Season 16 | Episode 2

Immediately starting this episode it seems like everything is about Dale. The first date is a group date and it’s kind of weird. It’s focused on the love languages, Clare is standing up on a balcony, like Juliette, and the guys are basically telling her the sweetest things. The idea of this seems like it would be good but I just feel kind of uncomfortable. Clare gets emotional as she’s not used to men saying such nice things to her, I probably would be too, it’s a lot at once.

They go through the next love language gift, the guys all run back to their room and grab something to give her. Some of the guys come up with very personal, thoughtful things while Dale gives her dog perfume, hmm.

Now they’re onto physical touch. They each put on an eye mask so they can’t see and then they get to touch/hug or whatever they want. She says that she’s really into smell and can already tell who’s who by the way they smell. When she gets to Dale it’s clear that they have a connection and all the guys feel it. 

They all go get ready for the evening and when Clare comes out she’s really sweet but when she’s done talking to them it’s just silent, nobody offers to go talk to her. Clare has to tell them that somebody needs to step up. Bennett takes her aside and they start to have a conversation but it’s clear that Clare is still bothered by what just happened. Clare decides to go back and talk to the group and tells them that what just happened was not cool and that as a woman she wants to feel like her man wants to spend time with her and the fact that nobody stepped up and fought to talk to her really hurt her. The guys all react in a really great way, except Yosef. He begins to tell her that he thinks he can speak for the group by telling her “she’s crazy if she doesn’t think they’re all here for her.” I’m sorry, what?! Did you just call her crazy? He needs to go home. It’s honestly so refreshing to see Clare speak up for herself and set the standard up front, and to see how (most) of the men handled it so well and seemingly understood and accepted their fault. 

Clare is talking to one of the men and divulges about her past abusive relationship and how she got to where she is, she goes on to say that she knows she’s not the skinniest, or the prettiest in the room but she knows she has one of the best hearts in the room and wants to share that with a man. And honestly, I freaking loved that. She ends up giving the date rose to Riley.

Clare has her first one on one with Jason who’s a former pro football player. For the date Clare asks that they both write a letter to their younger selves as a way to be more vulnerable. On the date she explains that she’s the type of person that covers up her emotions through self depreciation and feels like maybe he might do the same thing since he’s really funny and he agrees with her and says it sounds like they’re the same person. Jason is having a hard time being vulnerable and opening up but I definitely think he’s trying, that would be hard for anyone. They write down all the things that people have said to them in their past like selfish, manipulative, etc. They go on to read their letters they wrote to their younger self outloud to each other. 

Jason starts to open up saying that he saw some things throughout his childhood that he realizes are very wrong and isn’t sure if his parents should even be together. He doesn’t come out and blatantly say what he went through but I can only imagine. Clare does a really great job of urging him to open up and asking all the right questions, you can tell that Jason feels comfortable with her and she ends up giving him the rose. Clare then brings out the dress that she wore at the finale of her season on the bachelor and they throw it in the fire together. In my opinion it seems like they have a good time together but it almost seems like Clare is his therapist and I just don’t see anything romantic there. 

Now she’s on another group date where the guys are playing dodgeball, seems like a fun date for the guys. Clare then tells them that they’re actually going to be playing strip dodgeball and that the losing team goes home when they have nothing else on. Honestly, I think that’s such an awkward idea. She could have just had them play shirts and skins or something and left it at that. The teams seem very biased, the red team is so much better than the blue. The blue team ends up stripping all the way down and I feel very uncomfortable for them. 

She talks to Brandon one on one and gets offended over the smallest comment he made, he said something about how he was so excited to come on the show when he found out she was the bachelorette but that he doesn’t know anything about her. Clare gets offended because she thinks he’s there for a superficial reason since he doesn’t know anything about her and the other guys have all talked about traits they like about her. I feel bad for the guy because I really don’t think he did anything wrong but good for her for sticking to her guns. 

It’s the cocktail party before the rose ceremony and she’s having good conversations with everyone but then with Dale she says she has a surprise for him. She has him close his eyes and then brings out the blindfold from the date earlier in the week and puts it on him so they can continue their physical touch portion of the love languages. She’s not giving this attention to anyone else so it’s pretty clear what’s going on here. 

The preview for next week shows Yosef being a complete douche, what’s new, and Clare getting super angry about it. Kick him to the curb, girl!!

Ashley

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