We leave pirate ships, Terry Crews and pool parties behind to go bungee jumping in Singapore this week. “The Bachelor” hits the road for the first time this season as the international leg of Colton’s journey to find love begins.
When Chris Harrison broke the news to the ladies that they would be leaving Bachelor Mansion for good and heading to Singapore, you would have thought they all won the lottery based on their overzealous reactions. Like if the audience from “Ellen's 12 Days Of Giveaways” and every person ever on “The Price is Right” had a baby, it would be these women. Colton’s excitement was radiating as well as he claimed Singapore is a very cool place because “it’s got the lights and buildings.” What a time to be alive.
Also, we were treated to a new episode of Colton’s vlog as he chatted about his excitement for the week of dates, except this time he was wearing a shirt – the nerve. And Harrison, uh, accidentally (we all know it was on purpose!) called Hannah B. the wrong name.
Once the group reaches Singapore, it's one-on-one date time. Colton and Tayshia honor the late, great Tom Petty and go free falling off a bungee tower in Singapore. Colton clearly attended the charm school from “A League of Their Own” as his swan dive was executed “gracefully and grandly,” while Tayshia looked like the floppy inflatable outside a car dealership. At their nighttime dinner, Tayshia informs Colton she was once married and that it’s been hard for her to open up. Naturally, their next action is to make out on a huge Ferris wheel overlooking Singapore. She gets a date rose.
Move over Lady Gaga, a new star is born in Demi. The girl knows how to play the game, and this was evident on this week’s group date, where Colton and his bachelorettes strolled the streets of Singapore tasting exotic food. Next, we learn that leech therapy is indeed not FDA approved as Colton and his ladies had leeches suck their blood from all different body parts, like Hannah B.’s ribcage (yes, this actually happened). But this was way more adorbs of a moment than the leech scene in “Stand by Me.”
As the group date continued, things, well...got really weird. Colton and Cassie learned they were brother and sister in a past life from a fortuneteller, but that didn’t stop them from making out. Hannah B., aka Miss Alabama, said she was contemplating leaving if Colton wasn’t into her, but once her Prince Charming landed a kiss, miraculously Hannah B. proclaimed she could possibly fall in love with him. The night ends with Demi opening up to Colton about her mom being released from prison, which earned her the group date rose this week.
Caelynn, aka Miss North Carolina, received the annual “Pretty Woman” date, as it's known in Bachelor Nation. You may remember on last year’s season, Becca K. experienced the shopping spree date, and we all know how her love journey ended with Arie. Historically speaking, the contestant who goes on this date makes it very far in the season, so keep that in mind. But the true star of this daytime date was the store clerk who told Caelynn, “Jennifer Lopez eat your heart out.”
At the nighttime dinner conversation between Caelynn and Colton, the show turned serious. Caelynn informed Colton that she was drugged and sexually assaulted when she was a sophomore in college. She went to the hospital to get a rape kit and was initially turned away. When she went to a second hospital, too much time had passed and the results were inconclusive, so there wasn’t enough evidence for a conviction.
Colton then informed Caelynn that he dated someone, his “first love," who was sexually assaulted as well (no names were divulged, but Twitter was quick to point out that Colton previously dated Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, who was one of 150 women to accuse former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar of sexual abuse in 2017). Caelynn also publicly stated this week that the cameras were pulled back and she couldn’t see them, and that it was as much of a natural conversation between the two as could possibly be. There was no dramatic background music, or gimmicky editing tricks; this was a very honest and real conversation between the two. As ABC cut to commercial break in silence, it aired the phone number for the National Sexual Assault Hotline, which is 800-656-HOPE (4673).
Prior to the rose ceremony, there was a truly wild cocktail party, which featured a little bit of everything. First, the Miss America’s finally had a closed-door conversation and appeared to put their beef aside. Then Hannah G. and Colton had a steamy make out session on his bed, but they were nice enough to re-make it upon completion. And in good old “The Bachelor” fashion, we had a contestant get in her own head. Poor Courtney. The Georgia Peach picked an enemy in Demi, but that didn’t go well for her as Demi told Colton that Courtney was the "cancer of the house." Courtney tried to confront Demi, but that just lead to her own Demi-ise as Colton ultimately sent her packing.
Receiving roses this week: Tayshia, Demi, Caelynn, Hannah G., Heather, Kirpa, Hannah B., Katie, Elyse, Sydney, Cassie, Nicole and Onyeka. Demi successfully, and single-handedly, eliminated her two mortal enemies in Courtney and Tracy. It’s as if Demi was handing out the roses this week and not Colton. I fully expect a Demi Burnett and Billy McFarland 2020 Presidential run.
Next week, the show heads to Thailand where Bachelor Nation is hoping, and begging, this is the episode we finally get to see Colton jump a 10-foot fence (please!) as we saw in the season previews.
And then there were 13.
An Inside Look
• When Hannah B. and Colton were having their serious conversation, the sound effects of the animals chirping, as if they were in a jungle, was very, very intense. Fast forward to Caelynn and Colton’s very serious conversation, where there was dead silence in the background. That conversation took place outside, whereas Hannah B. and Colton’s conversation took place inside. The unnatural and enhanced animal noises in the background could have very well been piped in to further illustrate just how awkward of a conversation the two were having.
Eddie Ravert is the host of the iTunes Top 75 Bachelor Nation podcast "Rose Buds: The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever," where he and Lynn, his sister and co-host, interview past and present contestants.
You can catch their weekly podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And be sure to follow @RoseBudsPodcast on Instagram for behind the scenes look into each episode. You can follow Eddie on Twitter @eddie_rage.