‘The Bachelorette’ is Back: Season 16, Episode One Recap

By Rachael Gerron
Web Content Contributor

The return of The Bachelorette is one of the only things bringing normalcy into my life right now; although, this season is sure to be anything but normal, and will probably take the cake for being “the most dramatic season ever.”

In season previews, host Chris Harrison is seen telling bachelorette, Clare Crawley, that she “blew up” the season. This is in reference to her leaving with a contestant (presumably Dale Moss) before the season was wrapped. This hasn’t been confirmed officially by ABC, but news outlets have confirmed that former contestant and fan favorite, Taysha Adams will replace Crawley at some point in the season. If this is true, Crawley will have been the only Bachelor or Bachelorette to have broken the contract like this.

As if that wasn’t enough drama, the series was also filmed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has completely changed the format of the show. In response to the pandemic, the production was postponed for months. Once the producers reconfigured the show, cast members and crew were tested before, and during filming to ensure that the production could resume safely.

This season was filmed at the La Quinta resort in Palm Springs, California, instead of the normal Bachelor mansion (I feel like they could do better than La Quinta with their budget, but that is beside the point). The cast and crew were isolated at the resort and were essentially quarantining together during the filming process. Chris Harrison said, “… once we were in the bubble, it was a very interesting and different way to shoot the show.”

This isolation means no beautiful views or romantic dates all over the world. I’m not sure what The Bachelorette will be without long montages of mountains, sunsets or the helicopter rides that seem to make an appearance in every season; I’m assuming this lack of b-roll will lead to some extra producer-created drama to fill the time, which they did not hesitate to begin!

Night one, there was already drama between Tyler C. and Yosef. Tyler found out that Yosef was direct messaging female friends of his before coming onto the show, and he pulled Yosef aside to ask him about it. I thought this confrontation was maybe a little premature, but Tyler at least had good intentions.

After denying the validity of these claims, Yosef told Clare about the incident. Without giving him a chance to go any further, Clare brought Tyler C into the conversation, so they could work it out. This was a good call on her part to eliminate the “he said, she said” drama that typically happens. However; instead of sending home Yosef; the one who wasted Crawley’s time by bringing it up to her, she sent home Tyler, who was doing the mature thing by confronting him directly.

Tyler was one of my top picks based on introductions, but obviously, that was short-lived. As for the remaining men, here are my top five picks for Clare… or Taysha?

Ben, 29, an Army Veteran from Venice, Calif.

Blake Moynes, 29, a wildlife manager from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Brandon, 28, a real estate agent from Cleveland, Ohio

Eazy, 29, a sports marketing agent from Newport Beach, Calif.

Chris, 27, a landscape design salesman from Salt Lake City, Utah

Overall, this season is sure to be entertaining, dramatic and more of a mess than ever- and I can’t wait!

Featured Image via Rachael Gerron