‘The Bachelor: Listen To Your Heart’ Premiere: Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd (RECAP)
Spoiler Alert
Clare Crawley’s season of The Bachelorette has been delayed and the status of Bachelor in Paradise is up in the air, but fear not, we now have The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart, another spinoff from the franchise we’ve all come to love.
In this brand new show — which promises to be jam-packed with makeouts, drama, and crazy dates (you know the drill) — eligible men and women searching for love, and for a career in the music industry, come together to see if they can truly find it all.
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Read on for a recap of tonight’s premiere episode that will hopefully answer all your questions, including how the show works, who the contestants are, and which potential couples are already stirring up drama.
If you were already thinking this show sounds a lot like the plot of A Star Is Born, you’re exactly right. In fact, host Chris Harrison (yes, he’s hosting this show too) references Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s award-winning work in the first five minutes of the episode.
Here are the rules of the show: 20 contestants live under one roof, hoping to find a love connection while also furthering their music career. Much like Bachelor in Paradise, there are rose ceremonies at the end of each episode (or “week,” in show lingo) and if a contestant isn’t in a relationship, they’re sent home.
Once the couples form, they will then get a chance to perform for some of the biggest names in music and in Bachelor Nation, including Jason Mraz, Kesha, Kailyn Bristowe, Rachel Lindsay, and many others.
Alright, now let’s get into the episode. Of course, we start with the intro videos where we meet a handful of hopefuls, like Trevor, who loves his dog and actually previously auditioned for American Idol (where Katy Perry said he was “hot”). We’re also introduced to 21-year-old Jamie, who mentions she’s been cheated on in every relationship she’s ever had.
Because there is no Bachelor or Bachelorette, the contestants arrive at the mansion (which is not the typical mansion, BTW), and are greeted by Chris.
Jamie, who is one of the first into the mansion, initially connects with Ryan who looks kind of like if Shawn Mendes and John Mayer had a baby. But once Trevor arrives, Jamie is left confused.
Though she clicked with Ryan right off the bat, she can’t deny there’s something special going on with Trevor. “I had an initial physical attraction with [Ryan], but then talking to Trevor I feel like our conversation was flowing. But it’s hard to tell,” Jamie says.
Things get even more complicated for Jamie when she kisses both Ryan and Trevor on the same night, which is leading us to believe this is a love triangle that’s going to cause some serious issues down the road.
Matt, a 32-year-old from California, connects with 25-year-old Rudi, and the pair even take their blossoming romance to the hot tub. Though they don’t kiss, there are clearly sparks flying.
Ryan & Jamie’s First Date
Ryan gets the first date card of the season, and of course, he asks Jamie to join. The pair go to famed Capitol Records and record a version of John Mayer’s “Gravity” with the original producers.
“Ryan’s obviously very good looking and is an amazing guitarist, he’s got an amazing voice and it’s really cool too because of his ability to be flexible and to change the key for me. That was really sweet,” Jamie gushes.
The pair crush the recording and celebrate their success on the rooftop of Capitol Records, where they share a sweet kiss. While it’s clear they’re both very into one another, it feels as though Ryan may be a little more invested than Jamie.
Matt & Mel’s 1-on-1 Date
The second date goes to Matt, who tries to decide between Rudi — who he connected with on the first night — and Mel, a girl we’ve literally never heard of before. And, in a shocking twist, Matt decides to ask Mel on the date even though, again, we’ve never seen one second of the pair talking thus far.
Rudi is, of course, jealous and confused — like the rest of us — and doesn’t understand why he would ask someone else when they had such a strong connection night one. “Today has been a very rough day for me. What Matt did has been weighing on my heart all day long. It’s just not fun to have to deal with rejection,” she shares.
Mel and Matt attend a private Plain White T’s concert, but we see almost none of their date. In fact, Rudi complaining about Matt not picking her gets more airtime than this date. We’re confused.
First Rose Ceremony
Rudi is still upset with Matt at the rose ceremony, so she confronts him about why he didn’t pick her to go on the date. “Out of all the guys, I was drawn to you, and then you pull that s—t on me,” she says.
Needless to say, Matt doesn’t feel confident he’ll be getting a rose from Rudi tonight. “I hope that Rudi doesn’t go and bad mouth me to every other girl in the house, or else I’m going home. I’m pretty sure I’m screwed.”
To make things even more complicated, Matt’s also convinced he’s not getting a rose from Mel either, as she’s been connecting with Gabe. Why did Matt pick Mel to go on the date with him in the first place?
Jamie’s not sure if she’s going to give her rose to Ryan or Trevor, and both men know they have to pull out their A-game. “On paper Ryan is perfect. But, at the end of the day, I can’t help how I feel and I love being around Trevor,” Jamie says.
Alright now for the roses. Savannah gives her rose to Brandon, Mel to Gabe, Bekah to Danny, Bri to Chris, Cheyenne to Matt, Julia to Sheridan, Jamie to Trevor, and Rudi to Ryan. Michael Todd, Jack, Josh, and Russell are sent packing.
While there’s are drama brewing with Jamie, Trevor, and Ryan — as well as with Matt and Rudi — we’re excited to see more of the other couples in the coming weeks. Who knows, we may be witnessing the beginning of the next big power couple in music!
The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart, Mondays, 8/7c, ABC
