We shouldn’t be surprised Hannah B’s date flopped

Hannah B’s one-on-one date with The Bachelor’s Colton Underwood was terrible for a few key reasons. Why were they so awkward? Will she ever open up?

This week Colton had his first one-on-one date of the season with Hannah B. It was easily one of the most uncomfortable dates in Bachelor history. I felt SO bad for Hannah and I wanted it end the minute it started. The whole thing made me want to crawl out of my own skin and move to a new planet.

The couple went horseback riding and ended up at a Bachelor fave: a hot tub in a place where it clearly does not belong. That poor hot tub has been through the best of times and the worst of times. Unfortunately, this was one of the worst times.

For a full recap of the episode, click here.

The first one-on-one is a crucial moment in every Bachelor/ette season. The Bachelor’s date, and activity, sets the tone for the rest of their season. Arie treated Becca to a luxurious day, which kicked off his extravagant season. Becca, in turn, took Blake to a warehouse where they wreaked havoc and started her fun-loving season.

But why shouldn’t it be surprising that Hannah B froze up?

Bachelor Nation is not for the faint of heart.

It takes an incredible amount of money, time, and mental fortitude to prepare for The Bachelor, let alone make it on the show. After the ordeal of making to the mansion and through the first rose ceremony, Hannah then tacked on the pressure of being the first solo date.

Hannah also had to know the whole country would watch this, since even the casual watchers are still tuning in on Mondays. Time has yet to weed out the weak and leave the rest of us watching to see who ends up on Bachelor in Paradise (I’m calling it now, Tracy is going to CRUSH Paradise).

She probably spent the beginning of the date trying not to fall off her horse, and then had to sit in the infamous hot tub. That hot tub has SEEN THINGS and she was in it with Colton. Colton, the man who is more angel than human. The amount of pressure Hannah was under is unimaginable.

Pageants don’t end when you walk off the stage.

I’m guessing after years of pageants, Hannah defaults to “pageant mode” in difficult situations. I felt like she wanted to open up and be comfortable, but just didn’t know how.

How many dates have you had where cameras filmed everything? What about those cameras makes you want to spill your darkest secrets? Nothing. My reaction would be self-preservation, not vulnerability (ick, I said it) like the Bachelor has conditioned us to expect. Honestly, I’m surprised it took this long for the first one-on-one date to be anything less than magical.

So let’s make a toast to you, Hannah B. May you have a swift recovery this season, and a big glass of wine as you watch this episode back. Cheers!

(See, that wasn’t hard)