Charity Lawson‘s season of The Bachelorette feels like it’s going by really quickly; in fact, we’re already about halfway through the season, and for some reason, we can’t exactly make sense of that idea. It feels like just yesterday we saw Brayden and his once-Golden Retriever energy — and those statement earrings — make his way into the mansion.
Stealing the show with his entrance and his exit, it might be easy to look back at this season so far and see a lot of drama (it’s actually the easiest thing to see), but if you look a little closer, see past the theatrics and sandals of it all, you might have noticed that Charity is building authentic and meaningful connections with her suitors. From Dotun and Xavier to Tanner and Joey, some of these guys really came to the series looking for love, and they’re starting to find it.
Unfortunately, when audiences get to this point of the series, we begin to root for certain suitors while wishing others would never have joined the franchise to begin with. It gets more complicated when you start to like the contestants, knowing not all of them are capable of winning. If one silver lining about some people joining the series for the wrong reason exists, it’s this: it makes it easier not to fall in love with every romantic hopeful.
After doing a lot of analyzing the men of this season (see also, having wine and texting one another about it), we’ve got a strong idea of who we think Charity will end up with after her season, and one guy we think will be the one that got away — more for us, than Charity.
The one that (most likely) got away
We can’t talk about Charity’s remaining men and not give a special shout to Tanner; while we’re inclined to believe that he isn’t the man she falls for in the end, he’s undoubtedly the contestant responsible for stealing our hearts — and wowing us with that jawline!
We don’t think we’re giving away a spoiler here by any means, but the rumor is that Tanner might be a face we see elsewhere in the franchise very soon. While his connection with our bachelorette is something sweet, we have a feeling he’s not the man who gets her final rose.
Charity and Tanner both deserve to find their happily ever after, and sometimes even the best-laid plans simply don’t work out. It doesn’t mean anyone did anything wrong, and we have a feeling that’s how the final talk between these two will go. In such a short amount of time, it appears that Charity’s connections with other men are growing stronger at a faster pace.
We have to admit, we’ve always had our eye on Tanner, but we cannot tell a lie; there was a moment on this journey (or a few…okay) when Brayden worked his way into our hearts. Blame it on the alcohol or the earrings, but Tanner has always been there for us, like a friend who never forgets your iced coffee order and always knows when to bring it to your front door.
We’re always going to hold a candle for Tanner; he’s a fan favorite and a front-runner here with many of our staff, and if he ever needs his own cheer squad, we’ve got it covered. Team Tanner shirts, anyone?
We think Dotun is Charity’s leading man
After all is said and done, we think Charity will pick Dotun; and we’re actually quite happy for her. Dotun looks at Charity like she hung the moon; he lights up when she enters a room and meets her with energy that notices what she brings to the table and matches it. He’s got a sweet heart and a great laugh, and he acknowledges that Charity doesn’t just want to find love; she wants to find a forever partner.
Charity wants someone to do life with in all of the incredible highs and lows that it brings, and Dotun seems a natural choice. We’ve loved seeing their connection blossom, and for all the ways it warms our hearts, it’s also a bit sultry. There’s something between them that feels electric, but not in a way that warns you to run quickly; it invites you to feel its power instead.
Dotun’s charm can’t be understated, and while he’s not the only one we see Charity feeling those butterflies with, their time together feels different, like there’s more to lose (and more to gain).
If Dotun isn’t Charity’s leading man — we’ve got some strong opinions, but the heart wants what it wants.
That leads us to the next thing…
Who might we see in paradise?
Reality Steve offered up some spoilers as to who viewers might expect to see in paradise, and Screen Rant has a complete list for you here, but we’ll stick with just men from Charity’s season we anticipate seeing.
Brayden Bowers (of course), Sean McLaughlin, Tanner Courtad, and Aaron Bryant — which might be hard for some to see as some viewers hoped he’d end up with Charity. We hope they find love, but a couple of them might be going to stir the pot, and we’ll soon see if those predictions are correct, as Bachelor in Paradise should air soon after Charity’s season of The Bachelorette concludes.
You can continue to see Charity’s journey to love as The Bachelorette unfolds on Monday evenings on ABC. With a season that feels like it’s moving incredibly fast, we’re not too far away from learning her final choice.