My wife got me semi-into the Bachelor franchise, or as fans call it, Bachelor Nation. It would not be my first choice of something to watch, but I try to enjoy everything I can that she likes, and this show is a decent time-killer. The last and only season I had seen was an absolute disaster, and I was not surprised when they put the show on hiatus in favor of The Golden Bachelor. But this season was much better.

This is a complete reboot of the show, with that lame beach in Mexico now replaced by a beautiful resort in Costa Rica. I highly doubt many of the contestants from the last season were complaining about the change in scenery.

So, all the contestants who are not romantically linked from previous shows return for another chance at love, or to be semi-famous in select circles. Many of the women especially enter so their Instagram followers will grow in large numbers.

But this time they included women and men from The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette. I was a little worried that the creepy older guys might try their luck with women young enough to be their daughters, or even their granddaughters, but fortunately, that was not the case.

And of course, the rose ceremonies from past seasons are obviously back, with women choosing first and then the men. This creates a power struggle, and there is a lot of lying and deceiving to secure those roses.

However, they made a big change by turning the rose ceremonies into eventual formalities when couples are de facto established. To stay in the game, they are given special challenges. In the end, the last two couples are offered the chance to take $250,000 in cash but only by leaving their partners heartbroken. I thought this twist went fundamentally against the core idea of the franchise, and I doubt they will repeat it in the next season.

My wife and I have a favorite couple: Spencer and Jess. Spencer seemed genuinely sweet and a good person, which is rare in the Bachelor Nation franchise. He has “golden retriever” energy, which is a great sign for any woman looking for love. I will not say whether they lasted or not, but if you have not checked it out, give it a watch.