Spoilers ahead for the Season 25 premiere of The Bachelor on ABC.
The Bachelor has finally returned to ABC with a new season, with Matt James as the latest leading man looking for love. In a departure from the norm, however, The Bachelor selected a star who hasn't already made an appearance in Bachelor Nation, and his closest tie to the franchise was previously just his friendship with former Bachelorette suitor Tyler Cameron. Now that his search for love as Bachelor leading man has begun and viewers got a look at the ladies vying for his heart, James may have already revealed a happy ending despite the drama.
Speaking with THR about his season of The Bachelor, Matt James said this about his journey:
You are going to see authenticity, you’re going to see someone who is real — and I’m very happy right now.
As per usual, The Bachelor Season 25 is being hyped for the level of drama that it will deliver to fans, but Matt James' comments could indicate that he really does find a happily-ever-after with one of the women who received roses to stay in the game at the end of the premiere.
Of course, it's always possible that Matt James is "very happy" because The Bachelor was a satisfying journey even if it didn't end with an engagement ring on anybody's finger. We can only speculate (and/or check out spoilers) for what happens next. Considering the wild ride to James becoming the Bachelor and the craziness that is likely still to come, I'm guessing he'll have earned his happiness by the end!
For one thing, Matt James was originally cast for Bachelor Nation as one of the men who would vie for Clare Crawley's heart on her season of The Bachelorette, which itself was especially dramatic with Tayshia Adams stepping into the spotlight after Crawley found love early. Before he turned up on The Bachelorette, he was offered the chance to star in the next season of The Bachelor despite never appearing on any other Bachelor Nation installment, and he stands as the first Black lead of The Bachelor.
And his unconventional journey to becoming the first Black Bachelor wasn't even the biggest twist in the sequence of events! Instead of landing a season that would involve traveling all over the world for incredible and exotic dates, Matt James would spend his entire season at the Nemacolin Resort in Pennsylvania due to the pandemic.
The good news is that the premiere revealed the Nemacolin Resort looks more like a castle than a hotel, and Matt James and the ladies trying to become Mrs. James almost certainly won't be dripping with sweat every time they step outside like the cast of the latest season of The Bachelorette, filmed at the La Quinta Resort & Club in Palm Springs, California.
As for how Matt James gets to the point where he's very happy, it's probably too early to say which of the women has the best shot. Client financial manager Abigail Heringer received the first impression rose of Season 25, although fans may have been left with more memorable impressions from Katie Thurston with her vibrator in tow and Victoria "Queen Victoria" Larson. The next new episode of The Bachelor airs on Monday, January 11 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, so be sure to tune in to see which of the ladies survives another week of competition.
