QUICK THOUGHTS ON THE EPISODE
Opening Montage
- Between this week and last week, The Bachelor is giving Canada some massive flowers. Montreal was a great hang, but now we are in Jasper, Alberta, Canada and damn does it look fucking gorgeous.
- There are so many animals just around. Elk, Deer, Ducks and Caribou are just roaming around. They are even intervening on make out sessions. Or at least spying on them.
- The little preview we get at the jump is Maria talking with Joey and saying she isn’t sure if she can do this anymore.
- Not great. Not great vibes. Very different from the intro we got last week when she was making Joey say “J t’aime.”
- We have to get Joey off of riding bikes. Whether it be a motorcycle or a moped, Joey has been riding on these two-wheeled vehicles a bit too often and he doesn’t look that comfortable doing it.
- Joey and Jessie play tennis with each other again, but the court they are playing on is one of those plastic sorta courts with the holes? You know what I mean? The type that public parks have a lot of. I would imagine it’s hard to get spin on it.
- The ladies are putting pressure on themselves to really perform this week. One-on-one time is the most coveted thing (duh).
- Jenn is really going through it this episode.
- The first thing she says of note is that she wants to get naked and cuddle in the woods.
- She eventually unravels. It’s tough to see.
- The first thing she says of note is that she wants to get naked and cuddle in the woods.
- Jenn is really going through it this episode.
DAISY ONE-On-ONE DATE
- Daisy is the first of the ladies to get a second one-on-one date. She got the first one-on-one date and has been coasting since. Daisy has never been in trouble, but does potentially need a spark.
- Daisy and Joey are going to explore the wilderness of Jasper on horses.
- Not really a fan of the horse dates. You don’t get to be right next to the person. You have to feel like you are screaming to talk to the other person.
- During this date Joey says that he wishes he could hold Daisy’s hand but the horse (Thunder I think?) has a mind of its own.
- The horse riding portion of this date is fine. Frankly, it’s a tad bit boring. THere is a lot of Joey and Daisy commenting about how beautiful the scenery is (which it is, no doubt).
- Not really a fan of the horse dates. You don’t get to be right next to the person. You have to feel like you are screaming to talk to the other person.
- Next up is the obligatory hot tub in the wilderness scene!
- This is the first one this season, right? One and done.
- Joey has Daisy sweating before she even steps foot in the water.
- It is hinted during the dinner portion of this date that there was a big long conversation in the hot tub…but we don’t see that.
- What we do get a lot of is Daisy talking to the camera saying how she is not going to say “I Love You” just to get a rose.
- There is the classic “I’m falling for you” that Daisy could go with, but I kinda get the sense Daisy doesn’t like the idea of taking a half-step.
- What we do get a lot of is Daisy talking to the camera saying how she is not going to say “I Love You” just to get a rose.
- Alright, dinner portion.
- Up to this point, the date has been kinda bleh.
- Nothing bad has happened, but also nothing really exciting has happened either. The spark that Daisy needs is not there.
- It is a cute moment when they arrive at dinner and there is a quick conversation about how each looks like they have something they want to talk about.
- This was a real relationship thing. I liked it.
- Daisy begins to open up here and talk about the struggles she is working through.
- She admits she is scared what her family will think of bringing a possible fiancé home because they have seen her through sickness and in health and they will have high expectations.
- It is an understandable sense of protection.
- She also expresses that fact that she is not in love with Joey yet but she can see herself getting there and she would like to get there but she is not going to lie to him.
- Joey is a bit shaken by this but he is overall not deterred one bit.
- I think Joey really likes two of these women, and then has two that have given him confidence along the way.
- Joey is a bit shaken by this but he is overall not deterred one bit.
- She admits she is scared what her family will think of bringing a possible fiancé home because they have seen her through sickness and in health and they will have high expectations.
- Up to this point, the date has been kinda bleh.
- Overall I think Joey is really into Daisy. She gets the rose, as one could have predicted.
- I have a feeling her hometown is going to be remarkably heartfelt.
GROUP DATE
- We have a group date that is going to be with four people.
- The only one not on this date is Kelsey A., so she will get the final one-on-one date.
- Jenn did not react well to being on the date card.
- The edit showed her stubbing her toe and walking off with some tears in her eyes.
- The group date is some lumberjacking activities. We are doing a lot of things with logs.
- All of the women are dressed the same way. Leggings, shirt and a vest.
- What is the point of a vest? It does not keep your arms warm. It simply is for decoration and zero purpose. Am I wrong?
- There is a lumberjacking champion who is going to be ushering this competition along.
- Joey refers to her as a Lumber-Jill. We are progressive here.
- Joey doesn’t actually do any of the activities on this group date. He has been good about doing the things with the ladies, but this time around it’s just the four women competing.
- I feel like this was an easy layup to take the shirt off and do some chopping. Oh-la-la.
- The ladies give their best effort when it comes to the lumberjacking activities….and three of them have relative success.
- Maria really struggles with the physical sawing of wood, ax throwing or log rolling. She is not having a good time.
- Was she destined to perform badly because she was in a bad headspace going in, or did the bad performances the main catalyst? It definitely didn’t help.
- Maria really struggles with the physical sawing of wood, ax throwing or log rolling. She is not having a good time.
- There is a competition portion of this lumberjacking portion, for some reason? Don’t really know why.
- The fact they had to drink elk milk…that looked gross.
- Rachel really dove into this and drank it despite being allergic and having a bad physical reaction. Credit to her, she just powers through.
- The fact they had to drink elk milk…that looked gross.
- The biggest thing to come from this group date is Jenn running up to Joey while he is being interviewed and giving him a kiss.
- Rachel and Maria saw this and did not enjoy it at all.
- Jenn is doing anything she can to feel better about her connection with Joey.
- All of the women are dressed the same way. Leggings, shirt and a vest.
- Let’s get to the cocktail party portion of this group date. Where the fireworks happened.
- With only four people on this group date, everyone of the ladies should be getting a decent amount of time.
- Jenn talks about it being a hard week and mentions struggles with her heritage and connecting with her family.
- Kelsey T. and Joey bring up her dad again and what he wants from her in life.
- Rachel is there talking with Joey…about something? I don’t remember much. She was just the best about not letting the other girls’ connections bother her when she is talking to Joey.
- Alright Maria, let’s get to it.
- Maria takes Joey outside to a different place to talk. Never a good sign.
- Also, I would like to point out that Maria’s showing more leg than fabric and she is most definitely not wearing underwear because that outfit won’t allow it.
- This is not a dig at all. Maria has a pronounced sense of fashion and what she likes. This is just another bold example.
- Maria begins word-vomiting.
- Joey does not look ready for it at all. He looks emotionally drained. We see Maria talk last, and who knows if this is true, but I would imagine Joey wanted to have a fun conversation to end the night, but instead has to be remarkably patient while Maria works through her feelings.
- Maria is talking out her feelings about how it is hard to see the other connections Joey has, and she mentions how she doesn’t know if she can do this process anymore.
- This really takes Joey by surprise. And rightfully so.
- Joey tries to note that Maria is putting down the connection that they two share. Maria doesn’t think so, but she is also swimming with muddied self-deprecating thoughts.
- Maria brings up their one-on-one date and she says that made it so much harder to move forward knowing there are other women here.
- Joey sees this but also acknowledges that this is the process and it can’t be changed. He can’t change it to be easier for Maria.
- There is a point in the conversation when Maria gets up and walks away and goes into another room. Joey is left there alone, literally not knowing what to do.
- After some decompression time, Maria comes back. She isn’t leaving. She apologies for overreacting, but Joey says to not apologize because it’s just how she was feeling.
- This was good Joey. This was good.
- Maria jokes that she is not going to kiss Joey to teach him a lesson, but after a few seconds she gives him a peck and is within his arms.
- Joey says something about how Maria is “all over the place, woman.”
- Agreed Joey, agree.
- Joey says something about how Maria is “all over the place, woman.”
- After some decompression time, Maria comes back. She isn’t leaving. She apologies for overreacting, but Joey says to not apologize because it’s just how she was feeling.
- Nobody gets the group rose date.
- This is a win for Maria, and a huge loss for everyone else. No one else hurt their prospects while Maria threw some mines in her path. But she has danced around them…for now.
KELSEY A. GROUP DATE
- It is time for Kelsey A.’s one-on-one date, and it is a fucking great date.
- The town of Jasper seems lovely as Joey and Kelsey are walking around and exploring.
- This is such a better date that Daisy’s. Every aspect of it. Major upper hand.
- THey do some shopping and then go into a Canadian pub. Next to a pool table, a random typical Canadian Paul strikes up a conversation and mentions that there is a tradition the couple must take part in
- It’s a polar plunge!
- The pure excitement that Kelsey has for the polar plunge is adorable. You can not fake this. She is so much more excited than Joey.
- Joey notes how he doesn’t have much meat on his bones so he gets cold easily.
- I empathize with this.
- Joey notes how he doesn’t have much meat on his bones so he gets cold easily.
- The polar plunge is pretty standard.
- The biggest question I have about it is in regards to the fake, but kinda sorta real, but fake sports reporting that was going on?
- This event was clearly put on for the sake of the show, but this news report seems a tad bit too real. Is that a Canadian broadcaster who is actually famous that’s taking part in it? THere was a bit too much professionalism to totally toss it aside.
- Kelsey’s bathing suit is far more skimpy than the rest of the ladies who are participating. No way she would have prepared a more reserved bathing suit for a polar plunge. No way she could have known.
- But then how did they get her a bathing suit?
- The biggest question I have about it is in regards to the fake, but kinda sorta real, but fake sports reporting that was going on?
- The pure excitement that Kelsey has for the polar plunge is adorable. You can not fake this. She is so much more excited than Joey.
- It’s a polar plunge!
- The dinner portion of the one-on-one is kinda boring.
- Joey likes Kelsey. Kelsey likes Joey.
- This one-on-one date had much more thrill to it than Daisy’s. The smiles seemed natural and grand. This is simply me reading it. Perhaps I am wrong, but Kelsey A. is peaking at just the right time.
- There is a conversation about Kelsey’s family again. She gets emotional, and Joey does his patented wipe away a tear move. Kelsey loved the way Joey listened to her.
- When Joey says that her dad would make a great father-in-law.
- Well that’s a massive plus in Kelsey’s column.
- When Joey says that her dad would make a great father-in-law.
- Kelsey really loves Joey. She hasn’t said it yet, but she feels it more than the other girls.
- No surprise, she gets the rose. Kelsey is moving onto hometowns.
ROSE CEREMONY
- There is NO COCKTAIL PARTY. DUM DUM DUMMMMM.
- All of the ladies without roses don’t love this.
- Well, not everyone can be peeved because Joey asks to speak to Maria while they are all lined up with just two roses to be given away.
- Maria seems calm when she sits down next to Joey.
- Joey seems a bit stern and serious heading into this conversation.
- Personally, I don’t think Maria’s speech is all that grand. But Joey listens, admits it was frustrating for her to walk away, and to please be honest going forward.
- Well, not everyone can be peeved because Joey asks to speak to Maria while they are all lined up with just two roses to be given away.
- Rachel and Maria get the final two roses.
- I knew that Rachel was going to get the rose because she gives Joey no drama and a ton of confidence.
- I was surprised by Maria to be honest. Not upset, but surprised.
- But the fact that Joey was so patient with her does lean credence to the fact that Joey does really care for her.
- My thoughts are that Maria and Daisy are the two that Joey wants to like the most, but they are not giving him the most emotionally.
- Kelsey and Rachel are confidence builders. They build Joey up. He still cares for them a lot, but it’s a different kind of love.
(MY) POWER RANKINGS
No. 4
Rachel
(Last Week 4)
No. 3
Maria
(Last Week 1)
No. 2
Daisy
(Last Week 2)
No. 1
Kelsey A.
(Last Week 5)
I don’t think so. The one-on-one date Kelsey A. and Joey shared was pretty fucking cute. The polar plunge was adorable, and seeing how excited Kelsey A. got for it gave her a ton of brownie points. Kelsey A. also got the better date than Daisy. Sorry, but walking around and being able to hold hands makes a huge difference. Remember the cut scene with Joey when he said he couldn’t reach Daisy?
The Bachelor airs on Monday nights on ABC, beginning at 8 PM EST.
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