Hello lovelies, Hannah B’s seasons of The Bachelorette officially started Monday night! Did you end up catching it??
Alright let’s dig in, shall we?? Let’s start with the lady of the hour, Hannah B! Before the season started there were some concerns floating around out there about Hannah and how she would do as The Bachelorette! People were concerned that the season might be a bit of a snore and that Hannah might find it tough being in front of the camera all the time and leading these guys throughout the season.
Well, while I agreed with most of these thoughts originally, after watching last night’s episode, I think Hannah will actually be GREAT! She is a good mix of sweet and fiery so I think it’ll be an interesting (or the most dramatic yet?! LOL!) season!
I’m one of those people who was pleasantly surprised by the Bachelorette casting choice of Hannah. I frequently found myself beguiled by her self deprecation and awkward charm last season. That said, truthfully, I didn’t really know what to expect with her as the lead. It felt to me like this could either end up being one of the more inspiring, feel-good seasons of recent memory, or that things could end up swinging deep into hot mess territory—with little potential for much in between.
I’m happy to report this season already seems to be falling in the former category. Of course, we’re surely destined for Hannah’s signature awkward tongue-tiedness, but she’s come such a long way in that department (more on that in a bit) that those moments to come already feel like the exception, not the rule. Her natural way of breaking “character” and her inability to be anyone but herself is so compelling. How many B-rolls did she render useless (yet also somehow useful!) by self-consciously smirking or by exclaiming, “I don’t know what to do with my hands!” Anyone who can poke fun at the absurdity of one of this show’s building blocks (in this case, cheesy wheat field B-rolls), even if unintentionally, is a winner in my eyes.
Best of all, it feels like we’re watching more than another cookie-cutter season of a tired, old, set-in-its-ways reality show about love. Don’t get me wrong: many things about this season already do and certainly will feel tired and old and done. But there’s a twist: It feels as though we’re witnessing a young woman come into her own. It seems that, in the short time we’ve known her, Hannah has made leaps and bounds in terms of her confidence, personal worth, and ability to articulate her thoughts. I found myself legitimately moved listening to her thoughtfully-prepared speech about honesty and worthiness. It wasn’t only a good delivery of a good speech for her, it would have been a good delivery of a good speech for anyone on this show. Hard to believe this is the same woman who nearly crumbled trying to string together a toast last season.
Now, I don’t know how conducive this moth-to-butterfly development is to that same butterfly finding her future mate. It very well may not be. But in terms of watching a show—more seasons of which I’ve seen than I’d like to admit—it’s not only refreshing, but even inspiring.
Last night’s premiere changed its usual spots. Instead of production depending on the go-to Night One formula (relying on the contestants throwing back too many drinks and encouraging one in particular to fuel discord by repeatedly stealing the lead), a different tactic was used. I almost—almost!—felt bad for Scott when it became clear that an example being made out of him (his having a girlfriend and all) was going to become a major Night One plot point. Think of all the moving parts to set this up: Demi receiving this information and relaying it to production (assuming that really is how it happened), Demi NOT mentioning it to Hannah despite seeing her earlier that same day, all the equipment, the van…. Would Demi and Katie even have had this cameo if it weren’t for Scott? Given there are a couple of alternates every season, most of whom never actually go on the show, I would go so far as to say that having a girlfriend very well may have been what secured Scott’s position on the official cast list.
As for the rest of them, I’ll keep with my tradition of singling out my early non-frontrunner favourites. I don’t care what anyone says, I thought Joe (The Box King) was hysterical. Grant stood out to me as someone you’d want to hang with, especially with his bone dry delivery of condiment puns while stuffing his face with a hot dog. I got a kick out of Tyler’s Flashdance moves in the bones of a house being built. (Best intro video “work” scene ever.) Finally, it was hard not to fall for Matt Donald, who strikes me as goofy yet sincere. The sign language in his family was fascinating to me and really made him stand out. I was FLOORED to see him go home (especially to John Paul Jones!) and would love to see him granted an extra life on Paradise, à la Grocery Joe.
The following guys that stood out me were. These are my top 4
Peter 27, He is normal. Peter has a great Night One resume, boasting an intro video, a full limo exit, and solid 1-on-1 time. I must say, I really like Peter. In his intro video, he struck me as intelligent and well-spoken. He’s delightfully normal, he’s understated and he’s believably intrigued by Hannah without being suspiciously over the top about it. Hannah seems intrigued right back, but I like how this feels slow, steady, and sincere—as though they know a kiss is on the way and there’s no need to rush things on Night One. I see Peter going VERY far this season.
Luke P “The Bachelorette was this man’s destiny”
To me, Luke is the type who appears to have been bred to appear on The Bachelorette. Everything about him, from his Southern twang, to his backstory as a former playboy who found God (in the shower—where else?), his Nice Guy affect, his impossibly smooth hair fade… Being on The Bachelorette was this man’s destiny since the womb. My problem with Luke P is that my patience for too-perfect, too-earnest, too-rehearsed candidates is wearing thin these days. Everything out of Luke P’s mouth feels like a stock line designed to advance his position in this race. For now, however, Hannah seems to be buying what Luke is selling (despite the fact that he alarmingly won’t lend her his jacket when she’s freezing cold!). Intro video, check. Full limo exit, check. 1-on-1 time, check. First Impression Rose, check.
Tyler C 26
According to his official Bachelorette bio, Tyler is a 26-year-old general contractor who lives in Florida. He also has an MBA, which is pretty impressive. But he’s far from being a stodgy businessman. As fans will remember from Tyler’s intro during last week’s premiere, he loves dancing. So much so, in fact, that he was apparently just two credits away from having a dance minor during his undergraduate career.
Like some of the other contestants, Tyler has a background in sports. His ABC bio notes that he was drafted to the Baltimore Ravens, but a shoulder injury kept him from professional football. Poor Tyler! Fortunately, the injury doesn’t seem to have kept him from all physical activity, since he lists one of his favourite activities as scuba diving.
And if all of that isn’t enough to sell Hannah (and fans!) on Tyler, he’s also a model. Is there anything this man can’t do? Sadly, Tyler seems to have deleted his Instagram account, but there are a few photos from his modeling career available on the Next Models website. We knew that chiseled jaw had to be doing him some favors.
We will have to keep watching to see if Tyler wins Hannah’s final rose when it all comes down to it, but he’s definitely one to watch as the show heats up in the coming weeks. Who knows — we also might get another confrontation between him and Cam — or any of the other guys if they don’t stay in line and respect each other. Fingers crossed!
Jed 25 According to ABC, he’s 25, and from Nashville (a Southerner like Hannah!). Apparently, he went to Belmont University, which is also in Nashville. His bio says he grew up “in the Smoky Mountains, the birthplace of Dolly Parton.” Jed is a musician. We now have more information from his Bachelorette bio: “Jed finds it easiest to express his feelings and be vulnerable through his music; but after his last relationship ended terribly, Jed stopped making music and said it was one of the hardest times in his life.” It looks like, from promotional material from this season, that he picks up the guitar for Hannah when he meets her so that is a good sign of his chances on the show, I bet. Also a good sign—lots of them making out.
Are you watching this season of the Bachelorette The Bachelorette airs Mondays nights at 7 on ABC.
