With the premiere hitting ABC yesterday (July 8), season 21 of The Bachelorette is officially underway, kicking things off with what might have been the best inaugural episode to date.
With 25 men to choose from, Jenn Tran — the first Asian-American lead in the history of the Bachelor franchise — has a great group of guys fighting for her heart, and it is safe to say they have quite a bit of… personality (for lack of a better term).
From eyelash curlers to lion underwear and beyond, the premiere of season 21 of The Bachelorette had our eyes glued to the screen from start to finish, and we are still trying to decide if it was for better or for worse. Regardless of your opinion, there is no arguing that the episode had its fair share of “WTF?” moments, and we pinpointed seven of the most surprising ones.
What are said “WTF?” moments, you may ask? Keep scrolling to see for yourself…
Finding out that Sam Nejad regularly curls his eyelashes
Seemingly stepping out of the limousine third, Sam Nejad gave Bachelor Nation a serious fright just a few minutes into the premiere of The Bachelorette season 21. While explaining who he is outside of the beloved competition series — from his hometown, to his upbringing, to his history in the love department (or lack thereof) and beyond — Sam is seen getting ready for what appears to be his limo entrance. While most men spray some cologne and put some product in their hair, it looks like the California native has another, far more unusual step in his morning routine: curling his eyelashes.
Naturally, fans of the Bachelor franchise took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to poke fun at the season 21 suitor:
“I’m gonna PRETEND like I didn’t just see this man CURL HIS EYELASHES #TheBachelorette”
“THE MAN CURLS HIS EYELASHES. I don’t mean to judge but THE MAN CURLS HIS EYELASHES. #TheBachelorette”
“This man on The Bachelorette curls his eyelashes and I need to know — do men actually do that?!?! Have they been hiding the fact they don’t have naturally curly lashes?!?! Did this man just expose all men?!?! #TheBachelorette”
Jonathon Johnson showing off some serious booty
Perhaps the most wild limo entrance of the night came from Jonathon Johnson. Showing up in a stretcher — telling the leading lady that he is “Love Sick” and that she is the only remedy — his face was bandaged up entirely, which was a way to ensure that Jenn got to know who he is on the inside before getting to know who he is on the outside. How sweet is that?
Well, this sweet gesture took a sour turn when the viewer realized that paired with the bandages was a not-so glamorous hospital gown that was entirely exposed in the back. Before you ask, no… he was not wearing underwear.
Giving the entirety of the Bachelor mansion an up close and personal look at his backside, we were not expecting to see that much of the man during the premiere of the beloved competition series. If Jonathon was comfortable being this exposed on night one of season 21 of The Bachelorette, who knows what other tricks he has up his sleeve as the show progresses…
Hakeem Moulton nearly getting blown away by the balloons on his back
Is that Up‘s Carl Fredricksen or The Bachelorette‘s Hakeem Moulton? Another wild limo entrance came from Hakeem, who strapped dozens and dozens of balloons to his back to represent how he felt when he found out that Jenn was the Bachelorette, describing the feeling as being “on cloud nine.” While the gesture was wholesome, the attire proved to be unpractical when he was popping balloons all over the Bachelor mansion — well, the new and improved Bachelor mansion — even getting stuck in a tree at one point. Naturally, viewers were left with just one thing to say about Hakeem’s excessive amount of balloons: “WTF?”
The group game of “Truth or Dare?”
As if the limo entrances were not wacky enough, the contestants turned up the heat when they played a game of “Truth or Dare?” later on in the evening, rolling a dice and being forced to either answer the question or perform the action written on a specific card. As an avid member of Bachelor Nation, I believe a group game on night one of the beloved competition series is a franchise first, and needless to say, it did not disappoint.
Austin Ott streaking through the Bachelor mansion in lion underwear
Kicking off the evening, Jenn told the men that she is looking for a “ferocious love,” and it is safe to say that Austin Ott understood the assignment. During the “Truth or Dare?” game that had everyone talking, Austin might have pulled out the worst card of all time, instructing him to go streaking through the Bachelor mansion. Before baring it all, Austin stripped down to his underwear, shocking Jenn, his fellow contestants, and viewers at home when he was caught rocking a pair penned with a lion’s face. Once again, we had no words besides “WTF?”
Brett Harris surprising everyone by jumping into the splits
Another thing to come from the game of “Truth or Dare?” is Brett Harris showing off with the splits, something that nobody saw coming. Naturally, viewers took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express their shock, as well as their overall excitement:
“Brett doing the splits I love it #TheBachelorette”
“Brett did the splits. I repeat. BRETT DID THE SPLITS #TheBachelorette”
“WHEN THAT GUY DID THE SPLITS I SCREAMED SHDBSJSN #TheBachelorette”
Getting sent home night one, it looks like we will not get to see the Pennsylvania native bust a move anymore, but nevertheless, it was fun while it lasted…
Brian Autz trying to steal Jeremy Simon’s car (and seemingly succeeding)
Wait a minute… this isn’t Grand Theft Auto! One of the wildest moments from the premiere of season 21 of The Bachelorette was undoubtedly when Brian Autz snatched the keys to Jeremy Simon’s car — which he had shipped to Los Angeles from New York City so he could meet Jenn in style — trying to not only steal his time with Jenn, but to also steal his sweet ride. Having a verbal altercation, Brian ultimately emerged as victorious, but the whole encounter had fans of the Bachelor franchise either dropping their jaws or rolling their eyes. Personally, I am guilty of both…
We have no doubt that the remainder of season 21 will have plenty of “WTF?” moments, but what will they entail exactly? To find out for yourself, catch brand new episodes of The Bachelorette each and every Monday evening on ABC.