The Best And Worst Dates From Clayton's Season Of The Bachelor Based On How Romantic They Are

Because we can't all be whale-watching with champagne and strawberries. (This article is for the Buzzfeed Editorial Fellowship)

The chaotic 26th season of The Bachelor has come to an end.

Craig Sjodin / ABC / Via cheatsheet.com

Amidst a sea of controversy, bachelor and renowned turtleneck-wearer Clayton Echard has given his final rose to former pageant queen Susie Evans, drawing the season to a close and ending this rocky chapter of Bachelor history.

But while there won't be any new episodes until Rachel and Gabby's season wraps up, there are still things about the season to discuss - like the dates!

Dates on The Bachelor have ranged from "actually romantic outings that would bring a person closer to their partner" to "dates that would make me instantly break up with the person who invited me along", and this season was no exception. From being abandoned on a boat in Niagra Falls to planning a random child's birthday party to baring their souls in psychotherapy, the contestants on Clayton's season went through a lot of strange dates in their quest for true love.

Bachelor Nation / Youtube / Via the-sun.com

I ranked the dates from this season based on how much effort was put into them, how romantic they are, and how much I would actually want to go on them with a partner. Evening date locations will not be considered, since the only thing they do in the evening portions of dates is talk. This ranking is largely based on my personal tastes and is ultimately subjective - if you enjoy dates that involve pants-shittingly terrifying things like skydiving and descending into volcanoes, then you do you.

Best: Pleasure Pier Amusement Park Date (EP5)

Bachelor Nation / Facebook / Via Facebook: BachelorNation

The dates where the production team rents out an amusement park, while not the most interesting or dramatic, are some of the most fun Bachelor dates. They're some of the dates where the contestants look like they're having the most fun, at least, and where the lead and their chosen contestant get to spend time together talking to each other, playing games, and riding the rides - all without having to wait on any lines or deal with the other annoyances of theme parks.

Privately reserving a theme park for a day is certainly not something that most people are able to do, but theme park dates are an example of the Bachelor producers actually using their power and money for good - using their resources to create an unforgettable experience. Anyone would be lucky to be able to do something like this.

Worst: Freudian Psychoanalysis in Vienna (Episode 7)

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From the moment this date was introduced with a Freud quote, it was clear that it wouldn't be a comfortable experience - let alone a romantic one. This date saw the remaining women engaging in couples' therapy with Clayton, aided by psychoanalyst Dr. Katherine Rippensburg. Finding any information on her is very difficult as she barely has an online presence, but to avoid bad-faith assumptions, we'll assume that she is an actual psychoanalyst.

The importance of therapy and mental help has been stressed time and time again, and one would think that The Bachelor actually acknowledging it would be a good thing. But this date only serves to trivialize the practice, discouraging the women from sharing their actual feelings and positioning it as something to be afraid of. Couples' therapy can be a powerful, healing process that helps couples come together, and to see it depicted as scary and harmful is disappointing.

Not to mention the fact that Dr. Katherine breaks patient confidentiality by revealing that one of the women has been "performative" in their session. No licensed psychologist would out the details of a patient's sessions without their permission unless they were harmful to them or others. One could argue that this is why she called out Sarah - because her behavior was harmful to Clayton. But being "performative" seems like a non-issue and more of an excuse to eliminate her than anything else.

The date seems to make the women feel more uncomfortable than anything, and I can't say that I would be entirely happy if I was under the impression that I was going on a date only to end up at a psychoanalyst's office for therapy. Mental health is something that should be focused on, for sure - but maybe not as a romantic date?

Nona McKarten @pickle_happy

Therapy is personal and is never something that should be viewed as a competition or viewed by someone else. This date is disgusting #TheBachelor #bachelor

02:18 AM - 22 Feb 2022

Best: Medieval LARPing in Croatia (EP6)

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Look, I understand that this date may not be everyone's cup of tea. The obligatory "eating 'gross' foods from other cultures" segment is not ideal and not something I would really enjoy being forced to do. But the Croatian knight date actually took advantage of its location to do something interesting, rather than the typical walking-down-the-street and dancing-with-random-old-couples dates that are so common on these Bachelor vacations. Not that there's anything wrong with those dates, but for a seasoned viewer, there's only so many one can watch before they start getting stale.

The knight date not only features a badass lady knight as its host, but has the girls dressing up in armor, competing in knight games, and swearing fealty to Clayton - it's basically a renaissance faire attendant's dream. It feels rare lately that The Bachelor actually has fun with its dates, and this one was a breath of fresh air in the drama-filled season.

Worst: Airing out Traumas with Kaitlyn Bristowe (EP3)

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This date is similar to the last one in structure, but without the gorgeous backdrop of Vienna and with the addition of former Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe. Instead of discussing their relationships with Clayton, though, the contestants discuss their insecurities and things they are trying to overcome.

The thing about therapy dates is that they rarely seem to have a resolution - with the exception of the aforementioned Vienna date, which ended with someone's private discussions being exposed. Vulnerability is stressed as a definitively important trait for a partner to have, so these dates that encourage contestants to vent about what they've been through are meant to help them display that vulnerability. But many of the details they share are deeply personal, and nothing is done to help them deal with their past trauma.

Kaitlyn also feels wasted here - she shined as a comedic force when she was hosting Katie and Michelle's seasons of The Bachelorette, but putting her at the head of such a serious date feels like missed potential. There's also much to be said about a therapy date being hosted by a Bachelor alum instead of a mental health professional, but it's also not like what happened when a mental health professional did host a therapy date was much better.

Best: "Lady in Red" Shopping Date (EP7)

ABC / YouTube / Via theringer.com

Bachelor shopping dates really take advantage of the show's fantasy romance aspect, and dare to ask the question so few shows dare to answer - what if a man bought you really expensive clothes and you didn't have to pay for any of them? They're a staple of most seasons by now, but shopping dates are still sought-after - they're almost exclusively one-on-one dates, and if the Bachelor takes a contestant on one, it almost always means that she's a frontrunner. After all, why spend so much of production's money on someone you don't like?

But the real thing that sets this date apart from others like it is the musical performance after it. The Bachelor is no stranger to post-date concerts, usually by C-list country stars and whoever the show can get its hands on. But every once in a while, they get a notable singer - in this case, Chris de Burgh, the one-hit wonder known for "Lady in Red". The choice in song may be a bit on the nose considering that Clayton's gift to Susie was a red dress, but they actually did splurge to get the Lady in Red Guy, and for that I have to give them props.

Colleen @colleenk727

Producers hyping themselves up after they got Susie to wear a red dress and dance with Clayton as “Lady in Red” is performed in the background. #TheBachelor

01:53 AM - 22 Feb 2022

Worst: The "Say Yes Scavenger Hunt" in Underwear (EP3)

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Dates where the bachelor/ette and their contestant of choice run around an area answering questions and completing dares has basically become franchise tradition by this point. This format became especially popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the contestants weren't allowed to leave their bubble. There's nothing inherently wrong with scavenger hunt dates - at most, they're usually a little uninspired.

But I can't for the life of me figure out what the point of making Clayton and Sarah take off their clothes and run around in their underwear was. While Sarah has expressed that she wasn't uncomfortable about being so exposed, the date still sparked a lot of controversy with fans. It seemed odd to a lot of people that they went from a honest discussion about struggles with body image to a date that sexualized both the Bachelor and a female contestant.

What did their nudity add to the date? I'm still not sure, since none of the dares they had to do were even related to the fact that they were in their underwear. But running around a major city practically naked seems like it would be more of a nightmare than a dream date for most.

Isabela Silva @ProfIsaSilva

First date: people share their hurt experiences regarding body image. Second date: people run in their underwear through a park. Third date: the girls must recreate Baywatch scenes in swimming wear. Not a single producer or whoever be told it was a terrible idea? #TheBachelor

09:11 PM - 30 Jan 2022

Dishonorable Mention: Whatever Sarah's Second One-on-One Was

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Yeah, I dunno about this one, guys. This date was mostly marred by the drama of Mara claiming Sarah was too young for marriage and wasn't taking the show seriously. But can we talk about the date itself? There have been times where the show glosses over what happens on a date or even skips them entirely, but this date consisted solely of Clayton and Sarah sitting down on a couch and him questioning her. Was there a day date? Did they do anything fun? We may never know. Sitting down on a couch and hanging out doesn't exactly make for a romantic date.