the group, she explained what happened with Grant, saying that she told him that some of the women felt that the day was "a little bit of a bummer" because they'd tried their hardest, but they weren't acknowledged. Carolina asked what she meant by that, and Rebekah explained that he could only choose one winner, and he did. Carolina questioned if the women felt that the vibe was off, and Dina explained that when they saw the dancing and the physical touch, it was awkward.
Carolina said in her confessional that feeling bad for the other women put a damper on her own happiness. She said that what was supposed to be a good night for her now became her feeling guilty about everyone else that didn't get to have the day that she did. She basically told the women that she wouldn't normally do that. In her confessional, Carolina said that their feelings were valid, but it's what they all signed up for. She cried because she was upset that Grant seemed to feel guilty about their connection.
Carolina later told Grant that she felt sad and she didn't want to step on toes, and it made her feel bad that the other women were unhappy because she was happy. Grant told her that she didn't do anything wrong, but she asked if he felt that he did anything wrong. He said no and that she was the person he chose because he noticed her, and they were just having fun. Grant told her that if she got any slack, she should tell him, because he had to be able to protect her.
In this situation, the women definitely let Grant know that something was bothering them, but they should've been more explicit about it. They spoke to Carolina about how they were feeling, but they didn't fully explain to Grant why they were upset. When he entered the cocktail party, they could've had a group conversation with him, but they didn't. Instead, they're beginning to make Carolina the villain, which is unfair to her because Grant was part of that kiss too. The fact that Carolina felt bad about the situation proves that she's not the villain.
Grant Must Do Better As The Bachelor
Grant Should Put More Thought Into His Choices
Grant seems to get caught up in moments, which causes him to make thoughtless choices. It's surprising to see because he was so considerate during Jenn's Bachelorette season. He has to do a better job of making all of the women feel special. It's sad to see the women turning on each other because of his mistakes. Zoe and Carolina simply did what they had to do to get noticed in a group of 18 women. However, it was up to Grant to rein them in when things went too far, and he didn't.
Grant has the potential to be a fantastic Bachelor lead. He's open and honest, and he wants to find his true love. However, if he continues to make these missteps, he's going to turn into the villain of the season. He must be held accountable for his actions by the women. In episode 2, Grant's actions could've been excused as coming from inexperience or getting caught up in the moment. However, now that he knows how the women feel, he must do better. Hopefully, the women will realize that Zoe and Carolina aren't the villains of the season. Grant doesn't have to be either, as long as he makes some much-needed changes right away.
