Bachelor Nation has been anxiously awaiting the The Bachelorette Season 19 premiere, the franchise’s first ever season with two leads. Fans had many questions going into the season, mainly concerning the logistics of 30-some men competing over two women.
Now that the season is underway, we’ve seen a glimpse of how the season will play out for Bachelorettes Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey. Here are my thoughts after The Bachelorette Season 19 premiere.
This Is Going To Be Complicated…
From the moment the guys started piling out of the limos, it became clear this season will be anything but simple. Even the introductions became complex, with the men seeming pretty unsure how to navigate appealing to two women at the same time.
Additionally, it’s common in the Bachelor franchise for contestants to feel like they’re pressed for time. With double the Bachelorettes and a large cast of men, Season 19 is going to be no exception.
Furthermore, I’m anticipating some conflict for men who don’t take a strong stance on which woman they’re there for. We see a bit of this playing out in the teaser trailer, particularly concerning a certain man named Meatball.
Is Jesse Palmer Trying Out A New Personality?
Jesse Palmer is now in his sophomore season as the host of the Bachelor franchise, having hosted for the first time during Clayton Echard’s season of The Bachelor.
During Clayton’s season, Jesse Palmer portrayed a stoic host who took the competition very seriously. There seems to have been a shift heading into Gabby and Rachel’s season though, with Jesse now giving off a “cool guy” vibe. He’s not like other hosts, guys. He’s a cool host.
I’m not opposed to Jesse Palmer’s new persona, but it is a little jarring for his shtick to have changed so much from one season to the next. By the way, did any of you catch that casting ad? Because Jesse really played his new attitude up there, by saying:
Your boyfriend’s a loser. Everybody knows it! Dump his ass and apply to be on the next season of The Bachelor.
Whatever you say, Jesse.
Please Stop Talking About Clayton
Word of advice to all men: the way to a woman’s heart is not through a song about her ex.
There’s, of course, pressure to create a lasting first impression on night one, so contestants try to come up with the best possible way to wow the Bachelorette. However, many of the men on Season 19 decided the best way to make an entrance was to bring up Clayton Echard, the girls’ ex from Season 26 of The Bachelor.
Gabby and Rachel were clearly over it after about the fifth Clayton mention, but unfortunately for the men who’d planned a Clayton-themed introduction, it was already too late.
The Clayton wound is still pretty fresh for Gabby and Rachel, who were dumped simultaneously in the final episodes of Season 26. Any men who want to prove themselves to these Bachelorettes should steer far, far away from ex-boyfriend jokes.
Rachel And Gabby Are Good At Communicating With Each Other
Communication is going to be key during this season if Gabby and Rachel want to remain friends. However, I’m not worried. During the first impressions, both ladies were careful to be upfront with the other when a man stuck out to them. Take, for example, Rachel’s comment after Tino Franco’s forklift introduction:
He’s my type.
It’s simple, but effective. Rachel let Gabby know right off the bat that she would be interested. In my opinion, there’s no other way to make it through this season. Open and honest communication will be the only way for both women to find their guy.
Immature Boys Aren’t Going To Stick Around Long
Friendly reminder that Rachel is a pilot and Gabby is a former NFL cheerleader and an ICU nurse — we’re not dealing with kids, here. These are two established and accomplished women who know exactly what they want.
With that in mind, it’s pretty clear that the boys will be separated from the men this season. When the 24-year old twins said they didn’t have any different hobbies and pretty much do everything together, I knew their days hours were numbered. Gabby is 31 — she won’t be interested in babysitting a boy whose occupation is just listed as “twin” or “other twin.”
That might sound harsh, but Gabby and Rachel have already drawn a line in the sand when it comes to immaturity. The pair sent twins Joey and Justin home, along with “magician” Roby, marking the first three eliminations of the The Bachelorette Season 19.
The Girls Are Calling The Shots
After the girls’ proper breakup with Joey, Justin, and Roby, they announced to the remaining men that the rose ceremony would be canceled. Since they hadn’t had enough time to get to know everyone, Gabby and Rachel decided it would be unfair to everyone involved to start eliminating contestants right away.
Gabby and Rachel set a precedent by canceling the rose ceremony: Rules will be broken. These two aren’t going to sit back and let their husband appear before them. They’re going to take control of the process.
Impressed By The Ladies, Underwhelmed By The Men
I’m absolutely blown away by Gabby and Rachel. In my opinion, we’re dealing with two of the best Bachelorettes the franchise has ever seen…which is why I’m so disappointed by the selection of men.
Aside from the Clayton jokes, the cheesy gimmicks, and an apparent aversion to kissing, the men on this season are just so…boring. I’m bored watching them, and Gabby and Rachel are bored spending time with them. While I have to give props to Aven Jones for mentioning Gabby’s grandpa and Rachel’s father, “Big Tony,” the rest of the men are going to have to get a little more creative when it comes to wooing the ladies.
There were a few standout connections (Gabby and Ryan, anyone?), but most of the men failed to make a lasting impression on the ladies. That being said, we’re only on night one of Season 19 of The Bachelorette, so there’s plenty of time for the men to step up and prove themselves to Gabby and Rachel.
Season 19 of The Bachelorette airs Mondays on ABC at 8 p.m. EST. Past episodes and seasons are available to stream with a Hulu subscription.
