In a single episode, the Bachelor season 28 house went from zero to one hundred after two women, Sydney Gordon and Maria Georgas, couldn't see eye-to-eye. Fans were puzzled how things got so sour so quickly, especially with it only being the third week of the brand-new season. What's more, with Joey not privy to every detail, fans were confused about whether there was more to the drama than what was filmed.
Luckily for you, we're here to clear things up! Check it out below!
Why Sydney and Maria aren't getting along
The origins of Sydney and Maria's drama can be traced back to week 2 when Madina Alam, 31, spoke up about her insecurities about being one of the older contestants in season 28. Madina regretted being vulnerable at the moment, making her already very sensitive to whatever came next.
Maria, 29, retold Madina's feelings to another friend to show her support for her being older in the competition because Maria is also in the same boat for being older than Joey. However, Sydney overheard this incorrectly and believed Maria was talking trash. Sydney told Madina of Maria's behavior, leading Madina to feel that she was being bullied.
In week 3, Madina told Joey about her feelings of being bullied which he later addressed in front of the ladies. Maria instantly knew that it involved her, leading her to attempt to squash the misunderstanding between her and Madina.
Madina and Maria were able to move on, but as for Sydney and Maria, the two just weren't getting along. Maria called Sydney a "troublemaker" for starting the drama. Sydney felt attacked by Maria, so she left the room. This left the drama unfinished once more.
Sydney becomes the bully
Although Sydney thought she was trying to prevent bullying from happening in the house, unfortunately, she ended up being the very thing she feared, as she was spreading false rumors about Maria to not just the remaining contestants of the competition but also to Joey.
Later in the third week, Sydney told Joey of the dynamics that she thought were going on between Maria and Madina as well as the confrontation between her and Maria. This confused Joey because he knew Maria to be a down-to-earth girl. He was left with no other choice than to sit down and speak with Maria.
Maria opens up to Joey
During their sit-down, Joey presented Maria with all the drama he'd been hearing about her. An emotional Maria quickly put these rumors to bed, even going so far as to open up about her being bullied in the past. This took Joey aback because he was so sure that Sydney was telling the truth, but after hearing Maria spill her heart, he wasn't so sure who to believe anymore.
WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Week 4 of The Bachelor.
Thanks to Reality Steve's spoiler breakdown of the season, we know what happens next on The Bachelor. Here's how Maria and Sydney's drama ends.
Frustrated and determined to figure out who was in the wrong, Joey took it a step further by sitting down with both ladies during everyone's trip to Malta in week 4. Here, he served as a mediator between the two women, hearing what they had to say to one another. It was here that he finally realized that it seemed to be a game of telephone gone wrong and that it was Sydney who misconstrued the entire situation.
As a result of being responsible for misunderstandings and a divided house, Joey saw it best to send Sydney home.
The fallout of Sydney vs. Maria
After witnessing the beef go down between Sydney and Maria, most of Bachelor Nation is Team Maria, as they know that she was simply misunderstood in this entire situation. However, Bachelor Nation isn't the only one chiming in on where they stand.
Reddit fans found out that former Bachelorette Charity Lawson was also Team Maria.
"The age thing is stupid," Charity expressed in a shared fan video. "And we are Team Maria."
Charity's sentiments seemed to be shared by many people, causing all eyes to be laid on Sydney, who is most likely witnessing how she read the entire discussion between Maria and Madina wrong.
At the time of writing, Sydney has yet to speak out on the drama. It's unsure if she will. Until then, all we can do is sit back, relax, and watch tonight's episode of The Bachelor where we'll see the 2-on-1 involving Sydney, Maria, and Joey.