Rachel's Reason For Eliminating Dean Actually Makes Total Sense

Monday night’s episode of The Bachelorette was a little tough to bear. Not only was it uncomfortable and heartbreaking to watch Dean get into an argument with his estranged father during his hometown date with Rachel, but it was even more devastating to see him get sent home by the end of the episode. On Tuesday, Rachel explained why she eliminated Dean, and though a lot of fans are likely still trying to recover from that part of the episode, her reasoning may help ease the heartbreak — at least a little bit.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Rachel appeared on On Air with Ryan on Tuesday morning and told host Ryan Seacrest that her reason for sending Dean home had a lot to do with what she witnessed between him and his father on their date. She said,

"Dean was learning a lot about himself and I felt like some of the emotions he had with me in regards to love were wrapped up in that I was still going through a lot of 'firsts' with him. I felt like he was still learning so much about himself and he wasn't ready for the same things I was."

Rachel is referring to the fact that she was the first girl Dean has introduced to his father, which may have made his feelings toward her flawed, since he had yet to share a moment like that with another woman. It's a lot easier to feel closer to someone when that person happens to be the first or only person you've experienced a milestone like that with.

It just sounds like they're in different places in life, which is perfectly reasonable. Better understanding Rachel's side may help take away a little bit of the pain that viewers experienced watching Dean go.

The good news to come from this situation is Tuesday morning's announcement that Dean will appear on Bachelor in Paradise, so not all hope is lost. Maybe he'll still be able to find love in Mexico with the rest of the show’s cast. One thing is for sure: Plenty of fans will still be rooting for him.