Tonight’s ABC’s The Bachelorette continues with changes on the horizon! Tayshia pops by to see the guys and lets them know that this is ultimately Katie Thurston’s season. She lets them know that a guy reached out to her to join the season and that he is now being added to the mix. Blake comes by and introduces himself to the guys and notes that the energy is not the greatest.
The date card arrives, and it’s a 1-on-1 with Blake. The guys are definitely simmering over him being there and getting that prime time with her.
Katie makes her presence known and sits with the guys and decides to open up the floor and to see how they feel about it. They wanted to know more about how she knows Blake. She assures them that she values the existing relationships but in also speaking with him, she noticed that there was chemistry there and wants to explore it. In her confessional, she shares that by having him now as a date, she can see if there is an opportunity with him quickly.
While Blake and Katie are on the back half of their date, the next date card is given and it’s a group date. Greg, Quartenay, Aaron, Mike P., Michael A., Andrew M., Josh, Justin, Brandon, James, Connor B., Tre and Hunter.
Andrew S.’ name was not on the card so he knows that he will get the 1-on-1 date.
Back on the date with Blake, he asks her and learns about her journey to sex positivity. She is interested in continuing the journey with him and finding out more about him and gave him the rose. They also enjoyed a solo performance by Laine Hardy (American Idol season 2) as there is always a country artist that’s in the mix these past few seasons of the show.
We know that the group date makes a reference to a battle field and with so many emotions amongst the guys, we have a feeling that this will be an intense date. We also know that one of our favorites (longtime friend of our Style Director, Kimmie Smith) Franco Lacosta are on today’s episode. They’re playing a rugby meets basketball game known as Bash Ball. They begin with a medley of workouts that included tackling drills. The guys hit the field rocking wrestling outfits. Hunter initiates the aggressive tackle and it gets dicey throughout the rest of the game with hard tackles. Michael A. gets tackled from behind and the medics hit the field - the look on Justin’s face is filled with anguish as he feels bad. Katie calls the game because she doesn’t want anyone injured. She also notes that if they got injured, they have to leave the bubble and can’t come back. Katie decides that although the black team won, she is having both teams come to the cocktail party.
The largest group date rose transitions into the back half of the date as everyone in the house minus Andrew S. and Blake are on the date. Katie pulls Michael A. away first - he did get a huge injury so everyone should have expected that. She brings him a cold ice pack so that he can put it on his injuries. He lets her know it’s been a rough few days as his wife passed away and it was her birthday. Others on the date find ways to connect as they feel the pressure of really being able to connect and make the best impression. Hunter truly leans into being an awful human being by being rude to the guys. He shares pictures of his kids with her which is sweet; however, hearing him being an ass to everyone else on tonight’s episode has been a bit much.
Back at the house, the last date card arrives for the episode and it confirms that Andrew S. will be on the 1-on-1 date. Back on the group date, the guys chat amongst themselves and Michael A. shares that he is widowed after being with the same woman for 16 years. Greg is visibly touched by his story (in our chat on Twitter tonight, we were reminded that Greg lost his dad) and realizing how happy he is and that he would have never have known that about him. Michael A. shares that time is an important element and that people need to live in the moment and Greg realizes that he wants to step it up and be in the moment. He talks with Katie and she tells him that he has resting sad puppy dog face. The rose for the group date goes to Hunter. Clearly, the house has focused on Hunter as the next person that they will try to kick out.
Immediately after the group date, Andrew S. has his late-night date with Katie. They grab some lanterns and walk into the dark woods. Katie plugs in the lights and it seems like they will have to open envelopes that will direct them to do various activities. The activities allow them to converse and to get to know more about one another. The date continues with them being able to break hearts (after reading the envelopes) which is a deeper set of conversations where they talk about their families and other topics. Both of them answer the questions so that they can get to know more about one another. This continues onto the next portion of the date which has balloons that are lit up with a few questions that they can continue to answer. As they complete their date over a few drinks, it’s easy to see how they have great chemistry and it’s easy between them. In addition to having a shared upbringing and some of the same insecurities, it makes you wonder how their relationship will progress in terms of a dating dynamic. Andrew S. talks about the realities of an interracial relationship and how a woman he wanted to marry questioned what it would be like to have biracial children. Katie was shocked but put his mind at ease by saying that she wants a beautiful family no matter what they look like and that she would be a mama bear. They end the date in the hot tub and she gives him the 1-on-1 date rose.
Going into the cocktail party with half an hour left, it’s 50/50 on whether the rose ceremony will happen. The guys note that there isn’t drama necessarily going into this rose ceremony (although there is) and Katie emerges and talks with Justin first. Justin gives us all the faces during their time together. Hunter takes some time with Katie, but his housemates, Aaron and James are annoyed because he already has a rose. They feel that if he didn’t have a rose, he would be annoyed that someone with a rose was with her. James decides that he will interrupt their date. He asks to talk with her and Hunter initially says no and that he needs a few more minutes. James comes back and pulls her again, Hunter feels that even though he has his rose, he will still get his “unclaimed” minutes. Aaron continues his campaign by sharing what happened with Hunter to Tre. Hunter chats with Tre, James and Aaron and says that he is competing and rose or not, it’s what he wanted to do.
The end of the night comes to a close with the following guys moving onto next week with a rose: Blake, Hunter, Andrew S., Greg, Aaron, Michael A., Conor B., James, Justin, Mike P., Brandon and Tre.
Katie sends Quartenay (round of applause was given by the house), Joshua and Andrew M. are sent home. Aaron was going to give a toast and Hunter interrupted him and gave his own!
Each night, when the season airs, we’ll tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
