Bachelor 26 - Clayton Echard - Feb 14 - *Sleuthing Spoilers*

I finally got caught up on the Valentine's Day episode.

First, Shanae. Is she a) an actress, b) a mean girl, or c) a troll? I'm personally in favor of choice "b," but IMO it could also be "c" or a blend of b and c. My real question is, what took Clayton so long to figure her out, especially in light of all of the cries of distress from the house? I'm not under the illusion that Clayton had any particular desire to keep Genevieve, it's just that he finally saw through Shanae. Did he even realize that putting Shanae on a 2-on-1 was a rather strong signal that maybe the other women were telling the truth after all?

He still seems quite smitten with Rachel. If you had asked me even a week or two ago, I might have said that she was in strong like with him, but nothing more. But by now, she seems equally smitten. Maybe it's bubble love?

Clayton's eliminations did not come as a surprise, since he's made his preferences clear right along. It might get more difficult for him starting with the episode on the 21st.

Regarding Mara's irritation with Sarah -- unlike most, I feel for Mara in this regard. It must have been difficult to see a 23 year old get her second 1-on-1 date while Mara couldn't even score in excess of three minutes with Clayton at the cocktail party. Mara just wants to be heard, and I get that. That's not Sarah's fault, but I understand Mara's frustration. Hopefully watching it back, Mara will see that if Clayton had had a strong interest in her, he would have found the time to talk to her. She'll have a much broader selection of men in Paradise, is she wishes to pursue that.