Entertainment

The Next 'Bachelorette' Might Break A Cardinal Rule For The Franchise

Josh Vertucci/ABC

While the running question throughout The Bachelor is who the leading man will end up with, a key part of each season is also guessing who the next The Bachelorette will be. The franchise traditionally pulls from the season's final four contestants to pick the new Bachelorette. But despite the fact that the show has gotten to the much-anticipated hometown episode, it's still anyone's guess as to which woman will be taking on her own TV journey for love.

Colton's final four — Caelynn, Cassie, Hannah G., and Tayshia — have each proven themselves to be good matches for the former football pro, but they seem to lack some of the qualities of clear Bachelorette candidates in the past. While all of the women still on the series are well-suited for Colton, the position of Bachelorette requires a unique blend of qualities which, judging from past Bachelorettes, seems to consist of a fairly goofy sense of humor, an engaging personal narrative that has unfolded over the course of The Bachelor, and a genuine belief that their best chance at finding love is through The Bachelor franchise. Still, all that joking about Khloé Kardashian taking the helm next season aside, the Bachelorette is going to be one of these ladies, so let's break down their chances.

Tayshia

Tayshia has been one of the season's most memorable contestants, providing plenty of interesting moments both with and without Colton by her side, but a recent report may call into question whether she is, by Bachelor standards, on the show for "the right reasons." According to US Magazine Tayshia was reportedly "exclusively with her ex" before she left to film The Bachelor. No one but Tayshia can know why she left the relationship, but it wouldn't quite fit the Bachelorette narrative if she left a relationship just to try and find one on television.

Cassie

Cassie's time on The Bachelor had been relatively smooth sailing until she ended up on something of a surprise two-on-one with Kirpa, which is usually the most conflict-heavy date of the season. While Cassie was the one who stayed by the end of the episode, Kirpa claimed that she believes Cassie isn't quite sure what she wants in life — something The Bachelorette will need to be clear about when looking for her OTP. Then again, The Bachelor isn't Cassie's first rodeo on reality television, so she's likely more experienced at being on camera than anyone else who made it to hometowns.

Hannah G.

Hannah G. seems like more of a possible winner than a possible Bachelorette at this point, but that's often how some of the series' best Bachelorettes end up in that role. Plus, Bachelor alum Raven Gates tweeted that she believes Hannah will become the next Bachelorette, and if there's anyone who would be able to pick out a Bachelorette at a glance, it's her.

Caelynn

Josh Vertucci/ABC

Caelynn has an engaging presence, her pageant history proves that she can handle scrutiny and public opinion, and when she shared her experience with sexual assault on her one-on-one, it felt like a groundbreaking moment for the franchise. She's a clear choice for Bachelorette thanks to all those qualities, but the show's edit hasn't always been kind to her in the way that it was nearly universally kind to past Bachelorette's Rachel and Becca during their respective Bachelor seasons. Namely: it's called her intentions into questions. But all of that aside, she still seems like a clear frontrunner.

Then again, if the franchise decides to veer from their usual final four selection, there are plenty of other candidates. Fan favorite Elyse and the charismatic Hannah B. both left a mark on audiences and could be great anchors for a Bachelorette season. A fan favorite from past seasons could return as well, like Tia who seems primed for a shot at Bachelorette after getting rejected by both Arie and Colton. Whatever lies ahead for The Bachelorette, it's clear that the show has plenty of options when it comes to finding someone who can fill the role.