'The Bachelorette' Power Rankings: JoJo's Men Ranked After Episode 6
THR ranks JoJo Fletcher's suitors based on their episode performance. This week, Luke is up and James Taylor is down.
Welcome to The Bachelorette version of The Hollywood Reporter's Power Rankings. Each week, THR's Bachelor experts will be tuning in to the romantic connections and dramatic shenanigans taking place on season 12 of the long-running ABC franchise. In an effort to cater to viewers who opt out of show spoilers, these rankings are based on opinions and observations week-by-week. Read last week's Power Rankings here.
JoJo Fletcher should be glad she got that whole Chad thing out of the way.
With The Bachelorette villain Chad Johnson — as well as her ex Chad who emerged via a tabloid story last week — gone, the Bachelorette was finally free to focus on the sort of drama that might actually lead her to a happy ending — or as Jordan put it tonight: "To do life with."
Tonight's episode involved JoJo doing a lot of interpreting as they traveled to Buenos Aires: her performance date with Wells, her three-way tango with Derek and Chase and also sussing out who is telling the truth between James Taylor and Jordan.
In a bid to warn JoJo about the frontrunner supposedly being there for fame, the country singer told JoJo that the footballer acts like he's a celebrity, saying: "His attitude is that he’s entitled."
But his plan backfired when Jordan assured JoJo that he wants to be in love and engaged by the end of their journey, causing her to light up with googly eyed glee.
Faced with what she called the hardest decision she's had to make yet during the rose ceremony, JoJo wasn't ready to say goodbye to her bottom two. After an emotional pause with Chris Harrison, she decided to keep both James Taylor and Alex, but the message was still received. "I don't want a pity rose," commented an angry Alex.
Two of the men did get sent home, however: Wells during his one-on-one (even after the pair's first kiss) and Derek during a tense two-on-one with Chase. The location and Derek's tears provided the producers with the opportunity to drag out his goodbye to the emotional tune of Don't Cry For Me Argentina (more on that below).
See how the remaining men rank after tonight's episode and keep sharing your thoughts with THR using the #THRose hashtag on Twitter.
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Luke, 31, war veteran from Burnet, TX
It’s official: Look out for Luke. During this week’s group date, the Texan and JoJo couldn’t keep their hands off each other. "I'm running out of words to describe the level of passion that is Luke and me together,” she said about their half-emotional and half-physical connection. And Luke, who continually manages to stay above the drama, was right there with her, kicking James Taylor off his Cloud 10 and setting up shop with JoJo. “Everything about you makes me want more of you,” he told her while stealing away some time after the soccer match. "Every time we kiss I get the feeling that we're gonna have to take a breath because that spark is crazy,” she then confessed to the camera. And with that, Luke gets the group date rose and climbs his way to the top of this list.
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Jordan, 27, former pro quarterback from Chico, CA
JoJo dropped a telling reveal tonight when she told Jordan that she’s been picturing a life with him after the show. Despite being given warning from the always-genuine James Taylor that Jordan may not have her best interests at heart, JoJo is clearly too smitten to question anything that comes out of Jordan's mouth. Their connection has been clear from the start, and remains clear to the housemates with James even referring to Jordan as a frontrunner. "I'm seeing more and more of the person that I want to do life with," Jordan told JoJo, who fell harder and harder as he opened up about his feelings and falling in love. Giving her the validation she’s been dying to hear, he promised: “I’m not gonna let you down.” But is he sincere? While he showed a new sensitive side (he clarified to JoJo that he wants to be engaged at the end of this), he also displayed more of his aggression. After learning that James talked behind his back, Jordan barely kept his cool. He swirled his wine to avoid picking a fight and slammed his former buddy James for being “pathetic.”
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Chase, 27, medical sales rep from Highlands Ranch, CO
Chase had a close call this week on his two-on-one date with Derek. Though it was sweet to see him nervous, his insecurities quickly got the better of him when he let Derek get under his skin. “It irritated the shit out of me,” he said, showing a very different side than the zen yoga partner JoJo first fell for. (What other sides don't we know about you, Chase?) When JoJo admitted that she worried about being more attracted to him than he is to her, Chase pushed himself out of his comfort zone to admit “it’s incredible how fast” he’s started to fall for her. His moment of vulnerability paid off, as he scored the two-on-one date rose and sent Derek packing. To celebrate, the two danced the night away as the cameras dramatically flashed back and forth to Derek sobbing in his last limo ride (see below).
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Robert “Robby,” 27, former competitive swimmer from Jacksonville, FL
Robby turned his lust into love last week when he became the first guy to drop the L-word, but the competitive swimmer displayed a few red flags tonight. JoJo set a sad omen at the top of the episode when she expressed worry about Robby expressing he loved her, since the last two guys who said it didn't work out so well. Later on his group date, the 27-year-old turned heads when he danced a little too intimately in the streets of Buenos Aires with a local woman — causing JoJo to cry out, “Robby!” In light of the previews teasing the fact that Robby has a girlfriend back home, the behavior doesn't bode well. Still, his confidence is not shaken or stirred, telling the camera: “I don’t look at anyone else as a frontrunner.”
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James Taylor, 29, singer-songwriter from Katy, TX
James Taylor began tonight's group date saying he was on a quick train headed to JoJo-ville — unfortunately, JoJo isn't quite ready to hop on. After struggling with his confidence (“Just look at these guys — they're perfect”), the timid country boy admitted to the camera: “I really do feel like I snuck onto a set that I'm not supposed to be on.” Calling himself the new "underdog" (RIP Wells, see below), James let JoJo's other relationships get to his head. He decided to rat on pal Jordan (who he admitted was a "frontrunner," along with Luke), telling JoJo that the former pro-athlete is “pretty much a celebrity,” thinks he's better than everyone else and hides his true character beneath a “billion-watt smile.” JoJo seemed to appreciate James’ honesty, but when she questioned Jordan, the footballer convinced her that he's here for the right reasons (giving James a big Jordan-sized target on his back). Though JoJo rewarded James' honesty with what he described as “the most passionate kiss” they’ve ever had, he still found himself in the bottom two at the rose ceremony.
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Alex, 26, U.S. Marine from Oceanside, CA
How the tables have turned. After ragging on Derek last week for earning a “pity rose,” the marine ended up getting just that tonight. After spending much of the episode twisting in a knot over his lack of one-on-one time with JoJo, Alex wasn't as grateful as James Taylor was when the pair earned last-minute roses. At the end of the ceremony, JoJo took a brief and dramatic pause to tell Chris Harrison that she couldn't stomach sending either Alex or James home just yet. After making him sweat it out in the bottom two, Alex heard JoJo's inner thoughts loud and clear. "I don't think anyone wants a rose under these conditions," Alex told the camera. Showing further signs that he's losing his patience, Alex said frankly: "Give me a one-on-one date. Give me a chance." Given his history — he has yet to earn a one-on-one date or a group-date rose — all signs point to things getting continuously thorny. Still, when face-to-face with JoJo he pompously told her: “It's whatever. I promise. Come here,” and aggressively pulled her in for a kiss. Chad must be asking: Who's all bark and no bite now, Alex?
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Derek, 29, commercial banker from Fort Lauderdale, FL
Derek must have done something off-camera to deserve his elimination treatment from the ABC producers. Thanks to their location of Buenos Aires, Derek received a near-full song sendoff as "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" played while he wept in an elongated limo ride after JoJo sent him home. “Go find your forever,” Derek, who had boasted about being destined for JoJo in earlier interviews, chose as his parting words. “I hope you do, too,” JoJo replied with tears in her eyes, before heading back to kiss and cuddle with Chase. The show then flashed between Chase and JoJo’s romantic moment and Derek. “I wasn't enough. I thought I was. I’m not. I'm Derek. And Derek is imperfect,” he muttered through tears, adding that he told himself not to cry. With that emotional farewell, the show bid adieu to the sensitive John Krasinski look-a-like.
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Wells, 31, radio DJ from Nashville, TN
It didn't bode well that Wells was the only one in the house who had yet to kiss JoJo, but the bachelorette gave him a chance by picking him for the first one-on-one in Argentina. Having a sense of humor about their status, JoJo's date card for the DJ read: “Besame. Besame, muchacho.” Translation: “Kiss me. Kiss me a lot, Wells.” While on their date at an interpretive art center, Wells finally found his moment and the pair shared a romantic first kiss while slushing around in the dark and in water, which JoJo called romantic. Still, the highly anticipated lip-lock didn't set off JoJo's usual fireworks, and she sent him home. “You are an incredible human being, but I don't know if you are the person who I can spend the rest of my life with,” she told the heartbroken guy.
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Grant, 28, firefighter from San Francisco, CA
Charming good looks and a selfless career choice weren't enough to sway JoJo to Team Grant. Though she didn't interact with Grant on his last night and he probably should have seen the rejection coming, his teary-eyed confessional said the opposite. “I feel like she did make a mistake tonight by sending me home," he told the camera. "I don't get it. I seriously don't.” With his elimination, there are no diverse contestants remaining.
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Evan, 33, erectile dysfunction specialist from Nashville, TN
Evan put up a good fight. Who would have guessed the erectile dysfunction specialist would make it so far? Along the way, he earned respect by standing up to Chad and giving proud shoutouts to his three kids watching from home. But everyone knew Evan's days were numbered once he no longer had the Chad contrast to hide behind. (He even brought up the $20 for his ripped shirt during Chad's final confrontation.) It was still sad to see how badly Evan was hurt by his crush. “It felt like daggers through my heart," he said through tears. "I'm just so disappointed in myself. I tried.”
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Vincent “Vinny,” 28, barber from Delray Beach, FL
Vinny and JoJo's tearful goodbye makes it seem like viewers weren't entirely privy to the connection that these two might have had. She had a very emotional goodbye after sending him home following the second rose ceremony, sharing in a low voice, “You have made everything so unbelievable for me.”
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Daniel, 31, model from Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Even the Canadian knew he was no match for JoJo, telling the camera that she is pursuing guys for their personalities and admitted that his personality is “shit.” After his elimination, he said, “If this is based solely on looks there’s a good chance I would still be here — my body has nothing to do with this." And with that, we bid Daniel adieu.
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James F., 34, boxing club owner from Nashville, TN
Props to James for being the brave soul to set off alarm bells when Chad unexpectedly returned to the house. Who knows what Chad would have done if he entered the room in the middle of their “Chadless” celebrations and protein-powder funeral? Though James did show his softer side during his final moments with a self-written poem (Her heart is like a treasure/Her dream’s not far away) that actually brought her to tears, it just wasn't enough. JoJo sent him packing and left him in a state of confusion: “I'd be OK to go home if she knew who I was. Maybe I should have been more assertive." As they say, hindsight is 20/20.
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Chad, 28, luxury real estate agent from Tulsa, OK
Finally: Both Chads are gone from JoJo’s life. After viewers braced for The Bachelorette to become a horror show, the season villain was — to borrow a phrase from Alex — "all bark and no bite," and his exit was, ultimately, less dramatic than ABC had artfully teased. After running his fingers down the glass door in a state of apparent insanity, Chad did not raise his fists to the guys. He did, however, poke the side of Jordan’s head — despite his many warnings against poking. The guys tried to give the former marine one final chance to apologize for his actions and restore a sense of decency, but, of course, the luxury real estate agent couldn't back down from his alpha-male sensibility. “I'm gonna say what I want to say, when I want to say it," he said. "Looking back, I would still say the same damn things.” After failing to retract even his death threats, Chad danced away while muttering: "I'm out." That is, until Bachelor in Paradise returns this summer.
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Nick B., 33, electrical engineer from Fort Lauderdale, FL
Nick's elimination — especially before James, Vinny and Daniel, who were the bottom three above Chad in Power Rankings — was somewhat surprising. Though the pair didn't have instant chemistry, JoJo had gravitated to the Christmas lover ever since he made her laugh in his Santa suit on Night 1. When saying goodbye, Nick was a class act, kissing her on the cheek and telling her the experience was a pleasure. To the camera, he admitted: "It sucks, especially since I felt there might have been something there, but she didn't see it."
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Christian, 26, telecom consultant from Los Angeles, CA
Christian's relationship with JoJo never took off, but his elimination was noteworthy given the diversity controversy surrounding the long-running franchise. In the season premiere, he open up about growing up biracial and not having a relationship with his father's side of the family because they couldn't accept him.
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Ali, 27, bartender from Santa Monica, CA
Ali's time was certainly up, given that the Los Angeles bartender, whose family is from Iran, hadn't had much airtime. Though, if Ali's looking for love, he can scroll Twitter's attraction to his eyebrows.
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James S., 27, 'Bachelor' superfan from Phoenix, AZ
At least the Bachelor superfan can add this to his résumé: "I wasn't the first person to get kicked off my season of The Bachelorette."
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William “Will,” 26, civil engineer from Jersey City, NJ
Will made a last-ditch effort by having some fun with JoJo and encouraging her to T.P. the Bachelor mansion with toilet paper, but the moment of mischief and his other gags weren't enough to save him from going home.
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Brandon, 28, hipster from Los Angeles, CA
We initially saw promise in the hipster, agreeing that he is super chill and can't possibly be there for the wrong reasons. But after the aggressive showdown between his competitors on the group date and during the rose ceremony, it became clear he wouldn't be able to stand out in this pack.
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Jonathan, 29, technical sales representative from Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Poor Jonathan, who fell for the producers' entrance-making advice. Arriving in a kilt due to his half-Scottish heritage was fine, but telling JoJo he wasn't wearing any underwear underneath was a fateful fail.
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Peter, 26, staffing agency manager from Chicago, IL
Peter seemed genuinely bowled over by his elimination, despite viewers at home never seeing him and JoJo interact.
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Jake, 26, landscape architect from Playa Vista, CA
A lack of airtime made it hard to weigh in, so we defer to JoJo on this one.
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Colin “Coley,” 27, real estate consultant from Chicago, IL
Coley got more airtime during the rose ceremony than he did all episode, but we barely heard him speak.
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Nick S., 26, software salesman from San Francisco, CA
Ascot-wearing headshot aside, Nick S. more than deserved to be sent home after being the first to drunkenly barge in on JoJo during her on-camera interview. But thank you for the entertainment, and for giving us a peek inside the secret interview room!
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Sal, 28, operations manager from Fort Lauderdale, FL
When Sal introduced himself to JoJo he brought her a gift: blue balls. About the stress balls: "If at any point you feel stressed, I give you permission to squeeze my balls." Total camera time after his intro: negligible.