So, America's Bachelorette has just... quit.

Yes, Clare Crawley – the woman picked to be the star of The Bachelorette US – has quit halfway through her season, forcing producers to replace her with a new Bachelorette who will date the remaining contestants.

In case you didn't know, The Bachelor franchise has a frankly concerning tendency to take each season to a whole new level of drama. And if you’ve ever seen The Bachelor or The Bachelorette in the United States, you’ll know that our Australian seasons are quite mild in comparison. (Osher is more pure in his intentions, obviously.)

Watch: Clare Crawley quits The Bachelorette US. Post continues below. 

Here's how the current season of The Bachelorette US has played out so far.   

Clare Crawley's season of The Bachelorette. 

In early March, Clare Crawley, a previous contestant on The Bachelor US, was announced as the 2020 Bachelorette.

After only a few weeks of filming, production was halted on the show due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, filming later resumed.

So far, the first four episodes of the new season have aired in the US. 

On the first episode, Clare gave her first impression rose to 31-year-old Dale Moss.

After meeting Dale on the red carpet, Clare told producers: "Oh, man. I definitely feel like I just met my husband. I'm shaking!"

Then, in the second episode, Clare gathered the contestants to ask them why they weren't making more of an effort with her.

"I'm a little bit taken aback. I'm sitting here, I made a toast, and then there was the longest awkward silence," she said. "Does anybody want to spend time with me?"

Dale then whisked her away from the group, before Clare told him that he "scares" her because of how strong her feelings were for him.

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A post shared by Clare Crawley (@clarecrawley) on Oct 14, 2020 at 4:03pm PDT

"I want her to know that there's no more time that you need to waste with anyone else, because I got you," Dale later told producers.

In the third episode, Clare snuck away with Dale during a group date, leaving the rest of the men feeling confused and frustrated.

Then, in a wild turn of events, Clare decided to leave the show with Dale in the fourth episode.

Speaking to host Chris Harrison, Clare admitted that she had already chosen Dale as her final pick.

"These are good guys, and they’re not dumb. They know what’s going on. The path we’re on right now – we can’t continue," the host responded.

"Congratulations, you've just blown up The Bachelorette."

So how did Clare and Dale form such an inseparable bond in just four episodes?

Speaking to Chris, Clare explained that she had some time to stalk contestants prior to filming after production was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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A post shared by The Bachelorette (@bacheloretteabc) on Nov 5, 2020 at 1:00am PST

Like her, Dale had a parent who died young, and he also has a family member living in a medical-care facility.

Then, when the pair met in person, the chemistry was immediate.

The host questioned whether the pair had connected before the show, but Clare claimed that they hadn't.

After her chat with Chris, Clare took Dale aside – instead of holding a rose ceremony – and told him that she loved him.

Despite only knowing each other for a few days, Dale confessed his love as well.

"I’m literally trying to convince myself to be open-minded and try my best to be present in every conversation with everybody. But every time I wake up, I think about you. And when I go to bed at night, I think about you. I can’t even put it into words, like, how you make me feel," Clare said. 

"All I know is that I’m so falling in love with you."

Dale responded: "When we met, I felt love, and that’s what I came here for. And I’m falling in love with you through this process. I’m not afraid to say that at all."

And so, they simply left. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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A post shared by The Bachelorette (@bacheloretteabc) on Nov 4, 2020 at 12:01am PST

The scene then cut to the next morning in a hotel suite where the pair were cuddled up in bed with clothes strewn across the floor.

After spending the night together, host Chris Harrison told Clare that before the pair could "get engaged" (oh yeah, we forgot to mention that an engagement is the standard on The Bachelorette US), she had to break the news to the other contestants.

Clare headed back to the mansion and broke the news. Understandably, the men were not... happy.

But there was a twist.

After Clare exited the show, Chris told the remaining contestants that if they wanted to stay in the mansion, their "journeys" towards love would continue.

Enter: the new Bachelorette, Tayshia Adams, who emerged in a stunning emerald green gown to date the men leftover from Clare's season. Yep, crazy times.

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A post shared by ––––––– TAYSHIA ADAMS ––––––– (@tayshia) on Nov 5, 2020 at 7:14pm PST

But what about Clare and Dale? I hear you asking.

Well, after literally days of knowing each other, Dale proposed, of course. Because this is The Bachelorette US and it would be rude not to. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

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A post shared by The Bachelorette (@bacheloretteabc) on Nov 5, 2020 at 9:33pm PST

"From the moment I stepped out of the limo, I knew this was special. And I know you and I, we both felt it immediately, and there was absolutely no denying it," he said. 

"The best is yet to come. I’m not going anywhere, and I want to make you happy each and every day. Clare, will you marry me?"

It was kind of romantic, and kind of strange. But the season must go on.

And here we were, thinking Australian reality TV was dramatic.

Feature Image: Instagram.

This post was originally published on August 12, 2020, and updated on November 7, 2020.

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