Hello and welcome to “A Local Rose,” your new favorite Bachelorette Recap! I’m Ali Evans, and you can officially consider me Chapelboro.com’s Jesse Palmer, because I’m going to be side-by-side with you as we break down each episode of this season of “The Bachelorette,” airing Mondays on ABC.
If you stumbled in here because you thought this was an article about local wine, I totally understand and I hope you’ll stick around because The Bachelorette and wine happen to go together like Chapelboro.com and daily local news.
A reality TV recap may seem like an odd choice for Chapelboro, but when those of us in the know (I’m not proud to be here, okay?) found out that Xavier Bonner — one of this season’s contestants — was from Carrboro, we knew there was no better place to show our neighborhood a little love by covering all the uncomfortable, zoomed-in make-out sessions that were to come. Let’s get right into it!
Xavier is a Biomedical Scientist who lives in Carrboro, NC, who is conveniently brilliant, gorgeous and most importantly, he’s 6-foot-6. He is competing to win the heart of The Bachelorette, Charity Lawson, who is the lead of the 20th season of the show. Xavier likes to knit and play the ukulele, and if Carrboro ever changes their town slogan from “Feel Free,” I think they should probably start somewhere in the ‘knitting and playing the ukulele’ zone. It’s just so delightfully Carrboro. Xavier became a scientist because his mom’s health has suffered throughout his life, and he felt passionate about researching diseases because of her. Everything about Xavier is coming up roses so far.
I imagine when anyone walks into Bachelor/Bachelorette casting with a career that can also be a catchphrase, there’s an X Factor Golden Buzzer-type panic button under the table that someone pushes and an alarm goes off in a marketing office at ABC. I find comfort in knowing that Bachelorette biographies and introduction packages about “chemistry” will still be considered zingers when we’re all eventually replaced by Chat GPT.
Charity Lawson was a contestant on the 27th season of The Bachelor, but was eliminated by Zach Shallcross in week 8. She’s the perfect fit to be The Bachelorette: steadfast, smart, stunning and a little silly. I also noticed she’s wearing a lot of Carolina Blue in this intro… people who believe in manifestation can do with that what they will. Charity has a degree in clinical mental health counseling, and parents who have been married for more than 47 years. I have to believe she knows what she wants, has a strategy for finding it, and won’t settle until she does.
Before we go any further, let’s get one band-aid ripped off: while Charity’s season marks the 20th of The Bachelorette, only four final couples are still together. This is higher than the number of Bachelor couples going the distance, but it’s still not great odds. Also, of the 20 Bachelorette leads, Charity is only the fourth Black woman to headline the show. The first was Rachel Lindsay in 2017. While acknowledging there are plenty of flaws in the Bachelor/Bachelorette ecosystem that can’t be ignored, I still have high hopes that Charity not only finds love this season, but makes a name for herself in the Bachelorette universe. Based on her run last season on The Bachelor, and what I’ve seen so far with Charity in the captain’s seat, I’d say she’s well on her way.
Contestant Power Rankings
In the words of every bachelorette ever – bring on the men! If you’re here, you’ve probably already watched last night’s premiere, so I won’t make us re-live every single limo entrance together. However, I’ll be sharing my top five contestants each week in “A Local Rose” and because it’s week one, we’re going to start with the five best limo entrances.
First, Honorable mentions:
- Joey, because he’s a tennis instructor from Hawaii, a.k.a he’s already perfect for Bachelor in Paradise.
- The Pilot named Peter… it’s got to go better than the last one of those, right?
- Spencer, who had the honor of the ‘awkward music’ played while he stumbled through a conversation with Charity.
- Every guy in the ‘tall dudes’ segment.
- John Henry, for his two names and his diving helmet.
5) We’re starting the countdown with Brayden, his tequila shots, and what I’m fairly certain are blue-light glasses. We’ll get to the Villainization of Brayden in a moment, but I actually really enjoyed his silly little entrance. He fit tequila shots (which he’s only been able to legally buy for three years) and a personal anecdote about an ex-girlfriend into his first conversation with Charity, and that earns him his spot in the top five.
4) Caleb with that cowboy hat and plenty of muscles. Caleb not only wore a cowboy hat, but he’s a pro-wrestler from Orlando with long silky hair. It’s a potentially chaotic trifecta, but it’s a trifecta nonetheless. I expect Caleb to be here for a good time, not a long time, so let’s enjoy it while it lasts.
3) Aaron B. and what I’m certain is a two-headed coin he keeps flipping. Being the first out of the limo isn’t easy. It’s already hard enough to stand out in the crowd, but much like at WCHL & Chapelboro, there’s two Aaron’s hanging around the house, and Aaron B. at least needs to be the most interesting Aaron. So far, so good.
2) Dotun and Charity have the most chemistry out of everyone she met coming out of the limo. He’s tall, confident and handsome, and based on introductions alone, he was my original pick for the First Impression Rose. I think we can possibly count on Dotun to win the first solo date with Charity, and I can’t wait to watch their spark unfold.
1) Xavier is my number one choice for reasons that should be obvious. He was in the first limo group, didn’t overdo it on the cheesy intro, and he has a smile you can stare at for days. Clearly, Charity is into him as well because Xavier got the first kiss of the night!
I think this is a really interesting and diverse group of guys that will provide the perfect mix of drama, drinking and romance – probably in that order.
A few other highlights from the first night of meet & greets:
- James brought a note from his mom and still gets a rose. Red flag by Charity?
- I genuinely thought Chris, the backflip guy, was a grown-up Roger from “Sister, Sister”
- One of the guys talks a little too long about the body type he prefers… unknowingly to Charity’s brother, Nehemiah.
- Charity’s fur shawl. 10 out of 10. No further comment.
- Brayden brags about his kiss with Charity incessantly which, in a vacuum, would be kind of adorable. But this is The Bachelorette and that’s just enough to position him as public enemy number one.
The biggest plot twist of the night isn’t Charity’s brother and that low-budget disguise: it’s Brayden getting the First Impression Rose. I think this is a major power move by Charity. Not only is she showing she isn’t afraid to make an unpopular decision if it’s what she wants, but she’s clearly ready to break out on her own in multiple ways. She’s leaving behind being one of 30 women as a contestant on The Bachelor, while also ignoring her brother’s advice. This is clearly a moment of empowerment for Charity, and I think there’s a lot more of those to come.
Aaron B., John, Xavier, Joey, Caleb, Warwick, Aaron S., Caleb A., Adrian, James, Sean, Michael, Tanner, Dotun, Kaleb, John Henry, Josh, and Spencer get to stay. I wonder which Aaron will start going by “AJ” to avoid confusion? Stay tuned.
X Marks the Spot
To highlight Xavier and his connection to Chapel Hill-Carrboro, I’ll share local spots where The Bachelorette could’ve filmed that week’s episode. If any local places come to mind as you watch every Monday, be sure to send them my way on twitter, @helloalievans!
Let’s get the obvious out of the way. There’s no other answer than Ghimgoul Castle to film the first night of something like The Bachelorette. It’s beautiful, sturdy and mysterious, which is what Charity is probably looking for in a partner.
While I think the note from James’ mom was the cringiest part of the episode (yes, even including Spencer), I think he was onto something with the apple cider and donuts. Rise in Carrboro would be a great place to swing by on your way to the Bachelor Mansion if you wanted to fast track your way to Charity’s heart.
I know Aaron B. mentioned he learned to play the keyboard just for Charity, but he probably could have used one or two classes at School of Rock.
Finally, if you’re looking for a cozy bar where you can chat with the bartender, I would head to Belltree Cocktail Club. The drinks are fabulous — and who knows, if you’ve lived around here as long as I have, the bartender may end up being your brother in disguise!
The very dramatic preview for this season includes jealous guys, lots of crying, even more sequins, Brayden is still the villain, Xavier is on a train, and in a true Cinderella moment, there’s a random high heel that seems to be left behind. Make sure you’re here for the right reasons, and I’ll see you next week for another edition of “A Local Rose!”
Ali Evans is a three-decade Chapel Hill resident currently living in Mebane with her husband Brian, dogs Cameron & Macaroni, and cats Brooke & Dexter. Ali is a Marketing professional in Durham, and a reluctant reality TV expert. She currently serves as President of Leadership Chapel Hill-Carrboro through The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill Carrboro. Ali loves all things local – food, drinks, people and places and is a really big fan of trains. You can find Ali on twitter @helloalievans, or get in touch via email – helloalievans@gmail.com.
