Warning! The following contains spoilers for The Bachelorette episode that aired Monday, June 14th. Read at your own risk!
Katie Thurston has only just gotten to know the men vying for her heart on The Bachelorette, but there already appeared to be a clear frontrunner amongst the sea of competitors by the end of just the second episode. At the very least, it's clear that out of all the competitors that look like they could go the distance and make it to the final stages of the competition, Greg Grippo is in really good standing.
Whether it was the duo's camping date, or their French kiss in the back of a truck as fireworks went off, The Bachelorette made it clear that Katie Thurston and Greg Grippo had some major chemistry. He almost definitely received the most positive emotional response from Katie, too. The men in the house were worried about their chances once those fireworks went off, and as someone who saw what the other hopefuls didn't, I think they were right to be stressing out.
Will Greg Grippo make it all the way through Season 17 to capture Katie Thurston's heart? I'm not a fortune teller, and I haven't looked closely at the reported spoilers, but I did notice something that many other fans of The Bachelorette picked up on during the episode. Check out the below tweet, which may be proof positive the connection between Thurston and Grippo is more than just a couple of kisses and clever editing.
The game has barely started, people, and Katie Thurston is already wearing another guy's accessories on her wrists? I'm not quite ready to stick a...wedding fork...in this season and call it for one guy just yet, but the rest of the Bachelorette's male contestants are facing quite the uphill battle very early in the season. Unfortunately, they're currently locked in their own drama bubble, which could only help Grippo more as he pulls away from the pack.
The aforementioned drama first started when Aaron Clancy spent his one-on-one time with Katie Thurston addressing excessive aggression during his mud fight with Cody Menk. He told Katie that he knew Cody prior to filming, and that he believed Cody was in the competition mostly for fame and not to find actual true love. That allegation sent Katie into a tailspin, and she in turn sent Cody home before he really even got a chance to defend himself from those claims.
That moment on The Bachelorette wasn't altogether a huge deal, but it's necessary to follow the timeline to fully understand why Katie Thurston came so unglued toward the end of the episode. Karl Smith, who is quickly gaining a reputation as the shit-pot-stirrer in this season, told Thurston that he had reason to believe Cody Menk wasn't the only clout-chaser in the house, and that there could be "several" men pulling the exact same scheme. Karl's baseless accusation derailed the entire night and led to Katie's mini-crisis over who could be playing her, thus robbing many other competitors of some valuable face-time. Bad news for many of in the house, but kinda great for Greg Grippo, who cemented all his good impressions before the massive drama and ensuing fallout.
The Bachelorette airs on ABC Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Katie Thurston is off to a strong start in her season, but things could get shaky for her emotional state in the future, given all this immediate drama. Fans may be inclined to tap out on her, but Matt James is confident folks should stay along for the ride. Let us know in the poll below if you think Greg has what it takes!
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