The Bachelorette Hints at Season 20's Top Contenders

Brayden has finally been kicked to the curb. In the July 17 episode, The Bachelorette Charity Lawson eliminated Season 20’s early villain after several of the other men repeatedly warned her that he wasn’t, as is often the case, “there for the right reasons.” Now there’s not only one less man vying for Charity’s affection, but one less source of drama taking time away from the other contestants.

Things are getting serious, and hometowns, fantasy suites, and the final rose are just around the corner. Who goes the distance with Charity? ABC’s midseason trailer drops some clues.

Xavier tells Charity he’s falling in love with her, but her reaction has the cadence of “oh, sweetie!” more than “I love you, too.” Compare it to Charity’s coquettish reaction to Aaron B.’s confession of love and it’s clear that poor Xavier doesn’t stand a chance.

But then we see Aaron B. getting cold feet about actually getting engaged — that doesn’t bode well for him making it to the final two. After eliminating Brayden, Charity’s made it especially clear that she’s not here to play games, she’s here to get married. Anyone who doesn’t agree will struggle to make it to the end, even the extremely charming Aaron. Is it the early frontrunner or someone else who makes Charity break down and question everything one week away from proposal episodes?

Dotun is also shown questioning if he’s ready for “this.” But there could be some editing trickery afoot with that open-ended term — maybe he’s just talking about going on one of the series’s many bungee jump dates. It sure seems like his readiness for whatever “this” is doesn’t stop him from making out with Charity on a beach, and tropical dates are usually reserved for the fantasy suites week. If Aaron B. puts himself out of the picture right before proposals, Dotun could be the one who takes his spot.

We know for sure that Joey makes it to hometowns. Someone who appears to be his father asks Charity if she’s getting the “genuine Joey,” which is just the kind of red herring Bachelor Nation producers love to throw in when there’s not a bigger family drama to focus on. It’s telling that the trailer shows he not only made it that far, but also that he pops up so frequently in the preview, most notably on the receiving end of some smooches and words of affirmation from Charity. This guy is definitely going all the way.

The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 9:00 PM ET on ABC and streams on Hulu the next day. Join the discussion about the show in our forums.

Brianna Wellen is a TV Reporter at Primetimer who became obsessed with television when her parents let her stay up late to watch E.R.