Hot Take: I Don't Hate Clayton

Do I think Clayton made the right decisions? Well, no. But at the end of the day, it all worked out. Clayton and Susie are together, Gabby and Rachel are Bachelorettes.

But here is my REAL hot take. Bachelor producers knew exactly what they were doing with naïve Clayton. I think back to the puppy promo picture because I think that's what they viewed him as... a little puppy dog that would do whatever they say. There are already rumors out there that production purposely put Susie's overnight date last, and encouraged Clayton to "not close himself off" to the other women. Is that reason alone to sleep with them? NO. But, many other leads have slept with multiple people in past seasons.

Hot take #2: Clayton was said to be selfish in his journey to find love. I agree, he was. He should have thought about the other women's feelings when making all of his choices. However, he didn't really go through a televised heartbreak with Michelle, so he was literally depending on those around him to help navigate. How many times do you think production said to him, "this is YOUR journey Clayton. YOUR journey to find love." My guess is a million. When you hear something so many times you start to believe and internalize it.

In conclusion, I think Clayton made a lot of bad mistakes and his actions are his alone. He was in way over his head, but I don't think the producers helped him navigate things better, at all.