This week, Jenn sends her ex packing, while another guy decides to peace out on his own.
It was a topsy-turvy week onThe Bachelorette, rose lovers.
The episode wastes no time with any preamble.
Jenn drops a bombshell on the men on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
Its cocktail party time, rose lovers, and the guys have no idea whats about to hit them.
“Dare I say it?
This might be the first cocktail party where there is absolutely no drama,” he predicts.
Marcus, Jon, and Spencer feel the pain on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
You should not have dared.
“It definitely has me even more confused now.”
Okay, Jenn time to head into the cocktail party and ruin the night of all 11 men inside.
Matt makes his case to Jenn on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
But wait theres more bad news!
Matt is here tonight, the Bachelorette continues.
And I do need to talk to him.
Matt apologizes to the guys on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
So, I will be right back.
The men, as it’s possible for you to probably guess, do NOT love it.
We all took that kind of personally, says Grant.
Thomas tries to go out gracefully on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
Were all putting our hearts on the line… Im not happy about it.
That guy does have an unfair advantage.
He knows Jenn better than any of us in this room, he says.
Jonathon is not loving the helicopter ride on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
I think its kind of wack and corny if hes able to come here and stay.
Ultimately, the men know that the only feelings that matter are Jenns.
Outside, she sits with Matt on a bench and asks him to make his case.
Jonathon kisses Jenn on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
Her first question is simple: Why now?
[raises hand] Oh, oh, oh!
I can answer that!
Jenn and Jonathon smooch in the hot tub on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
Because of the TV cameras, thats why!
(Come on, Jenn!
If youre gonna quiz him, youve gotta make the questions harder.)
Jonathon covers up his ankles like a gentleman on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
Matts answer is slightly different, of course.
Its now or never, he says.
Youre leaving this thing engaged.
Jenn gives Jonathon the rose on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
Theres no flexibility there.
Still, Matt argues that they were totally different people then, and not the adults they are today.
(To be fair, I suppose people do grow a lot between 23 and 26.)
Austin’s sleeves go missing on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
Im just not ready to let it go, Matt says.
Inside, the men are spiraling some more than others.
Devin insists that if Jenn lets Matt join her man-harem, hell get up and leave.
Diane, Richard, and Jenn in ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
Im livid, man, he fumes.
Ive been cheated on in the past…
I know this isnt necessarily that, but it feels like it for sure.
A sheep’s bottom gets a closeup on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
Once hes back with the men, Devin doubles down.
If she walks in here with this guy, this rose doesnt mean anything to me.
Okay, bro, but what are you gonna do if the dude walks in on his own?
Austin says goodbye to Jenn on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
Because thats what just happened.
I just wanted to let you know that I did come here of my own volition, says Matt.
But she let me know her futures in this room.
Jenn shares her fears with the guys on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
She feels confident that you guys can offer something I cant.
And Im just here to apologize.
Say it with me, rose lovers: The devil works hard, but Bachelor producers work harder.
Grant and Jenn ride horses on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
Sorry you didnt get your big TV break, Matt!
Maybe theyll let you do a few Bachelor Nation podcasts when you get home.
With that, the cocktail party is over.
Grant and Jenn shelter under an umbrella on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
Rose ceremony roll call!
That means we must say goodbye to John (booo!)
and Sam M.s suck-up sidekick, Thomas.
Grant shares his feelings on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
Ugh, and you just know that producers will send the latter toParadise.
Hes literally already campaigning!
Oh, knock it off, you pot-stirring mean boy.
Dylan, Spencer, and Jeremy are 1-800-OVER-IT on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
You cant erase all your obnoxious behavior that easily.
Cut to:
The way he sang that, LOL!
For once, Jenn is the one comforting someone rather than being comforted during an acrophobic freak out.
Jenn shares more bad news on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC
Im going to reassure him that everything is going to be okay, she insists.
The Bachelorette also hopes that their day together will help their relationship take flight more than it already has.
(Painful pun intended.)
The helicopter brings them toWaiheke, an island known for its wine.
Jonathon LOVES it and the fact that the helicopter landed safely.
He brings out the weirdest parts of me, giggles Jenn.
We just have a good time.
Case in point:
Get your heads out of the gutter, rose lovers!
Theyre just tossing grapes into each others mouths.
These two really do have a goofy chemistry; they even reenact a rose ceremony but with a grape.
Like Jenn, Jonathon is slightly worried that their relationship hasnt progressed past the fun, surface-level stuff.
You mean, like, making out in a hot tub?
To be fair, Jonathon does express his concerns to Jenn before they start smooching.
Do we connect on that deeper, emotional level?
Its hugely important, and its something Im bad at.
The Bachelorette does her best to assure him.
I hope that well be able to do that.
And dont you worry, rose lovers our handsome creative director is ready.
Understandably, Jonathon says those words still haunt him to this day.
Their relationship ended abruptly, and Jonathan says it crushed his hopeless romantic spirit.
Jenn wants Jonathan to know that she really, really relates to this experience.
I did have a toxic ex-boyfriend who in the same way gaslit me all the time, she explains.
It really takes a toll on you.
Jonathon offers up a sheepish smile before answering, Yeah, probably.
Im sorry, what in the holy hell happened to Austins shirt?
Did someone cut off his sleeves with lefty scissors?
(The same culprit seems to have removed the bottom half of Jeremys shirt, too.
Too bad, sir!
First up, Richard charges the men with herding a giant flock of sheep into a specific gate.
It… does not go well.
Will someone tell us what gate their going through?
Its the one right in front of you, you maroons!
Richard and Diane watch with a mixture of bemusement and dismay.
The first thing I would have done is initiate the gate, Richard deadpans.
That was seriously a disappointment that they didnt.
And he isnt shy about letting the men know how truly dimwitted they are.
The final job is even messier: Snipping dingleberries from the sheeps bottoms!
The graphics department strikes again, LOL!
The guys immediately start grousing.
Miraculously, Sam M. isnt the first one to complain!
Every time I looked at Devin, he was off trying to talk to Jenn, grumbles Austin.
Someone else deserves [the award], and its not Devin.
The beef (or in this case should I say mutton?)
Suck it up, beard.
The Bachelorette just arrived, and its time to focus on building those connections!
Why are you petting me right now?
she says with a laugh.
What is going on?
He saves the moment by Opening UpTM about being lonely in college and fearing loneliness to this day.
Back in the holding pen, Austin is spiraling.
As the guys talk about the group date rose, the mulleted sales executive stays silent.
I have a very tough decision to make, he reveals in his confessional.
Hmmm… what could he mean by that?
I feel like Ive been playing catch-up this whole time, I really do, Austin tells Jenn.
Girl, what are you talking about?
HE wasnt enough for YOU!
Jenn even starts fretting that she wont be enough for Devin or Marcus or any of the men.
Rose lovers, my brain is about to explode.
I refuse to indulge any more of this nonsense.
Go back in there and tell the guys how youre feeling.
Jenn informs the men about Austins departure and admits shes feeling pretty blue about it.
The men sit in silence for a minute.
Say something, you doofuses!
Finally, Spencer pipes up.
I couldnt do what youve done.
After that, the party continues.
At long last, the date rose goes to… no one!
Because each and every one of the guys showed up for Jenn so theyre all winners.
The final date of the week goes to Grant.
Jenn meets him inMuriwai, a town on the west coast of New Zealands North Island.
I have so much more to learn about Grant, says Jenn.
For example, how does he feel about horses?
Hes pretty comfortable with them, as it turns out.
Wait, is that another thunderclap I hear?
Or are producers just trying to foreshadow that there are storm clouds on the horizon for Grant?
Its not always going to be perfect… but you gotta make it through.
Thats something that you have to do in a relationship.
And he makes sure to communicate that message to the Bachelorette, as well.
You dont have to be perfect at all, he says.
Im gonna rock with you.
The rain stops, which allows Jenn and Grant to share a few smooches without the umbrella.
And Grant LOVES it.
Every time I see her, my feelings are growing, he says.
Hopefully she feels the same.
Well find out at dinner, sir!
Right after you Open UpTM, of course.
And thats exactly what Grant does.
Growing up, my pop was everything, Grant says.
And he always used to be inebriated…
The worst thing is, I didnt know.
When youre a child, you believe everything, he says.
And the one person I trusted most was, like, always lying.
So that was something.
Right before Grant left to be onThe Bachelorette, his father was fired from his job.
He was blaming everybody, Grant recalls.
I was like, Listen, Dad.
I dont f—ing care.
Now Grants dad is about two months sober, and the two of them are rebuilding their relationship.
As a result, she says, I was searching for love in all the wrong places.
[He would] tell me that racism is fake, she says.
I didnt know how to stand up for myself.
Not anymore, though!
Grant gets the rose, and he sure is happy about it.
I see somebody that I could have a life with, says Grant.
Im starting to fall.
Awww, good for you, buddy.
But c’mon dont bring your good vibes into the final cocktail party, okay?
A lot of the men are nervous about not getting enough time with Jenn this week.
Oh, come ON, man!
What did I just say?
The day trader, bless him, does not read the room and just keeps gushing about his feelings.
I dont say that lightly, he admits.
You kind of know when youre tripping, and you start falling, you know what Im saying?
And you attempt to say, Nah, chill, but youre already there.
Hold that thought, sir, because the Bachelorette has arrived, and she has a super-fun announcement.
I know that Im exactly where I need to be.
I know exactly what Im looking for, says Jenn.
Okay, boys, you heard the lady.
Grant, that means you, too.
This means we have to say goodbye to… oh no, not Dylan the adorable med student!
Dylan deserved more screen time.
See you in Paradise next year, sir if, by some miracle, youre still single.
And then there were 6, rose lovers.
Oh, my Lord, that must mean that were just two weeks away from hometowns!
Where does the time go?
Before you go, rose lovers, a few questions.
Were you surprised Jenn sent Matt packing?
Were you sorry to see Austin go?
And truly, why does ANYONE ever tell these producers that theyre afraid of heights?
Let me know your thoughts on Twitter@KristenGBaldwinor on Bluesky at@kristengbaldwin.bsky.social.
The Bacheloretteairs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.
