Last week concluded with Shawn having a little bit of a breakdown as Kaitlyn gave the group date rose to Jared. Though Jared is my favourite, I just don't think they have enough chemistry for her to take him to the final two. (P.S. I'd love to see him as the next Bachelor, he's so fun and easy going, and I think he's cute, awkward facial hair aside. However, I'm pretty sure it won't happen because The Bachelor franchise tends to only cast a certain type of "look". Le Sigh).
Oh Kaitlyn, I really feel for her. She's just playing the game, like she has to. She is expected to at least look like she's trying to talk to everyone. Even though we can all predict who the final two will be, the show has to go through the motions.
We pick up right where we left off with Shawn going up to Kaitlyn's room to voice his concerns. She tries to reassure him, but can only do so much. He puts her on the spot asking her if she is in love with him, but smartly, Kaitlyn only says that she's "falling" in love.
Two on One
Time for a two on one date with Joe and JJ. They take a boat ride and while on the open water, JJ's hand is around Kaitlyn's shoulder, and Joe is holding her hand on her lap, and did they both just cheers when JJ says he's falling in love with Kaitlyn? This is all just too awkward for my liking. On the date, Joe and JJ both confess their feelings to Kaitlyn, telling her that they are falling in love with her. During his one on one time, JJ also confesses that he once cheated on his wife. Though JJ bares his heart, Kaitlyn decides to send him home. Joe and Kaitlyn continue with their date after JJ is gone, and during this time, they connect and grow a closer together.
Shawn again?
When Joe returns to the rest of the men, Shawn again feels insecure and needs more reassurance from Kaitlyn, going up to her room to find her again. She is nervous that he knows about the fact that she has been intimate with Nick. Though she is relieved to hear that he is only there because he needs reassurance, she is also worried that maybe he needs a little too much reassurance. Kaitlyn is already emotionally/mentally exhausted, so all of Shawn's insecurities are really starting to weigh on her and tire her out even more. Oh Shawn, things were going so well but he is really getting in his own way. At first it was romantic, but Shawn's neediness has become quite exhausting to watch as a viewer, so I can only imagine how exhausted Kaitlyn is.
Rose Ceremony
Time to send some of the men packing: Kaitlyn begins the night letting the guys know that she's felling very emotional and overwhelmed. This leaves the already nervous men feeling even more unsettled. Shawn thinks that the statement is about him, oh boy, he is really in for a rude awakening when the truth about what happened with Nick comes out. That will really push him over the edge.
Before the rose ceremony, Ben Z connects with Kailtyn, whilst Ben H confronts Kaitlyn. He tells her that he knows that she must have given Shawn some kind of reassurance, and he confesses that it has really been bothering him. Kaitlyn assures Ben H that she is still open to falling in love with any of them. This is really the moment where Kaitlyn realizes that maybe she needs to slow down with just Shawn and give the other guys a real fighting chance.
During Nick's one on one time, Kaitlyn tells him that she is nervous that he will tell the other men that they have been intimate, but Nick tells her that she should not worry about that. Nick opens up, getting emotional with Kaitlyn, and his sincerity really touches her, shoot, it touched me too. I'm starting to root for him (ssshh, don't tell anyone). During her one on one time with Shawn, she says that she regrets telling him that he is the one, and that they really just need to restart the relationship without all the pressure and promises.
Woosh, this has been one tough night, for Kaitlyn and also for the men, who spent most of the night with their heads in their hands.
The men who leave: JJ (Prior to the ceremony) Tanner (We all saw that coming, I'm sure he did too), Ben Z (awww, time to say goodbye to the gentle giant).
The men who stay: Ben H, Chris, Shawn.
Men who had a rose prior to the ceremony: Jared, Nick, Joe
Road Tripping
Kaitlyn and Jared enjoy a road trip together. This is great for her, after such an emotional week, it's great to see Kaitlyn just have fun with one of the guys, without all the drama. I know I've said this A LOT but I'm going to say it again, Jared is great, he's such a breath of fresh air. While Jared and Kaitlyn have a great romantic day, the rest of the men are stuck on the bus together. Kudos to ABC for that great shot of Shawn snoring, lol.
After an already stressful week, Chris Harrison arrives to tell Kaitlyn that even more changes are going to be coming her way. Chris states that because she has had some off-camera time with some of the men, it's time to get the rest of her relationships up to speed by getting time with all the men off camera. Things are going to happen a little differently this season. Let me break it down for you: This week she will narrow the group of men from 6 to 3. Next week she will have the intimate overnight dates (fantasy suite), and only when she has narrowed it down to two men will she finally meet their families. This is different, but I like it. No point in bringing in the families if a relationship isn't really going anywhere. This means that this week the dates have a lot of underlying pressure because at the end of the week the number of men is going to be cut by half.
One on One
Chris gets the one on one date. He and Kaitlyn take a helicopter to the edge of a cliff, where they have a picnic. Kaitlyn is clearly overwhelmed, breaking down in tears during her date with Chris. She tells Chris that she just doesn't see a future with him, even though he's everything that she wants in someone. She is just not connecting with him and does not see a future with him. I appreciate her honesty, and I could feel how sincere she was. Chris is visibly heartbroken but he remains a gentleman saying that though he believes Kaitlyn may not be ready to find the man of her dreams and get married, he still wishes her nothing but happiness. Sidebar, who thought it would be a good idea to leave a brokenhearted man on the side of a cliff?
This has been one of the most emotional weeks by far, for Kaitlyn, and for all the men. According to social media, it was also quite emotional for the viewers too, who are quite invested by now. Now we wait for next week where Kaitlyn is going to reveal to the men what happened with Nick. Uh oh!
See you then!
Image Courtesy of INFphoto.com.
Video Courtesy of ABC