Fans of The Bachelorette know that no season can go by without a so-called villain. While the villains are problematic in some seasons, they are mislabeled in others. The latter seems to be the case for Season 21, where Devin Strader appears to have acquired the title. The men this season have already begun to target Devin, but not for good reason. Despite being labeled as a villain in Season 21, Devin is actually one of its heroes.
Devin Strader is there for the right reasons
Devin’s biggest green flag is his clear interest in leading lady Jenn Tran. In his intro video, Devin explained that he thought he was a great fit for Jenn. He remembered that Jenn had said she wanted a man with a big personality, which shows he’s been paying attention. While he didn’t receive the first impression rose, Devin still left a great impression on Jenn after night one.
After the men arrived in Australia, Devin was among those selected for the first group date. During the date at a market, Devin seized the opportunity to pull Jenn aside for some one-on-one time. While this annoyed the other men, it was very clever of Devin. In past seasons, the leads have expressed feeling alone on group dates when no one tries to make special moments with them. Devin did just this, and it was greatly appreciated by Jenn.
If anything, Devin’s actions show just how seriously he is taking this process. Some of the other men have hesitated when it comes to talking to Jenn, but not Devin. Jenn wants a man who will take charge and stand up for her, and so far Devin is the perfect example of that. Devin is making the most of his limited time with Jenn, which is something all of the men should be doing.
Devin Strader handled the Thomas Nguyen fight with class
During the second cocktail party of the season, Devin found himself at odds with Thomas Nguyen. Thomas had been on the second group date, where most of the men got sent home early. As a result, these men had asked the men from the first group date to respect their time at the cocktail party. While Devin agreed, he never indicated that he didn’t plan to pull Jenn first. Of course, when he did, it was a huge problem for Thomas.
Thomas then decided to interrupt Devin and Jenn’s conversation, where he asked to speak with Devin rather than Jenn. This left Jenn sitting alone, while Devin and Thomas stepped aside to discuss things. Thomas immediately lashed out at Devin and claimed that he didn’t respect any of the other men. Furthermore, Thomas admitted that he felt Devin should’ve been in “ninth place” to talk to Jenn.
After hearing Thomas out, Devin pointed out that it was wrong for Thomas to objectify Jenn. Devin explained that no one “deserved” time with Jenn, which Jenn seemed to agree with as she secretly listened. Thomas’ actions were extremely childish, but Devin handled the situation maturely. On his way downstairs, Devin also made sure to apologize to Jenn, which Thomas failed to do.
The rest of the men seem intimidated by Devin Strader’s connection with Jenn
While several of the men already have beef with Devin, their reasoning doesn’t completely add up. In addition to Thomas, Aaron Erb noticeably had a heated feud with Devin during Episode 2. Aaron originally became frustrated with Devin during the group date, when he pulled Jenn aside for ice cream. Aaron remarked that Devin and Jenn should’ve been hanging out with the group, which was unreasonable.
Later on during the after-party, Aaron pulled Devin aside to tell him he didn’t think he was right for Jenn. Devin was understandably taken aback since Aaron kind of came out of thin air with this. Aaron told Devin he didn’t think Jenn wanted “a kid”, to which Devin replied that he wasn’t. Devin came back at Aaron by saying he didn’t think he was a good fit for Jenn, as he didn’t take enough charge.
Ultimately, Devin had every right to be frustrated with Aaron for sticking his nose in his relationship with Jenn. Aaron didn’t take the same initiative to talk to Jenn as Devin did, and he didn’t get as much time as a result. However, it’s Aaron’s job to make sure he makes the most of his time, as Devin has been doing. It seems like Aaron and some of the other men are jealous of Devin and Jenn’s strong connection, and want to take him down because of it.
Be sure to watch The Bachelorette on Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF DEVIN SO FAR THIS SEASON? DO YOU THINK HE’S A GOOD FIT FOR JENN?
