Guilty Pleasure Recap: The Bachelor – Season 19, Episode 8
Following The Bachelor‘s bonus Episode 7 on Sunday night, we now go careening into Season 19, Episode 8 and a one-on-one date with Becca. Chris Soules plays this one real low-key and simply takes Becca to the loft apartment where he is staying while in Des Moines.
Becca confides, “I’ve never been in love.” Then she actually adds, “If you proposed today, I don’t know that I could say yes.” You might think that would toss Becca out of the running, but Chris seems to appreciate her honesty. The date ends with a sunset kiss on the rooftop of his building.
Next, the girls are preparing for this week’s cocktail party and rose ceremony. Enter host Chris Harrison who relays the message from Prince Farming that he is skipping the cocktails and going directly to the rose ceremony. This unnerves Britt who was planning on talking to Chris during the cocktail party about her tantrum over Kaitlyn getting the hometown rose. Our bachelor greets the girls and is about to start the ceremony when Britt interrupts and asks to speak to him alone. She apologizes for getting so emotional, but Chris isn’t taken in this time. He rejects Britt and walks her out.
Back with the remaining girls, Chris asks for honesty, then continues the rose ceremony. In the end, Carly is sent home.
The hometown dates begin. Chris will visit the homes of Becca, Whitney, Jade and Kaitlyn. First, Chris meets Becca’s family in Louisiana. Now, Chris, there’s a red flag with this girl, don’t you see it? Her family comes off so surprised to see Becca with Chris. Her sister says, “I’ve never seen Becca around a guy. She’s never brought a guy home.” The sister goes on to say, “Becca’s not an intimate person, never been close to a man before.” Don’t you think that’s enough to give Becca her walking papers?
Next stop—Chicago to visit Whitney and her family. There really isn’t much family to meet at this stop. Whitney was raised by a single mother who died tragically from surgery gone wrong. Before meeting the family, Whitney says, “What do you say we make a baby.” Whitney is a fertility nurse and she takes Chris to the hospital where she works. As a little tease, she gives Chris a cup, a magazine and shows him into a room fitted with a TV and chair. She says, “This is where the magic happens.” Chris’ face drops thinking Whitney wants to test his sperm. She starts laughing and lets him off the hook, so to speak. Close up on Chris who tells the camera, “I’m pretty sure all my soldiers are marching.” They stop off at her apartment where Whitney tells Chris she wants to share some very expensive wine that she bought in the Napa region. She was saving it to share with the man she is going to marry. She freely tells Chris that she loves him, then off they go to meet her sister, Kimberly, her brother-in-law, her uncle and her grandmother. Chris asks for Kimberly’s approval should he propose to Whitney. Kimberly’s response is pretty smart to my way of thinking—she will consider giving her blessings when Chris tells her that Whitney is the last woman standing. Obviously, he can’t do that tonight or the show would be over way too soon.
There has been a lot of speculation. Some predict Chris will wind up with Becca, some say to Whitney. My personal take: Chris, be smart and go for Whitney. She’s the woman for you.
Next stop—Phoenix, Arizona, to meet up with Kaitlyn and her family. For some ridiculous reason, Kaitlyn takes Chris to a recording studio to write and record a rap song. Kaitlyn, didn’t you hear Chris sing at Deadwood? Even Chris knows he’s terrible at it. Kaitlyn’s family is much more upbeat than Whitney’s. After the visit, Kaitlyn takes Chris to a street in town, tells him to look up, and to his surprise she arranged a sign reading Kaitlyn <3 Chris. She’s original, I’ll give her that.
Last stop—Jade and her family in Nebraska. Chris gets foreshadowing right from the start. One of her brothers calls Jade a “wild mustang.” Chris is getting concerned. The Jade he sees is a sweet and shy girl. Later, when Chris and Jade get some alone time, he tells Jade about her brother’s remark. That’s when Jade confesses her secret. It seems Jade did some nude modeling for Playboy. She even takes out pictures and a video. “I was not expecting this. I was shocked!” Chris says, adding, “Jade seemed like an innocent, shy girl.” To Jade, he says, “It’s not something I feel will affect our relationship. I’m looking to fall in love with the person. It’s not a deal breaker.”
I’m shouting at the TV, “Come on Chris, fess up. You know you can’t take Jade back to Arlington, Iowa. Your tiny town of 400 people will never go for Miss Playboy.”
Next scene—the rose ceremony. It’s rather amusing who Chris has chosen to remain. We have Becca, the virgin, Jade, who did nude modeling, Whitney the fertility nurse and pretty Kaitlyn. Prince Farming has certainly left himself with opposite ends of the spectrum. The episode closes after roses are handed out. No surprise, Jade is out.
Next week, Chris and the remaining girls go to Bali. Finally we get an exotic location!
The Bachelor airs on ABC every Monday at 8 p.m.
Barbara Anne Kirshner is the author of Madison Weatherbee-The Different Dachshund. She is a regular contributor to DansPapers.com.
Read more Guilty Pleasure Recaps of The Bachelor Season 19: Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7 (with a little SNL40 tossed in)