If you've been watching the current season of The Bachelor, then you know that a blast from Peter Weber's past has been lurking around the mansion like a lovelorn ghost and spooking the hell out of some of the current contestants.
Yes, for reasons no one quite understands, Hannah Brown is back, and while she thankfully declined the invitation to move into the house and join the race for Peter's heart, we get the feeling we haven't seen the last of Ms. Beast Mode.
From the moment she was announced, Hannah was considered a questionable choice for the role of Bachelorette.
Perhaps because of that underdog status, Brown became an unlikely fan favorite, with many fans revealing that they found her unassuming mediocrity relatable.
As you probably recall, Hannah chose Jed Wyatt over Tyler Cameron in her finale -- one of many, many awful decisions the Alabama native made over course of her season.
(Sorry, we're still trying to forgive her for forcing us to put up with two months of Luke P.)
That gamble blew up in her face when it was revealed that Wyatt had a secret girlfriend waiting at home.
Obviously, Hannah deserves sympathy for that situation, but the claim that she's "unlucky in love" has always been a bit dubious, as most of her problems have been self-created.
These days, Hannah remains a divisive figure, and the question of whether she should be given a second chance as Bachelorette has viewers split.
Us Weekly caught up with several prominent figures in Bachelor Nation and asked their opinions on the matter.
And it seems the only opinion these folks share in common is uncertainty with regard to how the franchise should address its Hannah Brown problem:
"Hannah Brown should definitely not be the bachelorette again because she obviously is not ready for a real relationship," said Bachelor in Paradise alum Chad Johnson.
"While she is a nice girl, she is simply basking in the fame that she’s gotten from The Bachelor currently, and has no time for anything else," he continued.
"The fact that she is going for her third, or potentially even fourth pick if you consider the fact that Luke [Parker] was the front runner until he screwed it up, shows that she is simply desperate to be in a relationship with anyone from Bachelor Nation that can garner a longer Instagram famous lifespan."
Johnson put a brutal capper on his comments, quipping:
"Hopefully Hannah can continue living her life and move on from attempting to date guys from her season, and simply move on up to rich entrepreneurs that she meets in her DMs or maybe even random C-list celebrities or musicians, but she definitely does not need to be the bachelorette again.
Bachelor Season 13 contestant Melissa Rycroft was a bit more sympathetic, but she ultimately agreed with Chad that Hannah and Bachelor Nation should spend some time apart.
“Her life's never going to be the same again. And it changed in the course of a couple of months. And so I think what we were seeing was maybe a little bit of a breakdown of the realization of that,” she said.
“[But] you know what? Let's take some time off. We've seen her a lot this past year.”
“I think baby girl just need to find love. So that's if, if that's on TV or off TV. Just let her get some love,” said Mike Johnson, a veteran of Hannah's season.
On their podcast, sisters and Bachelor In Paradise alums Ashley and Lauren Ianocetti agreed that Hannah should not return to the show this season -- but for very different reasons:
“I can see them having Hannah back as the Bachelorette down the road,” said Ashley.
“She’s probably the most popular Bachelorette ever and and her journey has been messy and I don’t mean that with shade. I think if she was the Bachelorette this upcoming season people would get Hannah burn out," she added.
"In just one year we’ve seen her on The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, DTWS, and The Bachelor again. She’s very rootable, but the Bachelor audience needs to miss her before she takes the lead again.”
“No way. She’s had her chance. I’m surprised she’s not going after Luke at this point,” Lauren succinctly chimed in.
Of course, no one's opinion matters more than that of the Rose Master General himself, Chris Harrison.
And it seems The Bachelorette host and producer is very open to the idea of giving the people another heaping helping of Hannah:
“Look, anything’s possible. I’m not against it,” the host stated at this year's the Television Critics’ Association’s winter press tour.
“I think the things that make us love her so much — and I’m included in that and adore her — is she is so open and honest and just, she’s a train wreck. You get to see the good, the bad and the ugly in Hannah and that’s a rare thing in any human being," Harrison continued.
“Do people want to see it again? I don’t know. … I guess we’ll see what Bachelor Nation thinks.”
Our take?
Well, while we might not understand the mania of the pro-Hannah fanatics (this seems to be primarily a Red State, for whatever that's worth), we bear Ms. Beast Mode no ill will.
That said, essentially reenacting a season of The Bachelorette that just aired a few months ago sounds like it would make for some insufferably boring television -- and that's one thing we simply cannot abide.
