Chris Harrison blogs 'The Bachelor' Week 3
Warning: This blog about Episode 3 of The Bachelor contains spoilers.
Welcome back, Bachelor Nation. Now, with Arie’s season in full swing, we hope you can see what we love about him. He’s down to earth, successful, and obviously ready to find his other half and start a family. With the desire to find a partner comes the responsibility to say goodbye to relationships that are not part of that journey. This was a big week for unexpected departures, with both Annaliese and Lauren S. going home sooner than anyone thought. Every Bachelor is different and handles these things in his own way. Is this a sign of things to come for Arie, or will his decisiveness wane as the decisions become more difficult? Only one way to find out.
The week started with a date that really had the potential to bring out a lot of personalities while simultaneously checking something off of everyone’s bucket list. I think so many people grew up on the fun of wrestling and had fantasies of getting into the ring, and having some of the ladies of GLOW help us out was a dream day. On top of that, there was no way we could do a wrestling date without inviting Kenny Layne from last season. He was a fan favorite for a lot of reasons, and it was great to have him back and spend a little bit of time with him. As much fun as we were having, things started to go south for some of the women as they were having less fun than they expected. I don’t think any of us were exactly certain how intense the women would be, but it became clear quickly that there was no messing around allowed! Wrestling is a tough sport, and not everyone has the personality type to transform themselves into a smack-talking professional.
Tia won the day by overcoming her setbacks and taking control of the situation, but Bekah M. took home the rose at night. There is an electricity between her and Arie that everyone could feel, but I think people were also starting to wonder if the age disparity would be problematic for either of them. Many people have been wondering how old Bekah is exactly, and next week they will find out. Age is such a tough thing, though. People really do mature and grow at different rates, and while age is definitely a good indicator of maturity, it’s certainly not the only one. I have a feeling this won’t be the last time this conversation comes up, though.
The second date of the week was the only one-on-one date. Group dates are wonderful and illuminating, but the one-on-one dates are the time when Arie is hoping to really take large leaps forward in his relationships. Unfortunately, unlike last week, things really did not go as planned for Lauren S. If I had to guess, I think more than anything it was just the pressure that got to her and caused her energy to be off. There was nothing wrong with Lauren S., obviously, but there was a disconnect in the way that her and Arie were speaking. Somehow they just didn’t seem to be able to get on the same page. She was in her head, and then he got in his head, and then that made her get even further into her head. It was a bit of a downward spiral, and though I know there is definitely no bad blood between these two, I think the night ended up being a disappointment for both of them. Both of them were open and honest and put their hearts on the line, and at the end of the night they both went home empty-handed.
The third date. Well, what is there to say about the third date? It was a total mess. Arie is a big dog lover, and a dog-dad to Bastian, so what could go wrong with a dog date? Well, as it turns out, just about everything. I don’t know if was the nerves or the venue or the crowd, but things just couldn’t seem to go right for the ladies and the dogs they were trying to corral. Even with all the commotion, it was pretty incredible that everyone had a pretty good time. I think the biggest treat of the day was having Fred Willard with us to host. Let me tell you, he was twice as funny as you can even imagine. We had a great time, the women had a “interesting” experience, and, most important, no dogs were harmed in the filming of this date.
Chelsea continued to cement herself as a frontrunner by getting the group date rose, making this two out of three early roses. So far, she’s had to stand in a rose ceremony without a rose only once. That takes a lot of the pressure off. And pressure is exactly what Bibiana and Annaliese were feeling over the course of that third cocktail party. I feel bad for Bibiana. She just couldn’t catch a break. Sometimes you just end up with bad luck, and your relationship never even has a chance to get off the ground. The good news is Bibiana is strong, and I have a feeling you’ll be seeing more of her soon. The same goes for Annaliese, who seemed to also suffer the curse of bad luck and bad timing. I respect her for knowing what she wanted and for going after it, just as I respect Arie for being honest with her when it would have been much easier to just let her go home at the rose ceremony.
The dates in Los Angeles are over, and it’s time to hit the road. We are going to some of the most beautiful and romantic places on earth this season, and we’ll start next week in Lake Tahoe. You’re definitely not going to want to miss it! See you next Monday!
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.
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