In classic 2020 style, this year’s long-awaited and long-delayed Bachelorette season promises to truly be “the most dramatic season ever,” and Tuesday night’s premiere delivered anxious fans the drama. Clare Crawley, a Bachelor Nation veteran, finally got the chance to meet her swooning men, resulting in fireworks and explosions of love and drama. Why did it premiere on a Tuesday, denying fans their long-anticipated excuse for a Monday night glass of Sauvignon (or two or three glasses)? No one knows, and no one questioned because, again, it’s 2020. In any case, buckle up for what should be quite a roller-coaster season of twists and turns.
To kick off the two-hour premiere, the show had the audacity to painfully remind us all of pre-pandemic life, showing a smiling Clare walking around in crowds of maskless people, daydreaming about the 30 men who would be shortly falling over at her feet. Then the show had to remind us of March 2020, which feels like five years ago, and offered an excuse for us to get off the couch and get another glass of wine. The Bachelorette season halted just a couple of weeks before it even started, and Clare, Chris Harrison, and the chorus of men went into lockdown along with the rest of the world (sigh).
Clare finally got her chance at love through a meticulously planned out filming scheme that involved a two-week quarantine and extensive COVID-19 test for every contestant. Everybody traveled to a remote resort in Palm Springs, where they will stay for the entire season. Harrison seemed to marvel in the fabulous television that 30 locked up guys make for great entertainment, and to be honest, the ABC show has never quite felt this relatable for us college students. About midway through the program, the show finally commenced, and Claire met her men one-by-one on the way out of their limos.
Unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock called Twitter the last three months, you’ll know that the Bachelorette rumors have been insane, ever-changing, and quite honestly unbelievable. This is precisely what Bachelor Nation wants: drama, intrigue, gossip away from our pandemic-stressed worlds. The theme of Clare’s first night was “Dale,” the dashingly handsome former pro-football player. Clare announced right after their first interaction that she was in love (ok, interesting) and that he might quite possibly be her husband. So rumor has it that Clare might end the season early after finding “the one”? Is Dale “the one”? That’s where the money’s at, and by the looks of the season preview, the show will take an unconventional turn. Perhaps this does mean that a new bachelorette joins midway through the season (@Tayshia…)?
Other standout men include Bennett, a suave but pretentious New York finance guy who made it known that he went to Harvard, and Blake, a Canadian who broke the rules during quarantine to DM Claire on Instagram. Yosef and the new Tyler C. (not quite a new Tyler Cameron, unfortunately) already got into an argument because Tyler accused Yosef of talking to other girls before coming on to the show (seriously? Pick your battles). The first impression rose went to… drumroll… Dale (shocking). Some guys, including Tyler C., already got sent home, which seems sadder than usually given that they had to quarantine in isolation before the first night.
The Bachelorette is back, and all is well again in this world, kind of. Rest assured, we will be tuned in and ready for whatever gets thrown at the men, Claire, Chris, and the roses. Thank you for returning, The Bachelorette: 2020 Style.