Michelle Young's season of The Bachelorette has been a landmark for inclusivity and grounded romance, but like all the best seasons of the popular reality series, season 18 had its share of drama from the men she had to choose from. While it's not unheard of for contestants to try to sabotage one another, this season had a high percentage of them sabotaging themselves!
From the very first episode when producers found Bachelorette cliffs notes in Ryan's room, to every time Martin put his foot in his mouth, the men seemed to ruin their chances of getting a rose by playing themselves when they should have been focusing on winning Michelle's heart.
When Ryan Got Busted For Having Notes
Right from the beginning, the men of season 18 were embroiled in drama when one of their own was to have hidden notes in his room articulating how to get more screen time and not appear the villain. In a binder found by the producers, Ryan even has an entire file on everything to know about The Bachelorette's Michelle in order to get into her good graces.
Even after a night filled with speeches about wanting the men to be their authentic selves, Michelle gave Ryan a chance to explain his underhanded machinations, but he failed miserably and his subterfuge sent him home without a rose.
When Peter Threw Will's Jacket Into The Pool
It only took three episodes for a rivalry to build up between Peter and Will, but when it culminated on the Top Gun-esque group date with the Zero-G simulator, it didn't take long for Peter to "Rest in Pizza." Though Will won the challenge and received a bomber jacket and Michelle's gratitude, Peter took it as a personal affront and even went so far as to call Will's prize a "sympathy jacket."
Peter threw Will's jacket in the pool when he was speaking with a producer, and while it wasn't one of The Bachelorette, the two nearly came to blows. Unfortunately, Peter getting sent home so early in the season meant that there was never as melodramatic --and entertaining-- a villain ever again. Luckily, fans got more of Peter vs. Will during "The Men Tell All," when Peter got the last laugh and Will got subpoenaed for slander.
When None Of Them Paid Attention To Michelle On The Sleepover Group Date
There were a lot of bromances blossoming in season 18, particularly because it seemed like the men enjoyed each other's company more than Michelle's in some episodes. During one particular sleepover-themed group date, they made it clear that attending to her wasn't their highest priority. While it wasn't one of the messiest group dates in The Bachelorette franchise, it didn't help any of their chances with Michelle.
There's nothing to say that the men couldn't build on their camaraderie to create lasting friendships, but if they were serious about winning Michelle's affections they should have made her feel included. It was as though they all forgot why they were on the series and just directed all their focus on their own enjoyment, rather than Michelle's.
When Jamie Started Spreading Rumors About Michelle's Character
Halfway through the season, Jamie tried to get on Michelle's good side by stating that several of the men were beginning to question her character. It was insinuated that she'd already had a relationship with Joe (which wasn't true) and lying about it to waste their time, which he saw as a lapse in integrity but tried to indicate that this reflected everyone else's thoughts as well.
Eventually, Michelle found out that Jamie was the perpetrator of the rumor, but by that point, she'd already managed to send several men home. Once she found out that he spread lies to make himself look better, he only looked a fool.
When Martin Defended Jamie
Even after Jamie got sent home for calling into question Michelle's character, he was still the topic of conversation around the men, even when they were alone with Michelle. In his one-on-one date with her, Martin actually defended Jamie to her, describing him as "one hell of a man."
Martin didn't seem to realize that not only was he thrown under the bus by this "hell of a man," he was also invalidating Michelle's concerns about that sort of mischief circulating among the group. Surprisingly, Martin managed to charm her over dinner and remain around for a little while longer...just enough to cause even more trouble again.
When Martin Referred To Michelle As Immature
Early on in the season, Michelle shared a very meaningful poem about significant moments in her childhood where she dealt with racism and felt unseen because of the color of her skin. While her pain and resilience resonated with the majority of the men, Martin felt like she hadn't evolved past those moments in her life, and indicated that she was "immature" because of it.
Olu and others brought this to her attention, and when she confronted Martin, he tried to circle around the point and deflect, maintaining his innocence and declaring the moment a misunderstanding. He spoke over her and didn't listen to why his perspective was so problematic, making him a clear candidate to go home.
When Martin Doubled-Down On His Opinions
Even after Michelle learned that Martin thought she was "immature" and lacked integrity because of certain circumstances in her past, he seemed to have no desire to mend his relationship with her. Anytime they had a conversation, whether in the hot tub or over dinner on a one-on-one date, their personalities clashed when he failed to apologize.
In general, it seemed that Martin no longer cared how Michelle --or the rest of Bachelor Nation-- viewed him, and was almost resigned to go home. And yet, curiously, it still seemed to surprise him that she didn't include him in the Final Four. As his car rolled away, he even went so far as to bouth her to the cameras, cementing his status as one of the season's most insidious villains.
When Chris S. Became A "Pick Me" Guy
Chris S. secured his place as a villain in season 18 when he, in front of the entire group, declared that some of the men thought they had it "in the bag," implying that they weren't putting any particular effort into wooing Michelle because she was bound to pick one of them on natural charisma alone.
He named Nayte as a specific individual of interest to Michelle who exhibited arrogant traits, and it was clear that Chris didn't like how confident Nayte was that he'd get a one-on-one date sooner or later. In a vain attempt to make a fan favorite become a Bachelorette villain and himself look better by comparison, he only managed to make himself look like the bad guy in the process.
When Chris S. Sabotaged Nayte's One-On-One Date
Clearly, Nayte's bond with Michelle infuriated Chris S. that he had to barge in on the pair as they shared a one-on-one date in Michelle's home state of Minnesota, making everyone awkward and drastically reducing his chances of getting a rose from the bachelorette.
After spending time at a cocktail party making everyone else uncomfortable and never trying to engage Michelle in conversation, Chris S. showed extreme audacity showing up to a date he wasn't invited on, in the final act of selfishness that sent him home.
When Nayte, Joe, and Brandon Realized They Were Actually Part Of a Competition
In the penultimate episode leading up to the finale, just three men remained to be invited into a fantasy suite with Michelle: Nayte, Joe, and Brandon. As each one spent a romance-filled day riding horses on the beach, frolicking in the surf, and gorging on exotic meals, they seemed to be blissfully unaware that their competitors were receiving the same treatment.
It only became apparent when each of them cockily walked back through to their shared space that they seemed to realize for the first time they were competitors --not friends-- and Michelle was only going to choose one of them. Infighting began between men who had, up until that point, shown themselves to be "bros not foes," revealing some of their true colors in the process.