By Rachel Lu
Let’s talk about episode 2 because things got heated down under in Melbourne, Australia (and we’re not talking about all the making out in this episode, get it Jenn).
This week’s episode starts off with a group date to Queen Victoria Market for some food, drinks, and off-the-cuff but not funny at all comedy from the eight guys on the date. Much to the dismay of the other guys, Devin immediately steals Jenn and the two sneak off down an alleyway for some gelato.
That night, Aaron, who was also on the date but didn’t get as much time with Jenn, goes off on Devin for taking Jenn away on a group date. The two go back and forth fighting, interrupting each other’s conversations with Jenn. Trust me, we will look back on this as Devin’s villain origin story.
Next day, Jenn goes on a one-on-one skydiving date with Marcus, where all was cute and sweet and brave and intimate but pretty uneventful. Following day, the rest of the guys, including our only Asian contestant Thomas N., go on a date with Jenn for a photoshoot with animals.
Jenn said that she’s looking for an animal lover, but these Australian animals are no ordinary cats and dogs. Poor Hakeem almost lost it when he has to hold a spider that will not stop crawling up his neck. Ultimately, Dylan steps up for Jenn and wraps a ginormous snake around his neck, winning him the only dinner date of the night.
The rest of eight photoshoot guys go home hanging their heads, and they tell the guys at home, including Devin, that they would appreciate some priority time with Jenn at the cocktail party tomorrow since, you know, they feel left out. We see Devin nodding along.
Of course, this is a dog eat dog world (or in Australia perhaps a snake eat snake world), so everything blows up on the night of the cocktail party. Before we go into it, I must give Thomas N. some credit here for defying every single Asian stereotype and does not hold back from speaking up. With all the bleeped out f-bombs that Thomas drops that night, all I could hear was him saying: f- being the quiet Asian, f- being submissive, f- the model minority, f- all of you. Let me explain, here’s what happened.
Devin, unlike what he half-promised to the eight guys begging for priority time, swoops in and gets some alone time with Jenn. The remaining guys are pissed, including Thomas who finally charges up the stairs, and without even addressing Jenn, asks Devin to talk. The two get into a screaming match in the hallway with Devin accusing Thomas of objectifying Jenn. Thomas is here standing up for the rest of the animal photoshoot guys downstairs and accuses Devin of being selfish. Jenn, who is left alone, listens to their conversation.
Did Thomas mess up? Probably, and Jenn called him out for disregarding her feelings, and ultimately Thomas missed out on a chance to talk about himself and wasted his time on Devin, the Pete Davidson knock-off.
Outside the house, Thomas continues fighting it out with Devin. I must say, on a reality TV show where the guys are almost indistinguishable from each other, Thomas had the right strategy for getting more air time and certainly making a name for himself. For that, I say it’s a win for our only Asian contestant.
Because of this hiccup, Thomas was right to be nervous during the rose ceremony and I was certainly nervous for him too. Alas, he received a rose from Jenn, so let the Devin – Thomas games continue.
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