ABC Fumbled Jenn Tran as their Bachelorette.

Let me first preface this by saying; this was my least favorite season of The Bachelorette in a long time. Many of the episodes fell very flat for me, it was difficult to root for any of the men (except pookie Jonathon), and it took me a while to grasp why I felt disengaged with Jenn as the lead. That is, until the very end, when I realized it wasn’t Jenn at all that was making this season almost unwatchable - it was the way production completely screwed her over by giving her a cast of men who wanted nothing to do with her. 

It’s no secret at this point - the lead was supposed to go to Maria or Daisy. We knew this! What I don’t understand is why the show producers didn’t recognize that like everybody else, the men who applied to be on this season probably also thought that! When Jenn was officially announced as the next lead, they had ample opportunity to weed out the men who clearly were there for one of the other women and swapped them in for men who wanted to get to know Jenn. It BAFFLES me that men like Sam M (and N for that matter), Marcus, Jeremy, freaking DEVIN, and probably most of the other men still made it on this season when they have made it abundantly clear they were here for either Maria or Daisy as the lead. My heart shattered for Jenn on the radio date when Sam M blatantly told her he came on the show for Daisy or Maria; Jenn handled this comment with grace and poise, while I on the other hand would’ve gone full sicko mode on Sam. 

Jenn Tran, the PA student living in Boston (shoutout my hometown) has established herself in this franchise to be considerate, able to roll with the punches, and overall simply a lover who wanted to take this incredible opportunity as the Bachelorette to find the love of her life. Instead, she was giving a less-than-ideal edit the entire season that made her look boring, men who didn’t sign up to meet her, and one of the most abysmal ATFR showcasing I have ever seen. The show didn’t highlight her humor, intelligence, and class the way it should have. Sure, there were segments scattered throughout the season that gave viewers more insight to her real personality, but upon following her on social media and hearing her unfiltered thoughts about what happened after her season ended, I wish the editing didn’t make her seem so one-dimensional. She is so much more than they allowed her to look like. 

Now, we have to discuss that disrespectful, downright putrid and disgusting After the Final Rose. Never in my nearly 10 years of watching this show (I should not have been watching this show at 12 but I was) have I seen production do something this blatantly evil to the lead. For context - after Jenn and her final pick, Devin, get engaged in Hawaii, he breaks up with her over a PHONE CALL a few weeks later. Basically, Devin came there to win the show but didn’t really consider what the prize was. He left Jenn heartbroken, evident as she sits there hyperventilating crying on the couch as Jesse Palmer awkwardly stares at her asking if she’s okay (CLEARLY NOT????). It gets so much worse. They bring Devin out so Jenn and him can have a chat about what went wrong - and let me add here, Jesse was giving Devin way too much grace. He did not even deserve a chance to plead his case after he discarded Jenn like a toy when it was HER SEASON and SHE PROPOSED TO HIM! The disrespect towards Jenn this whole segment is truly heartbreaking to watch. It didn’t help panning to past Bachelorette Rachel Recchia in the audience, visibly in tears in solidarity with Jenn due to the fact that she was put in the same situation by the man she chose on her season. 

What really solidified my feelings towards this season and the complete blunder of production was the viewing of the proposal. Instead of showing the world this “beautiful proposal” when Jenn wasn’t gasping for air through her tears on stage with the man who dropped her faster than a hot potato, they decided that’s a perfect idea! Oh and even better, let’s have a live cam on Jenn the whole time so we can really make her relive this traumatic event, and everyone at home can tell how bad this hurts her! Watching this made my stomach churn. We know that it's the producer's job to create a drama-filled and exciting show, but this crossed the line to me. They were clearly treating Jenn as a sad-sack depressed girl who just got broken up and yet, Jesse had the nerve to tell her that watching that proposal back should've made her feel “empowered.” HUH? You really think that sitting next to her ex-fiance, watching the happiest day of her life that turned into the biggest dumpster fire it could’ve, all while millions of people watch it live is going to make her feel empowered??? Can it Jesse Palmer. That was a vile and disappointing move for the show. 

At the end of the day, Jenn was set up for failure. The producers really failed her in every way and should take notes for next season. What could’ve been an empowering and triumphant story of the first Asian-American Bachelorette and one of the most beautiful women (inside and out) the show has seen, they fumbled her. Hard. However, there is still a chance for the audience to make it up to Jenn, as she is going to be trying her luck for the mirrorball on Dancing With the Stars this fall! I personally love this show and I can’t wait for her and Sasha to make a splash on the dance floor. While she is going to be competing against her ex and former Bachelor Joey (one of my personal favorites ever from the franchise), I can’t help but root for Jenn as she steps into this next journey ahead. While the Bachelorette producers did her dirty and wrong, I really hope Jenn can share her truth and love with the world on DWTS!