Welcome back to “The Bachelorette,” where Chris Harrison promises this will be the most dramatic season yet, but do we get two for the price of one? 

The season was set to begin filming in March with bachelorette, 39-year-old, three-time Bachelor franchise alum, Clare Crawley. Crawley made her debut on the Bachelor as a contestant on Juan Pablo’s season where she made it to the final two and was rejected by “The Bachelor.” During this season, she said her infamous line: “What you just made me go through… I would never want my children having a father like you!”

 Clare has since made several Bachelor franchise appearances where she has been unsuccessful in finding forever love. This opportunity to be the bachelorette felt like a new beginning for Crawley. She said in a Good Morning America interview: “I never give up on life.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S., production was halted. Crawley was unsure if her chance of finding love as the bachelorette would ever come to fruition, however, in July, ABC was able to begin filming the Bachelorette 23rd season. All of the men of this season as well as Crawley were quarantined at La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, Calif., which was different from most seasons filmed at the coveted Bachelor Mansion. 

Crawley, due to her maturity and strong mind, knew what she wanted in a man when she began her journey as the bachelorette. She began the season with 31 contestants ranging in age from 26 to 40; this was a relatively older casting than in past seasons due to her age. 

As each man walked out of the limo, it was made clear that each man had gone through an extensive process to meet the bachelorette. However, night one was consumed by Crawley’s reaction to contestant Dale Moss, a 32-year-old former NFL football player. Clare’s response to Moss after walking through the limo is thought to be a love at first sight moment.“I think I just met my husband,” she gasped. 

No bachelorette/bachelor of the entire franchise had ever said those words on night one. This was the beginning of a short-lived season consumed by their relationship with one another. It was clear after a few episodes that Crawley was only focused on Moss, and not on other men in the house.

In the fourth episode, host Chris Harrson sat Crawley down, and she made it clear that she wanted to further the relationship with Moss and leave the show. They were engaged the next day after spending a night in the fantasy suite. 

This seemed like a sudden turn of events to the audience, and the rest of the men were neglected. They were unaware that this was happening. Many were shocked that she could decide on Moss so quickly and wondered if she really knew anything about him. These were all genuine concerns voiced by not only contestants on the show, but also the audience. 

They remain engaged after a few months post filming, however some speculate whether or not there was communication through social media during the break in filming that allowed them to get to know each other on a deeper level. 

While the bachelor nation was left stunned by this sudden turn of events, the bachelor franchise quickly switched gears from Crawley and Moss’ engagement to a new bachelorette, Tayshia Adams. 

Adams first appeared on “The Bachelor” for the 23rd season, where we followed the story of Colton Underwood. She is a 30-year-old native of Orange County, Calif., a divorcee from an early marriage and is a co-host of  the podcast “Click Bait with Bachelor Nation.” Adams was announced as the new bachelorette during a surge in demonstrations by the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Bachelor franchise has been scrutinized for a lack of diversity, as they have previously only had one woman of color as the bachelorette. Without any knowledge of the events of Crawley’s season, some believed that Adams was chosen as the bachelorette to bring more diversity in an effort by the producers to address scrutiny. 

Bachelor nation later learned that Crawley’s season had ended shortly due to her feelings toward Moss, and this left Adams with all of the men left from Clare’s portion as well as a few new gentlemen. 

Adams will continue to try and find love on the bachelorette for the remainder of the season. Although Adams is now the bachelorette, she is worried about being a second choice. Will she find a man who is really there for her, or will she leave the show without a man of her own?