‘The Bachelorette’: Michelle Zeroes In on the Lying Contestant (RECAP)
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The Final Rose
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We’re now in Week 3 of Michelle Young‘s journey to find love on ABC‘s The Bachelorette — and with Jamie telling Michelle that the men were questioning her authenticity last episode, it’s clear the drama is only getting started.
We pick up the morning after the rose ceremony, with Michelle still bothered by her conversation with Jamie. But she puts her frustration aside to kick off the first group date and is joined by Top Gun: Maverick stars Glen Powell and Jay Ellis to help her put the men to the test.
The first group date
Martin, LT, Olumide, Spencer, Clayton Peter, Will, Nayte, Joe, and Rick are all invited on the date, which takes place at Palm Springs Air Museum. The men quickly learn that they will be participating in naval aviator drills, competing to be chosen as the “maverick” of the day, who will get special alone time with Michelle.
So, the guys have to get inside a G-force simulator and confess their love for Michelle while spinning at rapid speed because what else would they be doing on a group date — actually getting to know the girl? Please. Anyway, I’m starting to get nauseous watching these guys and this date. I guess if there’s not going to be tears on a date, the next best thing is vomit. Michelle actually offers a “puke bucket” to Will, who appears to be two seconds away from throwing up all over this beautiful girl, and if that doesn’t scream romance, I don’t know what does. But Will gets a little side-eye from Peter, who claims he “stole” his love confession. Sigh. Whatever you say, Peter.
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Things get even more magical when the men go head to head in a dogfight. Will wins not only his fight with Peter, but the entire date. And his “prize” is a pretty good one — he gets his very own bomber jacket and some special alone time with Michelle in a vintage car from the Top Gun: Maverick movie. Sorry, Peter!
Later at the cocktail party, the drama continues to build between Peter and Will. The tension reaches an all-time high when Peter takes Will’s bomber jacket and throws it in the pool. When Will realizes that his bomber jacket is now in the deep end, he breaks down in tears. Maturity across the board.
Luckily the drama with these boys didn’t take away from Michelle finding a connection tonight as she offers Martin the group date rose.
The one-on-one
Rodney gets the one-on-one date this week and Michelle shares that they’ll be playing truth or dare throughout the day. The dares start off cute and innocent but quickly turn scandalous when Rodney has to streak through the building as Michelle yells “This is our journey!” on a megaphone. Luckily he’s a good sport… and has a solid set of abs.
When they get to the truth portion of the date, Michelle asks Rodney about his biggest fear. Rodney reveals that he’s fearful of passing away before he gets to become a husband and a father. Oh my heart. Michelle’s biggest fear is being complacent. “Nothing about you is complacent, nothing about you is average,” he tells her with a kiss.
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Later that evening, Rodney opens up about growing up with a single mother, and he calls her his “hero.” Michelle relates to Rodney’s relationship with his mother as she’s close with hers, as well. She opens up about her parents’ interracial marriage and how her parents have always been protective of one another, which is something that has been missing from Michelle’s relationships.
She continues to explain in a previous relationship, she didn’t feel she was able to express her emotions. She shares one difficult time in particular when a woman in a grocery store used the N-word towards her. She remembers getting upset, but having to justify her anger with her partner, instead of just being allowed to feel those emotions. She reiterates that having trust is necessary in her next relationship.
Rodney understands her. And tells her that it’s so easy to be himself and trust in her.
“I see your heart. I see how much you’re willing to invest in a relationship,” she tells Rodney before offering him the rose.
The second group date
Jamie, Leroy, Chris G., Casey, Mollique, Chris S., Brandon, and Romeo are invited on the second group date of the week. Jamie seems to be totally confident going into this date despite all of the drama he caused the last time he saw Michelle.
So today’s date is hosted by poet Rudy Francisco who will be helping the men express themselves through the spoken word. The men will not only be writing their own poems for Michelle, but reading them on stage. Michelle is impressed by the vulnerability, creativity, and willingness to communicate — until it’s time for Jamie’s poem. Instead of telling a personal story, Jamie tells a story about a girl who takes a wrong turn and sees her guardian angel.
Michelle moves the men when she takes the stage and reads her poem about being the “token Black girl” growing up and how it affected her dating life. She concludes by sharing — regardless of her skin color — she just wants to find love and she hopes to find it on this journey. While the entire group of men might not be able to understand exactly what she’s been through, they seem open and willing to listen and learn.
Later that evening, Brandon pulls Michelle aside and tells her that he was touched by her poem. He shares that he had a similar experience, going to a predominantly white high school, and feeling like he needed to “choose” a side. Their connection goes deeper than just physical. Their connection is electric — and Michelle admits she feels like she just “dropped down a roller coaster” after they share a kiss.
And for the second group date in a row, Brandon gets the group date rose. “I’m absolutely crazy about this woman. I’m smitten,” he admits in a confessional.
As the date comes to an end, Jamie is seen walking off with a producer, complaining about the caliber of men left on the show and saying Michelle is in “spring break mode” while trying to find her husband. Yikes. This is about to get ugly.
The cocktail party
We cut to the cocktail party before the rose ceremony and the conversation quickly goes back to who has been spreading rumors and throwing the other men under the bus. Rick pulls Michelle aside and confronts the rumor head on — telling her that no one has been questioning her character. Michelle admits it was Jamie who said they were questioning her authenticity, and it seems as though she’s starting to see that Jamie is a walking red flag.
The news quickly spreads through the house that Jamie is the man in question, but when confronted, he struggles to come up with a good enough lie. He starts bringing up “viewers” and “episodes” and makes it clear that he’s much more focused on being on a television show than he is with Michelle.
Michelle confronts Jamie in front of the group of men, exposing that he’s been lying to her and everyone else in the house. “It became a thing that it wasn’t and that’s where I’m really struggling with you,” she says before taking Jamie outside, sending him home, and canceling the cocktail party.
Before the rose ceremony, Michelle reiterates that trust is the most important thing to her in a relationship — and by sending Jamie home, she’s serious about making the right choices on this journey. This week we say goodbye to Mollique, LT, Spencer, and even drama-starter Peter. Michelle is clearly not messing around.
The Bachelorette, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC
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