Entertainment

Dean's Response To His 'Bach' Elimination Will Make You Cry All Over Again

by Jordan Lauf
Josh Vertucci/ABC

Hometowns, a staple of the Bachelor/Bachelorette journey, are always a heart-wrenching experience for those involved. The remaining contestants have to bring their new boo home to face their families, who are often understandably skeptical that their beloved son or daughter now professes to be madly in love with a person they've been on, like, two dates with. Then there's the fact that the Bachelor or Bachelorette has to juggle meeting four different families, all of whom want reassurance that it will be their special offspring who's standing at the end, avoiding heartbreak and public embarrassment on national TV. And whoever gets eliminated at the end of that week inevitably feels like they're being sent home because their family wasn't good enough. This season, it was Dean who was eliminated from The Bachelorette after a controversial hometown, but his response to his departure proves that he should definitely be the next Bachelor.

Most hometowns are tricky, but Dean's was a special case. As he previously shared with Rachel, he hadn't spoken with his father in two years, and he was clearly extremely nervous going into the date. After an intense conversation, in which Dean confronted his father for abandoning his family after his mother's death, Rachel told him that she was falling in love with him. America's hearts melted. Then, at a shocking rose ceremony, Rachel sent Dean home. The goodbye was understandably tense, as Dean wanted to know why Rachel would tell him she was falling in love, and then eliminate him. Honestly, good question, Dean. But despite this awkward goodbye, Dean's response to his elimination on Instagram shows that even if he still has some hard feelings, he's approaching the situation very maturely.

Dean's full statement reads:

From then til now, what an incredible journey. I have nothing but the utmost love and respect for @therachlindsay and I'm excited to watch the rest of her love story unfold #letloveleadtheway

Rather than expressing his hurt and anger about the way he was eliminated, Dean chose to reassert how awesome Rachel is, and how he wishes the best for her in the future. He clearly understands that the process of the show is often really difficult, and that Rachel had to be selfish if she truly wanted to find her husband. Dean's response demonstrates that he would totally be able to handle himself well if he was the Bachelor, even through tough situations like the one he and Rachel faced.

It's already been announced that Dean will be on Bachelor in Paradise, but as Nick Viall proved last season, that doesn't mean he can't still be the new Bachelor. And I'm not the only one who would love to see Dean as the star of his own journey. America is seriously here for it. After his elimination Monday night, Twitter exploded with people calling on the show to give Dean a second chance at love — so much so that #DeanForBachelor became a thing.

Even if Dean doesn't become the next Bachelor, he's already won the hearts of America with his big heart and blinding smile. And his statement proves that if he was to be chosen for next season (cough cough, ABC) then he would have the emotional maturity to handle the process with dignity and sensitivity. #DeanForBachelor!