While Chris Harrison always says “the most dramatic season so far,” he might actually be right this time. Between the pandemic, Clare Crawley’s whirlwind romance with Dale, and the recasting with Tayisha as the Bachelorette, it’d be hard to imagine more drama. While it was off to a bad start, the season is heading in the right direction with the addition of Tayisha. 

The second Dale stepped out of the limo on the first night, Clare said she felt like she had met her husband. While most of the time a statement like this is an exaggeration, Clare really meant it. Within two weeks—literally two—she had a full-blown Dale obsession. She came after the guys who roasted him during a stand-up comedy date and refused to give the rose to anyone on the date. Eventually, she broke up with the rest of the men, and Dale proposed. To put this in some perspective, Dale had to ask Clare for her number after they got engaged. While I do wish them the best, I would be shocked if they lasted longer than six months.

Clare never fulfilled the true mission behind “The Bachelorette.” She wasn’t entertaining enough. Sure, she found love, but no one watches “The Bachelorette”  for that. We watch it for the drama, and Clare wasn’t bringing enough of it. She was overly obsessed with a man who probably just wanted to land some modeling gigs that weren’t Party City.  

“The Bachelor” franchise has had a few rough seasons. Everyone hated Peter, and since he ended up with Kelley Flanagan, the entire season basically had no point. And since there was no favorite from the final four that season, Clare had to be cast as the Bachelorette. Hannah Brown ended up getting cheated on by a failed country music star, which is as big of a disappointment as it sounds. Clare’s failures this season hopefully signaled the end of unfortunate seasons. 

As the season imploded, Chris Harrison introduced the new Bachelorette to the remaining men, Tayisha Adams from Colton Underwood’s season. She was my favorite then, and I am so excited to see what she will bring to the show. 

Unfortunately for the men who stayed for Tayisha, Chris Harrison decided to introduce some new faces to supplement the cast. I do feel bad for the men who were strung along by Clare and now have even more competition to face to stay on the show. To be completely fair, I can’t recognize most of them since Clare had Dale tunnel vision. The men don’t seem to be completely awful and we were gifted with the gem that is Bennet. He really had the best glow up this season from obnoxious Harvard grad to the boujee facemask icon that completely ripped Dale to pieces. If he doesn’t end up with Tayisha, he would be a great, unproblematic, bachelor. 

So far, Tayisha is continually being an icon and “The Bachelorette” seems to be returning to its normal, albeit overdramatic, self. I am excited to see what will happen, and I hope Tayisha gets the man she deserves. Watching Clare obsess over Dale was funny for a few weeks but I am glad to be free of the mentally-unstable energy that she brought to the show.