This week the contestants were in Madiera, Portugal, for the seventh leg of Desiree’s journey. It’s a small and gorgeous island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and not to mention, very romantic!
There are now five boys left, Zach K, Brooks, Chris, Michael, and Drew. This week is pivotal as Desiree needs to get ready to meet the guys’ families. She brings in a few friends from Sean Lowe’s season, which include Catherine Guidici and Lesley Murphy, to get a little advice and help.
Desiree starts off her dates with a one-on-one, inviting Brooks to go with her first. The chemistry between the two is undeniable. “Things are easy with us,” Brooks tells Desiree. “… I don’t have to worry about when I have to hold your hand….” They drive to the top of a mountain where you’re literally walking on clouds. Desiree’s connection with Brooks was obvious from the beginning and has really developed. I can definitely see him getting on a knee and asking Dez for her hand in marriage. On their date they talk about using adjectives between “like” and “love” to express their feelings for each other. Desiree describes her feelings as “stepping, skipping, jogging, running, finish line…” and that she is at “running” with Brooks. He loves it!
For the second one-on-on date, Desiree chooses Chris, 27, a mortgage broker from Seattle, Washington. Throughout the whole season, Chris has succeeded in developing a strong bond with Dez, and lets her know how he feels. He show her the poems and letters he wrote to express his feelings. Desiree decides to do the same for him. Their date is on a yacht and they later venture off to another part of the island for a picnic where he again brings up his poetry. This time, he does it with a “message in a bottle.” He and Desiree write a romantic poem, put it in the bottle, and throw it in the ocean, so someone random can find it. Chris makes it clear to her during the date that he wants Desiree to meet his family. They also have their own fireworks display later on in the night.
For the third and last one-one-on, we see Michael and Desiree together. However, I didn’t see the sparks at all! Enjoying a sled ride, Portuguese style, being pushed by two men down the streets of the island, they explore Madiera together. Everything goes smoothly and they get along, but I just can’t see them being romantically involved. They have dinner set up on the cobblestone streets and Michael talks about his past relationship when he was heartbroken and cheated on. Although he opens up to Desiree, there is something fishy about him.
Moving along in the episode, Drew and Zach were left for the two-on-one date. A rose is up for grabs and would secure how Desiree would meet the chosen guys’ family but no one would be sent home if they didn’t get a rose.
Drew and Zach’s date iss on a racetrack where the two of them battle it out, driving go-carts. Zach ended up winning.
Afterwards, Desiree pulls Zach aside for some one-on-one time. Zach takes out a sketchbook in which he has drawn sketches of every milestone he experienced with Desiree. From the first night, showing up shirtless, when he drew his abs to sitting by the little chapel in Germany, Munich. I give him points for this super-cute gesture. Zach is easily a favorite, from among the remaining five, because he is really respectful. He wanted to tell Desiree he was falling in love with her but because Drew was on the date, he wanted to be considerate about that and decides to tell her about his feelings another time.
When Desiree gets talking with Drew, you can tell she is really attracted to him. She even tells the host, Chris Harrison, “Drew is the best looking guy I’ve ever met.” Drew tells Desiree he can’t wait for her to meet his family. His sister is disabled and it would mean a lot to him if Desiree would go with him to pick her up during the hometown date. Desiree is all for it and seems really eager to meet her! She ends up giving Drew the rose.
The pressure really is on for Dez for the rest of this season. She sits down with Chris Harrison at the end of the episode and explaines that it is getting harder to keep each relationship separate. When asked about the boys, she tells him in particular about Drew that “you can see through his eyes how kind he really is.” When Chris Harrison brings up Brooks, he pointes out to Desiree that her reaction is always a crazy big smile, where she giggles, and even blushes. Recounting the adjective story, she admits that she was at the “finish line” with Brooks, and that she’s holding back because she doesn’t know how Brooks feels about her completely. On the other hand, she is falling in love with contestant Chris, too, and keeping an open heart and mind. During the rose ceremony, Desiree sent Michael home, about which I was really happy because I never saw a connection better than what she was having with the others
Next week are the hometown dates and it seems like a party! Tune in Monday 8/7c on ABC to see what unfolds.