Each spring, Chris Harrison hyperbolically promises
Bachelor
nation that “this is the most dramatic season of
The Bachelorette
yet,” and for once we may have reason to believe him. Season 16 of
The Bachelorette
kicked off on Tuesday, Oct. 13, and while it provided the escape that most of us have looked for the past few months, the show has never looked so different. Standing in front of a building that was obviously not the
Bachelor
mansion, Harrison delved into a recap of setbacks the crew faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After confirmation that Clare Crawley, a 39 year-old hairdresser from Sacramento and a four-time
Bachelor
franchise participant, would be this season’s bachelorette, the production shut down due to the spreading virus. As the suitable men were sent home just prior to the scheduled start of filming, Clare began her quarantine at her house where she struggled with the pain of not seeing her mother, who is in a care facility because of dementia. While she acknowledged “there are bigger things in the world happening,” as soon as ABC presented her with the chance to quarantine in La Quinta Resort and Club in Palm Springs, California, Crawley did not hesitate. Reality TV shows must go on, even in the midst of a pandemic! The oldest bachelorette in the franchise history, Crawley ensured Harrison that, “I know what I’m looking for. I know what I want.” And so, after a four-month hiatus and a montage of negative covid tests, Clare and her 31 men were finally welcomed back for a chance to find love.
The resort, which is arguably in better shape than the
Bachelor
mansion, exclusively became the home for the contestants and the crew created a “Bachelorette bubble.” Thankfully, the show soon offered some sense of normalcy with the opening limo scene. The first man out of the limo, Army ranger veteran, Ben, simply offered Clare to take a deep breath with him before they begin their journey (and boy did she need it). The night soon escalated as the men pulled out all the stops to capture Clare’s attention and heart. Ed Waisbrot rolled down the driveway in an oversized plastic bubble and Uzoma “Eazy” Nwachukwu jumped through a “Your Future Husband” sign. There were also a handful of men who decided to dress up in costumes! Among the better ones, Joe Park came as a doctor to save Clare’s “love life,” Chasen Nick arrived in a full suit of armor, and Jason Foster wore a pregnant stomach in homage to Clare’s original entrance on Juan Pablo’s season of
The Bachelor
six years ago. Then, as always, there were the questionable costumes such as Kenny Braasch, a boy band producer, sporting a shirt made of photos of Clare’s dogs and Jay Smith showing up in a straitjacket which he did not remove for the rest of the night. Some men even ditched the traditional limo and showed up in different forms of transportation like Bennett Jordan in a Rolls Royce and Tyler Cottrill in his station wagon.
However, no limo entrance made a greater impression on Crawley than that of Dale Moss, a former pro football player from South Dakota. Despite not having a conversation of any substance, as soon as Moss walked away, Crawley turned to the camera and proclaimed, “I definitely feel like I just met my husband. I just felt everything that I haven’t felt ever.” To
Bachelorette
fans everywhere, this phrase is all too familiar, but it consumed Crawley for the rest of the night.
As the final men trickled in, Clare socialized with all of them, although it was clear her attention was focused solely on Moss. Even as the first man stole her away, who the producers made no attempt to reintroduce, Crawley clearly wanted to talk to Moss. While she had bland conversations with the rest of the men, the world stopped spinning when she got the chance to talk to Dale. She opened up to him about the difficulties with her mom and proclaimed she had butterflies but only because she “really liked him.” The only other man who stood a chance against Moss was Blake Moynes, who reached out to Clare during quarantine before the second round of filming started. As
Bachelor
nation knows, it is a violation of the show’s policies to contact the lead of the show, but Crawley praised Moynes for the risk. By reaching out to her Clare said, “You risked not coming on here and putting that on the line, it meant everything to me.” As a reward, Moynes was the first man to kiss Clare, but it did not help him too much in the long run, as she still gave the first impression rose to Moss at the end of the episode.
Amidst these two standout men, the night did not come without drama, as Tyler C accused Yosef of being on the show for the “wrong reasons.” Despite saying he would not bring the information to the surface unless it was necessary, Tyler C somehow found the validation to discuss his concerns with Crawley not even a minute later. He accused Yosef of sliding into women’s messages in his hometown. Clare handled the situation with poise, sitting both men down in front of her to hash it out before she excused herself to meet the other men.
At the rose ceremony, it was no surprise that the first man to receive a rose was Blake Moynes. Even t-shirt wearing Kenny Braasch got a rose after
Bachelor
nation watched him squirm for five minutes straight! The big final rose of the night came down to, in a typically
Bachelorette
fashion, Yusef and Tyler C. Unfortunately, Tyler C’s snitching act did not get him any additional points in Clare’s book, and she gave the rose to Yosef. Tyler C exited the show this week along with AJ, Chris Conran, Jeremy Higgins, Jordan Manier, Mike Tobin, Page Pressley, Robby Stahl. Eight men gone, only 23 to go!
Emma’s Inputs From Night #1
Best Moment:
Where does one begin? For me, Joe, the 34 year-old anesthesiologist dressed as a doctor saved the whole night. Not only did he make a cute doctor joke, but he also made Clare an ENTIRE tray of paper origami animals. He’s nerdy, he’s adorable, he’s skilled in the task of origami, and he probably won’t make it past week three but I am rooting for him!
Close Second:
Maybe it’s because I’m
that
Ham student who goes crazy every time I see a dog, but each additional minute of footage including Clare’s dogs was necessary.
Worst Moment:
Poor AJ. Poor, poor AJ is all I have to say. Never have I cringed more than watching a man getting out of the limo. His leading line was “All my friends tell me I give terrible first impressions…” which was mistake #1. He then squeezes Clare’s hand so hard she yelps in pain. It was never going to work out.
Who’s Out Next?:
Dear God, please let it be Kenny. Kenny and his dog t-shirt who looks like he would murder you in your sleep. I am less interested in the hinted drama that Dale is going to cause and more invested in making sure Kenny is the next man out.
