Another week of The Bachelorette, another week of drama. I’m not going to lie, I started off this season rooting for Bennett. While on the surface he appeared to be snobby and pretentious when he rolled up in his Rolls Royce like James Bond on night one, in the first few weeks he proved otherwise. From his sheet masks in “Chateau Bennette” and an ever present martini in hand, Bennett became the endearing guy who knows how to laugh at himself.
In a very Luke Parker-esque move, Bennett appeared outside Tayshia’s room the next day and asked if they could speak. A surprised Tayshia reluctantly let him inside, where he told her that he loves her and asked for a second chance. “Our goodbye was so bizarre, so surreal – I just couldn’t even fathom what happened,” he said. “And I was thinking of all of these things I wanted to share with you. Sometimes you don’t realize things until they’re gone, and I realized in that moment that I love you.” I’m sorry – what? He also leaned in to try to kiss her, which felt really disrespectful to her considering she essentially broke up with him the night before.
To be honest, the whole situation came across as really cold and calculated. While I don’t know Bennett personally and can’t be sure of his intentions, it seemed that he was more concerned with “winning” than with Tayshia, and his “I love you” felt more like a last ditch effort to change her mind rather than a genuine confession. His speech felt robotic and rehearsed – worlds away from a genuine confession.
While Bennett is by no means Luke Parker and was never blatantly rude or disrespectful towards Tayshia, his attempt to win her back came across as manipulative, and it’s exactly what girls should steer away from in a partner. Tayshia made up her mind about Bennett, and he knew that. His return disrespected Tayshia’s decision and put her in an uncomfortable situation with the men in the house. I don’t think poor Noah can handle another week of being called a 14-year-old and being condescendingly lectured on his emotional intelligence, plus, his return also manipulates Tayshia to overlook all of his red flags that she sent him home for in the first place.
I hope Tayshia doesn’t keep Bennett around, because it sends a message to girls everywhere that all wrongdoings can be erased with a simple three word confession. This trope is frustrating to watch in movies, but it’s even more troubling on a reality show (though to be fair, it does make for good drama). I know that Bachelor Nation thrives off of these storylines, but they’re a horrible example to young, impressionable viewers everywhere. We need less Bennetts and more Bens in upcoming seasons. Who’s with me?