Here are the emails I received after last night’s episode aired. There’s no need to add anything to these since I already gave my thoughts on the matter. So I’m not ignoring any questions you have in there, just wanted to give you readers an idea of what the response I was getting from last night:
Hi Steve,
I am in shock after watching that man! His behavior in front of the camera was horrific…a masterful manipulator! I can only imagine what he must be like behind closed doors! I can’t believe an ex hasn’t come forward before this with horror stories about his abusiveness! Suzie has to be thankful to have gotten away. You could tell with Rachel and Gabby it was all intentional on his part. An excuse to F..k them both, by saying he loved them both. It was all planned. Then proceed with Suzie….
He didn’t love any of them. Nothing but a womanizer. I am so sorry Steve, I am just so angry right now. The interaction that Suzie and he had, needs to be broken down by a professional as a teaching lesson for ALL women and I guess for men too. We all need to learn from this.
Thanks for listening.
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Steve,
Thanks so much for your spoilers today. I watched tonight, and WOW. I thought Clayton was mostly sweet and genuine throughout this season, but he came off like a straight up sociopath with Susie tonight. If he really loved her, where was the concern for HER and how she was feeling? He twisted everything around, made it all about him, and blamed her for basically quitting on him? Not to mention how pissed off and cold he seemed. Maybe deep down, he was frustrated that he felt production set him up to fail or something (by maybe encouraging him to explore and open up to all the women and purposefully putting Susie last), but he took everything out on her and did not take responsibility for any of his own part in it. It will be so interesting to see after that dinner how they are even remotely able to convince Susie to give it another try. Awful, awful look for Clayton. No other way to put it, in my opinion. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for everything!
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Steve,
This is a comment, not a question, so do with this what you will. I’ve been watching the bachelor for longer than I’d care to admit, along with many other reality shows. I’ve never in my life felt as uncomfortable and triggered watching tv as I did tonight watching how Clayton responded to Susie. I understand he was blindsided and hurt, but turning everything around on her like that and punishing her for having standards? That manipulative behavior is the absolute root of abuse. I wish the best for him in life, but it’s men like that who scare me.
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Hi Steve,
Wow, it sounds like we are in for an interesting final few episodes. It’s going to be really interesting to see how viewers react to Susie “leaving” after that conversation and ultimately rejecting the proposal. Based on that clip, she took major issue with him saying he loved more than one person and sleeping with more than one person. Going back to Peter’s season, Maddie basically had the same issues and was torn apart by Bachelor nation. Statements like you know what your signing up for, you can’t control what the lead does in other relationships, etc. She took a LOT of heat for her feelings about this issue. Are those same reactions going to be applied to Susie too? Or is Susie going to get a pass? It will for sure be interesting to see how it all plays out and the reaction to what goes down.
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Hi Steve –
First time writing in but I suspect your mailbag won’t be light anymore after tonight’s episode. I have given Clayton the benefit of the doubt all season, figuring the producers had to see something in him we didn’t. I never hated him. He’s not my thing, but he seemed harmless enough, and sometimes even likable. After his attempt to turn HIS actions around on Susie tonight — I’m done, and I’m so glad I read your earlier posts that she rejects his proposal (I only wish she wasn’t persuaded by producers to come back in the first place). I can’t remember which Bachelorette this happened to a few years ago, and that was a totally different situation — it was one where one of her men DID issue an ultimatum about her not sleeping with any of the other guys. And he looked like an ass for doing it, and we all supported her right to do what she needed to do to find her person. In this case, Clayton is now making this SUSIE’S fault for NOT telling him he wasn’t allowed to sleep with other women, but I totally get where she’s coming from. Why is it not OK for her to want him NOT to want to sleep with other women, without her having to forbid it? Her feelings were valid — she seemed to give him every benefit of the doubt, even thinking perhaps he was deepening his connection on these other overnights without sleeping with the women, and when she learned that wasn’t the case she didn’t fly off the handle, she didn’t call him a man-whore, she didn’t do anything unreasonable. She just said that SHE couldn’t see herself moving forward, knowing that he claimed to feel “the most” love for her (ew), but he still felt it was OK to sleep with 2 other women. And then he had a temper tantrum where he got SO angry with her for not explicitly instructing him what the rules were? Dude, take some responsibility. She didn’t have any rules. This SHOW has no rules. But she didn’t like a choice you made and so she doesn’t want to be with you. That’s allowed — but instead he was making HER apologize? The word “gaslight” gets thrown around a lot on this show and I’m not sure it’s appropriate here, but at the very least it was emotional blackmail. There should have been NO discussion of her doing anything wrong, because she didn’t. She might regret not letting him know she wouldn’t be comfortable with him sleeping with anyone else, but I’m telling you, in Bachelor Nation, she would have been descended upon by people saying she was being manipulative. I actually cannot wait to see her reject him, and after tonight, I’m really hoping she gets Bachelorette. (And normally I’m like you, I really don’t care who it is.)
And, on a final note, we know the producers edit the heck out of these shows, right? So is it possible they could edit out ALL UNNECESSARY USES of the word “like”? These conversations are, like, excruciating to listen to.
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I think Clayton came off like an ass last night. Susie didn’t know what he was thinking/feeling about her and when he said he was in love with her, she acted surprised and didn’t realize it was coming. Then when he admitted to being in love with Gabby and Rachel and sleeping with them, and her reaction was normal to say the least, he turned the tables and acted like she shouldn’t be mad/upset about that. Then Susie reaction surprised me when she started to apologize and he blew her off and basically told her to leave. A woman would never accept a guy she’s dating to be with 2 other ppl and be ok with it – bachelor world or not – we have already seen this with Maddie/Hannah situation.
On camera, he appeared to be more connected with Rachel. I never saw deep connection with Susie and supposedly she’s the one he loves the most. I also think he was mad Susie didn’t react well and he couldn’t sleep with her either. He did not look good at all. Thoughts.
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Hi Steve,
Thanks for all that you do for the Bachelor fans. Reading your blog definitely makes the show more entertaining.
I haven’t been watching the Bachelor or Bachelorette for long, so I’m a little confused. It seems that everyone is very upset at Clayton for sleeping with Gabby and Rachel, and taking Susie’s side. I don’t understand why people are so upset. This is a reality competition dating show. Fantasy Suites are offered to the lead and their dates to spend the night together. That doesn’t always mean sex, but it is obviously on the table for each couple. These women are coming on a show where the lead dates multiple women. Why is everyone so upset at Clayton? I’m just a little confused. I feel like Clayton is just doing what he, as the lead, has been offered to do. How come everyone is attacking Clayton? It’s not like he promised Susie that he was only going to be intimate with her, and then went before her back and slept with the other women. I feel like Susie is throwing Clayton under the bus to set herself up to be the bachelorette.
Thank you!
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So, I just finished watching Tuesday’s episode.
The Suzie dinner/date/fight /breakup was was a total copy and paste from Hannah Brown and Luke P. The interesting thing is Hannah was praised for standing up to her guy and sleeping with whoever she wanted to, then sending home the Christian guy (because how dare he expect monogamy on a show like the Bachelorette).
The producers and editors of the show have given Clayton a fool edit through his whole season. They have never really shown us what kind of person he is. Due to his edit in the promos no one was ever really rooting for him because we were supposed to believe he was a total idiot playboy who couldn’t make a clear distinction between love and lust.
When it comes to Suzie, I can see why she would hope to be the only one he was in love with, and I think Clayton did do a good job of defending himself and his decisions. In the end, it was not something she could get over, and he could not change the past. It’s unfortunate that the producers didn’t allow them to have the monogamy talk earlier in the season. They knew it would blow up the relationship and it would be dramatic.
It just goes to show that this is all orchestrated to get the story and outcome that the SHOW wants and not what any of the leads or contestants want.
I think it is hypocritical for them to take suzie and make her the Bachelorette when they made Luke P look like a villan.
I actually think Suzie is probably a great girl, but I don’t think she sounds like she “believes in the process” enough to want to date/string along a bunch of guys for a whole season.
I always worry about how these contestants can go back to their regular jobs after the show chews them up and spits them out. It’s no wonder they switch over to Instagram to try to make a living.
This show isn’t real life for me. (Thank goodness) I’m just here to be entertained. Thanks for the behind the scenes info and spoilers.
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