Is Hannah B. Reconsidering Peter for the Right Reasons? A Psychotherapist Weighs In

*Warning: Spoilers ahead*

If you watched last night’s season 24 premiere of The Bachelor, then you’re probably wondering what the deal is with Hannah Brown. As the Bachelorette, Brown dumped now-Bachelor Peter Weber in favor of getting engaged to Jed (which didn’t work out too well). But now that the 28-year-old pilot is back in the mansion, it seems 25-year-old Brown is having some second thoughts.

With the question of whether she’ll return to the mansion and compete for Weber’s heart (again) suddenly raised, I couldn’t help but wonder if she’s really contemplating giving it another go for the right reasons. So, I dished with body language expert and psychotherapist Toni Coleman to gain insight into what’s to come of Hannah B.’s Bachelor journey.

First, Coleman pointed us to Brown’s surprise arrival at the Bachelor mansion. “She told him she wanted what’s best for him, but it was a mixed message. She clearly wanted what she lost out on,” Coleman discerned. “Returning his wings after leaving the limo was her way of reminding him what they had and feeling out his interest.”

But Brown’s pop-in at the house wasn’t the only time we saw her this episode. She was even tasked with setting up the second group date, which included the women having to tell a story about sex in front of a live audience. Brown showed the contestants how it’s done and launched into a story about a certain romantic night (and morning) she once shared with Weber in a windmill. Not surprisingly, her reasons for sharing this specific story weren’t entirely innocent.

Coleman explained, “The windmill story on the group date was a message to the women about what she and Peter had…Hannah got up and again said she wanted Peter’s happiness, then made sure women the heard all about her sexual connection with Peter.” Essentially, she was asserting her dominance and drawing attention to herself and therefore away from the other women.

But that’s not all. After her little speech, Weber found Brown crying backstage. Coleman noted that the door was left open, perhaps to ensure he would hear her. “This scene felt like a Hail Mary pass on her part,” Coleman said. Not only did Brown “attempt to gaslight him” but she also feigned “confusion about why she didn’t reach out to him and even attempted to blame him for not reaching out” after the show concluded and she and Jed broke up. Overall, “She was vague, held back and tried to get him to tell her he wanted to try again,” Coleman reasoned. And Peter bought it. He was clearly confused and felt bad about the position Hannah was in. As Coleman pointed out, “Peter’s problem is that he can’t read deceit and clearly was smitten with Hannah. He is loyal and if she stays, it will cause turmoil, but I think he will figure it out.”

So, what’s the likely end result here? “I predict Bachelor Nation will turn on her for this and that if she stays in the house she will be [villified],” Coleman posited.

As my colleague, Greta Heggeness, pointed out in her Bachelor theory about whether or not Hannah B. will remain on the show, it’s simply not fair to the other women. I’d also like to note that as much as the Bachelor editors are good at dragging dramatic moments out, there’s no way they could create nine more episodes of Hannah and Peter rekindling their love. Frankly, it wouldn’t do well with viewers.

Coleman added an additional layer of intrigue, saying, “I believe Peter will slowly come to understand that she is not that into him and that her sincerity is put on for her own purposes…Though it is early, I think what he has begun feeling for other women has real potential and will turn him away from Hannah B.” I might also add that he’s been down that road before and it probably didn’t work out or a reason, windmill chemistry aside.

Although there’s no sure way to know what will happen, Coleman and I agreed that Hannah B. isn’t there for the right reasons. So will she stay? We’ll have to wait and see when The Bachelor returns with season 24, episode 2 on Monday, January 13, at 8 p.m. on ABC.