The Bachelorette, ABC's spinoff of The Bachelor and a summer guilty pleasure favorite for years, is back in full swing, with Emily Maynard calling the shots.
To fans of the reality franchise, Emily needs no introduction.
A stunning blonde who raises her six-year-old daughter as a single mom after her fiance passed away while she was pregnant, Maynard's history is as compelling as her amazing looks and personality. It was little surprise that she captured the hearts of America, and Bachelor star Brad Womack, in 2011.
Only things didn't work out with Brad in the end.
It's likely they fizzled out for legitimate reasons, and harbor no ill will toward each other. But for all the hype about finding true love on The Bachelorette, you have to wonder if producers have stacked the deck against Emily.
Yes, they are filming in her home town of Charlotte, rather than L.A., and by making it known ahead of time who would be The Bachelorette star, ABC likely attracted more candidates fully aware that she has an adorable daughter and is motivated by more than hot tub make-out sessions here.
Still, the type of person who goes on a reality show to find love is often not husband or wife material. This isn't true of everyone, obviously, but it narrows the field considerably. Of the 25 men ABC cast for Emily, how many of them can you really see her with? Half? Fewer than half?
The Bachelorette spoilers leaked so far don't tell us much beyond who makes it to the final three. It's unclear who she picks in the final rose ceremony and whether they make it (a contrast from past seasons, in which the winner and the couple's fate has been rumored online before the premiere even aired).
Historically, at least, the odds don't look good for Emily Maynard.
This franchise has lasted since 2002 because it excels at scripted drama, cheesy dates you love to hate, misleading promos, contrived nonsense and superficiality. There have been some nice people on it, and some relationships have even worked out. Just not a majority or anywhere close.
Most of the time, the real world rears its ugly head. Sequestration, tabloid scrutiny, and most significantly, different lives get in the way. It's easy to have a blast traveling the world and living like jet-setters for a few months. After that? Well, life is hard.
Despite the fact that she's on the show for the right reasons, Emily may leave it with the wrong result, no matter who she picks. That's not a criticism of the men on the show (not all of them, anyway), just a fact of life, based on 20-plus iterations of The Bachelor and Bachelorette. They're batting around .100 for a reason.
Will the North Carolina beauty meet her prince charming at long last? Or will she inevitably be heartbroken again after failing to find what she's looking for? What do you think?
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