-The show started with, what else, talk about Shanae. Jill, Susie, and Rachel were sitting around discussing her and basically how she makes everyone’s lives miserable. Ok, maybe not that extreme, but you get the point. No one likes having her around. Ever. And they wish she was gone. The night before she had just shown up to the group date after party that she wasn’t supposed to be a part of, told people to keep her name out of their f’in mouth, then threw their trophy in a pond. I can’t imagine why the women don’t like Shanae. She seems so pleasant and such a treasure to hang out with.
-The 1-on-1 date went to Serene, and I know she got an earlier group date rose this season (didn’t she?), but we haven’t seen much of Serene that I can remember. Hasn’t been involved in any drama, obviously this was her first 1-on-1 date, but without a doubt, this is one of the most striking women this show has ever seen. If you look at her IG, it’s more of the same. Incredibly attractive woman and I hate the fact that she got the fun, silly, friend zone date at the Pleasure Pier in Galveston, TX. Yes, there was a lot of making out and it seemed like they had fun. But at no point did I really see a giant romantic connection between the two. I feel like they made out BECAUSE she had a 1-on-1. And frankly, Serene is way out of his league anyway, so it’s probably best she’ll 100% be down in Paradise this summer where she can latch on to some previous cast member that’s probably slid into numerous womens DM’s from the show. It is what it is.
-Despite it being a pretty normal and easy going date (they’ve done the carnival thing numerous times before), you can always count me in when it comes to carnival dates. That means that funnel cakes were probably had and who doesn’t like funnel cakes. Are you even living if you don’t like funnel cakes? The answer would be no. Not to mention the ridiculous games that every carnival has. The basketball hoop that’s .00000001 inches bigger than the ball. Throwing the softball into the jug. Or a ping pong ball into glasses. Of course they showed Clayton and Serene playing the water gun game. I think everyone has to play that at some point. Not to pat myself on the back here, but I dominate that game. However, is it maybe time to update the prizes at carnivals? We’re really going with stuffed animals for the last, oh I don’t know, 75 years? Such a beating to lug that thing around with you the whole time. Lets get updated with the times and maybe give out some gift cards, or ride tickets, or food tickets instead. Just my suggestion to better the carnival industry. You’re welcome.
-One thing I did appreciate about the night portion of their date is that Serene didn’t harp on some failed relationship in the past with an ex, something they seemingly all do now. It wasn’t without some tragedy though as she said she lost both her grandma and her cousin within the last 2.5 years. Not that it’ll ever happen, but can you just imagine a 1-on-1 date on this show where during the dinner portion, the person on the date just says, “Everything in my life is going great. Family’s great, I’m thankful for every ex I’ve ever had, I’ve remained friends with all of them, I have no sob stories from my past, and just can’t wait to see what the future holds.” Be honest, it would be refreshing. It just seems like 1-on-1’s have turned into this game of one upsmanship of who can have the most tragic, or sad backstory. I don’t fault Serene for sharing it since that’s what’s happening in her life, but I just wish different topics would be covered in these conversations.
-At the cocktail party, the winning team from the football group date pulls Clayton aside and tells him what Shanae did. Wait a second, two days later and he STILL didn’t know she threw the trophy? Producers sure have his best interests in mind, don’t they? Clayton pulls Shanae aside to talk to her, tells her what the women told him, says that wasn’t the right thing to do, Shanae whips up some tears, says he’s right, he asks her to apologize to the women, and she does. Pretty insincere. Seemed like she only apologized because she was asked, and I say that because in all her ITM’s after that, she admits it was an acting job. But again, I’m sure she’ll blame editing for that, or say it was out of context. I’d really love to know how she defends THAT from last night, among other behaviors. She’s just so over-the-top and ridiculous as this point, it’s like, lets just hear what she has to say for herself now because rehashing all the things she does every episode is just giving her more attention. She’s a running joke at this point just annoying more than anything. When you say lines like, “I should get an Oscar for that performance,” and “Fake it til you make it,” how can you honestly expect any of the other women seeing it last night for the first time, or any of the audience watching at home, to have an ounce of respect for you? Not only that, if an apology IS forthcoming at the WTA, the negative equity she’s built up to this point will make it that much harder for the audience to buy it now. You literally just apologized, then essentially said your apology was an act. So if/when she apologizes at WTA, how do we know that won’t be an act as well?
-Here’s the issue with Clayton I mentioned earlier. His big thing last week was this tweet after he sent Elizabeth home:
#TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/6lAdMWtfmq
— Clayton Echard (@ClaytonEchard) February 1, 2022
Which is great and all, but, last week we were shown Sierra approaching to tell him about Shanae. Lyndsey took to her IG stories last night and told us all that during her alone time with him, she ALSO told him how Shanae was acting and how she was using Elizabeth’s ADHD against her. Then last night, the winning team surrounds Clayton and tells him how they all feel about Shanae after what she did at the group date after party. By reading his tweet, he’s basically saying if he knew then what he knows now, he wouldn’t have kept Shanae around. Look, I’m well aware he kept Shanae around because of producer manipulation. I know how this works. What I’m saying is IN THAT APOLOGY, he’s telling us he didn’t know things then, when we’re seeing either on TV, or what we’re being told by contestants on social media, he DID know, and still chose to keep Shanae around. I get why he kept her around because of the TV gold she was giving the audience, but I’m saying don’t BS us with your apology saying you had no idea what was happening in the moment. Yes you did. It’d have been better if he never posted that apology last week and just addressed this all at the WTA. The issue is not with him keeping her. We all know why he did. The issue is with him saying 3 months later he claimed to not know any of what she was doing or else he would’ve sent her home. The ITM’s? No, he’s not seeing those til now. And they look bad. Real bad. But I’m not jumping on him for that. It’s about claiming he didn’t know when he was told/warned numerous times.
-Rose ceremony time. Rachel, Teddi, and Serene are safe with roses. Clayton: “Thank you for all being open and honest…holding me accountable…you are seen and heard…every intention of making that happen…grateful for knowing you…follow heart as I make these decisions…well, most of them. You know I’m keeping Shanae here because I’m being encouraged to.”
Sarah, Marlena, Geneviever, Mara, Gabby, Susie, Eliza and Hunter.
“Ladies, Clayton, this is the final rose of the evening. When you’re ready. Do you realize how much it took me to not go out there during the flag football date and throw a few picks?”
Shanae gets the last rose because of course she does. On to Toronto…
