Tayshia grasped her rose firmly, nervously twirling the stem between her fingers. As he approached her, a smile resurfaced on her face. She took a deep breath before confidently pressing the rose to his chest. Her final rose. Her journey was, at long last, over.
As Season 16 of ABC’s “The Bachelorette” comes to a close, Tayshia Adams, like so many bachelorettes before her, walks away with a ring, a fiancé and a newfound sense of confidence. Tayshia chose contestant Zac Clark as the recipient of her final rose, granting him the title of Tayshia’s fiancé and winner of the reality dating game show.
Although Tayshia’s journey on “The Bachelorette” ended in a similar manner to the franchise’s previous series, Season 16 had its own twists and turns that made for an unprecedented viewing experience. For the first time ever, there were two bachelorettes starring on the same season of the show. After Bachelorette Clare Crawley quickly fell in love with contestant Dale Moss, Tayshia replaced Clare as the bachelorette in order to complete the season.
Additionally, fans have never endured a pandemic friendly season before. New guidelines, such as mandated quarantining, COVID-19 testing and restricted traveling, made for an unparalleled adventure into the world of reality dating.
Despite these stark changes to the show, viewers found that the drama, tears and — of course — romance they watch for were still able to ensue.
“I was pleasantly surprised with the season,” says Bachelor Nation fan Will Whitmer. “I thought the producers were super creative in the way they were able to reimagine certain parts of the show.”
“The Bachelorette” producers took traditional elements of the show and twisted them to ensure both the entertainment of the audience and the safety of the contestants.
One familiar favorite of “The Bachelorette” is the hometown dates portion of the show. As the title suggests, the final four contestants will take the bachelorette to their hometown for a date in which she will meet the contestant’s family.
This season, the pandemic kept the contestants and the bachelorette from being able to travel anywhere outside of the California resort the show was being filmed at. Therefore, instead of taking the bachelorette to their hometowns, producers suggested that the contestants take their hometowns to the bachelorette. Each contestant was given the opportunity to create a date within the resort that shared elements from their hometowns with Tayshia. Additionally, family members of the contestants were invited to join them on the date after quarantining and passing COVID-19 screenings.
From cardboard taxis and moonwalks to cooking and candlelit dinners, Tayshia was able to experience a piece of each contestant’s hometown through creatively crafted and pandemic-precautious dates.
Producers worked with what they could to keep familiar aspects of “The Bachelorette” intact. Although imaginative in their approach, fans could not help but find themselves just a little disappointed.
“I know it was the right thing to do,” explains Bachelor Nation fan Beth Evans. “But you cannot help but admit it was just a little boring. I miss the traveling, the exotic trips, the hometowns. Kudos to the producers and their creativity, but come on, it was drab.”
As unusual as the additions of COVID-19 restrictions were to the show, it will not be the last time the producers will have to jump this hurdle. The franchise will continue to film the show in a similar, pandemic-friendly fashion for the foreseeable future.
However, franchise fans do anticipate that “The Bachelorette” mid-season contestant switch will remain forever unmatched.
This season of “The Bachelorette” began with a rocky start, as viewers took to social media to express their disdain toward original bachelorette star, Clare.
“Clare was the worst,” recalls Erica Pack, another loyal Bachelor Nation member. “I think I tweeted like once a day how I wanted her to leave already.”
Fans criticized Clare for her unnecessary drama and inability to take a joke. What she lacked in personality, she made up for in tears. After only three episodes starring Clare, Bachelor Nation fans were happy to see her go.
Bachelor Nation swooned when Tayshia, a fan favorite from Colton Underwood’s season of “The Bachelor,” took Clare’s place. The high expectations viewers held for Tayshia were exceeded in the way she was able to carry herself with class and grace.
“She was respectful, she was kind and she was entertaining,” continues Evans. “She proved that you don’t have to bring all that dramatic nonsense to make a good show.”
Tayshia’s poise and sophistication won over the hearts of the show’s dedicated fanbase, saving the season from the mess Clare left behind.
Unprecedented and arguably unbeatable, Tayshia Adams brought an entertaining and elegant season to the televisions of “The Bachelorette” fans across the globe.
