QUICK THOUGHTS ON THE EPISODE
Opening Montage
- Is this week five? Or week six? It’s episode six, and week six of the journey, but week five of shows? I am confused.
- We begin this episode with the prelude of Maria getting Joey to say “Je t’aime.” in a limo-like setting. This sets the tone. It also had me worried because starting off with a happy moment seems to mean doom and despair later.
- Well the sadness comes quicker than I would have thought because the episode begins with Joey being very introspective.
- Joey admits that he is beginning to struggle mentally and emotionally because he is starting to fall for multiple women. Such a complex struggle has him holding back, which is what he feared most.
- Joey admits that he is not always the funny guy. He is not always the positive vibes, constantly smiling guy.
- Joey is starting to feel pressure of what people are expecting of him, and seeing how he is a self proclaimed big self-critic, this means that he is double-guessing his stuff.
- We don’t like seeing Joey sad! I am here to say that!
GROUP DATE
- We are beginning the week with a group date. Bit of a switcheroo for the normal vibe.
- Jesse Palmer is here, and as a proud Canadian, he begins speaking French to the ladies.
- Everyone responding “Oui, oui” to the questions Jesse is asking is a nice bit of comedic relief.
- Jesse Palmer really killed it this episode. He was awesome.
- The group date is just ladies walking around Montreal doing things that Jesse Palmer liked to do. It’s a scavenger hunt for a Palmer family vacation.
- The clues for this scavenger are all in french and seeing them read that first clue card poorly was funny.
- I should note that I paused the TV and read it as well. I was better than Lexi, but then Emma spoke real French and made it sound all right.
- I guess that Chuck Hughes, the chef that was at the poutine restaurant, is a famous celebrity chef in Canada? I had no idea.
- Jenn’s concoction at this restaurant is VILE: pineapple, chocolate sauce, sriracha, fried cheese and gravy are just some of the ingredients.
- Joey ends up almost vomiting after trying it. He gives it a four out of ten, which seems remarkably generous.
- Jenn’s concoction at this restaurant is VILE: pineapple, chocolate sauce, sriracha, fried cheese and gravy are just some of the ingredients.
- There is a remarkably awkward dance circle that is very cultish.
- Kelsey A. admitted that.
- Jenn is thriving on the group date while Kelsey A. is losing her mind and Jess is going manic.
- The clues for this scavenger are all in french and seeing them read that first clue card poorly was funny.
- Let’s get to the evening portion, which is basically a group therapy session for everyone. It’s bad times at the Montreal royale.
- Joey senses the bad vibes in the room. He acknowledges it.
- Katelyn goes first and starts crying right away about how it’s hard seeing everyone else’s connection right in front of her.
- To be fair, I think this is very late in the season to start getting the freakout stuff.
- Kelsey A. admits to Joey that she is falling for him, and Joey loves the sound of that. They smooch. Her worries are quelled for now.
- Lexi wants to sit down with Joey and clarify what their future may look like.
- Joey wants to have a two-to-three year engagement and then wait a few years to have kids.
- This is not exactly what Lexi wants to hear, but the conversation is still good. It’s civil. It’s rational. It’s upsetting to Lexi, but not for absurd reasons. It all makes sense.
- Joey wants to have a two-to-three year engagement and then wait a few years to have kids.
- Jenn tells Joey she is falling and Joey REALLY LOVES IT.
- I think I underestimated how much Joey likes Jenn.
- Jess, oh Jess. It’s time for her to open up, and then get crumpled into a ball.
- Jess has the same line of conversation as many of the girls talking about how it’s tough to see Joey connecting with everyone on different levels.
- Jess follows this up by saying that she is falling for Joey.
- HAND BRAKE SCREECHING SOUND. Joey does not feel this way.
- Joey pulls the speech about how he needs to be honest with his feelings and he doesn’t see a future with her.
- HAND BRAKE SCREECHING SOUND. Joey does not feel this way.
- Jess follows this up by saying that she is falling for Joey.
- The fact that Jess is stunned by this is a little crazy.
- Jess has the same line of conversation as many of the girls talking about how it’s tough to see Joey connecting with everyone on different levels.
- Jenn wins the group date rose. She deserves it for her approach walking around Montreal.
Kelsey T. Group Date
- After a few weeks of warming up Kelsey T., it’s time to officially give her lift off with a one-on-one date with Joey.
- Kelsey’s hair looks great. Will say that.
- The idea of training with Cirque du Soleil is actually a pretty great idea. I will say it, I love it. It’s totally unique and a great first date idea (much cheaper for normal folk).
- Kelsey T. is embracing the whole thing. Well, they are both embracing it. However, Joey can only last for a certain amount of time.
- Joey is getting sick with dizziness. After every exercise, Joey is recovering. He is struggling, BIG TIME.
- Kelsey T. is being the supportive partner she should be. It kind of ruins their time, but Joey is not afraid to be vulnerable with his physical struggles which is cute.
- Joey is getting sick with dizziness. After every exercise, Joey is recovering. He is struggling, BIG TIME.
- Now let’s get to the dinner where it is Kelsey T.’s time to share some trauma.
- Seriously, does Joey (or any Bachelor or Bachelorette lead) get an honorary degree in therapy?
- Kelsey T. begins talking about how she and her father used to be remarkably close, but that connection was severed for a very long time.
- The source of the split is religion. Kelsey T.’s father is a remarkably religious man and wanted Kelsey T. to follow that path. When his daughter deviates from that plan, she gets OUSTED FROM HER HOME.
- Well this is not very holy of you Mr. Father!
- This is fucking nuts. She is an extreme example of the split that is happening in culture across the country. A gap in generations and interest in religion.
- Kelsey T. went to go live with her mother, so I guess they are divorced?
- Naturally, her dad kicking her out of her own home for making a decision about her own life created some lingering effects.
- The source of the split is religion. Kelsey T.’s father is a remarkably religious man and wanted Kelsey T. to follow that path. When his daughter deviates from that plan, she gets OUSTED FROM HER HOME.
- Kelsey T. gets the rose because who can say no after a story like this.
- The best part of the entire dinner portion is at the very end with the aerial dancer performance. The woman does a drop with a single leg and catches herself, and you can see Joey’s mouth drop in the background. It’s hilarious.
Maria One-On-One Date
- Time for the coup de grâce. Time for Maria’s one-on-one date.
- Maria is escorted downstairs by a French butler who didn’t entirely speak French really confused me.
- The banter in the limo is the best part of this episode.
- Maria made that “that’s what she said” joke and cruised and kept on going. This is what she does. She doesn’t have a filter and it can be a lot but she is fucking hilarious.
- Maria is trying to get Joey to say some naughty French things, but she does eventually get him to say “Je t’aime.” Beautiful. Joey says it multiple times, and it’s a beautiful moment of them knowing what they are dancing around but acknowledging they aren’t truly ready to say it.
- I FUCKING CALLED THE SHOPPING DATE. THE PRETTY WOMAN DATE. YOU CAN ASK EMMA! I CALLED IT!
- They are going to the Claudette Floyd boutique, which I guess is a big deal but I have never heard of it before.
- The fashion show seems more fluid and fun than in previous seasons. This is a great date for Maria because her weirdness carries any of the awkward silences.
- This date has to be the worst for Joey or any man who is forced to watch. I would rather be trying stuff on too.
- Have they ever done a date like this for a man?
- To be honest, I don’t love the dress that Maria chose.
- Does she get to keep any of the other dresses?
- Previous dates like this have had the women walking back into the living residence with bags of shoes and clothes to make everyone else jealous.
- After the dress shopping, Joey and Maria get back into the limo and this is where Maria and Joey share the “Je t’aime” moment.
- This limo ride is to get to a helicopter.
- There is a nice funny callback with Maria saying that the girls thought they were going to jump out of a plane. Maria seemed genuinely scared that she was going to have to jump out of this helicopter in this dress.
- This limo ride is to get to a helicopter.
- The dinner portion of this one-on-one date is another opening up segment.
- Turns out that Maria almost got engaged once but it never got really too far.
- Maria does say that she is falling for Joey and he makes her “happy.”
- This word “happy” is simple, but it really got me for some reason. It’s simple but effective.
- During this dinner date Maria mentioned THAT SHE ALMOST GOT CRUSHED BY A CEMENT TRUCK AND HER MOM ALMOST DIED??
- This is absolutely crazy. Bonkers.
- The event had a profound impact on her mom and Maria ended up spending less time with her because she had to work out on herself.
- Being raised by her dad makes sense for her personality where she has the stereotypical male confrontation style.
- Maria gets the rose, and now I can see her winning the whole damn thing.
Lexi goodbye
- This is tough. It’s a sad scene to watch because neither person is behaving rudely or irrationally. Lexi and Joey simply have two different timelines, and timing is the most fickle thing when it comes to live.
- The cliffnotes from the group date is that Lexi is concerned about the timing of their relationship post show if she were to be chosen. She wants a family faster than Joey does, and this difference in approach on life has left a pit in her stomach.
- When Lexi appears at Joey’s door at the hotel, he does seem legitimately surprised.
- This conversation between Joey and Lexi is remarkably rational, and much of that credit goes to Lexi for the mindset she has.
- Lexi understands that the pace at which she must live her life is different than Joey’s, and she doesn’t expect him to make such a drastic change for her. She respects his approach and silently knows that even if he says he can change, such a dramatic mindset can’t be changed in a matter of weeks.
- Joey is legit shocked by this. He says he is “crushed.”
- This goodbye from Lexi is exactly what he was worried about and what he vented about at the start of the show.
- When Joey says “you’re going to make a remarkable mother.” … good god this man knows exactly what to say.
- We see Lexi leave Joey’s room and return to the ladies’ hotel suite.
- Lexi says goodbye to Maria and Daisy.
- The fact that Maria and Daisy are the two ladies she is saying goodbye too makes me feel even better about liking Lexi. She has a crew, and that crew includes two of the best ladies on the show.
- Lexi says goodbye to Maria and Daisy.
- I do not think that Lexi could be the bachelorette because of the timeline she has with her condition. It would be an interesting story for TV, but I don’t think Lexi seems like the type to exploit her story.
Cocktail Party Drama & Rose Ceremony
- This is the most anti-climatic rose ceremony ever. Sorry, but it was remarkably obvious that Lea and Katelyn were going home.
- Can we pop the champagne for Lea’s departure? Is that too rude? Jess and Lea going home on the same episode is beautiful.
- I really liked Katelyn but she stood no choice on the show. She was always on the backend a bit and a tad bit too normal.
- Lea’s goodbye in the car seemed a bit selfish.
- We didn’t get to see Katelyn’s goodbye in the car.
- Lea is going to be back for Bachelor In Paradise. I have no doubt.
- Alright, I guess now we can talk about the actual cocktail party now that I just skipped to the rose distribution.
- Daisy gets a foot massage from Joey and again their chemistry is great.
- She has a bit of a sense of humor because she enjoys these massages multiple times a night, and every night. I think this is a euphemism.
- Jenn teaching Joey the piano in front of everyone seems a bit crazy.
- Why wasn’t there a piano in another room? Why didn’t the ladies move?
- Rachel is nice to Joey. I was the most confident that she was staying to begin with.
- Daisy gets a foot massage from Joey and again their chemistry is great.
- I was surprised that the ladies were so surprised that only three roses were being given out?
- Lexi and Jess went home, sure, but we have to begin thinning the herd before hometowns.
- Just for context’s sake, here are the six ladies remaining: Daisy, Kelsey A., Rachel, Maria, Kelsey T., and Jenn.
(MY) POWER RANKINGS
No. 6
Kelsey T.
(Last Week 6)
No. 5
Kelsey A.
(Last Week 3)
No. 4
Rachel
(Last Week 1)
No. 3
Jenn
(Last Week 7)
No. 2
Daisy
(Last Week 2)
No. 1
Maria
(Last Week 4)
The Bachelor airs on Monday nights on ABC, beginning at 8 PM EST.
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