Rachel & Eric Have A Great Connection On 'The Bachelorette'

This season of The Bachelorette is going way too quickly for my taste (the bonus episode on Tuesday night could be to blame, though). Rachel and her men are already going on European trips and more intimate dates. On the latest episode, Eric finally had his chance at some alone time with Rachel. Honestly, I thought there was a chance he wouldn't end up with a rose, but I was completely wrong. The pair hit it off, and Rachel gave him the date night rose. Does Rachel end up with Eric on The Bachelorette? They'd make a great couple.

Eric had a bit of a rough start on The Bachelorette. His first few interactions with Rachel didn't go over extremely well, and then he was one target of Lee's during his tirade to manipulate everyone in the mansion. This time, though, Rachel's feelings about Eric seemed to turn around. The two explored Copenhagen together, doing activities like visiting an amusement park and relaxing in a hot tub. During the dinner portion of the date, Eric opened up to Rachel and told her that he's never been in love before — which may be partly due to his mom not expressing her love for him. Eric's honesty moved Rachel enough to give him a rose.

Considering some contestants accused Eric of not really being here for Rachel, this date confirmed (for me at least) this isn't the case. He seemed so smitten with her that he's either here for the right reasons or he needs an Oscar for his acting. There's not much time left on the show (sadly), and Eric shined during his date. Is it possible that he's now a frontrunner — or that he goes all the way and wins Rachel's heart? I believe it's possible.

Eric may be the dark horse of the mansion. Bachelor Nation didn't expect Corinne or Raven to last that long on Nick's season (OK, I didn't), but he really fell for them — and I think the same is true for Eric. Given how fast this season is going, viewers won't have to wait too long to find out how Eric fares out in the competition. The date proved, though, that he and Rachel have potential to build a relationship together.