‘You’re Here to Find Husbands, and You Can’t Marry Each Other’
In the recounting of their experiences, these individuals shared a wealth of details about events that transpired behind the scenes during filming as well as post-show incidents. The scarcity of records led several men to adopt a strategy of denial. However, the women were ready, corroborating each other’s accounts and serving as witnesses. This unity among women can be attributed to bonds forged within the pods, as stated by Molly Mullaney, who dated Bettenburg but departed when he chose O’Brien for a proposal. As Meg Fink adds, “Those are the people you confide in about everything. You observe their expressions, their body language. There’s a more physical connection. The relationships within the pods become quite significant because they’re tangible, and the relationships with men aren’t yet.” Vulture convened Danús, Mullaney, O’Brien, and Fink at an SXSW reunion watch party to delve into the development of their relationships during production and how they sustained them even after Minneapolis was no longer under the cameras’ gaze. “We did receive a comment [from production] along the lines of, ‘Remember, you’re here to find husbands and you can’t marry each other,’ Mullaney recalls. To which they all responded, somewhat skeptically, “Are you sure?