Amidst a pandemic, Clare Crawley has decided to try her hand at love… again. This season of The Bachelorette marks Clare’s FIFTH attempt to meet her Mr. Right in the Bachelor Universe. From her infamous fallout with Juan Pablo to this season’s dramatic promos and previews, I think we are all interested to see where Clare ends up. Even if she doesn’t find love this time around, she has the GORGEOUS Blake Moynes pining after her, and that’s a win in my book.
The Guys
Clare is met with a pretty diverse group of men ranging in age, race, career, and arrogance (Yosef). From the start, though, she falls for Dale, a 31-year-old retired football player. He’s the guy that inspired the “I definitely think I just met my husband” line. Personally, I don’t think Dale is all that great. He’s definitely super attractive and charming, but I get a weird vibe from him and something tells me that Clare is going to end up heartbroken.. again.
Almost all the guys on this season are younger than Clare, given that she is, as Yosef calls her in a dramatic preview, “the oldest Bachelorette.” She doesn’t take much offense to that dig and instead flips the script, claiming that she’s single because she doesn’t settle for less than she deserves, which is a philosophy that I think we should ALL get behind.
Blake Moynes is another guy who really stood out to me, not just because he’s a gorgeous Canadian environmentalist, but because he’s a bit of a rebel! He reached out to Clare during quarantine, which Clare totally ate up despite it being against the rules. I did NOT expect that to happen during their time at the first cocktail party. Then, Blake stole Clare away from the private time that the winners of the horrible naked dodgeball game earned. Blake was on the losing team which meant he had to walk back home naked with his …tail… between his legs. He was embarrassed, frustrated, and knew Clare wouldn’t be mad if he broke some more rules. The guys were really hard on him for stealing time that he didn’t earn, but Clare still rewarded him with a rose, meaning we get even more Blake in the coming weeks. Thanks, Clare!
Some other guys that stand out for me are Eazy, who is super fun, genuine, and down-to-earth; Bennett, who is posh, uppity, but definitely likable and growing on me; and Jason, who really opened up with Clare on their one-on-one. If Clare doesn’t want any of these guys because her sights are set on Dale, SIGN ME UP!
The Entrances
One of the best parts about a new Bachelor/Bachelorette season is the crazy entrances on the first night. This season we saw some great ones, some okay ones, and some that were just painful to watch (and feel, aka AJ). Here are my picks for best and worst entrances of the season:
Best- Jay
Jay’s entrance wasn’t exactly something that would woo me, but his commitment to the act makes his entrance the best of the night in my opinion. Jay met Clare while wearing a straitjacket and kept it on for the entire night. His hands weren’t even free to accept his rose! That’s the kind of commitment I need in my life, and I think Clare feels the same.
Worst- Zach J.
Maybe it’s just not my humor, but Zach J. getting on one knee and “proposing” to Clare with a farting ring box… not my style. I thought it was tacky, immature, and gross, but Clare seemed to find it pretty entertaining and he’s made it through the first two weeks. He still has to prove himself to me, though.
The Dodgeball Date
As much as I can appreciate how attractive all of these guys are, the strip dodgeball date, in my opinion, was just… icky. I’m not a fan of the “older woman makes younger man strip for her enjoyment” trope that’s always in the media. If a date like this was on The Bachelor, there would be a huge outcry from the fans. I don’t think it was necessary for Clare to make these guys, who want to fall in love with her, get naked in front of each other while she claps and drools. Hate to say it, but I’m with Yosef on this one as far as thinking it just wasn’t cool.
For the next group date, Bennett should just host a spa day for everyone so everybody is comfy, relaxed, and at least wearing a robe.
Overall
I don’t dislike Clare but if she’s going to be with Dale, they should get on with it so the queen herself, Tayshia Adams, can join the party! I can’t wait to see where the season goes once she takes over!