And now the drama continues... on The Bachelor. If you didn't remember the cliff hanger of the last episode, fans were waiting to see if Ben would take Olivia's rose back.
We resume the drama to find Olivia telling Ben she has a target on her back. She can't relate to the other girls in the house. She likes reading books while they like doing hair and nails. It's not a shock to her that they don't like her, because she comes across as intimidating. This is because she's really confident.
The girls are shocked when he comes back with her and she still has the rose.
"I enjoy and appreciate each one of you. You are all different," Ben explains. He says that it's getting harder for him each week.
The rose ceremony finally happens, and everyone gets one- except for Jennifer.
They are going somewhere new this week with lots of sun and beach- the Bahamas.
Everyone is happy to be in the Bahamas, but no one is happy that Olivia is there, except for Olivia.
Chris announces the dates- a one on one, a group date, and there will be a two-on-one where one of them will be going home.
The first date goes to Caila. "Let's see if our love is 'reel.'" Leah boo-hoos her unhappiness at Caila getting another one, while she hasn't spent time with Ben. "Why did he even bring me here?" she wonders.
This is where we learn that one of Ben's favorite activities is deep sea fishing.
Kayla mentions to Ben on the boat that she was uncomfortable because of the look on the girls' face. Cue the crying by Leah back at the house, and then cut back to the fun Caila is having with his hand on her bikini body waist as she pulls in a fish. Then they jump off the boat together.
Ben notices that Kayla smiles a lot- even through the tough times, and he is looking for someone to cry with him. She doesn't know that she is ready to be vulnerable with him and "cry on his shoulder." She says she feels like she loves him, but doesn't know why she can't share her feelings with him yet.
She knows she's falling in love with him because he makes her feel understood. "It's almost attractive that Kayla is confusing."
So after it feels like he is about ready to send her home, he gives her the date rose. "In the weirdest way possible, this was one of the best dates of my life," explains Ben.
Lauren B, Becca, Amanda, Lauren H., JoJo and Leah get the group date card. "Love is unpredictable."
Leah says she almost didn't want to go on the date because she has been missing out on the attention by Ben.
"You know what else is unpredictable?...Sharks." Well, there are no sharks, but a bunch of swimming pigs.They are going to feed the pigs hot dogs? Well, no, they are chicken hot dogs, so that's okay. The pigs are loving the chase of the girls. Is there some subtle imagery going on here?
Ben starts feeling uncomfortable because the girls seem to be sending off a vibe. He finds out Leah's true feelings that she feels left out on group dates and asks her to make the most of today with him. She just doesn't know why he is keeping her there.
Lauren B's confidence makes Leah feel uneasy. Leah takes the time with Ben to tell Ben that Lauren B. is different around him than she is in the house. This makes Ben question her, and as she is upset and tells the girls what happened, Leah comes in the room and acts like she has no idea who would say anything about Lauren to Ben!
After the date is over, Leah saunters on over to Ben's place to tell him more of her feelings about Lauren B., and Ben realizes that the spark that he once had for her is not there anymore. He decides to send Leah home right there and then. Leah is heartbroken. If she just could have seen that she would have sent her home for talking about another girl! Even though he sent her home, he still can't help but wonder if she's right about Lauren.
Olivia and Emily are left on the 2-on-1. Emily has called home to say how awful things are going with Olivia.
"2 women, 1 rose. One stays, one goes." Nice poetry by Chris.
Olivia is "giddy" about this almost 1-on-1 date. Emily, on the other hand, is nervous because she thinks that Ben has validated Olivia more, and she always gets the roses. They take a boat out to an island where they are whipped around by the wind and toast their awkwardness on the beach.
"Deep intellectual things are just my jam," Olivia tells Ben as she confesses her love for him, and gives him some awkward kisses.
Now it's Emily's turn. She rambles on and on with her hair in her face.
This date felt very rushed- maybe because of the wind, and just to prevent the drawn out inevitable.
Back on the beach with both of them, he picks up the rose and asks Olivia to come with him, leaving Emily upset that he is picking her. But, actually, Ben just had to psych out the girls to make things a little more dramatic. He tells Olivia that he was glad that she was able to open up to him with her about her feelings. Olivia is getting all twitterpated ... but ... he has to be honest with her about his feelings, and that means he is going home. Ben goes back to Emily and gives her the rose. Poor Olivia gets left stranded alone on the island to wallow, as rose petals wash up on the shore. Oh. my.
Ben decides to cancel the cocktail party, so the girls are left to wonder if they said enough to him.
At the rose ceremony, the 1st rose goes to Becca, then JoJo, and finally... Lauren B. This leaves Lauren H, the kindergarten teacher to be walked out.
Sneak peek for next week:
In the dramatic scenes showing what is to come, everyone is crying- even Ben. All the girls are talking about how they've fallen in love with him. There are scenes from the hometown dates. We see Chris and Ben talking."What you're contemplating now would change everything," Chris tells him. Ben is talking about the final two girls and wondering how he is going to make a decision. We see him making a call to someone.
Since Valentine's Day is on Sunday this year, there will be a special Bachelor event with contestants from previous seasons looking for love in the pool of rejected others. The evening also ends with a Bachelor wedding. The Bachelor at 20 will show this Sunday, February 14th.
Five girls left. Who do you think Ben will pick? Leave your comments below!
