The Bachelorette season 21’s Sam McKinney was one of Jenn Tran’s first potential long-term matches that she met on her season, but I believe he was never there for the right reasons, and instead looking for the villain edit. Jenn, who originally appeared on The Bachelor season 28 with Joey Graziadei, has had a tough season as the lead. Her time as The Bachelorette has been full of struggle, with production seemingly lacking care surrounding how she was treated throughout the season. As the first ever Asian American Bachelorette and lead in the franchise, Jenn should’ve been handled with care.
After meeting Jenn’s potential suitors, Bachelor Nation came to the conclusion that there weren’t many men who seemed to fit the bill for Jenn’s heart. Though it was possible that Jenn was happy with the group of guys who were cast for her, the issues surrounding her cast were notable from the jump. With less diversity than anticipated, it became obvious that The Bachelorette season 21 wasn’t cast with Jenn in mind, and when she became the lead, it wasn’t retooled in any way at all. After the first episodes, it became clear that Sam was one of the issues.
Sam McKinney Was Cast With Stipulations
He Knew He Couldn’t Stay All Season
Although Sam was one of the first front-runners on The Bachelorette season 21, his time on the series apparently came with stipulations from the jump. Sam, who’s originally from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, came into the season with a commitment towards the end. Having been ordained in order to perform his sister’s wedding ceremony, Sam allegedly knew that he needed to be home well before The Bachelorette season 21’s filming schedule was over. For Sam, this meant that he’d need to be cut before the final two weeks of the filming schedule, but Jenn wasn’t aware of that at all.
There have been screenshots of text around that prove Sam wasn’t on The Bachelorette season 21 for the right reasons, showing Sam sharing that he wouldn’t be missing the wedding because he’d be off the show by then. It’s likely that there was some sort of stipulation in Sam’s contract that would allow him to leave the show before a certain point. This is a standard practice for other reality TV competition shows, but not typical for a show like The Bachelor where the series is hoping that the lead and contestants end up finding genuine love on reality TV.
Sam McKinney’s Actions Didn’t Align With His Words
He Was Seemingly Sweet But Bitter
Throughout the season, Sam appeared to be a decent guy who was genuinely interested in Jenn as a romantic prospect. In his interviews, he was charismatic and funny, and with the other guys in the house, he was a bit possessive and seemed to want to keep Jenn all to himself. In contrast, however, Sam struggled to put all of that vibrato into actions that went along with his words. Struggling to build physical attraction with Jenn, Sam consistently did his best to reassure her verbally, but their relationship often felt a bit stilted, with Jenn more attracted to Sam.
Sam McKinney Made An Awful Comment About Jenn
He Wasn’t There For The Right Reasons
During one of the later episodes of The Bachelorette season 21, Sam made a comment that left Bachelor Nation in shock about Jenn being the lead, and ultimately pushed him to become one of the most villainous cast members of the season. Sam revealed that though he’d been acting like he was interested in Jenn all season, that he’d actually joined The Bachelorette season 21 in hopes that the lead would be someone different. Prior to the announcement that Jenn would be the lead of the season, it was speculated that Daisy Kent or Maria Georgas would take the lead.
In one of his final moments on the series, Sam revealed he didn’t feel like Jenn was even his type, explaining that he’d come to the show to get to know Daisy or Maria, instead. Jenn, who had been struggling with knowing where Sam’s head was throughout the last few episodes, ended up eliminating Sam. Having already told Jenn he loved her, Sam’s declaration was outrageous and inexcusable. The producers behind The Bachelorette could’ve chosen to cut the moment out of the episode, leaving Sam’s reputation mostly intact, but decided to let Bachelor Nation see his true colors instead.
Sam McKinney Was Hoping To Be A Popular Villain
He Wanted Screentime
Although Sam’s behavior on The Bachelorette was likely enough to keep him out of the franchise in the future, I believe he came on the show to be a popular villain and eventually make his way to Bachelor In Paradise. Sam’s behavior was uncalled for, but some Bachelor Nation villains make it to Paradise to have a redemption arc and become a fixture of the franchise. Overall, Sam’s inability to stay for the duration of The Bachelorette’s filming schedule, his general lack of interest, and his intense villainous behavior make me feel like he was simply looking for the spotlight.
