Rose lovers, The Bachelorette Season 18 finale premiered earlier this week, and we all watched Michelle Young ride off into the sunset with Nayte. They’re happily engaged and ready to scream about their relationship to the world, and it’s pretty sweet to see them do so.
But that doesn’t mean there were some questionable things that happened in the episode, especially when a rather strange choice of date and the show’s painting of a new villain are concerned.
The Bachelorette Season 18, Episode 10: Moment #1: Brandon Gives Michelle’s Dad A Gift
When it’s Brandon’s turn to meet the Bachelorette’s parents, he clearly isn’t as nervous since he’s met them before, you know, when they caught him making out with their daughter in their pool. He’s excited to see them again, reinforce his love for Michelle and express his desire to “marry” her, as he says about 200 times.
Brandon also brings Michelle’s dad a gift — a pair of swim trunks so he doesn’t have to wear his old ones — which Brandon wore during his last visit to their home. It’s a bit weird and uncalled for, and a wee bit cringeworthy.
The Bachelorette Season 18, Episode 10: Moment #2: Nayte…Is Not A Villain
I’ll tell you what, The Bachelorette Season 18 has been pretty dedicated to painting a contestant in each episode as a villain. There have been so many I’ve lost count — and they’ve all doubted everything Michelle stood for, tried to manipulate her and the other contestants, and just weren’t there for the Right Reasons™.
For some strange reason, the last three episodes have really focused on displaying Nayte as a man who isn’t ready for an engagement, and have questioned his intentions when he hasn’t given anyone a reason to do so. Nayte’s meeting with Michelle’s parents does not go very well because he’s confused about the logistics of where they’re going to live, he is incredibly nervous and fumbling with words.
This is normal — meeting your girlfriend’s parents is nerve-wracking and doing it on television isn’t helping. And on their last date before the proposal, Michelle takes him to a shaman where they participate in a ritual that will help him open up to her. Why not just ask him?
Michelle and her soul-Nayte 💍🌹✨ Watch the journey now – Stream on Hulu! pic.twitter.com/U2IDpdJ3LT
— The Bachelorette (@BacheloretteABC) December 23, 2021
Just because Nayte doesn’t verbatim say what you want to hear, it does not mean that his heart isn’t in the right place. Instead of showing Nayte for who he is — nervous, clueless whether he will get engaged or get sent home and yet madly in love with Michelle, people say condescending stuff around him.
For example, before Nayte is about to propose to Michelle, Kaitlyn actually tells the audience, “Is Nayte actually ready to get down on one knee and propose, or will Michelle’s greatest fears come true?” What the hell? The guy just said he wants to propose! It’s a really pathetic move and was a disservice to the genuine guy he has been all season.
The Bachelorette Season 18, Episode 10: Moment #3 Clayton Is Humiliated
At the end of Michelle and Nayte’s segment, Kaitlyn invites Clayton to come out and defend his position as The Bachelor (spoiler alert: he fails miserably). They do a whole “read what the mean trolls are saying” thing and Clayton has weird, cringe-y responses.
Clayton might be a great guy, but no one really wants to see him as The Bachelor, especially in a season that gave us the very charming Rodney Matthews. So when one of the messages states Rodney would’ve been a better choice, Clayton agrees that he would make a great Bachelor.
That doesn’t do much to convince us he’s a good choice, neither does it help when his promo teases a conversation with his final 3, where he confesses to being in love with all of them and having been intimate with two of them.
Anyway, more on The Bachelor in the new year when I return to recap the most cringeworthy moments in each episode!
The Bachelor Season 26 will officially arrive on ABC on Monday, Jan. 3 at 8:00 p.m. EST!