Let me take you back to a Bachelor moment from earlier this year: Colton Underwood was on his first one-on-one date with contestant Hannah Brown, and things couldn’t have been more awkward. Brown held back the entire time—as if she was scared she’d say or do something to annoy Underwood. When he asked her to make a simple champagne toast, she went radio silent.
The scene was uncomfortable to watch, so naturally it was the first thing I thought about when news broke that Brown would be the next Bachelorette. I dreaded the idea of that date with Underwood being replicated 29 times. Not only would it make for bad television, it’d just be unfair to Brown. I remember distinctly thinking maybe she wasn’t ready for the attention and pressure that comes with being the Bachelorette.
But I was wrong. Like, so wrong. In fact, I’ve never been more wrong. Not only was Hannah Brown more than ready, she’s quickly become one of my favorite Bachelorettes of all time. The Alabama beauty queen has made a complete 360 turn compared to how she behaved on Underwood’s season: She’s unabashedly herself, funny, outgoing, and—most important—takes absolutely no bullshit from the guys. We witnessed this not even an hour into the premiere, when she sent home a contestant, Scott, because he lied about having a girlfriend. That set the tone for the entire season, and it’s been glorious.
We don’t have much time left with Brown on The Bachelorette—there’s just the “Men Tell All” and finale—and I’m sad this season is ending. To commemorate it, though, let’s go through all the times Hannah made the Internet cheer.
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What happened: Hannah’s friend Demi exposed Scott for secretly having a girlfriend while appearing on the show.
Hannah’s key quote: “Hey, Scott! We need to talk!”
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What happened: Hannah suspected Cam was telling a sob story to keep himself from getting sent home.
This season of The Bachelorette is moving along quick, isn’t it? It feels like we just left the Box King, and now we’re already at the first group trip? Time flies when you’re having fun staring into Tyler C.’s eyes.
The guys find out they’re going to—drumroll, please—Newport, Rhode Island, and they react as if Chris Harrison gave them a million dollars each rather than a long weekend in our country’s smallest state. That’s no shade to Newport, a beautiful place to visit; I’ve just never seen a man, let alone 15, give a “you get a car!” scream about visiting a city rich in colonial history. Then again, maybe these bros are that ready to get away from the Bachelor mansion. I imagine that place stinks like a potent mixture of bad cologne, farts, and the lingering smell of Cam’s desperation.
Also, the first date isn’t even in Newport—it’s in Boston! The cities are close—about an hour and a half drive, according to Google Maps—but still. If we’re going to Newport, I want to see Newport, you know?
Jed, the one going on this Boston date with Hannah, doesn’t seem to mind. They shop at Quincy Market for souvenirs (my favorite is the tote bag that says “wicked pissah”) while Hannah makes up random facts about United States history. As someone who spends months putting together my own historical ghost tour every Halloween, I am horrified. Maybe Jed is too—I mean, he doesn’t laugh. At one point he says “righttttt” with the enthusiasm of a man told he has to use the shower after Luke P.
After a trip to Cheers and some extremely awkward Halo Top promotion—seriously, the camera lingered on that ice cream cart longer than Colton’s abs—Jed and Hannah go to the Auerbach Center to play basketball with a few Celtics players. One of them even sits down for a heart-to-heart with Hannah; his advice is sweet, though I wonder if he was thinking about all the other things he could be doing with his time. Taxes. Catching up with a friend. Watching Always Be My Maybe on Netflix.
At dinner, Jed admits he joined The Bachelorette as a platform for his music career. But now he’s falling for her and is totally, 100-percent focused on their relationship. At least he’s being honest, I guess? Hannah thinks so, at least. “You’re a really great guy,” she says, before giving him the rose.
The group date the next day is in Rhode Island, finally. Dylan, Matteo, John Paul Jones, Connor, Garrett, Dustin, Devin, Grant, Peter, Kevin, Mike, Luke S., and Luke P. are to play rugby, a sport we’re reminded at least 100 times is super brutal and bloody. “You get smashed, you stand up, and you smash somebody. That’s how you play rugby,” one of the pros tells the guys. Yeah, yeah, foreshadowing—we get it.
But really: Kevin has to leave fairly early in the game because he hurt his shoulder. Nobody else has to go to the hospital, but the guys all think Luke P. might send them there. He’s definitely the most—how do I say this?—invested in the game. He seems fairly harmless, though, until some sort of altercation happens between him and Luke S.. It’s not clear what goes down (it happens off camera), but Luke S. is shaken. “He’s an unstable guy,” he says ominously. Luke P. apologizes to him, but Luke S. just walks away.
At the cocktail party that night, Hannah takes Luke P. aside first. He says he body slammed Luke S. because he tried to swing at him first. She asks if he’s had issues with any of the other guys, and he says no. What’s more, he adds, Luke S. never talks about her in the house and only brags about his liquor brand.
It says something that the biggest breakout star of The Bachelorette this season was a guy nicknamed Grocery Store Joe who left on the first night. While I get the attraction to Joe Amabile, part of me wonders if his popularity would have lessened had he stuck around long enough to ruin the illusion. Because let’s face it: The majority of guys competing for Becca Kufrin’s love were extremely good at digging their own graves.
Look at Jordan Kimball with his golden underpants and Blue Steel poses; he seemed to be there for fame, or at least a sponsored Instagram campaign. Then there’s David Ravitz, who seemed more obsessed with Jordan than Becca. Still, I’d rather have them than Chris Randone and his entitled whining or Jean Blanc, who said “I think I’m falling in love with you” then took it back as soon as it wasn’t reciprocated. These guys suck, but they’re no better, or worse, than many other past contestants—male and female—in the Bachelor Nation universe.
A real problem, though, emerged after this season’s premiere, when news hit that Garrett Yrigoyen, an early frontrunner, has a history of liking bigoted memes on Instagram. Once enough fans called him out, the contestant deleted the offensive account and created a new, sanitized profile before issuing an apology: “I am sorry to those who I offended, and I also take full responsibility for my ‘likes’ on Instagram that were hurtful and offensive,” he wrote. When asked about the controversy, Kufrin told E! News, “Everyone is entitled to their own opinions…I would hope that [people] would stay open and respect me but also stay open and respect these 28 guys that went along on the journey with me.”
PHOTO: Paul Hebert / ABC
Becca Kufrin and Garrett Yrigoyen
Yrigoyen didn’t commit a crime—unlike Lincoln Adim, which we’ll get to—but he’s not the first contestant to face backlash because of social media. (Remember Lee Garrett and his tweets?) The problem is that it’s hard to root for Kufrin and Yrigoyen’s love story knowing that he once liked a post implying a school shooting survivor was a crisis actor. He was in the final two and, spoiler, won. This, for me, diminishes the fantasy the show thrives on selling. As Ashley Spivey (The Bachelor, Season 11) tells us, “When I saw Garrett’s likes on hating a liberal, which is what Becca is, I found it hard to believe their love story.”
Earlier this week, contestant Leo Dottavio addressed his own controversy. “There have been some recent stories about me that have garnered attention and I want to address them,” he wrote in an Instagram story. “I want to start by saying no one has ever accused me of sexual harassment. No one has ever come to me in any way and told me I made them feel uncomfortable. However, I am not a perfect person nor have I ever claimed to be.”
But that’s not the most troubling part of this season: That title goes to Lincoln Adim, the contestant who was convicted of indecent assault and battery. After that news broke, Warner Bros., the studio behind the franchise, issued a statement: “No one on The Bachelorette production had any knowledge about the incident or charges when Lincoln Adim was cast, and he himself denied ever having engaged in or having been charged with any sexual misconduct.” Warner Bros. added that the studio was investigating why the background check did not include this information about Adim.
Since then, he wasn’t invited to the dishy “Men Tell All” special, nor was the controversy addressed in any way on the show. Harrison told Glamour.com, “There really isn’t much to explain about Lincoln other than he lied, he deceived, he committed a crime, he’s not here, and he’s removed from the show and the franchise.” Kufrin says she “never” felt unsafe around him, with the caveat that she was always surrounded by people.
It seems incredible that something this serious slipped through the cracks, especially since Glamour.com talked to several former contestants, all of whom said the casting process—which includes a background check and mental and physical health evaluations—is very thorough. Nobody we talked to ever felt unsafe on set. Even so, that doesn’t excuse what happened.
“You’re supposed to be really transparent with [the background check] because they’re going to find out anyway,” Michelle Money (The Bachelor, Season 11) tells Glamour.com. “That’s why I’m really confused by this lack of information [with Lincoln]. Even if you lie, that’s their job to find out. I just think it’s really irresponsible.” (ABC and Warner Bros. both declined to comment on the vetting process.)
PHOTO: Paul Hebert / ABC
Becca Kufrin and Lincoln Adim
It’s hard to ignore that this could have been bad. As AshLee Frazier (The Bachelor, Season 17) points out, “You’re putting people’s lives at risk. Had Becca picked this guy [Lincoln] in the end, that’s not fair to her because he faked it all the way through and it turns out he could possibly hurt [someone]. Accidents do happen, but you have to be more careful.”
So, what’s next for the franchise? Going forward, how can they prevent this from happening again? We asked several former contestants and came up with six ideas, below.
Triple Check Contestants’ Social Media History
This seems like a given, but how else do you explain Yrigoyen getting through? Of course, it’s possible producers knew about it and cast him anyway—but this issue has caused blowback twice now, so maybe it’s time to take a deeper dive and a harder stance. “Even employers Google,” Robyn Howard Jenkins (The Bachelor, Season 17) points out. “I don’t know why you wouldn’t go through someone’s [social media] because you can find out plenty about them.”
Background Checks Could Include Talking to Friends, Family, and Other Associates
We got mixed reports on this while talking to former contestants. Howard Jenkins says she doesn’t know whether or not production talked to her friends. (“They didn’t talk to the girl that signed me up [for the show], which in my opinion would have been their first step.”) But Spivey says she remembers providing character references from former bosses and a landlord. “I think they talked to my family and friends,” she added. Whether this is common or not, it seems like a reliable way to suss out undesirable candidates.
Be More Sensitive to Potential Candidates’ Mental Health
During her season of The Bachelor, Money got the villain edit. She was able to shake it off—she later appeared on Bachelor Pad and Bachelor in Paradise—but that might not come so easy for others, even with the available on-set therapist. (Money says she talked to hers every week.) “My struggle always comes back to the way they edited me on my season of The Bachelor, which was so inconsistent with what really happened,” she says. “They’re really lucky that I had a strong sense of self to begin with. I wasn’t someone who was mentally and emotionally unstable enough to have it destroy my life, but it could have. I think [we should take] into account that these are people’s lives, and not all humans are strong enough to being portrayed as something they’re not. You have to be really sensitive to people’s mental health. This experience is a complete mind-fuck.”
Look Harder to Find People Who Aren’t in It for the Instagram
There will always be a contestants like Kimball to provide soundbites and humor on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette—but lately even the fan favorites may or may not be there for “the right reasons.” Of course, people can lie their way in, but recruiting quality candidates is one way to gate keep. “I think my season was one of the last where people were in it for the ‘right reasons,’ Frazier says. “It started shifting toward social media and wanting to be famous. Now I have a really hard time believing—not that they can’t find love, because I absolutely believe in that—but the majority that go on the show now aren’t there for anything but to find some celebrity. People from my season didn’t really care; some even went radio silent [once the show aired]. I think now more than ever, [the producers] really need to be careful because they’re pulling in different people.”
Reveal the Contestants’ Names Sooner
Hear us out: Every season, sites like Reality Steve reveal the names of contestants before the show airs. If the public had the names even sooner, they could do the grunt work of calling out problematic cast members. “I don’t see a negative to releasing the cast earlier,” Spivey tells us. “I think it would inject something new and different into the show that they haven’t done before. Maybe people can get behind a character more before a season starts. But it’s not only that: You find out things about the person that are wrecking the season while they’re airing.”
Set Up a Hotline
Spivey also suggested a hotline for people to call in to report contestants’ alleged abusive or sexually harassing behavior. “It’s not always easy for people to come forward in those situations,” she explains. “But I feel like a hotline is a great way to do that. Of course, you can’t just get the call and remove the person [after a season has filmed], but they might look into it more or maybe not figure the person prominently in the show.
Will these ideas solve everything? Probably not. After all, few people really know how the Bachelor and Bachelorette casting processes work or the decisions that are made behind doors. (Though many, including ourselves, have done our best to find out.) The point is this: The franchise has always had its ups and downs, but it’s survived this long by listening to fans. And what they’re saying right now is that The Bachelor and The Bachelorette‘s fantasy has turned into a nightmare.
Anna Moeslein is a Glamour Senior Editor. She writes The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise recaps.
If you’ve followed along with The Bachelorette‘s 14th season, you were likely unsurprised by the outcome: Becca Kufrin is engaged. After a very public breakup with fiancé Arie Luyendyk Jr. on season 22 of The Bachelor, she ended her Bachelorette season ready to head down the aisle with Garrett Yrigoyen, Instagram controversy and all.
Even though Becca’s heart was clearly with one man in the finale, both Yrigoyen and his opponent, Blake Horstmann, planned to propose, meeting with franchise-favorite designer Neil Lane and showing off their engagement ring picks. Naturally, they were as different as Becca’s two romantic prospects.
Here, we break down everything you need to know about the two (!) engagement rings picked out for Becca—and the one she ultimately chose. (Spoiler alert: It’s a big ring.)
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1. Neil Lane wanted Becca’s engagement ring to be extra-special this season.
After her engagement to Bachelor Arie ended, Becca had to give her Neil Lane ring back. That difficult history played into the options the jeweler presented to contestants Blake and Garrett for Becca’s ring. “I wanted to make a ring that was totally different than anything I had done for the show before,” Lane told People. “I wanted to create something very special for Becca, especially considering everything that happened with Arie.”
2.Garrett opted for extravagance.
When it came time for Garrett to inspect his options, he didn’t go for subtlety: The Neil Lane ring he chose features an 18-carat gold band and almost four carats of diamonds—three large diamonds are set in the center, and 84 smaller diamonds line the band. “I wanted it to be elegant and to look effortless,” Lane told People about the design.
3. Blake had a traditional, platinum style in mind.
Blake didn’t win Becca in the end, but he was ready to pop the question—and he had picked out a cushion-cut ring with a platinum band to do so. Our Bachelorette didn’t end up seeing it, though: Becca told Blake that she was choosing Garrett before he had a chance to propose.
4. Garrett’s ring had a hidden meaning.
Back to the winning band: Lane explained to People that the three center diamonds on Garrett’s engagement ring were symbolic: “[I]t has three oval stones, which helps celebrate both of them as a couple and the third diamond represents their future together,” he said. “[Garrett] took the process of picking out the ring so, so seriously and seemed to enjoy it. He really studied them thoroughly and had a grin on his face, from ear to ear, the whole time.”
5. Becca was thrilled with her decision (and her four carats of diamonds).
When Garrett got down on one knee, Becca was overjoyed with the elaborate ring Garrett chose: “I think my jaw hit the sand,” Becca said of her ring.
6. Bachelor Nation has a lot of thoughts about Becca’s engagement ring.
Becca may have been pleased with her choice, but Bachelor Nation was divided. When it came to the ring that ultimately landed on the Bachelorette‘s finger, social media reacted—mainly to the bright gold band on Garrett’s pick.
Didn’t it feel strange that the elephant in the room—contestant Lincoln’s assault conviction—wasn’t addressed at all on tonight’s Men Tell All? It’s not that I expect The Bachelorette to be the most self-aware show on television, or that he’d be there in person, but I thought Chris Harrison would at least say a line or two to assure Bachelor Nation the investigation is ongoing.
According to Chris Harrison, though, that was never an option. “Lincoln was not invited and not welcome here. What he did was illegal and against the law, so that is a very easy call,” he told Glamour in an interview. “There was no chance he was coming here tonight, no chance I wanted to talk to him or hear his side, because there is no side. … We wanted [Men Tell All] to remain about Becca, about the guys, and about this journey. … This wasn’t the time or place.” (For more from our interview, click here.)
So, that answers that. But there was another (non-problematic) contestant who wasn’t present or even addressed: sweet, sweet Clay! He couldn’t make it because of “football stuff,” but I really think the bros could have used his gentle, calming energy in the room. They were so angsty with each other tonight, no?
But we’ll get to that—first, we must discuss the new preview of Bachelor in Paradise that Chris Harrison dropped at the top of the episode. It is, frankly, iconic. So much happens in so little time: Tia’s in a love triangle with Colton and Chris; Grocery Joe maybe-probably finds love with Kendall; “everyone thinks Shushanna is a witch.” It’s so fun, I’m ready to wrap up these Bachelorette storylines so we can move on to all the BiP “glitter and tears” Krystal’s promising. Luckily, there’s not too much longer to wait: It premieres on Tuesday, August 7. See you then! (You know I’ll be recapping.)
After that promo, Chris Harrison introduces the guys, and Wills’ Final Rose-colored red boots deserve a special shout out. I appreciate a man who can dress on theme.
“Where do you start with this buffet?” – Chris Harrison
Things kick off with a discussion of the freakout Chris (the other one, not Harrison) had in Las Vegas. He says he felt like he deserved more quality time with Becca because their connection was further along than the other guys, but admits he overreacted. Connor, Leo, and Wills are basically like, yeah, you were a brat, and Jordan ends the conversation with this gem: “You can’t be Mister Right Reasons if you treat the Bachelorette wrong.”
Next, Chris asks Jean Blanc about that whole “I have feelings for you, just kidding I don’t” moment—but before JB can even speak, Colton jumps in and says, “No matter what you say right here…you lied to every one of us.” The two get in a heated back-and-forth, which escalates when Jean Blanc insults Colton’s virginity, saying, “Colton, you’re acting like a BLEEP but you’ve never been BLEEP, so what’s going on?” Some guys look genuinely shocked, but a few laugh—which bums me out because it’s 100% not cool to make fun of a person’s sexual history.
“Do you think they’ll actually tell all? Or just some?” – My husband with the jokes.
Colton also gets in a tiff with Jordan over his “behavior,” but Jordan fires back that Colton is one to talk given his relationship with Tia before the show started. This turns into a quibble over whether or not it was offensive that Jordan wore golden underwear to a cocktail party, and Christon chimes in with the best point: Becca gave Jordan a rose for it, so who cares?
David, apparently, still cares a lot. Nick puts it best when he tells David, “After watching the show, I thought you were there for Jordan, not Becca, because his name is all that came out of your mouth.” David admits he should have put more energy into his relationship with Becca—uh, you think?—and Jason correctly points out that David bullied Jordan a lot.
But then! Some man sitting in the back adds his two cents, but I don’t hear what he says because I was too distracted wondering if he was actually a contestant or just some random who wandered onto set. (We find out later, thanks to Chris Harrison, this person is someone named “Christian.”) When “Christian” gets up from his seat to confront Jordon or whatever, he reveals the tightest high-water pants I’ve ever seen. Like, full-on capris! With a tuxedo jacket! Wills would never.
The fight is going nowhere, so Chris Harrison tells Jordan he can have the last word. Instead of using it to explain himself, Jordan just does his take on the below Half Baked scene to all the guys:
And though were were just told that was going to be Jordan’s “last word,” he then gets a whole montage dedicated to his journey, followed by a solo sit down with Chris Harrison. It ends up being more of the same, though we get to hear from my beloved Grocery Store Joe for the first time. (Basically, he likes Jordan because he thinks he’s funny.) Jordan also reveals that he wore the damn gold underpants to the show before immediately doing a mini-strip tease to show them off. A small number of women in the audience scream like it’s Magic Mike Live, while Chris Harrison mumbles, “Even I don’t get paid enough for that.” (But you do, Chris. You do.)
When we return from the commercial break, my darling Grocery Store Joe, the most joyful part of this season, gets his own hilariously short montage. According to Chris Harrison, Joe’s one of the few early-eliminated contestants who’s been able to sustain fan interest. That’s because his eyes sparkle! And he gives sheepish grins! And he says things like, “Whaddaya wanna know?” in a thick deep dish pizza-soaked accent. Still, Joe says his experience on The Bachelorette was “pretty bad.” It seems like his time on Bachelor in Paradise, however, is more successful.
Wills is next on the hot seat. There’s a montage intended to be about his relationship with Becca, but really is a full recap of his best fashion lewks. Wills doesn’t seem to have the same perspective, though, because he tears up watching it all back. (Unless the lewks are just that good?) “She had to live her truth,” he says of Becca dumping him. “I have to respect it.” Chris transitions the talk to fashion—finally!—and Wills says he gets it from his dad.
PHOTO: Paul Hebert
When Colton takes the stage next, he talks about his love for Becca (real) and his relationship with Tia (undetermined). Eventually, of course, Chris Harrison brings up Colton’s virginity. Apparently Becca got some backlash for leaving the table after Colton’s reveal, but Colton says he didn’t take it as a sign of disrespect. He felt she was not judgmental, unlike Jean Blanc’s comment earlier in the night. He tears up as he talks about how hard it was to be an athlete and feeling pressure to hide this side of himself. “It’s sort of sad that it’s viewed as baggage or a red flag,” he explains. (Read more with Colton here.) Despite their disagreement earlier, Jordan sweetly tells Colton that he respects him for staying true to himself.
Next, Jason gets his time in the sun. His hair is looking better, he’s got a nice blue suit, and he’s in a good place. He even wants to be friends with Becca someday. Though he didn’t get the closure he was looking for, Jason says he’s happy Becca did. When Chris Harrison mentions his brother and brother-in-law—who should get their own spin-off, honestly—Jason quotes Oprah: “Love is love is love.” Chris Harrison wraps their conversation with a lil gossip: According to Becca, he’s the best kisser of the group.
“She forgot my name—everyone remember that?—but after I kissed her, she never forgot my name!” – Jason
Finally, Becca comes out and admits she’s a little nervous. Maybe it’s because she’s not in a signature sequins? You’re in a room full of your exes—if that’s not the perfect opportunity to look hot in a sparkly dress, what is?
Anyway, Jason kicks things off by asking Becca how he can improve so he knows for future relationships. (Aw.) Becca tells him to never change; it’s not him or anything he did, she just wasn’t The One. They hug it out. Wills also asks what went wrong, and Becca says essentially the same thing: Nothing, she just didn’t want to bring his family into the picture if she wasn’t quite there in her feelings.
Regarding the Colton-Tia situation, Becca says they’re still friends and she’s sad Tia has gotten so much hate on social media about Colton.
Then, Jean Blanc asks to come up on stage. He apologizes for how they ended things, Becca accepts, and he gives her, of course, a fragrance. “It’s actually made with real bits of broken hearts,” Chris Harrison quips. “And tears!”
After a quick check in with Jordan and Joe, Chris Harrison gives the other Chris the floor. He apologizes to Becca for being entitled and disrespectful, before bringing out a gospel choir to sing, “Chris was a jerk! … Chris just wants to say sorry!” Chris is a jerk, yes, but even I would be a sucker for that.
The episode ends with bloopers and a sneak peek at next week’s finale. See you then!
I’ll admit it was a little harder than usual to sit on my couch and snark about things like Blake’s dancing given that tonight’s episode of The Bachelorette was interrupted by President Trump’s Supreme Court nomination. Like, no big, this is a person who will influence our country for generations to come. But I’ll let our very intelligent and hard-working news and culture team tell you all about Brett Kavanaugh’s qualifications—read that here—and channel all of my feelings about it into this recap instead. Spoilers ahead.
We’re in the Bahamas this week, and Becca tells Chris Harrison she’s looking forward to “no drama.” LOL, we’ll see how that turns out. She also admits she’s starting to catch feelings for a few of the guys, though she’s afraid something will ruin it. Something like…a social media controversy coming to light right as the season airs? Maybe?
Anyway, Becca tells the guys that this week’s format is a little different: There will be three one-on-one dates with roses and a group date with one rose, and no rose ceremony. Colton gets the first solo date of the week, and the reaction from the other guys is awkward. “None of us can see her with Colton,” Blake confesses. Then we learn a bombshell: Colton’s a hiding a “big” secret from Becca. He’s a virgin.
Cut to a million soundbites from Becca about how hunky Colton is and how their relationship is full of “passion” and how he can “pick me up and do whatever he wants.” Editors, I thought you were supposed to be on Becca’s side? What gives? It gets worse: Right as Colton is about to tell Becca that he’s a virgin, a man rolls up in a yellow boat to tell Becca she needs more “conch” in her life. Yes, Colton and Becca are going diving for conchs solely so The Bachelorette can make a bunch of penis jokes.
“I’m hoping Colton dives deep for that conch.” – Becca
The two learn that the conch’s pistol is considered “Bahamian Viagra”; they try it but Becca, still ignorant about Colton’s sexual history, assures us they don’t need an aphrodisiac. That night, Colton finally—finally!—tells Becca he’s a virgin. She responds by excusing herself from the table, leaving him to sweat it out alone. When she eventually returns, Colton explains that he’s not waiting for marriage—he’s just waiting for “the right heart”—and Becca assures him she’s not one to judge. For her, the fact that it’s not a “marriage thing” but rather “a heart thing” is a good sign. TBD if Becca’s the “right heart” when it comes time for the fantasy suites, but Becca gives Colton a rose.
Garrett gets the next one-on-one date: a seaplane to a private island, but instead of looking out at the gorgeous views they just make out. When the plane lands, Becca yells “wooo!” and confirms something I’ve long suspected: She’s a total woo girl.
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On the beach, Becca and Garrett do that awkward pose where she stands in front of him and cranes her neck around to kiss. Just turn your body around!
They stop kissing long enough for Garrett to admit that it’s been tough seeing the other guys go out on dates with her. He opens up a little more about his divorce later that night. According to him, his ex was “hot-headed” and he felt like he had to change who he was to make her happy. Becca admits this makes her nervous—that he wouldn’t be his real self around her—but he claims he’s learned by now not to let a red flag linger. They do not talk about his social media history, which is a red flag I would like to not keep lingering. Anyway, he says he’s falling in love, and she gives him a rose and calls him a “stand-up man.” Hmm.
The next day, Becca takes Blake to a beach party where the Baha Men are performing. This is much more my speed—way better than conch jokes or spending more than 20 minutes with Garrett. They’re having a good time, until Blake confesses that he’s gotten in his head this week thinking about her with the other guys. Over dinner, he opens up about his parents—his mom had an affair with his basketball coach/English teacher when he was in high school—and how it’s made him realize he wants his family to be better at communicating. Then he tells Becca he’s in love with her. They kiss, and he gets a rose.
In the morning, Wills, Leo, and Jason meet Becca for the dreaded three-on-one date. Her time with Wills and Jason goes well, but when she sits down with Leo he admits that he feels like he needs more time with her to get to where some of the other guys are at in their feelings. She agrees and says it’s better if she doesn’t bring him to hometowns. So with that, Becca, Wills, and Jason get in the boat and leave poor Leo wandering around alone on the island. Luckily, if there’s anybody capable of swimming back to the Baha Mar, it’s Leo.
“I can’t freaking wait for you to come to freaking Buffalo.” – Jason
That evening, Becca calls Jason out for moving a little slower than the other guys, but he says he does feel strongly about what they have. Wills, meanwhile, gets emotional as he describes his love for Becca. Apparently that’s not enough though, because she dumps him moments later—in front of Jason, no less. So rude! Wills deserves better, and also his shirt is excellent tonight.
Next week: It’s hometown dates! “He’d be a hot dad.” “I don’t want you to pick him.”
