16x09 - Week 7
Posted: 04/25/24 08:47
Tonight
on "The Bachelorette"...
Truth and honesty
in a relationship is everything.
Have you ever cheated
on someone?
Yes.
I hated today. Why?
Cheating's nothing
I will tolerate.
Every time I talk to him,
I uncover something
that I'm just like,
"Hold on a second."
[dramatic music]
The timeframe of proposing
is scary.
That's the truth.
When you bring that
into the equation,
that makes it really real.
Is today the day
I let myself go?
[crying]
But first...
Whoo! Oh, God.
He's gonna be trouble.
From the moment he arrived,
Noah had Tayshia's attention.
I kinda knew
I'd make some enemies.
And a target on his back.
[bleep] Noah!
I wanna go at this guy.
There's zero chance
that you end up with Tayshia.
They're acting
like a bunch of [bleep].
Can you imagine having
an argument with a 14 year old?
That's how I feel right now.
I'm not on "The Babysitter."
I'm on "The Bachelorette."
Noah and Bennett,
there's something going on
between you two.
Will a two-on-one
settle the score?
There are four components
of emotional intelligence.
You are deficient
in three of those four.
This teenage boy drama
is ridiculous.
I'm not going home
because some snob
tried to drag my name
through the mud.
Who stays? Who goes?
Find out right now
on "The Bachelorette."
[tense music]
Going into the two-on-one,
I know Bennett and Noah has
a lot on their plate right now,
as well as Tayshia.
She has a lot on her plate
kinda hearing both sides
and seeing how it shakes out.
I couldn't be happier
that this is happening
because this drama
needs to be put to the side.
I believe in her
decision-making ability,
and I hope, you know,
for her sake, for our sake,
the stress leaves.
Right now,
Tayshia is on a two-on-one
with Bennett and Noah.
They have some sort of beef
and Tayshia wants to get
to the bottom of it,
and I think that it's incredible
and speaks volumes
about her character
that she's doing this
prior to the Rose Ceremony.
I think that it shows us
how seriously she's taking this.
If I was in Tayshia's position
and I had a group of 11 men,
nine of which were not
causing drama,
the two
that were causing me stress
would be gone immediately.
Bennett,
you said there is 100% chance
Tayshia would never be with me.
You would double down on that
in Vegas.
You feel like
you're talking down--
No, I said 0% chance.
There is 0% chance.
You'd double down that on--
in Vegas.
You think I'm a 14 year old.
That's wrong. The point is--
The comment was that,
"Can you imagine if you were
arguing with a 14 year old?"
Because there is
between the two of us,
that's what it feels like
arguing with you.
I stand by that statement.
Is this, like, what goes on
between you two?
No. 'Cause this sounds like,
honestly, like,
teenage boy drama.
It's totally childish.
And the fact that I have
to sit here and, like, listen,
to you guys talk about this
is ridiculous.
It's a waste of time.
So why hasn't this been
taken care of
when I'm not there?
I was unaware
of these feelings
until you brought that up
the other night.
You realize that you are
essentially questioning
my integrity, right?
I actually don't believe
that I--that I am.
Kay.
♪ ♪
What's in the box?
Um, I...
♪ ♪
That was a gift
that I gave to Noah.
Mm-kay.
Bennett, do you wanna go talk?
Yeah, absolutely.
Thank you.
It's easy to be misunderstood.
I wasn't,
in any way, shape, or form,
questioning Tayshia's integrity.
Quite the contrary.
I had just seen so many things
that she's not seen,
and I will call a spade a spade
and be honest, you know,
through and through,
and I think someone
in the house has to do it.
So where to begin? Um...
Let me start. Sure.
I don't know, I just feel like
I'm in a hard place
because I feel like--
I know. I'm sorry for that.
I genuinely care for you
and I feel like
we definitely have something,
but I feel like
there's still a fire
and someone's fueling it.
So my question to you is,
have you ever questioned
my integrity?
I--I'm not questioning
your integrity.
My question is, have you ever?
No. By how?
Like, I don't know
how I would have done that
by saying that there was
a 0% chance
that you're going to end up
with him.
I'll tell you
where that's coming from,
and I don't think
that you'll feel
that I'm questioning
your integrity.
To be quite honest with you,
everyone is here
and it doesn't matter
why they're here to you.
You don't have the right
to tell somebody else
that I will not end up
with them.
Okay. I accept that.
Because guess what?
I'm personally making
decisions...
Of course. Of course.
To have those people be here,
just like me giving you a rose
means I possibly see
a potential future with you.
Of course.
So you saying that
that's a 0% chance
of that possibly happening
is essentially questioning
my integrity,
because you're saying
that I'm not capable
of making decisions, and...
Whoa. Bennett...
making decisions of someone
that's a good suitor for me
in the future.
For that,
I'm very, very sorry.
I think what is quite obvious
is that there has been drama
centered around
Noah repeatedly
on three or four instances.
I realize that,
but now you're involved.
I know,
and I've been pulled in
because I've spoken up.
Yes.
[stammering]
And I own my words.
Kay.
And I'm happy to tell you
where that comment came from
if you would like to hear.
Which one?
About the 0% chance.
Please, share. Okay.
So, far more important to me
than IQ is EQ.
The four competencies of EQ
are self-awareness,
self-management,
social awareness,
and relationship management.
From the moment
Noah has gotten here,
I've witnessed deficiencies
in three of the four.
And I have a hard time
seeing this beautiful,
thoughtful, intelligent,
very decisive,
strong-minded woman
ending up with him,
and I was not questioning you.
I really am sorry
that you feel that way,
and I hate more than anything
that we're having to do it
right now,
'cause I want nothing to do
more than to love you up,
to pick up on our, you know,
truths conversation,
or to get back to that.
Everything feels so natural
and easy and right with you.
That's why I'm here.
Kay.
Thank you for listening to me.
Again, I'm sorry.
The last thing
I would ever want you to do
is feel as though
I'm questioning your integrity.
You got this.
This is--I have every
ounce of confidence
in my mind, in my heart,
that that is the case.
[tender music]
You're right.
I think by having
this conversation about Noah,
she's going to have
a whole newfound respect for me,
and shows her
that I am a potential husband
that can raise children
and teach morals
and teach
emotional intelligence,
which is one
of the strongest qualities
a person can have.
I'm feeling very, very confident
that I will come away
with that rose.
Noah. Yes?
We've been
on a roller coaster so far,
you and I, in the sense
that you came out hot,
g*ns a-blazin',
night one, and...
I don't know, I've just been
able to uncover who you are
with each conversation,
and I'm not gonna lie,
it just really sucks,
'cause now I'm really confused.
Um...
and I just feel like,
lately, there's been
so much drama in the house,
and I'm not gonna lie,
you're the common denominator
between all of it.
I hate that I am
in the center of this drama,
but the problem with Bennett
has been,
from the very beginning,
I had that feeling of--
you know, that he thought
he was better than me,
before we even talked.
Bennett talks to people in a way
that you shouldn't talk
to people.
Mm-hmm. I think.
Then he'll downplay it
and act like
it's not a big deal,
make it seem like a joke
or make it seem like
you're wrong.
Even tonight,
he brings me a gift,
and the first thing's a--
a bandana.
The second is a book
about emotional intelligence
and how I don't have it,
and he went on for ten minutes
explaining, you know,
all these things
in the most
condescending way possible.
Yeah.
To me, I can handle that.
I can handle the jabs,
but if I'm being
completely honest with myself,
I think it's only
a matter of time that,
if at the end of this,
you chose him,
he would act that way to you.
That's why I'm passionate
about it.
It's 'cause I think you deserve
more than that,
and I don't think people
should be talked to
like--like they're less.
[chuckles] Don't.
It's okay.
I'm fine, I'm fine. But yeah.
Like, I'm listening to you.
I mean, I wanna get your side.
I wanna get your take.
That's why I'm--
I have to address it, though,
because this is taking away
from us.
Mm-hmm.
And, like,
this shouldn't have been,
like, this big of a deal.
I'm sorry for that.
I hate that.
No, but, I mean,
I do appreciate you
bringing things up to me,
but also, it's just like--
it's driving me crazy.
I don't wanna
bring anything up.
I said everything
that I felt like
you should have
the option of hearing
so you can make
your own decisions.
Kay.
♪ ♪
Well...
I'm gonna have to think
about everything,
and I guess we'll go from there.
All right. [exhales]
The first day I was here,
I said,
"I'm going
to put it all out there,"
and tonight,
I did put it all out there.
Can I get a hug?
I didn't intend
to get emotional.
I don't even know where that
came from to be honest,
but it shows how much
I care for Tayshia.
She's incredible. She's awesome.
I do want, you know,
what's best for her,
and, you know,
if I went home tonight,
I would be heartbroken.
Bennett, listen, you know,
it's ironic to me
that you bring up my EQ
because I've said,
"Bennett is the highest IQ
in the house,
"but Bennett's EQ
is not close to his IQ.
"There's some sort of
disconnect there.
"And if there's one thing
that separates
maybe Bennett and I,
is the self-awareness."
That's why I've brought up,
"Maybe he doesn't realize that
the way he talks to people
"is condescending
and, you know, demeaning.
Maybe he's not
self-aware enough."
You know,
I think that I am well aware
that I am different
from everyone in this house--
whether I'm carrying myself
differently,
whether I'm speaking
differently.
I own that.
Tayshia already sees that.
So let's take a breather.
Let's wait on her, yeah.
Let the best man win. Yeah.
This is
incredibly frustrating.
[dramatic music]
The last way
that I'd like to be spending
my time with Tayshia
is talking about Noah,
but that's what had
to be done tonight.
He's acted like a young child
throughout this entire process
and I think that he's not ready
to be anyone's husband or father
at this point in his life.
At this point,
I feel pretty confident.
I let Bennett be Bennett,
Bennett showed himself,
and I think
Tayshia will see that,
so I think Bennett's going home.
I just hope he doesn't
cause hell on his way out.
♪ ♪
[clears throat]
[sighs]
Bennett.
You have made me feel heard
this entire time
and made me feel very special.
I truly have enjoyed
getting to know you,
and I think that the way
that you make me feel
when you're around me
is amazing,
and I don't think
I've ever actually felt that
before with someone.
But it worries me
that you are condescending,
the way that you talk to people,
and that you question
my intentions.
Noah, I have enjoyed
getting to know you.
Every single day, I feel like
I discover
a different part of you
that I didn't know
you really had in you,
'cause I feel like you're
joking around all the time,
but there are a lot
of beautiful parts to you,
and you also do make me feel
very special.
But the thing is,
I'm also worried that
you're not ready for marriage
at the end of this.
♪ ♪
Bennett...
♪ ♪
Unfortunately,
I can't give you this rose.
Can I walk you out, please?
Wow.
Sure.
[solemn music]
♪ ♪
[laughs softly] Jeez.
Is this really goodbye?
♪ ♪
Unfortunately.
Holy cow.
♪ ♪
What?
Wow. I didn't--I'm shocked.
I mean, never for one second
was I questioning
your ability to make a decision
or your integrity.
I simply saw behaviors
that I could never imagine
you putting up with
in a husband and a father.
And I felt very confident
in my words,
and never once for a second
did I question you,
and, you know,
if you feel this way,
I'm so sorry. I'm...
I'm sorry, Bennett.
♪ ♪
[laughs softly]
I'm sorry.
Tonight, I had to decide
what I wanted to ultimately do,
and I made a decision
based off of what I've seen
and how I feel and...
I'm really, really sorry
that you feel that way.
I hate it.
This was really,
really working for me,
and never for a second
did I question you.
[laughs softly]
♪ ♪
I'm sorry.
All right.
♪ ♪
Thanks.
Hope you find
what you're looking for.
Lot of great guys out there.
Thank you.
♪ ♪
That was interesting.
That was a curveball.
Did not see that coming.
♪ ♪
Not the goodbye I expected
at all.
Sending Bennett home,
it didn't feel right.
He couldn't understand,
he was trying to figure it out,
and it just felt so weird
and it just did not feel right.
Especially when
he's such a good person.
I just hope I'm making
the right decision.
[door opens]
No.
Don't be smiling.
[groans]
In fact...
That wasn't, like,
a victory for you by any means.
That was hard.
And I'm not gonna lie,
I did have feelings for Bennett.
And the fact that I had
to sit you both down
and talk to you tonight is not
something I wanted to do,
and that was not how I wanted
to say goodbye to him.
And to be honest with you,
Noah...
♪ ♪
I'm not gonna give you
this rose right now either.
♪ ♪
I truly don't know
how I feel right now.
♪ ♪
So...
I guess I'll see you later.
♪ ♪
I'm not happy
how it all turned out.
I think Bennett got to her.
I went from, you know,
being on a consistent, like,
growth with her
to starting over
or worse, really.
That's how it feels right now.
You know,
we'll see how the night goes.
Honestly, I'm not sure
what she's thinking.
Do you know someone
looking for love?
Nominate someone or apply
to date the Bachelor
or Bachelorette
at abc.com/casting.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
[sighs]
Well...
Tonight, it's all been
just exhausting.
Tayshia didn't give me the rose
after she sent Bennett home,
and then she said,
"I don't think you're ready
for marriage."
And that really
actually is disappointing
because I know
I'm a suitable husband.
I know I'm ready for marriage.
I know all these things.
So, you know,
I'm not just gonna give up.
Hopefully,
I'm gonna get another chance
to, like, convince her
that I'm ready for marriage.
I had a feeling.
It's not all
that it appears though.
How you boys doing? Jeez.
Where's the rose at?
There's not a rose.
No rose?
It's not all it appears, yeah.
I guess we got some stuff
to talk about.
How'd it go?
Well, it's been a long night.
She ended up
sending Bennett home,
and then she said that
she doesn't think that
she can give me the rose either,
but she wants me to hang around
for the Rose Ceremony.
And I'm not glad that you guys
keep getting tied up in,
like, BS, and, you know,
I hope everyone has
a great cocktail party.
I like Noah.
I understand he feels great
about staying
and Bennett leaving.
That's awesome.
But just considering
all the time spent
dealing with the drama...
[sighs] I'm just like, "Dude.
Just quiet for once.
Just don't talk for once."
♪ ♪
Hello, hello. Hello.
All right. Hi. [laughs]
Hey. How are you?
Um, as you all
may have noticed,
Bennett is no longer with us.
The drama is over for now
and I just wanna be done
with it all.
So I just wanna have
a good night with you guys.
I've been looking forward
to talking to you guys
all night.
So let's just have
a good night, can we?
Of course. Okay, good.
Thank you so much. You got it.
We gonna cheers?
Cheers to seeing you guys.
I'm excited to see y'all.
[laughter]
Whoo! May I?
Mm-hmm. Let's do it.
As difficult
as that two-on-one was,
it was so important
for me to address it,
and I'm happy that it's done
and it's in the past
because I really
just wanna focus
on the relationships
that I have left.
Yeah. [laughs]
Yeah, I got you covered.
Hometowns
are around the corner,
and I guess I'm feeling
a little nervous about it.
I wanna see if the guys
are really ready
for the next step.
Let's get over here.
I gotcha. I gotcha.
See, I got a little surprise.
But before we get started...
Okay.
I'm gonna sit this down,
because I know
today has been stressful,
but you handled your business
like always,
you know, and I love that.
It's everything, you know,
that I want in a wife,
everything that I see,
you know, in a wife,
and since I know
Tayshia loves surprises...
[laughing] I do. You do.
Today is actually
our one-week anniversary
of being a boyfriend
and girlfriend, all right?
Is it? Yes, it is.
Aww.
All right, so got a little
something for you here.
Oh, my gosh.
A little
"happy anniversary" cake.
Wait, I love this.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I was able to see Tayshia first,
and I knew she had
a rough day today,
I knew she had a rough,
you know, past few days,
so my only goal was really
just to make her happy,
put a smile on her face,
and I think I did that.
Happy anniversary.
Happy anniversary.
[laughs]
Mm-hmm. Mmm.
That's what I'm talking 'bout.
I really want a rose tonight,
and now I'm feeling confident.
I come bearing gifts.
What is that?
Picture. A picture of what?
No.
Oh--
Do you love it? Oh, my gosh!
I'm such a cheeseball.
Zac.
The other day was just, like,
one of the best days I've had
in a long time,
but I also want you to know
that, like,
I'm ready, whatever it takes,
and I got your back.
[soft music]
♪ ♪
I feel just good. Confident.
You know, I have the rose,
so it's not--
like, I'm not sweating
through the ceremony.
Like, I could see her
completing me.
♪ ♪
What's everyone been doing?
Nothing. [laughs]
What's that smug look
on your face?
I'm just glad
that I'm not you.
Oh, yeah.
No, you've had to deal with
some [bleep] though, like--
Yeah, she's convinced
I'm causing it all,
and I'm like, "Well, maybe."
I don't think so. Maybe I am.
But I feel like I'm just the
only one that's said anything.
I'm pretty nervous.
I still haven't had time
with Tayshia.
The whole thing's kinda
a weird feeling for me.
Like, if I don't get
more time with her,
I feel like
I'm not gonna get a rose.
♪ ♪
[laughs]
We're really bad at that.
What? We're so bad at that.
I don't know.
It's you, actually.
It's not me.
Need more practice.
We need more practice.
So like, move your lips
a little bit like--
[chuckles]
The beginning of this evening
really started out pretty tough.
It was emotional.
It was frustrating.
But once I started diving in
to talking to the guys,
my night was turned around.
I've told you before, like,
I'm in a point in my life where
I'm ready to be a great husband
going forward, you know?
Mm-hmm.
And that's why
I'm taking this so seriously.
This is such a good group
of guys.
I'm really excited
about the direction
that we're all going.
How you feeling?
I am good. Mm-hmm.
Long night so far for you,
huh?
Just a little bit.
A little bit.
I was a little anxious
coming into tonight,
but I feel like there are
so many things
to be excited about...
Mm-hmm.
This guy named Brendan
being one of them.
Okay. So, like, you know?
I have, like,
things to look forward to.
Definitely.
How are you doing?
I'm doing good.
I'm doing great.
It's kinda the same--yeah,
that same, like, sentiment
towards this whole journey
where, you know, if you have,
like, an off day mentally
and emotionally
and even if you're
physically tired,
just, like, getting any time
with you at all is amazing.
It makes it all worth it, so...
[laughs]
Okay. Um...
So... You wanna kiss me?
Yeah. Can I? No.
Oh.
Of course you can. Come here.
I pretend to leave
every time we're together.
Don't leave.
♪ ♪
Tayshia is a really
unique woman for sure.
You know,
she's sweet and gentle,
and I do feel like
me and Tayshia have
a real connection.
So I'm going into
tonight's Rose Ceremony
feeling really, really good.
♪ ♪
It's just always a good night
when you have an opportunity
to speak with Tayshia.
I think it went well.
I'm just hoping
I get a rose tonight.
[door opens]
♪ ♪
Hi, guys.
Hello. all: Hey.
Can I come join?
Mm-hmm, of course.
Yes, of course.
Why, thank you.
Scoot over. [laughs]
How you guys doing?
Doing well. Doing well.
Yeah?
Yeah. Good, good, good.
I'm glad we talked today.
I feel like I needed you guys
and you guys brought me
better energy,
so thank you very much.
Tayshia, it's time
for the Rose Ceremony.
Kay.
Tonight was a disaster
'cause I got no time at all,
which sucks 'cause I do have
strong feelings for Tayshia
and they're getting stronger,
but now, I could be going home.
So far, I've been pretty
confident that I'd get a rose.
But right now,
I don't feel great.
I guess I'm feeling tired,
frustrated.
We have quite a few individuals
who haven't had
any one-on-one time
and are fighting
for those roses,
so if I didn't get
a rose tonight,
and it's a result
of Noah being Noah,
I'd be insanely mad.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
Right now,
we are down to ten guys,
and more people will be
going home tonight.
I hope I get a rose.
I really wanna continue
to get to know Tayshia.
[whispering]
I can't see that far.
Holy [bleep].
Oh, wow.
Three people.
Everyone counted the rose
and realized, like,
"I'm in trouble."
I'm curious if Noah ends up
sticking around
because of, you know,
all the drama
that he's created.
Jeez. [scoffs]
Tonight, Tayshia didn't
give me the rose
after she sent Bennett home.
I mean, I'm a realist.
I know where I stand.
I'm 1/4 as confident
as I have been
this entire time,
but I'm not gonna
count myself out.
I mean, I've seen
the way she, like,
looks and smiles at me,
so, you know,
I do think
she has feelings for me.
♪ ♪
This week has been
very draining and emotional,
but as draining
as this week has been,
I'm actually
really, really excited.
I feel like
I have a great group
in front of me
filled with relationships
that, honestly,
are blowing me away,
and I'm just excited
for continuing the momentum
with what we have built.
This is not easy,
but you guys have been amazing
and checking in on me
and supporting me.
I just wanna say thank you.
Unfortunately, I do have to say
goodbye to some of you,
but I care about you all,
and just thank you.
♪ ♪
Brendan.
♪ ♪
Brendan,
will you accept this rose?
Definitely.
Thank you. Mm-hmm.
♪ ♪
Riley.
I feel confident where I'm at.
I don't think Tayshia would
give a rose to Noah
rather than me.
Do you accept this rose?
Yes, ma'am.
But tonight, I didn't get time
because there was
a bunch of [bleep]
surrounding Noah, again.
It would be pretty
heartbreaking to go home
if I don't get a rose.
♪ ♪
Blake.
I want the rose
extremely badly.
Will you accept this rose?
Absolutely.
This rose would symbolize
that this time has been worth it
and that, ultimately,
I will be able
to get more time with Tayshia.
Ivan.
I think there's other guys
that have wasted time,
wasted energy, and, you know,
I think she will see
right through it
and send 'em home.
Ivan, will you accept
this rose?
Yes, of course. [chuckles]
[indistinct whispering]
♪ ♪
I am good enough
as any other guy out there
to get her last rose.
I definitely believe
that I could be the one
for Tayshia,
so fingers crossed
that she feels
that same way too.
♪ ♪
Noah.
[solemn music]
♪ ♪
Noah, will you accept this rose?
Yes.
Mm-hmm.
♪ ♪
Guys, I'm sorry.
If you didn't receive a rose,
take a moment
and say your goodbyes.
Pleasure meeting you, dude.
Appreciate you.
Yeah, for sure.
Appreciate it.
See you guys again.
Dog. Good run.
We had a great run.
Oh, thank God.
Okay. Another shot.
I'm happy to be alive.
That's it.
Tayshia gave me a reality check
on kinda where I thought
we were,
but even more importantly,
gave me a reality check
on what I thought
she thinks is important.
Hopefully, the damage is done,
we can go to sleep,
we can wake up,
and it's a new day.
Thank you so much.
I appreciate you.
I appreciate you too.
[indistinct].
I had the best time.
You have great guys here.
It hurts, man.
It's tough being this open
and knowing
that there's a chance
it's gonna fail.
I thought we had
a good connection,
but I guess
it wasn't good enough.
And then there were seven.
Down to seven guys,
and for me, it's like,
I have a real opportunity now
to explore love with someone,
and it's scary and crazy
and real.
Cheers to real love
with a real woman.
I can honestly say
I'm falling for Tayshia,
but my one concern is,
I don't think
it's, like, just me.
All: Cheers.
[dramatic music]
If there's a time
to express how you feel,
this is the time.
Truth and honesty
in a relationship is everything.
Have you ever cheated
on someone?
Yes.
Every time I talk to him,
I uncover something
that I'm just like,
"Hold on a second."
[tense music]
♪ ♪
We're down to seven.
I didn't expect it to be
that big of a cut.
Yeah, it's gonna be quiet
and weird at the house.
Totally.
More chances
for one-on-one time,
which is what
everyone's been wanting.
It's mind-boggling to think
that I'm one
of the last guys remaining.
This intensifies
every single moment
from here on out.
The real, real journey
begins today.
[door squeaks]
Hey, y'all. Hey, JoJo.
Good morning. JoJo.
Good morning.
As crazy as last night was,
Tayshia is feeling great
this morning, guys.
She told me
she is falling in love.
I do have news
that will make things
much more serious.
Next week is Hometown Week.
Tayshia will be meeting
your families.
I can't tell you guys enough
how important
meeting the family is.
This was the week I knew
I was falling in love
with my fiancé, Jordan.
So it's time to check in
with your feelings.
In the meantime,
I have your first date card.
Good luck. Thank you.
And I will see you guys
later, okay?
Thanks, JoJo. Bye.
Good to see you.
All right, boys.
Looks like we got
some business to get down to.
"Ben,
"falling in love
is full of surprises.
Love, Tayshia."
You did it, boy. [laughs]
You did it.
Spoke it into existence, baby.
Grats, Benny Boy.
Ah, there you go, B.
All right, guys,
gotta go get ready for my date.
Good luck, brother.
Time has come.
Good luck, Benny Boy.
Good luck, brother.
Good luck, Ben.
With JoJo
bringing up Hometowns
and meeting the family,
for myself, at least,
that's a really big step.
But it's the right step though.
That's why getting a rose
is so big.
I'm excited for it.
My family's everything.
So, like, when you bring that
into the equation,
everything gets real.
[sniffling]
My mom and dad are my heroes,
so that makes it
really real for me.
What just happened is, like,
it went from, like,
"Okay, we're here,
we're dating,"
to, "My future wife could be
meeting my family."
I'm literally sitting here
'cause they believed in me.
Yep.
So...
My parents, I know
they just want me to be happy.
Like, I know...
that, like,
that's just all they want.
And so, like, knowing
how happy I've been
the last couple weeks
with Tayshia,
they deserve to see that,
'cause, like,
there's been some times
where I wasn't very happy.
[soft music]
♪ ♪
So it's a lot.
It's a lot to take in.
[sniffles]
When you start to bring
family into it,
it just changes
the whole ball game.
♪ ♪
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
[giggles]
You look beautiful.
Thank you. [laughs]
We got matching shoes.
Hi.
How are you? I'm good.
Ben is someone
I've been excited about
since day one.
Last group date, he started,
like, opening up
a little bit more,
so the fact that
we finally have a one-on-one
is gonna be crucial to see
if we can keep progressing,
because I don't know
if I could take him
to Hometowns.
I'm still struggling to see
who he really is.
Whoo! Coming in hot, you guys.
Look who it is. Hey.
Oh, my goodness.
You look so cute
on that thing.
Hey. Hi.
I have set up
a fun, amazing oasis,
but you guys are gonna
have to work together
on solving my little clues
and riddles
in order to find this oasis.
Okay. Good news is,
you guys do have two scooters
around the corner.
I swear to you,
the hunt to the destination
will be worth it.
It's worth it, yeah.
I will see you later, okay?
Okay.
Sounds good. Bye.
Okay. Good luck.
Thank you.
Wait, I wanna ride scooters.
I think
they're right over here.
I've been waiting
for this one-on-one
since the second I saw her
walk in the room
on the first night.
I'm incredibly grateful
that it's happening now,
especially with Hometowns
and, like, meeting families
coming up.
You have to read the card.
Why? Oh.
'Cause it's on your scooter.
Because if there's a time to
really express how you feel,
this is, like,
the time to do that.
"Find me in the place
where the score is love."
Tennis. Love. Love?
Like, that's a score
in tennis.
That means zero.
This is the most important day
of our journey and, like,
I'm excited
to keep the momentum going.
I haven't been on a date
with a girl in a long time.
Really? Yeah.
I mean, what did you think
it was gonna be like?
I didn't expect this.
This is better. This is better.
Going on--being on scooters?
Well, yeah.
Or just, like, being with you
in general, yeah.
[screams] [laughs]
I'm not that good yet.
Okay, I see a pool.
Ooh.
Filled with tennis balls.
Wait, do you think
the letter's in here?
I don't know.
There's no way.
Kay, what if I just do this?
Ben!
I found it! [laughter]
Here, you get to read this one.
Oh, my gosh.
I'm just gonna do it like that.
[laughs]
Ooh. All right, I see it.
The date is very cute.
I think this is up
both of our alleys.
Probably the perfect date
for us.
You are not.
I'm not gonna get
my pants wet.
Are you kidding me?
I'm definitely not mad
at the fact
that Ben also has
to take off his pants
to get into the fountain.
It's, like, a win-win.
I'm finding clues for my date,
but he takes off his pa--
like, I'm a happy girl.
"This journey
can be stressful,
"but this is the one place
you can go to relax.
Remember, it's what's inside
that counts."
It's inside
one of these babies.
It's inside the piñata.
It's inside.
So we have to hit all of them.
All of them. Swing and hit it.
Oh, better than that. [laughs]
Take a step forward.
There we go.
Yeah.
There's nothing in here.
It was hilarious that we hit
every single piñata...
Come on, Ben!
Oh, my God!
Except for the one that
actually contained the clue.
How is it the last one?
Oh, wow.
That's one way to-[laughs]
"This journey is a long one.
Let's sit and relax."
I did wanna say thanks
for inviting me on this date.
You're welcome.
I feel like
it's a long time coming,
but I don't think it could've
come at a better time.
I would actually
have to agree.
Yeah, like,
I keep telling you.
I, like, haven't had feelings
in a long time for anybody.
Yeah.
Today, I just kinda, like,
lost track of
time and space and just--
All the--all the other things.
Enjoyed the--yeah.
This--I finally got
a little bit of you
the other night.
Yeah.
And even though
I kept pushing...
[laughs]
It could've been too late,
to be honest.
Yeah. It could've.
And so that's what
I was just telling you.
Like, you have to just...
Let it out? Let it out.
But I don't know why
you freak out about it so much.
Maybe it's me trying
to be perfect or whatever.
I don't know. Yeah. Why?
I'm gonna cut that out.
I'm gonna quit it.
I don't know.
Maybe part of me
doesn't wanna share things
because I'm afraid
of burdening you.
But I trust you.
You do? Yeah.
You are a tough cookie
to crack,
but I feel like
you probably need it
more than you think.
If I could be that person
to help you do that,
it could, I don't know,
be the start to something
really special.
Hope so.
To me. To you.
[laughs]
I feel like
Ben and I needed this date
and it couldn't come
at a better time.
Now, we know we have fun
with each other.
But I feel like
there's still some things
I need to uncover with him,
and I want to know more
and I want to continue
down this path,
but with Ben, at this moment,
I don't know
if I could give him a rose,
because I have yet to see
who he really is,
and I really need him
to do that tonight.
[soft music]
♪ ♪
Those are my favorite so far.
These shoes? Yeah.
People get wowed
by your dresses,
but your shoes are always...
[laughs]
They're always on point.
I, like, really like Ben.
He's so soft-spoken
when he speaks.
I love that.
I love that he's been a leader.
I love that he's been
in the military.
Here, let me get your chair.
Oh, thank you.
I'd love to meet Ben's family
and see what makes him tick
and where his roots are,
but I just feel like
I'm still struggling
to see who he really is,
and I don't even know if
we can actually be something
if he doesn't open up to me.
All right, before we start,
let's just do a cheers.
Mm-kay.
I asked for their finest red,
so I don't know what we got.
[laughs] Did you? Yeah.
Thank you.
I can't believe
this is real life.
I cannot believe
I'm sitting here with you,
and I'm so thankful.
Of course.
Cheers.
Mmm.
So, you know,
I came into this thing,
and I was hoping that I would
feel feelings for somebody
and develop a relationship,
but I had no idea
that it would, like,
happen this quickly.
So...
I have actually said this
about you since day one.
Say it.
I feel like
you're almost too perfect.
No.
You say the right things.
You move the right way.
I feel like you want to, like,
display this perfect image
of yourself.
I'm just a real human.
I know there's, like,
this thing where you think
I'm, like, trying to be perfect
all the time.
I know you're holding back.
And I feel like
there's just, like--
I don't even know, and, like...
Say it.
I don't know, I feel like
there's just, like, hurt there.
Uh...
You know, I was raised
in a house
where, like,
being perfect was expected
or, like, being a certain way
was expected.
You have to look the part,
you have to...
do all the things a certain way.
I had everything I needed
materially,
but I think often,
I was left wanting emotionally,
and then I left home
when I was 18,
joined the army,
and I've just been conditioned
to be this person
that even when
I'm feeling vulnerable,
I default
to what's most comfortable.
It's easier for me to do this
than to, like,
say the wrong thing
or, like, be overtly vulnerable
or, like, share a thing
that's really uncomfortable
for me.
Of course. Of course.
This is the thing about it all,
is just--we're just talking.
Yeah. And I get it.
You are guarding yourself,
but, like, I'm here.
Yeah. And I'm interested.
What do you wanna know?
What do you mean,
what do I wanna know?
I wanna know everything.
Ask me a question.
Okay. Or ask more. Like--
Are you really close
with your family?
'Cause I feel like
you don't talk about them much.
My sister.
She's the best person I know,
and she's saved my life
in more ways than one.
Yeah. How did she help you?
Um...
[sighs]
a rough year for me.
I had left a career
that I thought
I was gonna be in forever.
Mm-hmm.
The army didn't end up
working out for me
for a number of reasons, but I--
I ended up breaking my back
pretty--pretty bad,
and, like, I'm 26 years old,
and I can barely walk up
the steps and, like,
um,
was living in a city
that was too expensive for me
and I was completely lost.
My life was very dark.
Um...
And, like,
I didn't know how to say
that I needed things.
I don't know if you can relate
with, like, that,
or, like, how that can be.
Mm-hmm.
The only person I confided in
was my sister, and, um...
Um, so, like--
I'm trying to, like, give you
the whole picture, but--
It's okay. We have time.
Um...
You know, I...
I guess we can go deep.
I, uh,
I had two
failed su1c1de attempts
in 2018 and 2019.
Oh, my gosh.
And I don't mean to, like,
throw that on you.
It's, like,
a weird thing to do here.
My sister, she doesn't know,
and I guess she'll know now.
[laughs softly]
I know.
And when I get worried
and I get nervous, I smile,
and so I'm, like, smiling.
You're fine.
But I didn't wanna
be here anymore,
and for the same reason
that I don't like to share.
'Cause I didn't wanna burden
anybody with my problems,
and I thought
that the easiest way
was to just not be around.
Luckily,
it didn't work.
And the only thing
that got me through that
was her, and she has no idea.
She saved my life, and so I--
I owe her everything.
You never told her? No.
That would make her
more worried.
I just didn't think
it was the right time
or the right place.
And so I, uh,
through being very intentional
and aggressive with my therapy,
the person that you see
before you today, like,
isn't that person.
♪ ♪
It's insane
that I just told you that,
because I, like,
don't tell people that.
Ben.
I was very scared about
sharing all of those things.
Really?
Yeah. [chuckles]
And I--I'm okay.
You're okay.
And that's pretty cool.
And I'm still right here.
Yeah.
I see you and I hear you.
And that's all
I've been wanting.
I just--I have been wanting you
to open up to me,
and I've been wanting
to, like, get to know you.
You're an amazing person.
I don't wanna cry,
but thank you.
I really appreciate it,
you just being here.
Absolutely.
It literally means
the world to me.
Benjamin. Yes?
I know that tonight
was really hard
for you to open up about things
that you really don't tell
many people.
Since day one, that's all
I've been wanting from you.
I'm so incredibly happy
that you're here.
Me too.
I'm so happy you were able
to take this step
so that we could progress
our relationship,
and I wanna know
if you'd accept this rose.
Always. [laughs]
[tender music]
Thank you. Of course.
♪ ♪
Tonight, I needed Ben
to open up,
and I cannot even begin
to express
how much it meant for me
for him to do that.
This is a huge step
in our relationship.
It makes me feel like
he trusts me,
and I think
it's the breakthrough
that we needed to have
to really take that next step
in our relationship.
I'm really excited
to meet his family.
["Between Me and
the End of the World" playing]
Ever had a private show before?
[soft acoustic guitar music]
♪ ♪
♪ Thank yous don't cut it ♪
♪ I mean, what do you get ♪
♪ For the one who sees a crowd
running up ♪
♪ And then decides to run in? ♪
♪ It's grace under fire ♪
♪ It's courage for days ♪
♪ You're hiding your hands ♪
♪ And just some of God's
mysterious ways ♪
Today's date,
it's just been perfect.
And now we have
this stunning private concert
with Adam Hambrick performing.
It truly is a magical moment.
♪ It feels like the sky
might fall this time ♪
♪ And all the bad news hits
too close to home ♪
♪ And the darkness
is drowning the light ♪
♪ But I know ♪
♪ Just who I got
fighting on my side ♪
♪ Facing all the fire
the devil can hurl ♪
♪ It's a hell of a thing ♪
♪ Watching you
standing between ♪
♪ Between me and the end
of the world, yeah ♪
♪ The end of the world ♪
The way Ben made me
feel tonight
is the way that I wanna feel
with my future husband.
I feel so connected with him
right now.
I could really see him
being by my side
for the rest of my life.
I truly love Ben.
♪ Me and the end
of the world ♪
♪ ♪
Ben's been waiting on this
one-on-one for a while,
and I think, you know,
he'll make it to Hometowns
and go in feeling good.
I don't wanna go
on the group date at all.
Even if I got a Group Date Rose,
it's like I'm going in, still,
with no one-on-one time.
I'm, like,
hanging on by a thread
is what I feel like.
Hometowns are around the corner.
I'm very, very into Tayshia.
[knock at door] Yup.
I know it would work
if we really gave it a shot
and if I got a one-on-one,
but I have no idea
what she's thinking.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
Zac,
Brendan,
Ivan,
Noah...
♪ ♪
Riley.
"The truth is that
I'm falling in love.
Tayshia."
Blake.
There we go.
That's big.
I'm a little bummed.
I wanted the one-on-one.
Every minute I have,
at this point, is, like,
you know, critical.
So I will go into that
group date fearlessly
and lay it on the line
and let her know
that I'm having
really strong feelings
and that when I love someone,
I will do anything for them.
Literally anything.
[soft, tense music]
♪ ♪
This is the--
essentially the last impression
that we can have on Tayshia
until the Rose Ceremony
and until she meets,
you know, our family,
so there's a lot riding on today
as far as a group date goes.
The rose tonight means
Tayshia meets my family,
so I don't think it gets
more real than that.
Let's do it.
Today is the group date
right before
a group of us are granted
hometown dates with Tayshia
and she gets to meet
our families,
so she's gonna
probably challenge us today,
and that's okay.
I just wanna make sure if she--
like, if she has any questions
about me.
[laughs]
I just want her to have
everything that she needs.
[laughter]
Hi!
You look gorgeous as always.
Thank you.
How are you? I'm great.
[laughs] Hey, how are you?
Good. How are you?
Potentially introducing
my family to Tayshia,
yeah, I feel like
that's a huge, pivotal moment
in the progression of Tayshia
and I's relationship,
so we're gonna have fun today
and see who gets
that Group Date Rose.
Well, the date card said,
"Truth is, I'm falling in love."
Have any idea
of what that means?
Let's go see, shall we?
Let's find out.
What do you think it is?
Let's go.
Let's check it out.
Hometowns are next week
and I wanna be sure
their heart is where mine is,
so today is the day
where I'm gonna put the guys
to the test
and see just how truthful
they are.
[tense music]
[computer beeps]
♪ ♪
Let's see. Okay.
What do we have here?
Hello, everyone.
What's up, JoJo?
How you doing?
[soft laughter]
Okay, so as you can see,
I brought my girlfriend JoJo
to help me with today's date.
Honesty is probably
one of the most important
things in a relationship,
and with this
little contraption over here,
that is a polygraph test,
and we are gonna be testing
you all today.
Oh, jeez.
Oh, boy.
Did everyone just get
super nervous?
We've got nothing
to lie about.
Right, boys? [laughter]
You sure about that?
One by one,
each of you will come up
and we will ask you
a series of questions.
If you're telling the truth,
the green light will flash.
If you're telling a lie,
the red bulb will light up.
[buzzes]
And if the lie detector
can't determine
if you're telling a truth
or a lie,
the orange bulb will light up.
I definitely,
like, stiffened up
and got a little bit nervous,
you know?
Oh, boy, here we go.
So I've actually come up
with a few questions
that I'd love to get
the answers to.
Some are serious,
some are fun and silly,
but also trying to get down
to the nitty-gritty.
But just to put
a fun little twist on it,
Tayshia will also be taking
the test.
All right, so take a seat.
Okay.
Yes, I'm nervous
about a lie detector test,
not that I have
something to hide,
but she's been trying to get me
to peel back some layers.
She could peel back
some of those layers
with a few questions here today.
Let's strap you in.
You nervous or what?
No, I'm not.
Yeah, seems a little nervous
to me.
It can be difficult
for me to trust people,
especially after my divorce,
and so for me,
in my next relationship,
trust is everything.
If I can't trust you,
what's the point?
You ready, girl?
Let's do it.
Are you truly falling in love?
Yes.
[dings] Aww.
I didn't like the hesitation,
but I'll take the green.
They're all super happy
right now.
Are you falling in love
with more than one person?
Yes.
Wow. That's a good question.
Do you regret
sending anyone home?
No.
[buzzes] [gasps]
♪ ♪
Okay. Uh-oh.
Okay.
Do you think your husband
is in the group of men left?
Yes.
[dings] [laughs]
Aww.
And that's how it's done,
gentlemen.
Next up, Ivan. Okay.
I'm gonna be truthful.
I'm gonna be honest.
I'm gonna own anything
that I get asked.
Is that good?
Yeah, that's good.
Other guys, I don't know
if they'll be able to do that,
so this is a great opportunity
for me to separate myself
more than I already have.
All right, buckle in.
Uh-huh.
Have you ever been aroused
while spending time
with Tayshia?
[gasps]
Yes.
[dings] [laughter]
Yeah, girl. [laughs]
Do you want children?
Yes.
[dings]
That was a quick green.
Mm-hmm.
He wanna make some babies
with you, girl.
It's all fun and games
until somebody gets
their first lie.
Has anyone ever faked
an orgasm with you?
No.
[buzzes] [laughter]
Okay.
Are you ready to meet
Tayshia's family?
Yes.
[dings]
Do you miss your mustache?
No.
[buzzes]
[laughter]
It misses me too, really.
[laughter]
A lie detector test
is no joke,
so I'm definitely nervous.
Just settle down my heart rate
and see how this goes.
Do you believe you're prepared
to propose to Tayshia
at the end of all this?
I hope so.
[dings]
Are you ready to meet
Tayshia's family?
Yes.
[buzzes]
Are you ready for Tayshia
to meet your family next week?
I am.
[buzzes] Hmm.
I swear I am. [laughs softly]
Wow.
Brendan's answer surprised me.
It's interesting.
Quite shocked.
I wonder now, like, what else?
Have you ever cheated
on someone?
Yes.
[dings]
♪ ♪
Zac just, like,
really disappointed me.
Can you see yourself
falling in love with Tayshia?
It might have
already happened.
[dings]
I'm not gonna lie,
I feel like the saying is true:
once a cheater,
always a cheater.
They're kinda things I told
myself was a nonnegotiable.
So, like, now, it's kinda like,
what else are we going
to uncover?
Riley, you might be
used to this.
You ever do this
to your clients?
I refuse to let them.
They're not always accurate.
Riley, I'm gonna ask you
just a couple basic questions
to establish a baseline, okay?
Sure.
What is your name?
Devon Riley Christian.
[buzzes]
Sheesh.
That's not your name?
Son of a g*n. What?
Is Riley even his na--
I am very confused.
[scoffs]
Can you see yourself
falling in love with Tayshia?
Yes.
[dings]
Are you ready for Tayshia
to meet your family next week?
[sighs softly]
I really want her to.
Am I ready for it? I don't know.
[dings]
The lie detector test
was very telling,
but some of these answers
are not what I expected.
Some questions
were really telling,
and so I do have some questions
for you guys tonight
at the cocktail party.
There are some things
that didn't sit well with me
and I definitely
will address tonight,
especially because
whoever gets the rose tonight
is gonna go to Hometowns.
I wanna make sure that
that decision is right
and I wanna make sure that
that person is right.
So tonight is very important.
[dramatic music]
Cheating, I won't tolerate,
and is a dealbreaker for me.
Think I have a little bit
of explaining to do.
She has no idea.
What in the actual hell?
Is today the day
I let myself go?
[soft music]
Hello. Tay.
How are you? Good.
You know. [both laugh]
I'm nervous about tonight.
The Group Date Rose means
she'll meet my family.
I really want Tayshia
to meet my family,
but today
at the lie detector test,
I got the first question wrong,
my name,
so I'm pretty sure
I'll have to explain that,
and I'm sure she's gonna
have some questions
for the rest of the guys too.
Well, it was interesting
to get to see
the truth detector
kinda just brought out
different things
out of you guys,
but it did spark some questions,
and I'm very interested
in getting to know
the answers to them.
Let's cheers to a night
of getting to know each other
a little better.
Cheers. [laughs]
The lie detector test
was eye-opening.
Zac, do you wanna
go take a walk and talk?
Sure.
The one that stood out
most for me was
the fact that Zac has cheated.
Hi.
So I feel like
he needs to explain himself.
Cheating is something
that I won't tolerate
and is a dealbreaker for me.
So today,
you got asked
quite a bit of questions
and you admitted that you had
cheated in the past.
Mm-hmm.
I wasn't expecting that.
Cheating does not--
does not sit well with me,
and that's nothing
I will tolerate.
I mean, essentially,
that was, like,
the main reason why
my marriage ended.
I want someone to choose me
every single day,
and I don't--
and, like, loyalty
is such a big deal to me,
and I literally cannot invest
in someone again
and then have that happen.
This is a very serious,
like, topic,
and obviously it's a part
of your past, but, like--
Like, my recent past.
It's like-Yeah.
I will not date a cheater.
Can I tell you? Please.
Okay. So yes.
I've cheated in my past.
My first girlfriend,
we started dating,
and we were in love. Ah.
I...
Met another girl,
and I later met up
with that girl
at a bowling alley,
a Bowl-A-Rama,
and I French-kissed her
while I was still dating Emmy.
[tense tones]
And it was, like,
on my first girlfriend
in sixth grade.
[laughs]
And that's my cheating story.
I don't--
Honestly? Bowl-A-Rama?
You're lying.
I'm not. I'm dead serious.
Sixth grade, Zac?
I'm being honest.
And it's like,
I'm hooked up to a thing.
Oh, my gosh.
Are you joking?
No, I'm not joking.
Are you downplaying anything?
No. I promise you.
Are you being
completely honest?
Yes.
You really scared me.
I'm sorry.
I hated today.
Why?
Like, the question about...
Like, falling in love with you
and...
like, I am
falling for you, right?
And I hated to do that there.
Like, I felt like that's
something I should've told you
in a more intimate setting.
And when you said that,
I, like, wanted to reach over
and grab you
'cause I'm falling in love
with you too.
[laughs softly]
[tender music]
[laughs]
Did you think that?
Did you know that?
No.
You didn't?
You make me happy.
[laughs]
♪ ♪
Zac made me feel so good.
Like, so much better.
I'm really thankful
for the polygraph date today
because it's kind of like
an expedited way
to get all the tough questions
answered.
Honestly, a lot of your answers
made me feel much better today.
I hate that we got
sidetracked.
Mm-hmm.
And I hate that it appears
I haven't done a great job
to show who I really am.
I just...
I mean, I think you're amazing.
[laughs]
The guys are really
opening up their hearts to me,
and their honesty
is making me care for each
and every one of them more.
You had a hesitation
with proposals...
Mm-hmm. At the end of this.
I think
I definitely had hesitation
because I've only loved
one girl.
That was the last time
I was in love.
This is, like,
three years later,
and that's how I feel
about you already.
[laughs] All right.
Ivan made me feel very secure,
and I love that.
For me, trust is everything,
and I can't get
families involved
if I don't trust the men.
So I can't stress enough
how important it is
for the guys to be honest
with me tonight.
The lie detector... Mm-hmm.
Said that it was inconclusive
regarding
you meeting my family...
Yeah. And me meeting yours.
Yeah.
I wanna know why.
The hell is that about?
Yeah, what the hell
is that about, Brendan?
At face value, of course,
I'm so excited
for you to meet my family,
but they've seen me propose
and, you know, the wedding,
the marriage,
and felt that divorce
with me too, you know.
Mm-hmm.
Like, proposing
to someone again,
I want it to be the last time
I ever do that.
I completely understand.
I don't wanna introduce people
to my parents
because they've went through
that divorce with me.
I can't do that to them,
you know?
So it's very reassuring
when I have somebody
in front of me,
such as yourself,
that I, like--I really like,
and I'm excited
when you're around.
I'm, like--you know?
It's crazy.
Like, when I'm with you,
this is real feelings.
This is, like, something that,
you know, I could really,
like, picture in my future.
That's just--that's the truth.
Every single time
I'm with Tayshia,
my feelings grow stronger
and stronger.
I'm really having those feelings
and potentially actually
falling in love with her.
I am ready for Tayshia
to meet my family,
and I would be shocked
if I didn't get the rose.
I'm happy that, like,
today happened,
because it brought some things
to the surface
that we were able to talk about.
Like, I wouldn't want her
to spend time with my family
if she didn't know everything
that she wants to know
about me to this point,
for better or for worse.
Right. That's what we said.
Yeah,
For better or for worse, man.
Yeah. There's no way
she can meet my family
without, you know,
us having a discussion
about, you know,
some pretty serious things.
Oh, [bleep], dude.
Pretty personal stuff,
stuff I'd never talk about,
come up today
during the lie detector test,
and I rarely share
this type of information
with anybody.
But family visits are next week.
How can I possibly
bring my family in here,
and she has no idea,
anything at all,
about what me and my family
have been through?
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
Oftentimes,
I don't want people to,
you know, see me too vulnerable,
because I don't want them
thinking any less of me.
♪ ♪
And I ask myself,
"Is today the day
I finally talk about it,"
you know?
"Is today the day
I let myself go?"
[crying]
♪ ♪
[crying]
[solemn music]
♪ ♪
[sighs] Damn it.
[groans] Okay.
Let's do it.
I'm having these feelings
for Tayshia,
and I want her
to meet my family,
but my family situation
is difficult,
and it's something
that I don't really share
with anybody,
but if she's gonna meet
my family,
if there's any possibility
of that,
I have to be able to share
this type of stuff.
It's now or never.
Hi.
How are you?
I'm good. How are you?
I'm good. Good.
You sure? You okay?
I'm good. Let's have a seat.
Oh, man.
[both sigh]
What's wrong? [sighs]
I know we gotta get to know
one another...
Mm-hmm.
And it just involves
talking about things
that I don't
normally talk about.
I mean, we had
the lie detector test
and [bleep] did not go my way,
and, like, I know I said
I was nervous
about you, you know,
meeting my family,
but that's just because
things are so rocky
and they are...
[soft dramatic music]
[sighs]
♪ ♪
The name thing, yeah. Mm-hmm.
I know I probably don't look
much like a Dwayne,
but that's who I was.
I was Dwayne Henderson Jr.
I was named after my father.
He was my best friend
for nearly 22 years.
Mm-hmm.
We would go to baseball games,
we would laugh, we would travel.
It was great. It really was.
But I got older,
we had a falling out,
and I figured things out.
You know, with my mother,
he took some things that--
he took some things from her
that didn't belong to him
outright.
He got sole custody
of me and my brother,
and that was like--that was it.
But I was a boy
and it was what it was.
But my mother,
she deserved so much.
We missed so much time.
♪ ♪
So, you know, we went--
we went quite a while...
Mm-hmm.
You know, without really
having a relationship,
and I resented her
for a lot of things
based on what he was saying
to me,
but it got to a point where...
[scoffs]
I couldn't even look at myself
in the mirror.
It was awful.
I decided, you know,
I could be a better man.
I could be an honorable man
if I worked hard at it,
but the only way to do that
was to start over,
to start from scratch, so I did.
You know,
I got a legal name change.
People change their names
all the time.
Mm-hmm.
My mother, you know,
she was there with me.
She was there in the courtroom
with me.
And that was it.
I changed it,
and I love my father.
I truly do.
Think about him
every single day.
But he's not here.
[bleep], I'm sorry.
Don't say you're sorry.
You okay?
I'm good, I'm good, I'm good.
It's just been kinda bugging me,
and I don't normally
talk about it,
and when it came up,
I was just like,
"Why couldn't it just be wrong
and go green?"
[both laugh]
You know? Holy hell.
Listen.
You've done nothing wrong.
There's nothing to hide.
But I'm also gonna tell you,
you're still right here.
I am, and I'm happy as hell
about it.
And you're still smiling.
God.
Good God, I'm happy that--
And you're stronger than hell.
All I want is a loving family.
[both laugh] No, I know.
And I think I'm on my way
to finding it.
I feel extremely honored
and grateful
that you just opened up with me.
You're an incredible man.
Thank you.
You've been through a lot.
I don't know if I deserve
such praise,
but I do appreciate it.
No, you do.
Come here.
♪ ♪
Feels like a weight
has been lifted a bit.
I don't feel like--
I don't feel like a fraud.
I don't feel like
I'm hiding myself.
It feels really good
to share that with Tayshia.
Even though I was nervous,
she was able
to bring it out of me,
you know, let me know
that I am a good man.
[indistinct chatter]
I would love for Tayshia
to meet my family,
so I'm really hoping
I get the opportunity
to do that.
There's potential
for this rose to be a step
to the best thing
that's happened in your life.
Whoever gets it,
I just feel like
that's gonna be
the strongest relationship,
to be honest, you know?
I can honestly say to myself
I've given everything
that I can.
I feel like I, like,
opened my heart to her,
expressed my feelings,
expressed my concerns, my fears.
I left it all on the field,
so it won't be
for lack of honesty
or lack of trying.
I'm falling in love
with this girl, right?
It's happening. It just is.
I can't deny it.
How are you? What's up?
Can I come sit down
with y'all?
Of course.
But there's four other guys
that spoke to her.
I mean, the only reason
she wouldn't
give me the rose tonight
is 'cause she has
similar feelings
for someone else.
I feel like I had
a very impactful,
meaningful conversation
with every single one of you.
I don't think one conversation
was better than the other,
to be honest with you guys.
Like, they were all so amazing.
I feel like I learned so much
about every single one of you,
things that I've been dying
to know,
but I think only progressed
every single relationship,
and to be honest with you,
this rose holds so much meaning,
because it's a rose
into meeting
your guys' families.
It's a way
into your guys' hearts,
and it's something
I truly cherish
and, like, find very meaningful,
so I don't wanna
just give out a rose
just to give out a rose.
I feel like everything
meant so much tonight,
but I think I just need
a little bit more time
as to who to give this to.
Hmm.
So with that,
I'm going to wait
till the Rose Ceremony
to give this rose out,
and I hope you guys
are all okay with that.
But I just want it to come
from the best place.
Respect it.
It's a big deal for us.
Sure, yeah.
I respect it for sure.
Okay.
[sighing] Okay.
I'm completely blown away
by the men here tonight.
Every single guy has put
their heart on the line.
But meeting family
is a really big deal for me,
and it's something
I don't take lightly.
Good night, Riley.
How can I choose
one guy right now
when there are so many guys
that I'm falling in love with?
Good night, Tayshia.
Good night.
Good night. Good night.
Oh, man.
I have really big decisions
to make,
and I just hope
I could find some clarity.
[dramatic music]
[gasps] Hello, Tayshia.
Hi.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
[gasps]
Hello, Tayshia.
Hi.
Could we speak for a minute?
Yeah.
How are you?
[laughs]
I'm good. Great to see you.
Good to see you too.
So nice to see you.
Good to see you too.
Do you wanna talk?
Yeah, please.
I would love that.
Okay.
Do you wanna go inside?
Yeah. Okay.
Come on in.
You look beautiful.
[door creaks]
What a dress.
[chuckles]
Sorry.
Oh, it smells fresh
in here too.
Oh, well,
I didn't really clean up.
[chuckles]
Sorry.
It's okay. You're perfect.
You're perfect.
Please sit down.
Thank you. Thank you.
Can I...
[sighs]
It's so nice to see you.
[laughs] Um...
So it's been a little bit
of a whirlwind...
I know. To say the least,
and I spent all day
going over and over in my head,
you know, our parting.
[sighs]
You know,
I first wanted to tell you,
I'm so sorry.
I'm so, so, so sorry
for making you think
I questioned your integrity
or decision-making ability.
It was the least
of my intentions.
I never would.
I swear to you.
Our goodbye was so bizarre,
so surreal.
I just--I couldn't even fathom
what just happened.
And I was thinking
of all of these things
that I hadn't been able
to share with you.
You know, sometimes,
you don't realize things
until they're gone,
and I realized in that moment
that I love you.
♪ ♪
[sighs]
♪ ♪
I'm--I'm not gonna lie,
I'm, like, speechless right now.
I couldn't leave without
expressing that to you.
You have every ounce
of my heart right here.
I don't use that word lightly.
And I'm not expecting anything
from you,
but if there's, you know,
an ounce of you still
that would like to explore
our relationship
and continue, you know,
on a journey,
I would love nothing more
than to, you know, stay for you,
and I'll do absolutely anything
in the whole world.
♪ ♪
I truly don't even know
what to say right now.
I didn't know that I would
ever see you again,
and sincerely, you don't even
have to say anything.
You can do whatever you need.
I mean...
[pensive music]
I'm not gonna lie to you,
I was not planning on...
saying goodbye to you
that night.
At all.
I don't know.
I don't really know
what's happening right now.
It's okay.
[softly]
I'm, like, very confused.
Listen, I mean,
this is a lot, I know.
I'm not expecting any answers
or any immediate epiphany
or anything like that.
I was just wanting
to see you again
and share this with you,
'cause I'm dead serious
about you.
I haven't had
emotions like this,
ever, over a girl.
♪ ♪
Like, I think I ju--
I personally have so much
going on right now in my head,
and I don't really know
how to process this right here,
right now.
Sure. I know the feeling.
I appreciate this a lot,
but I feel like
I just need the night.
Tomorrow, I'll let you know.
Perfectly fine.
Thank you.
♪ ♪
You can give me a hug.
Thank you so much.
You okay? Yeah, I'm good.
Thank you. [laughs] No.
Nice try.
I'll walk you out. Thank you.
Bennett showed up
at my doorstep today,
and I've always said
I've wanted a guy
to show up for me like that.
Good night.
Good night, Bennett.
Bennett said, "I love you."
It's been a long time
since, like, I've heard
the words "I love you"
and it mean
absolutely everything.
And I know Bennett
wasn't just saying things
just to say them.
[whispering] Oh, my...
What in the actual hell?
I'm so confused.
[sighs]
The way that I sent him home
the other night
did not feel right,
but, like,
also at the same time,
I'm here now with other people,
these seven guys,
and I really feel like
I have good connections
with every single one of them.
[exhales]
But if I ask Bennett
to come back,
I don't know how the guys
would react.
Next week is so important
that I need to, like,
really, truly figure it out.
This is very hard.
I am so confused.
I don't know what to do.
♪ ♪
Next week
on "The Bachelorette"...
[crying]
This thing could be the b*mb
that just explodes everything.
It's back-to-back nights
of "The Bachelorette."
This intensifies
every single moment
from here on out.
Next Monday and Tuesday...
[sobs] I'm done.
I don't wanna do it anymore.
I felt like there was a lot
of unfinished business,
so I'm back.
Good evening.
Bennett walks in
like he never left.
You guys look like
you've seen a ghost.
I'm scared to death.
I'm nervous as hell.
I don't wanna hurt anyone.
[crying]
Like, this is really real
for me.
I don't see him coming back.
[sobbing]
This is really hard.
Plus...
It's Men Tell All like you
have never seen before.
He's a fraud, fake, and phony.
You stirred the [bleep] pot.
Talk about a [bleep].
No woman deserves
to be talked to like that.
I'm not gonna apologize.
That's not right.
And Tayshia returns
to face the men she sent home.
I don't see us being friends
after this.
Why the hell are you here
other than to feed your ego?
It's two nights
of all-new episodes
next Monday and Tuesday.
Are you ready for this?
I'm always ready.
It's gonna actually feel
really good.
No, I need something.
It's been a stressful week.
It's been hot as hell.
Yeah.
Oh, so it looks kinda--
Kay, so it looks like this.
Looks pretty slimy.
And you open it--
yeah, that's all the good--
that's all the goodies.
Okay. Close your lips. Okay.
It's a little cold.
Okay. How does it feel?
Yeah, it should-I like it.
I think I chose to put a mask on
because she's into
the beauty space
and also just to kinda show her
the things that we can do
on a Wednesday night.
Hang out, watch some "Dateline"
on a Friday night,
and do some face masks.
I don't know why
I chose "Dateline."
I chose "Dateline."
I'll leave this on
for a few more minutes.
That way, you just feel
really hydrated.
But we're probably gonna need
a napkin.
A napkin?
Yeah, just in case, but--
I didn't come prepared
with a napkin.
Am I gonna be walking around
like an idiot like this?
[laughs]
I don't do facials now,
but I do little skincare
routines here and there.
Actually, it's nothing.
It's just get Botox
every three months.
[laughs] That's about it.
That's my routine.
on "The Bachelorette"...
Truth and honesty
in a relationship is everything.
Have you ever cheated
on someone?
Yes.
I hated today. Why?
Cheating's nothing
I will tolerate.
Every time I talk to him,
I uncover something
that I'm just like,
"Hold on a second."
[dramatic music]
The timeframe of proposing
is scary.
That's the truth.
When you bring that
into the equation,
that makes it really real.
Is today the day
I let myself go?
[crying]
But first...
Whoo! Oh, God.
He's gonna be trouble.
From the moment he arrived,
Noah had Tayshia's attention.
I kinda knew
I'd make some enemies.
And a target on his back.
[bleep] Noah!
I wanna go at this guy.
There's zero chance
that you end up with Tayshia.
They're acting
like a bunch of [bleep].
Can you imagine having
an argument with a 14 year old?
That's how I feel right now.
I'm not on "The Babysitter."
I'm on "The Bachelorette."
Noah and Bennett,
there's something going on
between you two.
Will a two-on-one
settle the score?
There are four components
of emotional intelligence.
You are deficient
in three of those four.
This teenage boy drama
is ridiculous.
I'm not going home
because some snob
tried to drag my name
through the mud.
Who stays? Who goes?
Find out right now
on "The Bachelorette."
[tense music]
Going into the two-on-one,
I know Bennett and Noah has
a lot on their plate right now,
as well as Tayshia.
She has a lot on her plate
kinda hearing both sides
and seeing how it shakes out.
I couldn't be happier
that this is happening
because this drama
needs to be put to the side.
I believe in her
decision-making ability,
and I hope, you know,
for her sake, for our sake,
the stress leaves.
Right now,
Tayshia is on a two-on-one
with Bennett and Noah.
They have some sort of beef
and Tayshia wants to get
to the bottom of it,
and I think that it's incredible
and speaks volumes
about her character
that she's doing this
prior to the Rose Ceremony.
I think that it shows us
how seriously she's taking this.
If I was in Tayshia's position
and I had a group of 11 men,
nine of which were not
causing drama,
the two
that were causing me stress
would be gone immediately.
Bennett,
you said there is 100% chance
Tayshia would never be with me.
You would double down on that
in Vegas.
You feel like
you're talking down--
No, I said 0% chance.
There is 0% chance.
You'd double down that on--
in Vegas.
You think I'm a 14 year old.
That's wrong. The point is--
The comment was that,
"Can you imagine if you were
arguing with a 14 year old?"
Because there is
between the two of us,
that's what it feels like
arguing with you.
I stand by that statement.
Is this, like, what goes on
between you two?
No. 'Cause this sounds like,
honestly, like,
teenage boy drama.
It's totally childish.
And the fact that I have
to sit here and, like, listen,
to you guys talk about this
is ridiculous.
It's a waste of time.
So why hasn't this been
taken care of
when I'm not there?
I was unaware
of these feelings
until you brought that up
the other night.
You realize that you are
essentially questioning
my integrity, right?
I actually don't believe
that I--that I am.
Kay.
♪ ♪
What's in the box?
Um, I...
♪ ♪
That was a gift
that I gave to Noah.
Mm-kay.
Bennett, do you wanna go talk?
Yeah, absolutely.
Thank you.
It's easy to be misunderstood.
I wasn't,
in any way, shape, or form,
questioning Tayshia's integrity.
Quite the contrary.
I had just seen so many things
that she's not seen,
and I will call a spade a spade
and be honest, you know,
through and through,
and I think someone
in the house has to do it.
So where to begin? Um...
Let me start. Sure.
I don't know, I just feel like
I'm in a hard place
because I feel like--
I know. I'm sorry for that.
I genuinely care for you
and I feel like
we definitely have something,
but I feel like
there's still a fire
and someone's fueling it.
So my question to you is,
have you ever questioned
my integrity?
I--I'm not questioning
your integrity.
My question is, have you ever?
No. By how?
Like, I don't know
how I would have done that
by saying that there was
a 0% chance
that you're going to end up
with him.
I'll tell you
where that's coming from,
and I don't think
that you'll feel
that I'm questioning
your integrity.
To be quite honest with you,
everyone is here
and it doesn't matter
why they're here to you.
You don't have the right
to tell somebody else
that I will not end up
with them.
Okay. I accept that.
Because guess what?
I'm personally making
decisions...
Of course. Of course.
To have those people be here,
just like me giving you a rose
means I possibly see
a potential future with you.
Of course.
So you saying that
that's a 0% chance
of that possibly happening
is essentially questioning
my integrity,
because you're saying
that I'm not capable
of making decisions, and...
Whoa. Bennett...
making decisions of someone
that's a good suitor for me
in the future.
For that,
I'm very, very sorry.
I think what is quite obvious
is that there has been drama
centered around
Noah repeatedly
on three or four instances.
I realize that,
but now you're involved.
I know,
and I've been pulled in
because I've spoken up.
Yes.
[stammering]
And I own my words.
Kay.
And I'm happy to tell you
where that comment came from
if you would like to hear.
Which one?
About the 0% chance.
Please, share. Okay.
So, far more important to me
than IQ is EQ.
The four competencies of EQ
are self-awareness,
self-management,
social awareness,
and relationship management.
From the moment
Noah has gotten here,
I've witnessed deficiencies
in three of the four.
And I have a hard time
seeing this beautiful,
thoughtful, intelligent,
very decisive,
strong-minded woman
ending up with him,
and I was not questioning you.
I really am sorry
that you feel that way,
and I hate more than anything
that we're having to do it
right now,
'cause I want nothing to do
more than to love you up,
to pick up on our, you know,
truths conversation,
or to get back to that.
Everything feels so natural
and easy and right with you.
That's why I'm here.
Kay.
Thank you for listening to me.
Again, I'm sorry.
The last thing
I would ever want you to do
is feel as though
I'm questioning your integrity.
You got this.
This is--I have every
ounce of confidence
in my mind, in my heart,
that that is the case.
[tender music]
You're right.
I think by having
this conversation about Noah,
she's going to have
a whole newfound respect for me,
and shows her
that I am a potential husband
that can raise children
and teach morals
and teach
emotional intelligence,
which is one
of the strongest qualities
a person can have.
I'm feeling very, very confident
that I will come away
with that rose.
Noah. Yes?
We've been
on a roller coaster so far,
you and I, in the sense
that you came out hot,
g*ns a-blazin',
night one, and...
I don't know, I've just been
able to uncover who you are
with each conversation,
and I'm not gonna lie,
it just really sucks,
'cause now I'm really confused.
Um...
and I just feel like,
lately, there's been
so much drama in the house,
and I'm not gonna lie,
you're the common denominator
between all of it.
I hate that I am
in the center of this drama,
but the problem with Bennett
has been,
from the very beginning,
I had that feeling of--
you know, that he thought
he was better than me,
before we even talked.
Bennett talks to people in a way
that you shouldn't talk
to people.
Mm-hmm. I think.
Then he'll downplay it
and act like
it's not a big deal,
make it seem like a joke
or make it seem like
you're wrong.
Even tonight,
he brings me a gift,
and the first thing's a--
a bandana.
The second is a book
about emotional intelligence
and how I don't have it,
and he went on for ten minutes
explaining, you know,
all these things
in the most
condescending way possible.
Yeah.
To me, I can handle that.
I can handle the jabs,
but if I'm being
completely honest with myself,
I think it's only
a matter of time that,
if at the end of this,
you chose him,
he would act that way to you.
That's why I'm passionate
about it.
It's 'cause I think you deserve
more than that,
and I don't think people
should be talked to
like--like they're less.
[chuckles] Don't.
It's okay.
I'm fine, I'm fine. But yeah.
Like, I'm listening to you.
I mean, I wanna get your side.
I wanna get your take.
That's why I'm--
I have to address it, though,
because this is taking away
from us.
Mm-hmm.
And, like,
this shouldn't have been,
like, this big of a deal.
I'm sorry for that.
I hate that.
No, but, I mean,
I do appreciate you
bringing things up to me,
but also, it's just like--
it's driving me crazy.
I don't wanna
bring anything up.
I said everything
that I felt like
you should have
the option of hearing
so you can make
your own decisions.
Kay.
♪ ♪
Well...
I'm gonna have to think
about everything,
and I guess we'll go from there.
All right. [exhales]
The first day I was here,
I said,
"I'm going
to put it all out there,"
and tonight,
I did put it all out there.
Can I get a hug?
I didn't intend
to get emotional.
I don't even know where that
came from to be honest,
but it shows how much
I care for Tayshia.
She's incredible. She's awesome.
I do want, you know,
what's best for her,
and, you know,
if I went home tonight,
I would be heartbroken.
Bennett, listen, you know,
it's ironic to me
that you bring up my EQ
because I've said,
"Bennett is the highest IQ
in the house,
"but Bennett's EQ
is not close to his IQ.
"There's some sort of
disconnect there.
"And if there's one thing
that separates
maybe Bennett and I,
is the self-awareness."
That's why I've brought up,
"Maybe he doesn't realize that
the way he talks to people
"is condescending
and, you know, demeaning.
Maybe he's not
self-aware enough."
You know,
I think that I am well aware
that I am different
from everyone in this house--
whether I'm carrying myself
differently,
whether I'm speaking
differently.
I own that.
Tayshia already sees that.
So let's take a breather.
Let's wait on her, yeah.
Let the best man win. Yeah.
This is
incredibly frustrating.
[dramatic music]
The last way
that I'd like to be spending
my time with Tayshia
is talking about Noah,
but that's what had
to be done tonight.
He's acted like a young child
throughout this entire process
and I think that he's not ready
to be anyone's husband or father
at this point in his life.
At this point,
I feel pretty confident.
I let Bennett be Bennett,
Bennett showed himself,
and I think
Tayshia will see that,
so I think Bennett's going home.
I just hope he doesn't
cause hell on his way out.
♪ ♪
[clears throat]
[sighs]
Bennett.
You have made me feel heard
this entire time
and made me feel very special.
I truly have enjoyed
getting to know you,
and I think that the way
that you make me feel
when you're around me
is amazing,
and I don't think
I've ever actually felt that
before with someone.
But it worries me
that you are condescending,
the way that you talk to people,
and that you question
my intentions.
Noah, I have enjoyed
getting to know you.
Every single day, I feel like
I discover
a different part of you
that I didn't know
you really had in you,
'cause I feel like you're
joking around all the time,
but there are a lot
of beautiful parts to you,
and you also do make me feel
very special.
But the thing is,
I'm also worried that
you're not ready for marriage
at the end of this.
♪ ♪
Bennett...
♪ ♪
Unfortunately,
I can't give you this rose.
Can I walk you out, please?
Wow.
Sure.
[solemn music]
♪ ♪
[laughs softly] Jeez.
Is this really goodbye?
♪ ♪
Unfortunately.
Holy cow.
♪ ♪
What?
Wow. I didn't--I'm shocked.
I mean, never for one second
was I questioning
your ability to make a decision
or your integrity.
I simply saw behaviors
that I could never imagine
you putting up with
in a husband and a father.
And I felt very confident
in my words,
and never once for a second
did I question you,
and, you know,
if you feel this way,
I'm so sorry. I'm...
I'm sorry, Bennett.
♪ ♪
[laughs softly]
I'm sorry.
Tonight, I had to decide
what I wanted to ultimately do,
and I made a decision
based off of what I've seen
and how I feel and...
I'm really, really sorry
that you feel that way.
I hate it.
This was really,
really working for me,
and never for a second
did I question you.
[laughs softly]
♪ ♪
I'm sorry.
All right.
♪ ♪
Thanks.
Hope you find
what you're looking for.
Lot of great guys out there.
Thank you.
♪ ♪
That was interesting.
That was a curveball.
Did not see that coming.
♪ ♪
Not the goodbye I expected
at all.
Sending Bennett home,
it didn't feel right.
He couldn't understand,
he was trying to figure it out,
and it just felt so weird
and it just did not feel right.
Especially when
he's such a good person.
I just hope I'm making
the right decision.
[door opens]
No.
Don't be smiling.
[groans]
In fact...
That wasn't, like,
a victory for you by any means.
That was hard.
And I'm not gonna lie,
I did have feelings for Bennett.
And the fact that I had
to sit you both down
and talk to you tonight is not
something I wanted to do,
and that was not how I wanted
to say goodbye to him.
And to be honest with you,
Noah...
♪ ♪
I'm not gonna give you
this rose right now either.
♪ ♪
I truly don't know
how I feel right now.
♪ ♪
So...
I guess I'll see you later.
♪ ♪
I'm not happy
how it all turned out.
I think Bennett got to her.
I went from, you know,
being on a consistent, like,
growth with her
to starting over
or worse, really.
That's how it feels right now.
You know,
we'll see how the night goes.
Honestly, I'm not sure
what she's thinking.
Do you know someone
looking for love?
Nominate someone or apply
to date the Bachelor
or Bachelorette
at abc.com/casting.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
[sighs]
Well...
Tonight, it's all been
just exhausting.
Tayshia didn't give me the rose
after she sent Bennett home,
and then she said,
"I don't think you're ready
for marriage."
And that really
actually is disappointing
because I know
I'm a suitable husband.
I know I'm ready for marriage.
I know all these things.
So, you know,
I'm not just gonna give up.
Hopefully,
I'm gonna get another chance
to, like, convince her
that I'm ready for marriage.
I had a feeling.
It's not all
that it appears though.
How you boys doing? Jeez.
Where's the rose at?
There's not a rose.
No rose?
It's not all it appears, yeah.
I guess we got some stuff
to talk about.
How'd it go?
Well, it's been a long night.
She ended up
sending Bennett home,
and then she said that
she doesn't think that
she can give me the rose either,
but she wants me to hang around
for the Rose Ceremony.
And I'm not glad that you guys
keep getting tied up in,
like, BS, and, you know,
I hope everyone has
a great cocktail party.
I like Noah.
I understand he feels great
about staying
and Bennett leaving.
That's awesome.
But just considering
all the time spent
dealing with the drama...
[sighs] I'm just like, "Dude.
Just quiet for once.
Just don't talk for once."
♪ ♪
Hello, hello. Hello.
All right. Hi. [laughs]
Hey. How are you?
Um, as you all
may have noticed,
Bennett is no longer with us.
The drama is over for now
and I just wanna be done
with it all.
So I just wanna have
a good night with you guys.
I've been looking forward
to talking to you guys
all night.
So let's just have
a good night, can we?
Of course. Okay, good.
Thank you so much. You got it.
We gonna cheers?
Cheers to seeing you guys.
I'm excited to see y'all.
[laughter]
Whoo! May I?
Mm-hmm. Let's do it.
As difficult
as that two-on-one was,
it was so important
for me to address it,
and I'm happy that it's done
and it's in the past
because I really
just wanna focus
on the relationships
that I have left.
Yeah. [laughs]
Yeah, I got you covered.
Hometowns
are around the corner,
and I guess I'm feeling
a little nervous about it.
I wanna see if the guys
are really ready
for the next step.
Let's get over here.
I gotcha. I gotcha.
See, I got a little surprise.
But before we get started...
Okay.
I'm gonna sit this down,
because I know
today has been stressful,
but you handled your business
like always,
you know, and I love that.
It's everything, you know,
that I want in a wife,
everything that I see,
you know, in a wife,
and since I know
Tayshia loves surprises...
[laughing] I do. You do.
Today is actually
our one-week anniversary
of being a boyfriend
and girlfriend, all right?
Is it? Yes, it is.
Aww.
All right, so got a little
something for you here.
Oh, my gosh.
A little
"happy anniversary" cake.
Wait, I love this.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I was able to see Tayshia first,
and I knew she had
a rough day today,
I knew she had a rough,
you know, past few days,
so my only goal was really
just to make her happy,
put a smile on her face,
and I think I did that.
Happy anniversary.
Happy anniversary.
[laughs]
Mm-hmm. Mmm.
That's what I'm talking 'bout.
I really want a rose tonight,
and now I'm feeling confident.
I come bearing gifts.
What is that?
Picture. A picture of what?
No.
Oh--
Do you love it? Oh, my gosh!
I'm such a cheeseball.
Zac.
The other day was just, like,
one of the best days I've had
in a long time,
but I also want you to know
that, like,
I'm ready, whatever it takes,
and I got your back.
[soft music]
♪ ♪
I feel just good. Confident.
You know, I have the rose,
so it's not--
like, I'm not sweating
through the ceremony.
Like, I could see her
completing me.
♪ ♪
What's everyone been doing?
Nothing. [laughs]
What's that smug look
on your face?
I'm just glad
that I'm not you.
Oh, yeah.
No, you've had to deal with
some [bleep] though, like--
Yeah, she's convinced
I'm causing it all,
and I'm like, "Well, maybe."
I don't think so. Maybe I am.
But I feel like I'm just the
only one that's said anything.
I'm pretty nervous.
I still haven't had time
with Tayshia.
The whole thing's kinda
a weird feeling for me.
Like, if I don't get
more time with her,
I feel like
I'm not gonna get a rose.
♪ ♪
[laughs]
We're really bad at that.
What? We're so bad at that.
I don't know.
It's you, actually.
It's not me.
Need more practice.
We need more practice.
So like, move your lips
a little bit like--
[chuckles]
The beginning of this evening
really started out pretty tough.
It was emotional.
It was frustrating.
But once I started diving in
to talking to the guys,
my night was turned around.
I've told you before, like,
I'm in a point in my life where
I'm ready to be a great husband
going forward, you know?
Mm-hmm.
And that's why
I'm taking this so seriously.
This is such a good group
of guys.
I'm really excited
about the direction
that we're all going.
How you feeling?
I am good. Mm-hmm.
Long night so far for you,
huh?
Just a little bit.
A little bit.
I was a little anxious
coming into tonight,
but I feel like there are
so many things
to be excited about...
Mm-hmm.
This guy named Brendan
being one of them.
Okay. So, like, you know?
I have, like,
things to look forward to.
Definitely.
How are you doing?
I'm doing good.
I'm doing great.
It's kinda the same--yeah,
that same, like, sentiment
towards this whole journey
where, you know, if you have,
like, an off day mentally
and emotionally
and even if you're
physically tired,
just, like, getting any time
with you at all is amazing.
It makes it all worth it, so...
[laughs]
Okay. Um...
So... You wanna kiss me?
Yeah. Can I? No.
Oh.
Of course you can. Come here.
I pretend to leave
every time we're together.
Don't leave.
♪ ♪
Tayshia is a really
unique woman for sure.
You know,
she's sweet and gentle,
and I do feel like
me and Tayshia have
a real connection.
So I'm going into
tonight's Rose Ceremony
feeling really, really good.
♪ ♪
It's just always a good night
when you have an opportunity
to speak with Tayshia.
I think it went well.
I'm just hoping
I get a rose tonight.
[door opens]
♪ ♪
Hi, guys.
Hello. all: Hey.
Can I come join?
Mm-hmm, of course.
Yes, of course.
Why, thank you.
Scoot over. [laughs]
How you guys doing?
Doing well. Doing well.
Yeah?
Yeah. Good, good, good.
I'm glad we talked today.
I feel like I needed you guys
and you guys brought me
better energy,
so thank you very much.
Tayshia, it's time
for the Rose Ceremony.
Kay.
Tonight was a disaster
'cause I got no time at all,
which sucks 'cause I do have
strong feelings for Tayshia
and they're getting stronger,
but now, I could be going home.
So far, I've been pretty
confident that I'd get a rose.
But right now,
I don't feel great.
I guess I'm feeling tired,
frustrated.
We have quite a few individuals
who haven't had
any one-on-one time
and are fighting
for those roses,
so if I didn't get
a rose tonight,
and it's a result
of Noah being Noah,
I'd be insanely mad.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
Right now,
we are down to ten guys,
and more people will be
going home tonight.
I hope I get a rose.
I really wanna continue
to get to know Tayshia.
[whispering]
I can't see that far.
Holy [bleep].
Oh, wow.
Three people.
Everyone counted the rose
and realized, like,
"I'm in trouble."
I'm curious if Noah ends up
sticking around
because of, you know,
all the drama
that he's created.
Jeez. [scoffs]
Tonight, Tayshia didn't
give me the rose
after she sent Bennett home.
I mean, I'm a realist.
I know where I stand.
I'm 1/4 as confident
as I have been
this entire time,
but I'm not gonna
count myself out.
I mean, I've seen
the way she, like,
looks and smiles at me,
so, you know,
I do think
she has feelings for me.
♪ ♪
This week has been
very draining and emotional,
but as draining
as this week has been,
I'm actually
really, really excited.
I feel like
I have a great group
in front of me
filled with relationships
that, honestly,
are blowing me away,
and I'm just excited
for continuing the momentum
with what we have built.
This is not easy,
but you guys have been amazing
and checking in on me
and supporting me.
I just wanna say thank you.
Unfortunately, I do have to say
goodbye to some of you,
but I care about you all,
and just thank you.
♪ ♪
Brendan.
♪ ♪
Brendan,
will you accept this rose?
Definitely.
Thank you. Mm-hmm.
♪ ♪
Riley.
I feel confident where I'm at.
I don't think Tayshia would
give a rose to Noah
rather than me.
Do you accept this rose?
Yes, ma'am.
But tonight, I didn't get time
because there was
a bunch of [bleep]
surrounding Noah, again.
It would be pretty
heartbreaking to go home
if I don't get a rose.
♪ ♪
Blake.
I want the rose
extremely badly.
Will you accept this rose?
Absolutely.
This rose would symbolize
that this time has been worth it
and that, ultimately,
I will be able
to get more time with Tayshia.
Ivan.
I think there's other guys
that have wasted time,
wasted energy, and, you know,
I think she will see
right through it
and send 'em home.
Ivan, will you accept
this rose?
Yes, of course. [chuckles]
[indistinct whispering]
♪ ♪
I am good enough
as any other guy out there
to get her last rose.
I definitely believe
that I could be the one
for Tayshia,
so fingers crossed
that she feels
that same way too.
♪ ♪
Noah.
[solemn music]
♪ ♪
Noah, will you accept this rose?
Yes.
Mm-hmm.
♪ ♪
Guys, I'm sorry.
If you didn't receive a rose,
take a moment
and say your goodbyes.
Pleasure meeting you, dude.
Appreciate you.
Yeah, for sure.
Appreciate it.
See you guys again.
Dog. Good run.
We had a great run.
Oh, thank God.
Okay. Another shot.
I'm happy to be alive.
That's it.
Tayshia gave me a reality check
on kinda where I thought
we were,
but even more importantly,
gave me a reality check
on what I thought
she thinks is important.
Hopefully, the damage is done,
we can go to sleep,
we can wake up,
and it's a new day.
Thank you so much.
I appreciate you.
I appreciate you too.
[indistinct].
I had the best time.
You have great guys here.
It hurts, man.
It's tough being this open
and knowing
that there's a chance
it's gonna fail.
I thought we had
a good connection,
but I guess
it wasn't good enough.
And then there were seven.
Down to seven guys,
and for me, it's like,
I have a real opportunity now
to explore love with someone,
and it's scary and crazy
and real.
Cheers to real love
with a real woman.
I can honestly say
I'm falling for Tayshia,
but my one concern is,
I don't think
it's, like, just me.
All: Cheers.
[dramatic music]
If there's a time
to express how you feel,
this is the time.
Truth and honesty
in a relationship is everything.
Have you ever cheated
on someone?
Yes.
Every time I talk to him,
I uncover something
that I'm just like,
"Hold on a second."
[tense music]
♪ ♪
We're down to seven.
I didn't expect it to be
that big of a cut.
Yeah, it's gonna be quiet
and weird at the house.
Totally.
More chances
for one-on-one time,
which is what
everyone's been wanting.
It's mind-boggling to think
that I'm one
of the last guys remaining.
This intensifies
every single moment
from here on out.
The real, real journey
begins today.
[door squeaks]
Hey, y'all. Hey, JoJo.
Good morning. JoJo.
Good morning.
As crazy as last night was,
Tayshia is feeling great
this morning, guys.
She told me
she is falling in love.
I do have news
that will make things
much more serious.
Next week is Hometown Week.
Tayshia will be meeting
your families.
I can't tell you guys enough
how important
meeting the family is.
This was the week I knew
I was falling in love
with my fiancé, Jordan.
So it's time to check in
with your feelings.
In the meantime,
I have your first date card.
Good luck. Thank you.
And I will see you guys
later, okay?
Thanks, JoJo. Bye.
Good to see you.
All right, boys.
Looks like we got
some business to get down to.
"Ben,
"falling in love
is full of surprises.
Love, Tayshia."
You did it, boy. [laughs]
You did it.
Spoke it into existence, baby.
Grats, Benny Boy.
Ah, there you go, B.
All right, guys,
gotta go get ready for my date.
Good luck, brother.
Time has come.
Good luck, Benny Boy.
Good luck, brother.
Good luck, Ben.
With JoJo
bringing up Hometowns
and meeting the family,
for myself, at least,
that's a really big step.
But it's the right step though.
That's why getting a rose
is so big.
I'm excited for it.
My family's everything.
So, like, when you bring that
into the equation,
everything gets real.
[sniffling]
My mom and dad are my heroes,
so that makes it
really real for me.
What just happened is, like,
it went from, like,
"Okay, we're here,
we're dating,"
to, "My future wife could be
meeting my family."
I'm literally sitting here
'cause they believed in me.
Yep.
So...
My parents, I know
they just want me to be happy.
Like, I know...
that, like,
that's just all they want.
And so, like, knowing
how happy I've been
the last couple weeks
with Tayshia,
they deserve to see that,
'cause, like,
there's been some times
where I wasn't very happy.
[soft music]
♪ ♪
So it's a lot.
It's a lot to take in.
[sniffles]
When you start to bring
family into it,
it just changes
the whole ball game.
♪ ♪
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
[giggles]
You look beautiful.
Thank you. [laughs]
We got matching shoes.
Hi.
How are you? I'm good.
Ben is someone
I've been excited about
since day one.
Last group date, he started,
like, opening up
a little bit more,
so the fact that
we finally have a one-on-one
is gonna be crucial to see
if we can keep progressing,
because I don't know
if I could take him
to Hometowns.
I'm still struggling to see
who he really is.
Whoo! Coming in hot, you guys.
Look who it is. Hey.
Oh, my goodness.
You look so cute
on that thing.
Hey. Hi.
I have set up
a fun, amazing oasis,
but you guys are gonna
have to work together
on solving my little clues
and riddles
in order to find this oasis.
Okay. Good news is,
you guys do have two scooters
around the corner.
I swear to you,
the hunt to the destination
will be worth it.
It's worth it, yeah.
I will see you later, okay?
Okay.
Sounds good. Bye.
Okay. Good luck.
Thank you.
Wait, I wanna ride scooters.
I think
they're right over here.
I've been waiting
for this one-on-one
since the second I saw her
walk in the room
on the first night.
I'm incredibly grateful
that it's happening now,
especially with Hometowns
and, like, meeting families
coming up.
You have to read the card.
Why? Oh.
'Cause it's on your scooter.
Because if there's a time to
really express how you feel,
this is, like,
the time to do that.
"Find me in the place
where the score is love."
Tennis. Love. Love?
Like, that's a score
in tennis.
That means zero.
This is the most important day
of our journey and, like,
I'm excited
to keep the momentum going.
I haven't been on a date
with a girl in a long time.
Really? Yeah.
I mean, what did you think
it was gonna be like?
I didn't expect this.
This is better. This is better.
Going on--being on scooters?
Well, yeah.
Or just, like, being with you
in general, yeah.
[screams] [laughs]
I'm not that good yet.
Okay, I see a pool.
Ooh.
Filled with tennis balls.
Wait, do you think
the letter's in here?
I don't know.
There's no way.
Kay, what if I just do this?
Ben!
I found it! [laughter]
Here, you get to read this one.
Oh, my gosh.
I'm just gonna do it like that.
[laughs]
Ooh. All right, I see it.
The date is very cute.
I think this is up
both of our alleys.
Probably the perfect date
for us.
You are not.
I'm not gonna get
my pants wet.
Are you kidding me?
I'm definitely not mad
at the fact
that Ben also has
to take off his pants
to get into the fountain.
It's, like, a win-win.
I'm finding clues for my date,
but he takes off his pa--
like, I'm a happy girl.
"This journey
can be stressful,
"but this is the one place
you can go to relax.
Remember, it's what's inside
that counts."
It's inside
one of these babies.
It's inside the piñata.
It's inside.
So we have to hit all of them.
All of them. Swing and hit it.
Oh, better than that. [laughs]
Take a step forward.
There we go.
Yeah.
There's nothing in here.
It was hilarious that we hit
every single piñata...
Come on, Ben!
Oh, my God!
Except for the one that
actually contained the clue.
How is it the last one?
Oh, wow.
That's one way to-[laughs]
"This journey is a long one.
Let's sit and relax."
I did wanna say thanks
for inviting me on this date.
You're welcome.
I feel like
it's a long time coming,
but I don't think it could've
come at a better time.
I would actually
have to agree.
Yeah, like,
I keep telling you.
I, like, haven't had feelings
in a long time for anybody.
Yeah.
Today, I just kinda, like,
lost track of
time and space and just--
All the--all the other things.
Enjoyed the--yeah.
This--I finally got
a little bit of you
the other night.
Yeah.
And even though
I kept pushing...
[laughs]
It could've been too late,
to be honest.
Yeah. It could've.
And so that's what
I was just telling you.
Like, you have to just...
Let it out? Let it out.
But I don't know why
you freak out about it so much.
Maybe it's me trying
to be perfect or whatever.
I don't know. Yeah. Why?
I'm gonna cut that out.
I'm gonna quit it.
I don't know.
Maybe part of me
doesn't wanna share things
because I'm afraid
of burdening you.
But I trust you.
You do? Yeah.
You are a tough cookie
to crack,
but I feel like
you probably need it
more than you think.
If I could be that person
to help you do that,
it could, I don't know,
be the start to something
really special.
Hope so.
To me. To you.
[laughs]
I feel like
Ben and I needed this date
and it couldn't come
at a better time.
Now, we know we have fun
with each other.
But I feel like
there's still some things
I need to uncover with him,
and I want to know more
and I want to continue
down this path,
but with Ben, at this moment,
I don't know
if I could give him a rose,
because I have yet to see
who he really is,
and I really need him
to do that tonight.
[soft music]
♪ ♪
Those are my favorite so far.
These shoes? Yeah.
People get wowed
by your dresses,
but your shoes are always...
[laughs]
They're always on point.
I, like, really like Ben.
He's so soft-spoken
when he speaks.
I love that.
I love that he's been a leader.
I love that he's been
in the military.
Here, let me get your chair.
Oh, thank you.
I'd love to meet Ben's family
and see what makes him tick
and where his roots are,
but I just feel like
I'm still struggling
to see who he really is,
and I don't even know if
we can actually be something
if he doesn't open up to me.
All right, before we start,
let's just do a cheers.
Mm-kay.
I asked for their finest red,
so I don't know what we got.
[laughs] Did you? Yeah.
Thank you.
I can't believe
this is real life.
I cannot believe
I'm sitting here with you,
and I'm so thankful.
Of course.
Cheers.
Mmm.
So, you know,
I came into this thing,
and I was hoping that I would
feel feelings for somebody
and develop a relationship,
but I had no idea
that it would, like,
happen this quickly.
So...
I have actually said this
about you since day one.
Say it.
I feel like
you're almost too perfect.
No.
You say the right things.
You move the right way.
I feel like you want to, like,
display this perfect image
of yourself.
I'm just a real human.
I know there's, like,
this thing where you think
I'm, like, trying to be perfect
all the time.
I know you're holding back.
And I feel like
there's just, like--
I don't even know, and, like...
Say it.
I don't know, I feel like
there's just, like, hurt there.
Uh...
You know, I was raised
in a house
where, like,
being perfect was expected
or, like, being a certain way
was expected.
You have to look the part,
you have to...
do all the things a certain way.
I had everything I needed
materially,
but I think often,
I was left wanting emotionally,
and then I left home
when I was 18,
joined the army,
and I've just been conditioned
to be this person
that even when
I'm feeling vulnerable,
I default
to what's most comfortable.
It's easier for me to do this
than to, like,
say the wrong thing
or, like, be overtly vulnerable
or, like, share a thing
that's really uncomfortable
for me.
Of course. Of course.
This is the thing about it all,
is just--we're just talking.
Yeah. And I get it.
You are guarding yourself,
but, like, I'm here.
Yeah. And I'm interested.
What do you wanna know?
What do you mean,
what do I wanna know?
I wanna know everything.
Ask me a question.
Okay. Or ask more. Like--
Are you really close
with your family?
'Cause I feel like
you don't talk about them much.
My sister.
She's the best person I know,
and she's saved my life
in more ways than one.
Yeah. How did she help you?
Um...
[sighs]
a rough year for me.
I had left a career
that I thought
I was gonna be in forever.
Mm-hmm.
The army didn't end up
working out for me
for a number of reasons, but I--
I ended up breaking my back
pretty--pretty bad,
and, like, I'm 26 years old,
and I can barely walk up
the steps and, like,
um,
was living in a city
that was too expensive for me
and I was completely lost.
My life was very dark.
Um...
And, like,
I didn't know how to say
that I needed things.
I don't know if you can relate
with, like, that,
or, like, how that can be.
Mm-hmm.
The only person I confided in
was my sister, and, um...
Um, so, like--
I'm trying to, like, give you
the whole picture, but--
It's okay. We have time.
Um...
You know, I...
I guess we can go deep.
I, uh,
I had two
failed su1c1de attempts
in 2018 and 2019.
Oh, my gosh.
And I don't mean to, like,
throw that on you.
It's, like,
a weird thing to do here.
My sister, she doesn't know,
and I guess she'll know now.
[laughs softly]
I know.
And when I get worried
and I get nervous, I smile,
and so I'm, like, smiling.
You're fine.
But I didn't wanna
be here anymore,
and for the same reason
that I don't like to share.
'Cause I didn't wanna burden
anybody with my problems,
and I thought
that the easiest way
was to just not be around.
Luckily,
it didn't work.
And the only thing
that got me through that
was her, and she has no idea.
She saved my life, and so I--
I owe her everything.
You never told her? No.
That would make her
more worried.
I just didn't think
it was the right time
or the right place.
And so I, uh,
through being very intentional
and aggressive with my therapy,
the person that you see
before you today, like,
isn't that person.
♪ ♪
It's insane
that I just told you that,
because I, like,
don't tell people that.
Ben.
I was very scared about
sharing all of those things.
Really?
Yeah. [chuckles]
And I--I'm okay.
You're okay.
And that's pretty cool.
And I'm still right here.
Yeah.
I see you and I hear you.
And that's all
I've been wanting.
I just--I have been wanting you
to open up to me,
and I've been wanting
to, like, get to know you.
You're an amazing person.
I don't wanna cry,
but thank you.
I really appreciate it,
you just being here.
Absolutely.
It literally means
the world to me.
Benjamin. Yes?
I know that tonight
was really hard
for you to open up about things
that you really don't tell
many people.
Since day one, that's all
I've been wanting from you.
I'm so incredibly happy
that you're here.
Me too.
I'm so happy you were able
to take this step
so that we could progress
our relationship,
and I wanna know
if you'd accept this rose.
Always. [laughs]
[tender music]
Thank you. Of course.
♪ ♪
Tonight, I needed Ben
to open up,
and I cannot even begin
to express
how much it meant for me
for him to do that.
This is a huge step
in our relationship.
It makes me feel like
he trusts me,
and I think
it's the breakthrough
that we needed to have
to really take that next step
in our relationship.
I'm really excited
to meet his family.
["Between Me and
the End of the World" playing]
Ever had a private show before?
[soft acoustic guitar music]
♪ ♪
♪ Thank yous don't cut it ♪
♪ I mean, what do you get ♪
♪ For the one who sees a crowd
running up ♪
♪ And then decides to run in? ♪
♪ It's grace under fire ♪
♪ It's courage for days ♪
♪ You're hiding your hands ♪
♪ And just some of God's
mysterious ways ♪
Today's date,
it's just been perfect.
And now we have
this stunning private concert
with Adam Hambrick performing.
It truly is a magical moment.
♪ It feels like the sky
might fall this time ♪
♪ And all the bad news hits
too close to home ♪
♪ And the darkness
is drowning the light ♪
♪ But I know ♪
♪ Just who I got
fighting on my side ♪
♪ Facing all the fire
the devil can hurl ♪
♪ It's a hell of a thing ♪
♪ Watching you
standing between ♪
♪ Between me and the end
of the world, yeah ♪
♪ The end of the world ♪
The way Ben made me
feel tonight
is the way that I wanna feel
with my future husband.
I feel so connected with him
right now.
I could really see him
being by my side
for the rest of my life.
I truly love Ben.
♪ Me and the end
of the world ♪
♪ ♪
Ben's been waiting on this
one-on-one for a while,
and I think, you know,
he'll make it to Hometowns
and go in feeling good.
I don't wanna go
on the group date at all.
Even if I got a Group Date Rose,
it's like I'm going in, still,
with no one-on-one time.
I'm, like,
hanging on by a thread
is what I feel like.
Hometowns are around the corner.
I'm very, very into Tayshia.
[knock at door] Yup.
I know it would work
if we really gave it a shot
and if I got a one-on-one,
but I have no idea
what she's thinking.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
Zac,
Brendan,
Ivan,
Noah...
♪ ♪
Riley.
"The truth is that
I'm falling in love.
Tayshia."
Blake.
There we go.
That's big.
I'm a little bummed.
I wanted the one-on-one.
Every minute I have,
at this point, is, like,
you know, critical.
So I will go into that
group date fearlessly
and lay it on the line
and let her know
that I'm having
really strong feelings
and that when I love someone,
I will do anything for them.
Literally anything.
[soft, tense music]
♪ ♪
This is the--
essentially the last impression
that we can have on Tayshia
until the Rose Ceremony
and until she meets,
you know, our family,
so there's a lot riding on today
as far as a group date goes.
The rose tonight means
Tayshia meets my family,
so I don't think it gets
more real than that.
Let's do it.
Today is the group date
right before
a group of us are granted
hometown dates with Tayshia
and she gets to meet
our families,
so she's gonna
probably challenge us today,
and that's okay.
I just wanna make sure if she--
like, if she has any questions
about me.
[laughs]
I just want her to have
everything that she needs.
[laughter]
Hi!
You look gorgeous as always.
Thank you.
How are you? I'm great.
[laughs] Hey, how are you?
Good. How are you?
Potentially introducing
my family to Tayshia,
yeah, I feel like
that's a huge, pivotal moment
in the progression of Tayshia
and I's relationship,
so we're gonna have fun today
and see who gets
that Group Date Rose.
Well, the date card said,
"Truth is, I'm falling in love."
Have any idea
of what that means?
Let's go see, shall we?
Let's find out.
What do you think it is?
Let's go.
Let's check it out.
Hometowns are next week
and I wanna be sure
their heart is where mine is,
so today is the day
where I'm gonna put the guys
to the test
and see just how truthful
they are.
[tense music]
[computer beeps]
♪ ♪
Let's see. Okay.
What do we have here?
Hello, everyone.
What's up, JoJo?
How you doing?
[soft laughter]
Okay, so as you can see,
I brought my girlfriend JoJo
to help me with today's date.
Honesty is probably
one of the most important
things in a relationship,
and with this
little contraption over here,
that is a polygraph test,
and we are gonna be testing
you all today.
Oh, jeez.
Oh, boy.
Did everyone just get
super nervous?
We've got nothing
to lie about.
Right, boys? [laughter]
You sure about that?
One by one,
each of you will come up
and we will ask you
a series of questions.
If you're telling the truth,
the green light will flash.
If you're telling a lie,
the red bulb will light up.
[buzzes]
And if the lie detector
can't determine
if you're telling a truth
or a lie,
the orange bulb will light up.
I definitely,
like, stiffened up
and got a little bit nervous,
you know?
Oh, boy, here we go.
So I've actually come up
with a few questions
that I'd love to get
the answers to.
Some are serious,
some are fun and silly,
but also trying to get down
to the nitty-gritty.
But just to put
a fun little twist on it,
Tayshia will also be taking
the test.
All right, so take a seat.
Okay.
Yes, I'm nervous
about a lie detector test,
not that I have
something to hide,
but she's been trying to get me
to peel back some layers.
She could peel back
some of those layers
with a few questions here today.
Let's strap you in.
You nervous or what?
No, I'm not.
Yeah, seems a little nervous
to me.
It can be difficult
for me to trust people,
especially after my divorce,
and so for me,
in my next relationship,
trust is everything.
If I can't trust you,
what's the point?
You ready, girl?
Let's do it.
Are you truly falling in love?
Yes.
[dings] Aww.
I didn't like the hesitation,
but I'll take the green.
They're all super happy
right now.
Are you falling in love
with more than one person?
Yes.
Wow. That's a good question.
Do you regret
sending anyone home?
No.
[buzzes] [gasps]
♪ ♪
Okay. Uh-oh.
Okay.
Do you think your husband
is in the group of men left?
Yes.
[dings] [laughs]
Aww.
And that's how it's done,
gentlemen.
Next up, Ivan. Okay.
I'm gonna be truthful.
I'm gonna be honest.
I'm gonna own anything
that I get asked.
Is that good?
Yeah, that's good.
Other guys, I don't know
if they'll be able to do that,
so this is a great opportunity
for me to separate myself
more than I already have.
All right, buckle in.
Uh-huh.
Have you ever been aroused
while spending time
with Tayshia?
[gasps]
Yes.
[dings] [laughter]
Yeah, girl. [laughs]
Do you want children?
Yes.
[dings]
That was a quick green.
Mm-hmm.
He wanna make some babies
with you, girl.
It's all fun and games
until somebody gets
their first lie.
Has anyone ever faked
an orgasm with you?
No.
[buzzes] [laughter]
Okay.
Are you ready to meet
Tayshia's family?
Yes.
[dings]
Do you miss your mustache?
No.
[buzzes]
[laughter]
It misses me too, really.
[laughter]
A lie detector test
is no joke,
so I'm definitely nervous.
Just settle down my heart rate
and see how this goes.
Do you believe you're prepared
to propose to Tayshia
at the end of all this?
I hope so.
[dings]
Are you ready to meet
Tayshia's family?
Yes.
[buzzes]
Are you ready for Tayshia
to meet your family next week?
I am.
[buzzes] Hmm.
I swear I am. [laughs softly]
Wow.
Brendan's answer surprised me.
It's interesting.
Quite shocked.
I wonder now, like, what else?
Have you ever cheated
on someone?
Yes.
[dings]
♪ ♪
Zac just, like,
really disappointed me.
Can you see yourself
falling in love with Tayshia?
It might have
already happened.
[dings]
I'm not gonna lie,
I feel like the saying is true:
once a cheater,
always a cheater.
They're kinda things I told
myself was a nonnegotiable.
So, like, now, it's kinda like,
what else are we going
to uncover?
Riley, you might be
used to this.
You ever do this
to your clients?
I refuse to let them.
They're not always accurate.
Riley, I'm gonna ask you
just a couple basic questions
to establish a baseline, okay?
Sure.
What is your name?
Devon Riley Christian.
[buzzes]
Sheesh.
That's not your name?
Son of a g*n. What?
Is Riley even his na--
I am very confused.
[scoffs]
Can you see yourself
falling in love with Tayshia?
Yes.
[dings]
Are you ready for Tayshia
to meet your family next week?
[sighs softly]
I really want her to.
Am I ready for it? I don't know.
[dings]
The lie detector test
was very telling,
but some of these answers
are not what I expected.
Some questions
were really telling,
and so I do have some questions
for you guys tonight
at the cocktail party.
There are some things
that didn't sit well with me
and I definitely
will address tonight,
especially because
whoever gets the rose tonight
is gonna go to Hometowns.
I wanna make sure that
that decision is right
and I wanna make sure that
that person is right.
So tonight is very important.
[dramatic music]
Cheating, I won't tolerate,
and is a dealbreaker for me.
Think I have a little bit
of explaining to do.
She has no idea.
What in the actual hell?
Is today the day
I let myself go?
[soft music]
Hello. Tay.
How are you? Good.
You know. [both laugh]
I'm nervous about tonight.
The Group Date Rose means
she'll meet my family.
I really want Tayshia
to meet my family,
but today
at the lie detector test,
I got the first question wrong,
my name,
so I'm pretty sure
I'll have to explain that,
and I'm sure she's gonna
have some questions
for the rest of the guys too.
Well, it was interesting
to get to see
the truth detector
kinda just brought out
different things
out of you guys,
but it did spark some questions,
and I'm very interested
in getting to know
the answers to them.
Let's cheers to a night
of getting to know each other
a little better.
Cheers. [laughs]
The lie detector test
was eye-opening.
Zac, do you wanna
go take a walk and talk?
Sure.
The one that stood out
most for me was
the fact that Zac has cheated.
Hi.
So I feel like
he needs to explain himself.
Cheating is something
that I won't tolerate
and is a dealbreaker for me.
So today,
you got asked
quite a bit of questions
and you admitted that you had
cheated in the past.
Mm-hmm.
I wasn't expecting that.
Cheating does not--
does not sit well with me,
and that's nothing
I will tolerate.
I mean, essentially,
that was, like,
the main reason why
my marriage ended.
I want someone to choose me
every single day,
and I don't--
and, like, loyalty
is such a big deal to me,
and I literally cannot invest
in someone again
and then have that happen.
This is a very serious,
like, topic,
and obviously it's a part
of your past, but, like--
Like, my recent past.
It's like-Yeah.
I will not date a cheater.
Can I tell you? Please.
Okay. So yes.
I've cheated in my past.
My first girlfriend,
we started dating,
and we were in love. Ah.
I...
Met another girl,
and I later met up
with that girl
at a bowling alley,
a Bowl-A-Rama,
and I French-kissed her
while I was still dating Emmy.
[tense tones]
And it was, like,
on my first girlfriend
in sixth grade.
[laughs]
And that's my cheating story.
I don't--
Honestly? Bowl-A-Rama?
You're lying.
I'm not. I'm dead serious.
Sixth grade, Zac?
I'm being honest.
And it's like,
I'm hooked up to a thing.
Oh, my gosh.
Are you joking?
No, I'm not joking.
Are you downplaying anything?
No. I promise you.
Are you being
completely honest?
Yes.
You really scared me.
I'm sorry.
I hated today.
Why?
Like, the question about...
Like, falling in love with you
and...
like, I am
falling for you, right?
And I hated to do that there.
Like, I felt like that's
something I should've told you
in a more intimate setting.
And when you said that,
I, like, wanted to reach over
and grab you
'cause I'm falling in love
with you too.
[laughs softly]
[tender music]
[laughs]
Did you think that?
Did you know that?
No.
You didn't?
You make me happy.
[laughs]
♪ ♪
Zac made me feel so good.
Like, so much better.
I'm really thankful
for the polygraph date today
because it's kind of like
an expedited way
to get all the tough questions
answered.
Honestly, a lot of your answers
made me feel much better today.
I hate that we got
sidetracked.
Mm-hmm.
And I hate that it appears
I haven't done a great job
to show who I really am.
I just...
I mean, I think you're amazing.
[laughs]
The guys are really
opening up their hearts to me,
and their honesty
is making me care for each
and every one of them more.
You had a hesitation
with proposals...
Mm-hmm. At the end of this.
I think
I definitely had hesitation
because I've only loved
one girl.
That was the last time
I was in love.
This is, like,
three years later,
and that's how I feel
about you already.
[laughs] All right.
Ivan made me feel very secure,
and I love that.
For me, trust is everything,
and I can't get
families involved
if I don't trust the men.
So I can't stress enough
how important it is
for the guys to be honest
with me tonight.
The lie detector... Mm-hmm.
Said that it was inconclusive
regarding
you meeting my family...
Yeah. And me meeting yours.
Yeah.
I wanna know why.
The hell is that about?
Yeah, what the hell
is that about, Brendan?
At face value, of course,
I'm so excited
for you to meet my family,
but they've seen me propose
and, you know, the wedding,
the marriage,
and felt that divorce
with me too, you know.
Mm-hmm.
Like, proposing
to someone again,
I want it to be the last time
I ever do that.
I completely understand.
I don't wanna introduce people
to my parents
because they've went through
that divorce with me.
I can't do that to them,
you know?
So it's very reassuring
when I have somebody
in front of me,
such as yourself,
that I, like--I really like,
and I'm excited
when you're around.
I'm, like--you know?
It's crazy.
Like, when I'm with you,
this is real feelings.
This is, like, something that,
you know, I could really,
like, picture in my future.
That's just--that's the truth.
Every single time
I'm with Tayshia,
my feelings grow stronger
and stronger.
I'm really having those feelings
and potentially actually
falling in love with her.
I am ready for Tayshia
to meet my family,
and I would be shocked
if I didn't get the rose.
I'm happy that, like,
today happened,
because it brought some things
to the surface
that we were able to talk about.
Like, I wouldn't want her
to spend time with my family
if she didn't know everything
that she wants to know
about me to this point,
for better or for worse.
Right. That's what we said.
Yeah,
For better or for worse, man.
Yeah. There's no way
she can meet my family
without, you know,
us having a discussion
about, you know,
some pretty serious things.
Oh, [bleep], dude.
Pretty personal stuff,
stuff I'd never talk about,
come up today
during the lie detector test,
and I rarely share
this type of information
with anybody.
But family visits are next week.
How can I possibly
bring my family in here,
and she has no idea,
anything at all,
about what me and my family
have been through?
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
Oftentimes,
I don't want people to,
you know, see me too vulnerable,
because I don't want them
thinking any less of me.
♪ ♪
And I ask myself,
"Is today the day
I finally talk about it,"
you know?
"Is today the day
I let myself go?"
[crying]
♪ ♪
[crying]
[solemn music]
♪ ♪
[sighs] Damn it.
[groans] Okay.
Let's do it.
I'm having these feelings
for Tayshia,
and I want her
to meet my family,
but my family situation
is difficult,
and it's something
that I don't really share
with anybody,
but if she's gonna meet
my family,
if there's any possibility
of that,
I have to be able to share
this type of stuff.
It's now or never.
Hi.
How are you?
I'm good. How are you?
I'm good. Good.
You sure? You okay?
I'm good. Let's have a seat.
Oh, man.
[both sigh]
What's wrong? [sighs]
I know we gotta get to know
one another...
Mm-hmm.
And it just involves
talking about things
that I don't
normally talk about.
I mean, we had
the lie detector test
and [bleep] did not go my way,
and, like, I know I said
I was nervous
about you, you know,
meeting my family,
but that's just because
things are so rocky
and they are...
[soft dramatic music]
[sighs]
♪ ♪
The name thing, yeah. Mm-hmm.
I know I probably don't look
much like a Dwayne,
but that's who I was.
I was Dwayne Henderson Jr.
I was named after my father.
He was my best friend
for nearly 22 years.
Mm-hmm.
We would go to baseball games,
we would laugh, we would travel.
It was great. It really was.
But I got older,
we had a falling out,
and I figured things out.
You know, with my mother,
he took some things that--
he took some things from her
that didn't belong to him
outright.
He got sole custody
of me and my brother,
and that was like--that was it.
But I was a boy
and it was what it was.
But my mother,
she deserved so much.
We missed so much time.
♪ ♪
So, you know, we went--
we went quite a while...
Mm-hmm.
You know, without really
having a relationship,
and I resented her
for a lot of things
based on what he was saying
to me,
but it got to a point where...
[scoffs]
I couldn't even look at myself
in the mirror.
It was awful.
I decided, you know,
I could be a better man.
I could be an honorable man
if I worked hard at it,
but the only way to do that
was to start over,
to start from scratch, so I did.
You know,
I got a legal name change.
People change their names
all the time.
Mm-hmm.
My mother, you know,
she was there with me.
She was there in the courtroom
with me.
And that was it.
I changed it,
and I love my father.
I truly do.
Think about him
every single day.
But he's not here.
[bleep], I'm sorry.
Don't say you're sorry.
You okay?
I'm good, I'm good, I'm good.
It's just been kinda bugging me,
and I don't normally
talk about it,
and when it came up,
I was just like,
"Why couldn't it just be wrong
and go green?"
[both laugh]
You know? Holy hell.
Listen.
You've done nothing wrong.
There's nothing to hide.
But I'm also gonna tell you,
you're still right here.
I am, and I'm happy as hell
about it.
And you're still smiling.
God.
Good God, I'm happy that--
And you're stronger than hell.
All I want is a loving family.
[both laugh] No, I know.
And I think I'm on my way
to finding it.
I feel extremely honored
and grateful
that you just opened up with me.
You're an incredible man.
Thank you.
You've been through a lot.
I don't know if I deserve
such praise,
but I do appreciate it.
No, you do.
Come here.
♪ ♪
Feels like a weight
has been lifted a bit.
I don't feel like--
I don't feel like a fraud.
I don't feel like
I'm hiding myself.
It feels really good
to share that with Tayshia.
Even though I was nervous,
she was able
to bring it out of me,
you know, let me know
that I am a good man.
[indistinct chatter]
I would love for Tayshia
to meet my family,
so I'm really hoping
I get the opportunity
to do that.
There's potential
for this rose to be a step
to the best thing
that's happened in your life.
Whoever gets it,
I just feel like
that's gonna be
the strongest relationship,
to be honest, you know?
I can honestly say to myself
I've given everything
that I can.
I feel like I, like,
opened my heart to her,
expressed my feelings,
expressed my concerns, my fears.
I left it all on the field,
so it won't be
for lack of honesty
or lack of trying.
I'm falling in love
with this girl, right?
It's happening. It just is.
I can't deny it.
How are you? What's up?
Can I come sit down
with y'all?
Of course.
But there's four other guys
that spoke to her.
I mean, the only reason
she wouldn't
give me the rose tonight
is 'cause she has
similar feelings
for someone else.
I feel like I had
a very impactful,
meaningful conversation
with every single one of you.
I don't think one conversation
was better than the other,
to be honest with you guys.
Like, they were all so amazing.
I feel like I learned so much
about every single one of you,
things that I've been dying
to know,
but I think only progressed
every single relationship,
and to be honest with you,
this rose holds so much meaning,
because it's a rose
into meeting
your guys' families.
It's a way
into your guys' hearts,
and it's something
I truly cherish
and, like, find very meaningful,
so I don't wanna
just give out a rose
just to give out a rose.
I feel like everything
meant so much tonight,
but I think I just need
a little bit more time
as to who to give this to.
Hmm.
So with that,
I'm going to wait
till the Rose Ceremony
to give this rose out,
and I hope you guys
are all okay with that.
But I just want it to come
from the best place.
Respect it.
It's a big deal for us.
Sure, yeah.
I respect it for sure.
Okay.
[sighing] Okay.
I'm completely blown away
by the men here tonight.
Every single guy has put
their heart on the line.
But meeting family
is a really big deal for me,
and it's something
I don't take lightly.
Good night, Riley.
How can I choose
one guy right now
when there are so many guys
that I'm falling in love with?
Good night, Tayshia.
Good night.
Good night. Good night.
Oh, man.
I have really big decisions
to make,
and I just hope
I could find some clarity.
[dramatic music]
[gasps] Hello, Tayshia.
Hi.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
[gasps]
Hello, Tayshia.
Hi.
Could we speak for a minute?
Yeah.
How are you?
[laughs]
I'm good. Great to see you.
Good to see you too.
So nice to see you.
Good to see you too.
Do you wanna talk?
Yeah, please.
I would love that.
Okay.
Do you wanna go inside?
Yeah. Okay.
Come on in.
You look beautiful.
[door creaks]
What a dress.
[chuckles]
Sorry.
Oh, it smells fresh
in here too.
Oh, well,
I didn't really clean up.
[chuckles]
Sorry.
It's okay. You're perfect.
You're perfect.
Please sit down.
Thank you. Thank you.
Can I...
[sighs]
It's so nice to see you.
[laughs] Um...
So it's been a little bit
of a whirlwind...
I know. To say the least,
and I spent all day
going over and over in my head,
you know, our parting.
[sighs]
You know,
I first wanted to tell you,
I'm so sorry.
I'm so, so, so sorry
for making you think
I questioned your integrity
or decision-making ability.
It was the least
of my intentions.
I never would.
I swear to you.
Our goodbye was so bizarre,
so surreal.
I just--I couldn't even fathom
what just happened.
And I was thinking
of all of these things
that I hadn't been able
to share with you.
You know, sometimes,
you don't realize things
until they're gone,
and I realized in that moment
that I love you.
♪ ♪
[sighs]
♪ ♪
I'm--I'm not gonna lie,
I'm, like, speechless right now.
I couldn't leave without
expressing that to you.
You have every ounce
of my heart right here.
I don't use that word lightly.
And I'm not expecting anything
from you,
but if there's, you know,
an ounce of you still
that would like to explore
our relationship
and continue, you know,
on a journey,
I would love nothing more
than to, you know, stay for you,
and I'll do absolutely anything
in the whole world.
♪ ♪
I truly don't even know
what to say right now.
I didn't know that I would
ever see you again,
and sincerely, you don't even
have to say anything.
You can do whatever you need.
I mean...
[pensive music]
I'm not gonna lie to you,
I was not planning on...
saying goodbye to you
that night.
At all.
I don't know.
I don't really know
what's happening right now.
It's okay.
[softly]
I'm, like, very confused.
Listen, I mean,
this is a lot, I know.
I'm not expecting any answers
or any immediate epiphany
or anything like that.
I was just wanting
to see you again
and share this with you,
'cause I'm dead serious
about you.
I haven't had
emotions like this,
ever, over a girl.
♪ ♪
Like, I think I ju--
I personally have so much
going on right now in my head,
and I don't really know
how to process this right here,
right now.
Sure. I know the feeling.
I appreciate this a lot,
but I feel like
I just need the night.
Tomorrow, I'll let you know.
Perfectly fine.
Thank you.
♪ ♪
You can give me a hug.
Thank you so much.
You okay? Yeah, I'm good.
Thank you. [laughs] No.
Nice try.
I'll walk you out. Thank you.
Bennett showed up
at my doorstep today,
and I've always said
I've wanted a guy
to show up for me like that.
Good night.
Good night, Bennett.
Bennett said, "I love you."
It's been a long time
since, like, I've heard
the words "I love you"
and it mean
absolutely everything.
And I know Bennett
wasn't just saying things
just to say them.
[whispering] Oh, my...
What in the actual hell?
I'm so confused.
[sighs]
The way that I sent him home
the other night
did not feel right,
but, like,
also at the same time,
I'm here now with other people,
these seven guys,
and I really feel like
I have good connections
with every single one of them.
[exhales]
But if I ask Bennett
to come back,
I don't know how the guys
would react.
Next week is so important
that I need to, like,
really, truly figure it out.
This is very hard.
I am so confused.
I don't know what to do.
♪ ♪
Next week
on "The Bachelorette"...
[crying]
This thing could be the b*mb
that just explodes everything.
It's back-to-back nights
of "The Bachelorette."
This intensifies
every single moment
from here on out.
Next Monday and Tuesday...
[sobs] I'm done.
I don't wanna do it anymore.
I felt like there was a lot
of unfinished business,
so I'm back.
Good evening.
Bennett walks in
like he never left.
You guys look like
you've seen a ghost.
I'm scared to death.
I'm nervous as hell.
I don't wanna hurt anyone.
[crying]
Like, this is really real
for me.
I don't see him coming back.
[sobbing]
This is really hard.
Plus...
It's Men Tell All like you
have never seen before.
He's a fraud, fake, and phony.
You stirred the [bleep] pot.
Talk about a [bleep].
No woman deserves
to be talked to like that.
I'm not gonna apologize.
That's not right.
And Tayshia returns
to face the men she sent home.
I don't see us being friends
after this.
Why the hell are you here
other than to feed your ego?
It's two nights
of all-new episodes
next Monday and Tuesday.
Are you ready for this?
I'm always ready.
It's gonna actually feel
really good.
No, I need something.
It's been a stressful week.
It's been hot as hell.
Yeah.
Oh, so it looks kinda--
Kay, so it looks like this.
Looks pretty slimy.
And you open it--
yeah, that's all the good--
that's all the goodies.
Okay. Close your lips. Okay.
It's a little cold.
Okay. How does it feel?
Yeah, it should-I like it.
I think I chose to put a mask on
because she's into
the beauty space
and also just to kinda show her
the things that we can do
on a Wednesday night.
Hang out, watch some "Dateline"
on a Friday night,
and do some face masks.
I don't know why
I chose "Dateline."
I chose "Dateline."
I'll leave this on
for a few more minutes.
That way, you just feel
really hydrated.
But we're probably gonna need
a napkin.
A napkin?
Yeah, just in case, but--
I didn't come prepared
with a napkin.
Am I gonna be walking around
like an idiot like this?
[laughs]
I don't do facials now,
but I do little skincare
routines here and there.
Actually, it's nothing.
It's just get Botox
every three months.
[laughs] That's about it.
That's my routine.