It looks like a lifetime of love with Hannah Brown just wasn’t in the cards for Bachelorette contestants Matthew, Connor J., and Daron — all of whom were sent home after the first dramatic set of real dates this season.
The trio was sent home during Monday’s all-new episode of the ABC dating show, which centered around the “Mr. Right” pageant that drew from Hannah’s roots as Miss Alabama 2018 for a truly memorable first date.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Putting their talents (and abs) on display in a pageant judged by America’s Next Top Model judge J. Alexander and drag queens Alyssa Edwards and Alaska, John Paul Jones, Luke S., Mike, Jonathan, Dylan, Jed, Luke P and Grant strutted their stuff on the runway in a challenge Hannah hoped would allow them to embrace their goofy sides.
“It’s not easy to get to know these guys truly at the mansion, they were all pretty nervous,” she told the camera. “I just wanna see them loosen up.”
With his acoustic guitar performance of an original song, Jed earned a rose from Hannah, who was impressed by his musical skills as well as his heart, but Luke P. walked away with the actual title of “Mr. Right,” after confessing he was “falling in love” with Hannah in front of everyone.
For her first one-on-one date of the season, Hannah chose Tyler G. to get to know better, bonding with the psychology graduate student on a high-intensity date riding ATVs through the desert. Clearly, his “natural” connection on the high-pressure date made a good impression on Hannah, who awarded him a rose after their date.
It wouldn’t be a season of The Bachelorette without a date-induced injury, and unfortunately enough for Dustin, the roller derby group date was his time to make Bachelorette history.
Alongside Daron, Tyler C., Garrett, Kevin, Joey, Devin, Peter, Matteo, and Connor J., the real estate broker ended up out of the running to win the derby with an ankle injury, but endeared himself to Hannah with his effort and authenticity, earning the group date rose.
The bold move of this week’s episode actually went to Cam, who despite not being included on any of the dates, decided to crash the group’s cocktail party and score time with Hannah in a Bachelorette first. While it didn’t earn any points with the other guys, Cam explained he wasn’t there for friends, he was there for Hannah.
“What are the boundaries? Don’t you want to make your intentions clear?” he told the men questioning him, who quickly condemned his insistence as “creepy.”
Not to be put off by the broad disapproval of his peers, Cam insisted to the camera, “I’m the type of guy where when I want something, I go all in,” before crashing Kevin’s alone time with Hannah for a second time to feed her chicken nuggets.
Kevin confessed to the camera, “Yes, it’s a competition at the end of the day, but what he is doing is control freakish and weird.”
When it came to the rose ceremony, Matthew not getting a rose came as a shock to no one, as he didn’t get a spot in any of the three dates. But when it came to Daron and Connor J., it appears they simply couldn’t make a connection in time for the elimination.
The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Photo credit: ABC/Ed Herrera
