‘The Bachelorette’: Michelle’s Final Four Men Revealed (RECAP)
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The Final Rose
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With hometowns on the horizon and only eight men left fighting for Michelle Young‘s final rose on ABC‘s The Bachelorette, the stakes are very high this week. Who will make it to Michelle’s final four? Let’s find out…
This week, four of Michelle’s students are here today to help her make some important decisions — because they’re learning to how write in cursive and do basic math, so why shouldn’t they be able to pick out a husband for their teacher? The kids ask the men some important questions, like who can do the best handstand and who has the worst breath… and honestly, the latter is fairly important in a relationship. After a day filled with fort making and crafts, the guys find out that the students are actually going to be choosing who gets the next one-on-one with Michelle — and the lucky chosen one is Clayton.
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So, Clayton and Michelle take off in a limo packed with every kind of junk food imaginable. Michelle says that she’s “starting to get a feel for who Clayton is” and I wish she would elaborate because I still have no clue what this guy is all about. They head to a planetarium where Michelle once took her students on a field trip, and maybe later they can do a science project and a math test. But despite the date being planned by kids, Michelle and Clayton still seem to find some romance as they kiss under the “stars.”
Later that night, Michelle questions Clayton about learning how to love himself and open up. He admits that he was concerned about embarrassing himself on this journey or being judged by others, so he came off more reserved, but realizes that he needs to be more open in order for good things in life to come his way. “I was like, ‘You’re gonna miss out on something else because you’re so concerned about others,” he tells her. Still, despite the vulnerable conversation, Michelle seems to be struggling to feel a true spark with Clayton. She can’t offer him the rose tonight knowing that she has stronger connections with other men, and Clayton takes the breakup like a champ. He wishes he could be what she’s looking for, but she affirms that he is “enough” and not “missing” anything. This is a true example of, “It’s not you it’s me.”
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In the limo ride home, Clayton says he wants to go back into his shell to protect himself from being hurt again. Poor thing… something tells me he’ll be just fine after all of this. Back at his hotel room, two of Michelle’s students drop off personal notes for him. One part of the note gets him especially emotional, “I hope you aren’t too sad when you go home,” the note reads. “You will probably meet someone else and fall in love and have lots of kids and be a great dad.” He breaks down in tears admitting he just wants to find love and will do anything to make that happen… sigh. Patience, my friend.
The next day, Nayte, Martin, Rodney, Rick, Joe, and Olu head off to the group date which takes place on a farm because apparently, milking a cow and shoveling poop means husband material.
Later that night, Michelle’s all about having deeper connections so she can figure out who she should be giving her rose to. Nayte steps up to the plate when he reveals that he’s never introduced a woman to his father before — or has even wanted to — and now that he’s “seriously, strongly” falling for her, he’s ready to. Michelle reciprocates those feelings by telling him she’s also feeling “strongly” for him, so I think it’s fairly obvious at this point that Nayte’s getting a hometown.
But not everyone is feeling the love with Michelle. Martin seems to think that Michelle hasn’t been “paying attention” to him after she called him out for his comments about women being “high maintenance” last week. He tells the guys that he questions what she stands for, and even goes so far to say that she’s “immature” for not dealing with her issues from her childhood. Obviously Olu isn’t going to to let those comments fly — and he goes right over to Michelle to spill the beans.
Michelle pulls Martin away from the group so she can get to the bottom of what’s going on. Martin flat out LIES to her face, saying that he never called her immature even though he LITERALLY. JUST. SAID IT. He says Olu clearly misunderstood him and even interrupts her while she’s trying to speak because she’s “putting words in his mouth.” Ugh. This isn’t going well.
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“My red flags are up. My walls are up. I have to follow the fact that I don’t trust you, so I have to walk you out,” she tells him.
In his car ride home, Martin isn’t even upset about going. He’s just mad about how she handled the situation. “A woman like that does not deserve my time,” he says. Oh, Martin, honey… no.
At the end of the date, it’s Nayte who gets the group date rose, meaning he’s guaranteed a hometown date.
Next we have Brandon’s one-on-one date, where Michelle shows him what summertime in Minnesota is like. Michelle reveals that she feels like Brandon is her “best friend” — which on one hand is great, but also, let’s hope he doesn’t get friend-zoned. She brings him to her childhood home, but her parents aren’t there, so the pressure isn’t too high just yet. He gets to look through her childhood photos and makeout with her in her childhood bed, but the romance heats up when they head to her parents’ hot tub.
But the romance comes to a screeching halt when — surprise! — her parents show up. Right in the middle of their tonsil hockey. The awkwardness quickly turns into a sweet chat with Michelle’s parents and Brandon shows just how deeply he cares for their daughter by asking for their blessing to MARRY HER. I know this show is all about finding a husband, but I felt like this was a little premature. Apparently not, because later at dinner he lays out all of his feelings for her. He gives her a bracelet that his mother made for him prior to going on the show. “She said that if I truly think that you’re the one, then give her this bracelet,” he tells her. “I’m falling in love with you.”
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No surprise here, Brandon gets the rose meaning he — along with Nayte — also gets a hometown date. But who will round out the final four? Those remaining two roses end up going to Joe and Rodney, meaning Olu and Rick are going home rose-less.
When Olu leaves, he reveals that his name means “your hero’s here” and that his goal was to show Michelle he could be her hero. WHY ARE WE ONLY JUST LEARNING THAT NOW, OLU? I would’ve loved to watch you become Michelle’s hero. But maybe you’ll find your special someone in Paradise. As for Rick, he’s praying that Michelle finds love, but also that he finds love as well. And again, I say… maybe in Paradise.
Cheers to hometowns. Until next week!
The Bachelorette, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC
