Something there's never been a shortage of in Season 15 of The Bachelorette is drama. (OK, maybe hyper-masculine aggression from a certain, booted contestant from Gainesville, GA, and glittery outfits on Hannah Brown.) It's the main reason the rest of Bachelor Nation and I kept tuning in these past few months. We never knew what Alabama Hannah is going to do — which included a Bachelorette finale where Hannah chooses Jed, breaks up with Jed, and ultimately asks Tyler out. Looking at Hannah Brown's body language with Jed and Tyler C., it was hard to peg just who Hannah was going to choose. But given the circumstances — less delicately: Jed being in a relationship while starting The Bachelorette — you could Tyler wasn't far behind in Hannah's affections.
Some would even say the better fit, which is juicy considering that Tyler has always been a fan favorite. And how could he not be? With his general tall Florida boy dreaminess, him being a low-key feminist icon, and really funny on Twitter. And Jed? Well, not so much.
Psychologist Dr. Joshua Klapow, host of the Kurre & Klapow Show podcast, explains that it was hard to tell who Hannah was most comfortable with because she mirrors each man's body language when with them on The Bachelorette.
For starters, Jed and Tyler are very different people, which is why Hannah's change in body language and behavior is so noticeable. Let's start with Jed.
"Broadly speaking, Jed is softer spoken — tends to be more introspective in his verbal communication. He takes longer pauses, has words and phrases that reflect more emotions, and tends to move slower than Tyler," Klapow explains.
He's more introspective, which makes loads of sense since he's an artist. (#TBT to Jed singing for Hannah on the first night and later, Jed going up to Hannah's room and serenading her when they weren't getting enough time together.)
When Hannah is with Jed, Klapow observes, her physical movements are slower, gentler, and more deliberate. "She leans into him vs. jumps into him. She places her hand on his shoulder vs. wraps her arms around him. She softens her tone and speaks with more of a pensive eyebrow when she is conversing with Jed," Klapow says.
Especially on the date night in which Hannah and Jed went to the Fantasy Suite, fans can see all that tenderness on full display.
If there is the indie kid at school who's always playing open mics and carrying around a guitar, it's Jed. On the other hand, if there's the sporty kid (or even frat bro) with a heart of gold, it's Tyler. Of the two, he's more action-oriented and assertive. Klapow points out how quickly Tyler speaks to Hannah, and how his body language and eye contact are typically very direct with her.
And so, Hannah adjusts accordingly. "She plays more with him: more touching, faster movements, more physical teasing," Klapow explains. "They toy and tease one another, play with one another, joke and laugh." In general, Tyler is constantly the goofing around and dancing type. Bachelor Nation has literally seen Tyler and Hannah break into an impromptu dance routine during hometowns.
Klapow notices Hannah's interactions are less stiff and more playful. He also noticed there's "a sexual overtone" to their interactions, "either in reaction to or influenced by Tyler’s physical advances." (Cough, cough, Tyler and Hannah's massage date. Although, it's cool to watch both their steamy moments — literally — in context with Tyler and Hannah's candid conversation about sexual consent.)
When it comes to both Jed and Tyler, Hannah does display attraction to them, is willing to cross personal space boundaries, and is willing to be vulnerable with them. Something that's impossible to ignore: Hannah is objectively more playful around Tyler, which is a win. Another factor that's impossible to ignore: She's also more thoughtful and earnest around Jed, which is a different kind of win.
So, who was Hannah more comfortable with? It's hard to say. As Klapow put its, body language is "always an interaction effect." The way Hannah (or anyone would act with people they're romantically interested in) isn't just driven by feelings. It's also driven by what's going on in that moment. "For Hannah, the dilemma is she has two different kinds of attraction to two different types of men," Klapow says finally. And ultimately: "Her preference is hers."
With rumors in Jed's favor and speculation in Tyler's, it was hard to say how the Final Rose would shake out. While Hannah's decisions and her ultimate fate were hard to pin down, one thing was always certain: As with everything this season of The Bachelorette, Bachelor Nation was just going to have to watch and see.
