Though there’s been a lot of buzz about The Bachelor contestant Susie Evans becoming The Bachelorette, on her recent fantasy suite date, Susie demonstrated that Bachelor Nation isn’t right for her. Susie may seem like someone who would fit The Bachelorette mold perfectly, but there are several qualities about her that indicate she would be a failure as a lead. Not only would she be unlikely to find lasting love as the next lead, but she might also leave a string of broken hearts on the way.
Throughout Clayton Echard’s season, Susie has been a strong frontrunner, and many viewers believed she would definitely receive his final rose. However, their fantasy suite dinner was a disaster, and Susie dropped a bombshell on Clayton that if he had slept or fell in love with any of the other women, she was out. As Susie was the last fantasy suite date of the week, Clayton had to inform her that not only had he slept with the two other women, Clayton was falling in love with them as well. Clayton felt blindsided and betrayed, and he bitterly sent Susie home.
There’s still a lot of buzz about Susie becoming the next Bachelorette, but after her disastrous fantasy suite, it’s clear that she doesn’t have what it takes to be a successful lead. Despite being familiar with the franchise, Susie doesn’t seem willing to operate by typical Bachelor Nation rules, and that’s a problem. Fantasy suites are an established tradition in the franchise, but Susie couldn’t get on board with the idea of sleeping with or falling in love with multiple people. That’s a completely valid dating philosophy in the real world, but not really the name of the game in The Bachelor franchise. Overall, Susie, who may return to Clayton, needs some work on her communication skills, and seems to have a difficult time being upfront with her needs and feelings. This can lead to trouble on the show.
Based on Susie’s behavior and comments on The Bachelor, she appears to be someone who needs to be in a relationship that evolves naturally over time. Again, that’s great in the real world, but not so much in this franchise. Every show in Bachelor Nation is a pressure cooker where feelings develop fast, and leads need to be able to open up their hearts and be vocal about their dealbreakers. It wasn’t until it was too late that Susie told Clayton about her expectations and limits, and it was a huge blow to Clayton. If Susie were to be the lead, that kind of hesitation could be disastrous and end up hurting many of her contestants.
On the surface, Susie seems to have what it takes to be a good lead—attractive, ready for love, fun, and well-spoken. However, based on what went down on the latest episode of The Bachelor, it’s clear that Susie isn’t cut out for this franchise. Though the opportunity may be offered to her, if Susie is at all in touch with her feelings and needs, she’ll turn it down.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.