Bachelor Nation Is Distraught At Dean's Departure Last Night

Dean Unglert is officially no longer in contention for Rachel Lindsay's heart. The teeny Venice Beach cherub — he was 26 when he got kicked off — left after an unusual hometown date with his estranged dad. Most late-season dismissals on The Bachelorette are upsetting. But Unglert's seemed particularly heart-wrenching, mainly because he'd endured such a harrowing family dinner during his hometown date. He's also a fan favorite, and an active member of the Bachelor Nation Twitterati.

"I thought [Dean] did a wonderful job handling his hometown. I thought he was super mature and I liked the way he confronted his dad with such conviction," former Bachelor contestant (and veritable queen of Bachelor Nation) Ashley Iaconetti said on The Ben & Ashley I: Almost Famous podcast. Her co-host Ben Higgins agreed, adding that the moment really "hit the heart." (Iaconetti also said that Unglert has a "perfect face" and divulged that she'd spent the weekend with him at Lake Tahoe. Do with that information what you will.)

During Unglert's hometown date, the California-based startup recruiter met with his father, whom he described as "eccentric," for the first time in two years. Before bringing Rachel Lindsay in to meet his family, Unglert muttered, "This is going to be awful." The date itself proved to be powerful stuff — turns out, exploring a strained paternal relationship makes for fascinating television. Alas, it does not make for a successful relationship with Rachel Lindsay, as the Bachelorette sent him home the very same episode.

Bachelor Nation agreed with Iaconetti — it was a powerful moment, and Unglert handled it well.

"As a father, I feel compassion for Deans Dad. As a son I feel so much heartbreak for Dean. This was amazingly powerful. Family is hard," former Bachelor In Paradise contestant Evan Bass tweeted.

Sarah Herron, who appeared on last season of BIP as well, wrote, "Don't worry Dean, vulnerability on national television leads to great things. Trust me."

Raven Gates, the third runner-up on Nick Viall's season of The Bachelorette, wrote, "I already feel my heart breaking for Dean."

The good news, though, is that Dean Unglert is officially going to be in paradise this summer. He did not appear in the first trailer for paradise — probably because he was still technically on The Bachelorette — but Iaconetti and Higgins confirmed on their podcast that he would appear on the spin-off reality show premiering August 14th.

We'll see you August 14th, Dean.