The Bachelorette featured Aaron Erb and Thomas Nguyen clashing with Devin Strader and calling him "a bully," Jenn Tran's first week of dates in Australia, and the elimination of three bachelors during the Season 21 episode that aired Monday night on ABC.
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The Bachelorette broadcast began with Jenn and her remaining 18 bachelors arriving in Melbourne in Victoria, Australia for the first week of dates.
Jenn said she was "very excited" to get to know her "very hot" men, but Devin, a 28-year-old freight company owner from Houston, TX, believed that none of the other guys "qualified as husband material" for The Bachelorette star.
A Date Card then arrived for the guys, and it had the following names on it: Devin; Marvin; Brian; Aaron, a 29-year-old aerospace engineer from Tulsa, OK; Grant Ellis, a 30-year-old day trader from Houston, TX; Jeremy Simon, a 29-year-old real estate investor from New York, NY; Jonathon Johnson, a 27-year-old creative director from Los Angeles, CA; and Sam Nejad, a 25-year-old entrepreneur from Carlsbad, CA.
"Let's find love in Melbourne, Jenn," the card read.
For the group date, Jenn explored Queen Victoria Market with her eight bachelors. They shopped, tried new foods, drank and had fun. Jenn could tell that her suitors were making a real effort with her, but Sam N. felt a little left out.
Sam N. said all the guys were "shooting their shot" with Jenn except for himself.
Sam N., for example, told Jenn that he couldn't eat dairy, and so he wasn't able to try any cheese. The date wasn't going as planned for the bachelor, and he admitted he was "scared" and felt like he was "falling behind in a race" that hadn't even started yet.
Devin, meanwhile, was having his own fears about getting lost in the group, and so he pulled Jenn away for "a surprise."
"When it all boils down, I'm not going to apologize to my wedding guests about how I married my wife. Let's be honest," Devin told the cameras.
Aaron complained about how he felt "disrespected" by Devin for stealing Jenn away for alone time on a group date, and he thought Devin had "crossed a line."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOWDevin took advantage of a moment to eat gelato with Jenn, which turned out to be The Bachelorette star's favorite dessert.
"I feel like in a group setting, guys can get idle. I don't want to be another guy in the group. For me, it's always been about her and stepping up to the plate and giving her what she deserves," Devin explained in a confessional.
Jenn said she "loved" the fact that Devin created his own little moment with her but it was "awkward" when the other guys returned.
And Aaron continued to vent about how Devin was stepping on his toes and "making an ass" of himself.
Jenn then brought her guys to a comedy show as part of the International Comedy Festival in Melbourne. The men were tasked with writing down some "zingers" and performing in front of a crowd at a bar.
Most of the men used their time onstage to roast Devin. Jeremy shared how Devin loved talking about himself and "is ugly," Sam N. said the entire cast had a beautiful soul "except for Devin," and Grant alleged that Devin was "full of sh-t."
Devin admitted that if he didn't receive the group-date rose, he'd probably feel like an idiot.
At the afterparty that evening, Jonathon gave some personality by showing off his colorful socks to Jenn, whom he called "a fantastic woman," and Grant, who cuddled close with Jenn and got a kiss, shared how he was ready for kids and would love to have "a super close family" one day.
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Grant told the cameras that kissing Jenn felt like he was kissing his wife.
Meanwhile, Jenn's other bachelors discovered that Marcus Shoberg, a 31-year-old Army Ranger veteran from Raleigh, NC, would be accompanying Jenn on the first one-on-one date of the season, and Marcus said he was so happy to receive the validation that Jenn wanted to spend more time with him.
Back on the date, Aaron approached Devin and accidentally called him "Dylan." Aaron asked how serious he truly was about the process because he didn't want anyone wasting Jenn's time, but he insisted he would never do that.
"Do you think you're good for Jenn?" Aaron asked.
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I was the fit for Jenn," Devin responded.
"You think you're ready? I'm just finding out more about Jenn and I don't think she wants to be with a boy," Aaron clapped back.
"I don't think I'm a boy," Devin argued. "The over-the-top image that you see, that's your lens. But I'm not here saying that you're way is wrong or your way is right. So I don't think it's fair to say that my way is wrong."
Devin explained to Aaron that he was just trying to take initiative with Jenn and show her that he had a drive to be with her, but Aaron countered that Devin simply "wasn't ready" to be Jenn's partner.
Devin told Aaron he hadn't taken charge and it didn't seem like Jenn wanted to end up with a guy who was only focused on what other men were doing around him.
Aaron proceeded to "doubt" Devin's intentions, but Devin said Jenn didn't need Aaron to assume or think about things on her behalf.
"I can't wait for you to come to our wedding," Devin quipped, which prompted Aaron to call him "childish."
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Aaron, however, said he didn't want to get pulled into drama, and so he spent his time with Jenn that night sharing information about himself. Aaron explained to The Bachelorette star how he's a fun-loving guy but can be passive in group settings.
Suddenly, Devin pushed a room-service cart up to Jenn with an ice cream sundae on it, interrupting Aaron's time with Jenn. Aaron appeared frustrated and upset.
"Don't poke the bear because I am going to completely lose it," Aaron said in a confessional.
Devin told Jenn that he didn't want her to think he was arrogant or egotistical, and Jenn confirmed that she didn't think that way about him at all. Jenn said she loved how Devin pursued her and was up for a good time.
After a short time, Aaron interrupted the couple as a form of "retaliation," and he told Devin that he was "telling" -- and not asking -- him to leave.
Aaron and Devin bickered in front of Jenn, and she didn't appreciate the drama in that moment. Jenn told Devin that she wanted to see him get along with the boys, and Devin assured her that he wasn't trying to create chaos or tension.
"I can see myself with Jenn. It makes sense in my mind... and she's a great kisser," Devin boasted, adding how he wasn't going to judge others or apologize for his own loud and outgoing personality.
Jenn ended up giving the group-date rose to Grant because she was excited when picturing a future with him. Aaron immediately became angry because Devin had tainted his alone time with Jenn, and he complained about how he was reaching his breaking point.
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The next day, Jenn embarked on her one-on-one date with Marcus and the pair went skydiving. Jenn said she had a "fun but also calm energy" with Marcus, who apparently eased The Bachelorette star's nerves when jumping out of a plane.
Jenn was afraid of heights, but the task was almost routine for the former Army Ranger.
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Marcus opened up to Jenn about how he had served as an Army Ranger for eight years in which he "picked up bad guys" throughout the world and completed raids at night. But during his last mission in Afghanistan, he got seriously injured in a fire fight.
"During that exchange, a grenade was tossed in the room and me and all my buddies heard that and hit the ground. That was the longest three-and-a-half seconds of my life," Marcus recalled.
"When that went off, I was standing right on it, and it changed my life."
Marcus returned home and spent a couple of months as a patient in a hospital, and he added, "I was hooked up to machines and was going from surgery to surgery to surgery. I spent months learning how to walk again. There was my life before that moment and my life after it."
Marcus told Jenn that he wanted to "live a life worth saving" after going through that experience and enduring that type of hardship.
Jenn called Marcus "resilient" and "a hero," and she said she was grateful to have heard part of his story. Jenn then rewarded Marcus a rose for his vulnerability.
"I feel over the moon. Marcus... is really inspiring, and I feel really close to him after today," Jenn shared in a confessional.
"I can see a future with Marcus, and I can see him being my forever person. I can see us falling in love with each other, and it feels like the start of something really good."
Jenn's second group date took place in Torquay, and she was joined by the following bachelors: Austin Ott, a 28-year-old sales executive from San Diego, CA; Dylan Buckor, a 24-year-old medical student from Elk Grove, CA; Hakeem Moulton, a 29-year-old medical device salesman from Schaumburg, IL; and John Mitchell, a 25-year-old medical student from Delray Beach, FL.
Sam McKinney, a 27-year-old contractor from Myrtle Beach, SC, was also on the date along with Spencer Conley, a 30-year-old pet portrait entrepreneur from Dallas, TX; Thomas N., a 31-year-old retirement advisor from Tucker, GA; and Tomas Azzano, a 27-year-old physiotherapist from Toronto, Canada.
Jenn and her suitors participated in an animal wildlife photo shoot with koalas, snakes, owls and more.
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Dylan stepped up to the plate to pose with a snake, helping Jenn to accomplish one of her fears, and so she selected him for a solo date that evening.
The ride back to the hotel was tough for all the other guys, especially Thomas N., who seemed very disheartened and disappointed.
John asked the other guys -- who had enjoyed the first group date with Jenn -- for "fairness" because he and seven of the other suitors totally missed out on time with Jenn that day. Thomas N. also asked for that respect.
"I'm not going to fall back to the end of the line, but you know, I think it goes without saying that you guys deserve a little bit more," Devin announced to the group.
Aaron, however, still believed that Devin "lacked depth," and he claimed that telling Devin such a thing was coming from a place of love.
"You see me as a threat. You see me as a roadblock," Devin insisted.
"I don't," Aaron disagreed. "I see you as a bully."
Devin complained to the cameras how he certainly wasn't a bully and hadn't attacked anybody in the house. Devin claimed that Aaron, on the contrary, was being the bully.
With that being said, Aaron -- who alleged that he wanted to see Devin "win," either with Jenn or someone else -- gifted Devin a book entitled Principles for Self-Growth.
Devin called Aaron "passive aggressive" for giving him a book designed for someone who lacks emotional intelligence. Devin called the book "stupid" and said he didn't need a book to tell him how to be a man.
At dinner that night, Jenn thanked Dylan for being there for her earlier that day, and she said how she was looking for a man who would love her hard and have a true partnership with her.
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Jenn gave Dylan a rose that night, and she asked him to continue showing up for her. Dylan got a kiss that night, and he was determined to make Jenn his "lady."
At the cocktail party preceding the second Rose Ceremony of the season, Devin stole Jenn away first, and the move infuriated Thomas N., who thought he and Devin had an understanding about how the night was going to unfold.
Sam M. also declared how Devin had "blown smoke" up his ass and was acting "like a snake."
While Devin and Jenn were talking, Thomas N. stormed into the room and asked to speak with Devin alone.
Devin asked Jenn for permission to speak with Thomas N., and once she obliged, she was left alone in a room with her glass of champagne.
Thomas N. confronted Devin about how he had allegedly promised eight guys time with Jenn, only to jump in first. Devin, however, said he never promised any of those men that they could go first and there was no line in place to speak with Jenn.
"You're objectifying Jenn right now: 'This is my time and I deserve to be first.' Nobody deserves anything in this life Thomas!" Devin said.
Jenn was eavesdropping the conversation and appeared to agree with Devin's statement.
Devin told Thomas N. that his behavior was "silly" and he was making himself look like a "fool." Devin pointed out how Thomas N. didn't interrupt his conversation to talk to Jenn; he interrupted it to fight with him.
Once Thomas N. sat down with Jenn, Jenn made it known that she sided with Devin on the issue.
"You guys are making decisions for me," Jenn said. "You're taking my independence out of that, and I don't really think that that's in your power."
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"Was that 10 minutes [of you arguing with Devin] right there and me sitting all alone worth it?" Jenn asked. "I feel like that was taking up more time. If anybody wanted to pull me first, they'd have that opportunity too. And we all need to be respectful of each other."
Thomas N. realized he had screwed up, but he still thought Devin was "a bully."
Devin, meanwhile, explained to the other guys how he had pulled Jenn aside first to get his time out of the way so he wouldn't stand in anyone's way for the rest of the night.
Jeremy said he respected people who stay true to themselves, and so he didn't think Devin had done anything wrong. He also thought Thomas N.'s approach to the situation wasn't being considerate of Jenn.
Regardless of what anybody thought, Devin apologized again for upsetting his competition.
After quite a bit of drama, Jenn had another makeout session with Sam M., whom she was clearly attracted to. Jenn told the bachelor how he made her "flustered" and so he needed to "reel it in" a little bit. Jenn felt she could trust Sam M., and that was very important to her.
Jenn also kissed Jonathon, and she boasted about how they had the same outlook on life.
But while Jenn was making connections, Devin and Thomas N. continued to argue outside. Thomas N. told Devin to "f-ck off" and "go inside," but Devin pleaded to have a conversation.
"He made it nothing about her and all about him in that moment," Devin said of Thomas N.
When Devin attempted to explain himself in front of the cast, Thomas N. told him to "shut the f-ck up."
At the subsequent Rose Ceremony, Jenn handed out roses to Austin, Hakeem, Spencer, Jeremy, Jonathon, John, Tomas A., Sam M., Devin, Sam N., Aaron, and Thomas N.
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Click here to read episode-by-episode spoilers about how Jenn's The Bachelorette season unfolds, including who Jenn picks as her winner and runner-up.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
