18x02 - Week 2

[bunniefuu]

‐ Tonight,
on "The Bachelorette"...

Michelle!

‐ Hi!

I'm a teacher,

and you're going to be
put to the test.

‐ Wrong.
‐ Wrong, wrong.

‐ I'm very excited

about all of these men.

I'm looking for my teammate.

For life.

Whoo!

‐ Michelle's an amazing person.

‐ You glow,
and you light up a room.

‐ Oh, my gosh.

‐ Whoo!

I'll remember this
for the rest of my life.

‐ This is one of the best
first dates I've been on.

‐ What's going on?

‐ The whole house is talking.

‐ It seems like they know
each other from before.

‐ A lot of the guys
are questioning

that you might have known
him before here.

‐ I'm very blindsided.

My person has to believe in me,

and I'm not sure who does.

‐ There's a rat in our midst.

‐ I don't know who to trust.

And I'm questioning,

did I make the right decision
to come here?

‐ And it all starts right now.

‐ I feel really good
waking up this morning.

First night's over.

Could not have made me
more excited

for this entire journey.

And I have this amazing group
of 23 guys here.

‐ Oh, hey.
‐ Okay.

Oh, it's fancy.

‐ Yo.

‐ They feel genuine,
they feel authentic,

and that's something that's
really important to me.

Michelle!

‐ I feel like I made
the right decision

of the men that I kept here.

I'm very excited
about all of these men.

Like, they all seem to be
checking off these boxes.

We got some
of the surface level stuff

out of the way‐‐ ‐ Yes.

‐ You know,
"What's your favorite color?",

all these different things.

And now we can start
to pull back

those layers a little bit.

‐ You guys feel like,
when she did call your name,

the eye contact‐‐
ay, like, this is‐‐

Oh, it's just, like,
that feeling was, like, yeah,

top of the world, man.

‐ Swear, like,
I'm sure everybody was,

but my heart was pounding
the entire time.

I was, like, ugh...

Waking up today,
my heart was still racing.

You know, it's just such
a real feeling.

I'm excited to fight
for that opportunity,

that chance to win her heart.

‐ Whoever gets that first
one‐on‐one is a lucky dude.

‐ Absolutely.
‐ He's a lucky dude.

‐ Meeting Michelle is amazing.

Beautiful woman, first.

That smile, those eyes.

When they look at you,
I feel like I'm frozen.

She's special,
and everyone here knows it,

but she's, like, one of a kind.

And I want to make sure
that I give my best sh*t

to be with that one of a kind.

‐ You're starting
to date these men.

‐ I'm not‐‐ today.

Today is our first group date.
‐ You're going

on your first group date.

I will actually say, Zachary,

it's the group dates
that I kind of saw

his personality
kind of come out.

And the ones that are not
always in your face...

‐ Mm‐hmm.

‐ You want to give them
a chance.

They put their walls down
a little bit.

‐ Okay.

That makes me even more excited.

‐ This is a
once‐in‐a‐lifetime opportunity

for a one in a billion girls.

‐ You're grinning
from ear to ear.

‐ I know!
‐ I know you're trying to stop.

‐ This is very weird,

knowing that one
of these guys will become

my soul mate.

‐ Michelle is so excited
to continue this

with all of you.
You're here for a reason.

She obviously saw something
in each one of you.

So if your name is
on that first date card,

it's your time to shine.

‐ All right.
‐ Mm.

‐ And speaking
of that date card,

‐ I really want to be
on that date card.

If my name will be on that list,

uh, then I can breathe
a sigh of relief,

knowing, like, hey,
it's coming, it's happening.

‐ Y'all ready?
Y'all ready?

Let's go!

‐ Brandon.

Romeo.

Rick.

PJ.

Will.

Olumide.

Casey.

Danny.

LT.

Peter.

"Today's lesson is love.

Heart Michelle."
‐ Whoo.

Who just got the chills?
I got the chills, man.

This is my time.

It's Big Will time.

When Michelle goes back
to her room tonight,

I gotta make sure she remembers

that Will was
definitely out there.

‐ Let's go, let's go.

Oh, Michelle!
‐ Let's go, let's go!

‐ Michelle!

‐ Hi!
‐ Hello.

‐ Whoo.
‐ Hi.

‐ How are you?
‐ Good, how are you guys?

‐ You look great.
‐ You guys look great!

‐ Michelle's looking
absolutely amazing.

She wants the most authentic
type of man.

Today I need to show her
that's me.

‐ Olu, bring it in.
‐ Hello, queen.

Gonna make it happen.

‐ I am super excited for today.

I have three friends
that are here with me.

And they have
really high standards, so...

‐ Uh‐oh.

‐ They're not gonna
take it easy on you.

Are y'all ready?
‐ Ready. Let's go.

‐ All right, let's go!

‐ Whoo.

Whoo!

‐ She brought three
of her friends.

So, you know what?
I'm gonna

build up the confidence I got,

and I'm gonna do anything
and everything

to leave a good impression
on these friends.

‐ Oh.
‐ Wow.

‐ Uh‐oh.
‐ Let's go.

‐ Oh, Wow.
Haha.

‐ Hi!
‐ Hi!

‐ Uh‐oh.

What the is going on?

‐ Students, take your seats,
'cause class is in session.

‐ Oh.
‐ Oh, no!

‐ All right, guys.

Meet Mia, Riley, and Kennedy.

‐ Hello.
‐ Hello, nice to meet you all.

‐ It's an honor.
‐ Hi!

‐ As you know, I'm a teacher.

It's something that I've been
very passionate about.

So I figured, who better
to help lead us through today

than these three
exceptional fifth graders.

Today is the first group date,

and we're going back to school.

‐ Pressure's on.

‐ I feel like nothing
is more revealing

than being in a classroom.

And I feel like
I can learn a lot

about these guys today.

They are going to be
put to the test

by some pretty brilliant kiddos.

‐ It's time for math.

‐ First question.

2,021 times 18.

‐ Today's date is, uh,
going back to school.

And then, uh, seeing
the fifth graders,

I was like, "Oh, I'm gonna
learn a lesson today."

‐ This is a chance
to make an impression

on Michelle.

And so, I want to do well.

‐ Wrong!
‐ Peter!

‐ Wrong.
‐ Peter! Wrong.

‐ I didn't have enough time.

I used my fingers to count.

‐ Count faster.

‐ All right, it just got
serious now.

‐ The kids are
not holding back at all.

‐ Wrong.
‐ 25?

‐ Wrong. Wrong.
‐ Wrong. Wrong.

‐ Stop changing your answer.
‐ No cheating!

‐ Thankfully, I was not
the target of their ire.

Hope I got it.

‐ Two negative numbers,
multiplied together,

equals what kind of number?

‐ I majored in math at Harvard.

But some of the guys...
‐ Wrong.

‐ They are kind of struggling.

‐ Peter, wrong.

‐ Maybe Miss Young
should teach you guys too.

‐ Yeah.

‐ How many times
is it acceptable

to call me beautiful in a day?

Brandon, is that
an infinity or eight?

‐ It's an infinity.
I just‐‐I'm terrible.

Yeah, you gotta flip it.

‐ Aw, I'm s‐‐ Oh, I'm sorry.

I'll turn it to the side.
‐ That's an eight.

‐ Trick question,
it's never enough, Bella.

‐ Oh, wow.

And Romeo, 36,000?

I was counting
the number of seconds

in a day.
‐ Okay.

‐ Yeah.

‐ I feel like
Romeo really set the bar

but there's a lot
of layers to Peter.

‐ Wow.
‐ Oh, wow.

‐ And she's definitely only seen

one or two of them right now.

‐ Miss Young only has
one perfect recipe for love.

So let's see who has
the best chemistry.

‐ Remember, follow the recipe.

‐ Psst, Michelle.
Michelle!

I definitely feel like
I stand out

more than most of these guys.

I definitely consider
myself an alpha presence.

Michelle.

I'm not just a guy, I'm the guy.

And I just know that
I need to make my impact

every chance that I get.

Michelle!

‐ Leave her alone.

‐ Sorry.

‐ Whoo!

‐ Romeo.
‐ Whoa.

Whoa!

‐ Come on, come on, come on!

‐ Abracadabra.

‐ Whoa!

‐ Whoa!

‐ Peter, you fail.

‐ Eh.
‐ Eh.

‐ Was there a certain way
you put it in?

‐ That was the whole challenge.

You had to follow directions.

‐ Today is not your lucky day.

Sorry.
‐ Yeah.

‐ It's time to play
one of our favorite games,

musical chairs.

‐ Wow, we almost
went the wrong way.

‐ Go! Go!

‐ You need to go faster.
It's a chair.

‐ Oh!
Ohh!

‐ Dang.

‐ So I can't speak
for anyone else

in terms of how
they experience Peter.

For me it's a little too much.

‐ Oh.
‐ Whoo!

‐ At a certain point,
it becomes more about

the Peter show...

‐ Ah!
‐ Oh!

‐ Than giving Michelle
an opportunity

to really meet and connect,

and fall in love with someone.

‐ Don't cheat.

He got it, he got it.

‐ PJ! PJ!

‐ Yay!

‐ You can tell a lot
about a person

by how they played
musical chairs,

and it's not necessarily

in these positive ways.

‐ It's time for spelling.

‐ Protein.

Everyone get it right?

Oh.

‐ I'm not getting
a gold star, am I, huh?

‐ Brandon can't spell, but‐‐

maybe he'll be
a good kisser, who knows.

‐ Brandon, wrong.

‐ You like my drawing?

Pizza.

‐ I thought it was a cone
with no ice cream.

‐ Mia says it looks like
a cone with no ice cream.

‐ No, it's a pizza slice.

I'm an entrepreneur.

I got my own pizzeria.

No?

‐ Peter, man.

This guy wants to be
in the spotlight.

I'm sick of it already.

Sometimes you just gotta
call it how you see it,

and I'm gonna be that guy.

‐ All right, last word.

Narcissist.

‐ He put Peter.

‐ Hey.
‐ Was I close?

‐ Oh!

‐ I looked over,
and he was heated.

He was heated.

His face was red

as tomato sauce.

You know it was.
I seen it.

‐ Well, that was awful.

But there are no losers.

You're all getting
participation awards.

‐ I could care less
about this guy.

To say that I'm a narcissist,
in front of Michelle‐‐

do you understand
how low that is?

That's someone that literally
doesn't think

that anybody
on this planet Earth

exists other than them.

What about me now?
Like, what about me now?

Like, what the about me?

Now I‐‐

I was making tremendous progress

and doing so‐‐

I was shining in that group.

I felt like I really was
shining in that group.

He's known me for two,
three days.

He has no idea who I am.

- It's.
- It's.

‐ We're only walking as fast
as these heels can go.

But‐‐ ‐ They look good, though.

‐ Today with Michelle,
it's been fun.

She has a positive energy,
which I love being around.

And so going into tonight,
like, I just want

to have time with her.
I just want to learn about her.

‐ I truly feel like
I'm on a beach.

‐ I'm really excited
to be here right now

with Michelle in this date.

But definitely that rose
is on my mind.

And I want to do
everything in my power

to make sure that I give myself

the best chance
at getting that rose tonight.

‐ I wanted to start
by telling you all

how much fun I had today.

I truly appreciate
you going with the flow.

And I know at times
this whole thing

can get uncomfortable,
and you really don't know

what's gonna get
thrown your way.

But, um,

I'm learning more and more
about you,

and so tonight's
about having fun

and continuing to enjoy
each other's company

as we learn.

- Cheers!
- Cheers!

‐ Salud.

‐ The stakes are high.
This is the first group date,

and at the end of the day,

Michelle's gonna pick
the best person for her.

So I'm gonna be me.

I will be here till the end,

'cause I'm gonna do
whatever it takes

to be with that woman.

Well, how are you doing?

‐ I'm doing great now.
How are you?

‐ I'm doing great.

Looking forward to seeing you.

‐ So I feel like we need
to talk about something.

I already know what's coming.

‐ What's coming?

The spelling.

The spelling.

I did fail a lot today.

But I'm always
gonna try for you,

and I'm always gonna do my best.

And I know, like,
just in life in general,

like, I want you to know

I'm always gonna pick myself
back up for you,

and learn from my lessons
and just keep moving forward.

‐ So‐‐ ‐ I like that.

‐ Yeah.

‐ What are you thinking?

You're staring
deep into my soul.

‐ I'm just trying to remember
every single part‐‐

‐ What we were talking about?

‐ No, just every single
part of you.

Just so I can go home
and have a dream about you

and wake up and realize

my dream girl is real.
‐ Oh, my God, stop.

That was terrible.

‐ That was awful?
‐ That was terrible!

‐ That was from the heart.

That was genuine.
‐ Was it?

‐ Yeah.

‐ You could, like,
read that off of a‐‐

‐ What, like a magazine
or something like that?

Oh, my gosh.
I guess I'm just corny.

I'm an old soul, like‐‐

‐ You looked that one up
on the internet.

Like, how‐‐
‐ Right before I got here?

‐ Like, how to get girls,
and that was...

‐ Oh, How to Get Girls 101?
‐ And that one‐‐

That was it.
‐ Oh, my gosh.

I'll never say anything corny
to you again.

I'm just gonna get roasted.

‐ No, it's‐‐
it's only making it better.

It makes me laugh.
You make me laugh.

‐ Yeah, that's all I want.
You have a beautiful smile.

‐ Not a good speller whatsoever,

but there were definitely
sparks flying with Brandon.

Uh‐oh, someone's in trouble.
‐ Ohh.

‐ He's somebody who I can

start to picture a life with.

‐ Well, you've been bringing
out a side of me

I've, like, never
really seen before.

‐ Really?
‐ Every time I look at you,

I forget about the other guys.

Like‐‐

‐ That's good!

It's really nice
to see all these guys

laid back a little bit.

‐ Ladies first.

Bro, come on, man.
Really?

‐ Just like thinking
about the feelings

that I'm starting to have,

I can tell that
this whole process

is starting to work.

‐ Yo, Will, you mind
if I chat with you

for a second on the side, bro?

‐ Absolutely, let's go, bro.
‐ Come on.

‐ Like, how can you divert
your energy to that,

when Michelle's looking
the way she looks?

‐ I was gonna say,
you look very amazing tonight.

‐ Thank you.

Like Aquawoman.

You know, I've never heard
that before, but I like it.

I'm not mad about it.

‐ I just thought that it was
really inappropriate of you

to call me a narcissist when

I was completely defenseless.
‐ Bro‐‐

‐ Nah, listen
to what I gotta say, bro.

‐ I was just trying to have...
‐ No, no, no, listen, no.

‐ Some fun.
‐ But we were having fun.

That's the whole thing.

I don't know if you were stunad
or something,

if you didn't understand,

or maybe you don't understand
how to spell narcissist‐‐

‐ We're going with the gestures.

Look at the gestures.

They're like,
"This is the skinny..."

I can't tell if it's heated.
‐ I'm not giving that

any energy, bro.
‐ I'm with you.

‐ It's pizza this, pizza that,
pizza this‐‐

‐ No, I'm talking,
I'm having fun with the guys‐‐

‐ I'm tired
of hearing about pizza.

Talk to me about Michelle.
‐ Look, my man.

‐ Talk to me about Michelle.

‐ I don't have to talk
to you about Michelle,

because your name's
not Michelle.

‐ You have, like,
this quiet confidence

about you that I really like.

You don't have to be
the loudest person

in the room to know
that you're confident.

And I really like that
about you.

‐ I appreciate that.
No one likes a jerk.

‐ Your name's not Michelle.
‐ If we're not talking

about Michelle,
I don't want to hear it.

‐ I'm tired of this pizza.
‐ Listen, honestly?

‐ At least they're trying
to hash it out, I guess,

or whatever.
‐ Yeah, but

that doesn't look
like hashing out.

That looks like an argument.

And I don't want this
to ruin the night.

‐ What else do you have to offer

besides a slice, bro?

Bro, we got a note.

Ooh!

‐ What is that?
‐ I'm gonna get that, guys.

‐ Yeah, please do.
‐ All right.

‐ What's going on?
‐ Here we go.

‐ I feel like a one‐on‐one date

is really what I need
to set me over the top,

and nothing is guaranteed
and anything is possible,

so every minute counts
with Michelle.

And I just don't want
to take it for granted.

I hope I'm
on the one‐on‐one date card.

I'm gonna speak it
into existence.

‐ It's a card.

‐ What does it say?

‐ "Jamie, I'm looking
for someone to be my rock...

heart, Michelle."

‐ Ooh, there we go.

‐ Hey!
‐ It's about that time.

‐ How do you feel?
‐ Feeling great, man.

Yeah, like, this is what
we all came here for, so‐‐

I think a big portion
of this first part is,

"Yo, are you right for me?"

Um, personally,
I have a wild life.

I travel to third‐world
countries with a day's notice

by myself, you know?

Like, being around someone
who's just, like,

constantly on the edge of life,

that's not for everybody.

So, you know,
that one‐on‐one's important

for me too, and make sure

hey, I'm spending my time
in the right place.

‐ Jamie got the one‐on‐one

and he's not, like,
grateful and thankful.

What's he here for?

Does he care that much?

I don't know.

‐ In light of today...
‐ Okay.

‐ I figure you might be willing
to help me out

with some homework.

‐ Yes.
Let's see what you have.

‐ So let me pull it out.

I think I have
a board here somewhere.

‐ Ooh.

‐ All right, so what
do you think about this?

‐ "The story of Michelle
and Rick.

Last night..."

"When Michelle lifted the lid

"and saw Rick
for the first time,

she was completely"‐‐

‐ You definitely were terrified.

Screamed.

Terrified.
‐ Okay.

‐ We're on a good start.

"The next day, they went
on their first date,

and it couldn't have been
a more"‐‐

‐ I'll let you finish this one.

I did the last one.

‐ "Perfect start."

‐ I like that.

‐ "They had so much blank."

‐ So, like, I was thinking,
like, so much spark, or like‐‐

‐ Okay, I was gonna say
chemistry.

‐ I love it.

‐ "Clearly, the chemistry"...
‐ That's okay.

‐ See, I'm reading your mind.

"Between them was so" ‐‐

"Powerful."
‐ Yes.

That's a good word.
‐ Okay.

"That by the end of the night,

they share"‐‐

You're smooth!

‐ Little cheesy, but, you know,

it's just‐‐ ‐ "A beautiful

kiss."

‐ Tonight, just having
that conversation,

sharing laughs with Michelle,

and the kiss just felt so right.

Yeah, I'm happy.

‐ You, like, speak
with your eyes and your smile

and I like it.
‐ I try.

‐ Well, I'm happy you're here.

‐ Me too.

I'm one of ten guys
out there right now,

but I feel like I'm one‐on‐one.

And...

it's been so long
since I've felt like that,

a long time.

It's just, I think I'm
gonna be on, like, cloud nine

for a long time.

‐ Man, what happened over there?

Sounded like it got
kind of heated.

‐ I was just really
uncomfortable

with him calling me
a narcissist.

‐ I know Michelle's
not too far away‐‐

It's just, like, why?

‐ It needed
to be addressed, bro.

So I'm really‐‐
‐ But you made it‐‐

But you made it
a part of everyone,

'cause, like‐‐
‐ I don't agree at all, bro.

‐ I don't mince words.

I don't really like Peter.

I think Peter is
an insecurity supernova.

Every time I see
immature little boys

get into yelling matches

and ‐measuring contests,

I think to myself, "This
better not derail Michelle."

‐ Um, Peter, can I see you
for a second?

‐ Yeah, please.

‐ Not only does she
not deserve it,

but obviously I want
an opportunity

to connect with her

when all the energy is positive.

‐ I was sitting here
earlier in the evening

and heard a ton of yelling.

‐ Right.
‐ Coming from over there.

And it sounded like...
‐ You did.

‐ From that perspective,

you were coming across
very aggressive.

‐ You know, we all have
our scars, right?

And for him to call me
a narcissist

in an environment‐‐
not just in front of you,

but in front
of the children as well,

I just thought that it was
completely uncalled for.

I really thought
it was inappropriate,

and disgusting behavior.

‐ I can't say
I understand the anger

because I'm not
in your position whatsoever.

But it's all butterflies now,

but I could really piss you off.

‐ Right.

‐ And if you're
standing there screaming,

nothing‐‐ at that point,

nothing's gonna come across.

‐ Right.

It was, honestly, really
out of character of me.

You know, I apologize.

‐ I will always appreciate
you being vulnerable with me,

and so, take a minute
to center yourself

and get back into you,
so that I can see

who that is and what that is.

Okay?
‐ Mm‐hmm.

‐ Felt like romantically,
I was definitely ahead

of most of the men here.

And it felt like
a strong connection

with Michelle.

Tonight had, like, a setback,

because somebody decided
to be a petty bitch.

So I got my rose robbed.

‐ Hello!

I feel like I haven't been
over here in a minute.

‐ Welcome back.

‐ I'm gonna sneak
right over here.

‐ Yeah.
‐ Okay.

‐ Whoo.

I am always so surprised
by all of you

and all that you bring
to the table.

Loved hearing
so much about everybody.

And really kind of eat up
every chance

I get with y'all

to learn more about you.

With that‐‐

just let me grab this.

There is only one rose

and I have to go with
what I feel right now.

So...

Brandon,

will you accept this rose?

‐ You know I will.

Out of all the gentlemen,
today she picked me.

I think what she saw in me
was my authenticity.

And that's what she's asked
from day one.

I'm falling for this girl, man.

I'm falling for her.
There's no doubt in my mind.

‐ I... am going to take off.

And I hope
you all get some rest.

And I will see you soon.

Excuse me.

‐ It was really hard to see
Brandon getting that rose,

but tonight just verified
so many feelings

I was having before this.

And I'm not gonna let
anyone get in my way

of me letting Michelle know
how I feel.

I just know after tonight,
I'm gonna fight

tooth and nail to be by her side

at the end of this.

‐ All right,
I will see you guys later.

‐ See you.
‐ Good night.

‐ Good night.
‐ Good night.

‐ Going into
the one‐on‐one date,

you know, really is
kind of a make or break.

'Cause if you don't click,

then, you know,
there's not a lot of sense

in moving forward.

‐ Oh, sh**t!
‐ What's up, Michelle?

‐ Hey!

‐ Whoo!
‐ How are you guys?

‐ Okay.

‐ Look at your little digs

over here.

‐ I hope she feels
that same pressure as well,

'cause I have no intention
of staying here

if I don't have
that connection with her.

That's really just real life.

‐ We will see you guys later.

‐ Have fun, not too much,
but have fun, y'all.

‐ All right, here we go!
‐ All right, okay.

We gonna see how good
your driving skills are?

Are you a good driver?
‐ I think so.

‐ Think so?
‐ No, I am a good driver.

‐ That's not how you
inspire confidence.

Like, imagine hopping
on a flight and you're like,

"Yo, pilot, you got this?"
"I think so."

What? Hold up.

‐ Jamie is kind of

this bubbly personality,

but he's also
kind of mysterious.

I think that's why I wanted him

to come on this date today.

It's because he is easy‐going,
but can he go deeper

than that playful side?

I am super excited
that we are going

on this date to Joshua Tree.

I've never been there.

Here we are!
‐ Ooh.

‐ Are you excited?
‐ I'm so excited.

‐ I'm not sure if Jamie knows

what I have in store
for him today.

Today we are gonna take
a little adventure

and we're gonna have a picnic.

‐ That sounds amazing.

‐ Except for the picnic's
gonna be up there.

‐ Okay, how we gonna do that?

‐ Um, we're gonna be climbing.

I feel very nervous, actually.

‐ It's cool.
‐ We're good.

‐ We'll be good.
‐ We're gonna make it.

Doing things like this
is just what

relationships are about.

You know, about supporting
each other when you slip,

or when you fall,
or when you feel nervous

or scared.

And you support each other
along the way.

‐ Let's do this.
‐ Let's do it.

‐ Whoo!
‐ Let's go.

‐ All right, climbing.

‐ Whoo, you got it.
‐ All right.

Oh, my gosh.

I hope Jamie will be my rock

and calm my nerves
as we're climbing.

Or I might have to be his rock.

‐ Like, where do you grab?

‐ Right?

Totally cheering you on
from up here.

Totally can't look down
to see how you're doing.

Ahh!
‐ Whoo.

‐ Oh, God.

Okay.

Whoo!

Oh!
‐ Okay.

Holy.

‐ All right,
so step out onto here‐‐

‐ I mean, and then what?
‐ And then go up

that side right there.

‐ Fudge!

Holy‐‐ Okay.

‐ Wait, go out this side.

'Cause you can
walk up that side.

And then reach up.
‐ What side?

‐ Your right foot?
And put it up there.

There you go, now you can reach.

‐ There's a l‐‐ Okay.

I should have trusted you.
Okay.

You got this.

‐ Criminy.
‐ Yo!

You're a rock climber, yo.

‐ I feel like the farther
I get up the rock formation,

there's not as many handholds,

but Jamie was really good
at encouraging me.

‐ Can you get your foot on,
like, on the edge of it?

‐ Right here?
‐ Yeah.

‐ Yeah, but it's not that sharp.

Oh, yes, it is.
‐ There you go.

Right there.
Boom.

‐ It's like you've
done this before.

Oh, God.

Like, "Yeah, you got it,
you got it."

Almost coaching me.

Which I feel like,
a lot of times

in relationships, sometimes

I'm the person that coaches.

But today Jamie was coaching me,

and it was very refreshing.

‐ Using that flexibility.
Ayy!

Oh, my gosh.

And we made it!

Oh, wow.

Yes!

We made it!
‐ Whoo.

We did it, we did it.

‐ We did good.
We did wonderful.

‐ We did it.
We did it.

‐ Cheers to going
on a new adventure,

and taking risks.

‐ Cheers.
To taking risks.

‐ I'm super happy you're here.

I'm happy that I chose you.

Like, really happy.

You made it an amazing
first one‐on‐one,

and I feel like
I've already learned

so much about you.

You are not a complainer at
all, which I really like.

‐ Mm‐hmm.

‐ And you just know
how to have fun.

‐ Absolutely no secret,
there's a lot of things

that are very exceptional
about you.

And it shows.

And, like, you glow.
And you light up a room.

And just, like,
your sense of self, like‐‐

‐ Aw.

I feel like I'm blushing.

‐ I feel very fortunate
to be um‐‐

‐ So you're saying
today is a good start?

‐ Today's a great start.

Today's a great start.
‐ Good.

‐ I cannot wait to see
what's next.

‐ This is a good first
one‐on‐one date.

I feel like today
Jamie and I had

this beautiful moment.

And it kind of really
sinks in that...

I truly feel so happy

and so grateful that he's here.

It's a good sign.

Means we're on the right track.

‐ I'll remember this
for the rest of my life.

‐ To knowing

that when we're together

we can always have an adventure.

‐ Cheers to being
each other's rock.

‐ Yes! I like that one.

So what was your favorite part
about today?

‐ I think, like, you know,
like, the lesson today

is that, you know,
everything can be an adventure.

Right?
‐ Right.

‐ Trips to the grocery store
happen a lot more often

than climbing up the big rock.

‐ I can imagine going
to the grocery store with you.

‐ It would be‐‐ ‐ Right?

‐ We would leave
with hella snacks.

And all the desserts.
‐ Right, like‐‐

My mom and my dad, like,

they still go and do
those things together.

And they just still hang out

even after being married

for 33 years,
and I think it's pretty cool.

‐ I feel like you have
a very solid family

and like family background.

‐ Yeah, I'm super grateful
that I had that example

in front of me,
because I know how rare it is.

‐ Mm.
‐ But I also know

that you don't have
to come from that

in order to achieve that.

‐ Mm‐hmm.

‐ If that makes sense?
‐ I feel that.

Which is nice to hear.

'Cause I definitely have
a very different

family upbringing and background

than what I've heard
you describe.

Like, my mom had me
when she was 18.

‐ Okay.
‐ My dad was 21.

And, like,
they never got married,

and she turned around
and had Tela

two years after that.

The beginning portions
of my life were amazing.

Like, my mom was just on it.

I was that kid
who was just, like,

shining in all my classes,
and I think

they had actually wanted
to skip me up a grade

and all those things.

And then‐‐

Um‐‐

My mom had a lot of issues
with mental health.

So...

things just kind of, like,
started to spiral down.

Um, just, like, I don't know,

car got repossessed,

bills got hard to keep up with,

and we eventually ended up
having to move

into my grandparents' house.

And things kind of
came to a head,

I think around
when I was 12 or 13.

This one time I was just walking

by the bathroom,
and she comes out

and she has a steak Kn*fe,
and she was trying

to slit her wrists.

And that just, like, changed
a whole mess of things.

Um...

From there, it was just, like,

this person can't be left alone.

So, me and Tela would alternate

staying away from school
and staying home.

And, um, it just kind of
got to a point

where I missed so many days

that I technically didn't have
enough days to graduate.

Um...

coming into middle school
and high school,

it was like, gotta show up.

And so I would sit in classes,
like, "Oh, I have to be here,"

and wondering, like,
while I'm sitting

in math class, "Oh, sh**t,

"is this the moment that maybe
my mom might be taking her life

because I'm sitting
here in class?"

And, ultimately,

when I was 24,

my mom committed su1c1de.

Um...

And that just kind of

imploded pretty much
my entire life.

Nothing really mattered
anymore, you know?

It took a long while
to find anything

that actually mattered.

I feel like I had to decide

why I wanted to come back
to life.

‐ Yeah.

‐ Actively deciding that

it's worth it, life's worth it.

That people are worth it,
relationships are worth it.

‐ I'm just‐‐

Like, I don't know you
that well,

but I'm so proud of...

what you've come through
and handled,

and how you conduct yourself
and...

A lot of times
when you, like, meet somebody

who has such a strong character,

you kind of think, like,
where that depth came from.

And I think it's amazing

with what you've been able to...

navigate through,

Because you've had to work
through so much,

so young.

And carry so much weight
at such a young age.

But for you to be, like,
this beautiful person,

sitting right here
in front of me...

I'm beyond impressed.

‐ And I really appreciate too,

like, you haven't dropped in
with "I'm sorry."

Which I appreciate sorries,

but I feel like sometimes,
like, people say "sorry"

like "I wish that didn't happen
for you."

And I'm just, like,

if I'm gonna love
the man that I am,

then I have to love
every part of my story

that got me here, so‐‐

It is unique

to go through such challenges,

but I just felt a lot of empathy

in the tears and in the words,

and just in the emotion
that she gave back.

That's a mark of a good partner,

a strong partner.

I'm normally not a crier.

I have loved
every second of today.

Getting to know you,

the fun side,

the...

outgoing side,
the adventurous side,

the driven side,
and now the vulnerable side.

I want you to know
that I'm capable

of being your rock

as much as you
have already shown

that you're capable
of being my rock.

And with that,

I would really love
to give you this rose.

So, Jamie,

will you accept this rose?

I will.

‐ Honestly, today
couldn't have gone any better.

This is one of the best
first dates I've been on.

Because I think that Jamie and I

have a lot of chemistry
and I think that

we're very compatible.

Let's go.
‐ All right, let's do it.

‐ A life with Jamie
would be adventurous,

vulnerable, romantic,

and compassionate.

‐ Caroline Jones is giving us
a personal concert.

It feels so good, so special.

‐ You know, life is tough.

Sometimes we can trick
ourselves into believing

that that's how
it's always going to be.

What it's really taught me

is that it's never hard forever.

You know, if you can just
take one more step,

you know, all the sudden
you aren't in that darkness.

‐ I'm incredibly grateful
for this experience

to be able to see that
and be able

to get close to Michelle.

Dang.

‐ A old basketball coach
of mine, Ken Novak Sr.,

just found out
that he passed away.

So kind of tough to think about.

I mean, he was like‐‐
he was like a teacher.

A teacher in life,
teacher in basketball.

You know, if you were
having bad days he would‐‐

he would be there
to lift you up.

All right, love you.

Bye.

We're about to go on this,
like, basketball date.

You know, I think Novak would
be the type of person

that would want me
to go out there and hoop.

‐ Today, the date card says,

"all is fair
in love and basketball,"

and this is, like,
the perfect date for me,

because I played
Division I basketball,

and it's a huge part of me.

It's kind of how I built
the character that I have.

‐ Let's go, man!

‐ The person
that I'm with doesn't have

to be a professional
basketball player,

but you can learn a lot
about somebody

when they're out on the court.

And so I'm really
kind of curious

to see how these guys do today.

Whoo!
‐ Here we go.

‐ Whoo!
‐ Here we go

‐ Okay.
‐ Whoo!

‐ Let's go!
‐ Okay.

‐ So we came in,
Michelle was standing there.

She was looking,
obviously, beautiful,

as she always does,
with a basketball in her hand.

‐ Well, today,
I thought I could introduce you

to my first love, basketball.

But before we get started,
I do have two friends

that I want to introduce you to.

Ladies?

Hello!
‐ Oh, okay!

‐ Okay, okay.
‐ Guys,

meet Dearica Hamby
and Diamond DeShields,

two absolutely phenomenal
WNBA athletes.

And we're not only
testing your basketball skills.

They're also gonna be
helping me find a teammate‐‐

for life.

‐ All right,
let's get warmed up.

‐ Yeah, let's go.

‐ Whoo!
You have some sky!

‐ Come on, Nayte!

‐ Ooh‐‐ Nayte!

You are not that far
from the basket.

Come on.

‐ Yo, okay, we're gonna
go a little one‐on‐one.

‐ So call somebody out
if you wanna call somebody out.

‐ I'm ready for this, Casey.
Ah!

‐ Aye!
‐ Ah.

‐ That was pretty good.
That was pretty good.

I'm not sure if the other boys
know history of Joe.

In 2011, he was named
"Minnesota Mr. Basketball."

‐ Ooh.
‐ Ah!

‐ Oh!

‐ Nice!
‐ Okay.

‐ It's a huge deal.

In Minnesota, we have
this high school award that‐‐

basically saying
that you are pretty much

the number one player
in the state.

‐ Joe killin' y'all.
‐ Joe's pretty good.

I was 2011
"Minnesota Miss Basketball"...

But I was the runner‐up.

You wanna take it slower?
‐ You want a three or a two?

I'll sh**t it either way.
‐ Let's go.

Go.
Go.

sh**t it.

‐ Good D!
Good D!

‐ Ah!
‐ Good D.

‐ Good D, good D.

‐ Is this a‐‐
this a men's ball, right?

‐ Yeah.
‐ It is.

‐ Joe, he just
looked like he was

in his element, and he looked
like he was at home,

and that's something
that's very familiar to me.

Are you ready?
‐ I'm ready.

‐ Are you a good defender?

‐ I'm pretty good.
‐ Yeah?

‐ I think so.
‐ Are you?

You'll let me sh**t out here?

‐ I'm not letting you sh**t.
‐ Out here?

Yeah.

‐ Yeah?

There we go.

Ohh!

‐ I think that's why there's

kind of a certain level
of comfort with Joe.

Just because basketball
was a huge part of my life.

Going to the gym
every single day for hours,

that's what I did.

Life was basketball.

Foul!

‐ Oh!
‐ No foul, no foul!

‐ No foul.
‐ No foul, no foul!

‐ No foul.

‐ Not only does he get
the basketball life,

he gets
the Minnesota basketball life.

And it's like this part of you

that there's just understanding
that's there right off the bat.

‐ Now it's time
to put it all together

and lay it on the line
in an old‐fashioned game

of five‐on‐five.

‐ The losing team is going home.

And the winners will be able
to spend some extra time

with Michelle
at the after‐party.

Let's get ready for this game.

‐ Pretty high stakes, feel like
it's a lot of pressure,

but no pressure,
no diamonds, baby.

‐ Team on me, team on three.
One, two, three‐‐

Team!

‐ Hey, what time is it?
‐ Game time!

‐ What time is it?
‐ Game time!

‐ Everything's
on the line right now.

It's win or go home,

so there's really no chance

that we could
lose this game today‐‐

I can't lose this opportunity.

‐ And now,
put your hands together

for the Bachelorette's
Basketball Battle.

Michelle tossing it up,
and here we go.

‐ Spencer!

Block them!

Martin for two!

‐ Hey!
‐ Yo, you on it?

‐ Mollique jumper‐‐

No good.

‐ Oh!
‐ Ohh.

‐ Spencer, pull up J‐‐

Got it!
‐ I will say

that I do feel like blue, like,
they're actually really good.

‐ Yeah, they are!

‐ Oh‐‐ Ohh!

‐ Red team looks
like they've never been

in a basketball court.

Kick it, kick it!

‐ Good hustle by Rodney.
‐ That was good.

There we go, Granny Smith.

‐ This other team,
I just have a feeling

that they can't really compete
with us on this level.

‐ Mollique off it to Pardeep,
and‐‐

Pardeep, he couldn't hit water

if he fell out of a boat, folks.

‐ Time‐out red.
‐ Finally, a time‐out.

I tell you what,
this blue team looks

like they're runnin' away
from this thing.

We should just call this early,
go home, have a cocktail.

‐ You guys got this.
‐ Lebron James over here.

‐ You got this.
‐ How's it going, Chris?

‐ Come on, Mr. Basketball
‐ I got this.

I got this.
‐ Lock it in, lock it in.

‐ The competitive side of me,
I'm playing basketball,

I don't like taking losses.

So we gotta get time
with Michelle tonight.

I need to do better.

‐ Red team had to call time‐out.

Here they come with it,

trying to get things going.

Chris, up ahead to Joe.

Finally, Joe hits a three!
‐ Okay!

Great point, Joe.
There he is.

‐ Nicely done, Joe.

‐ It's Joe, man.
That's the silent assassin.

You know, he's always gonna
be a contender,

a little bit of a challenge.

‐ Martin and Spencer up top.

He dribble‐drives‐‐ Oh!

And it's blocked by Joe!
What a play by 11 in red.

Left‐handed pass to Mollique.

Up and in!

Beautiful play by the red team,

Joe to Mollique.

‐ That was a nice pass, Joe.

‐ Chris S. is gonna kick it
up ahead to Mollique.

He's got Joe, there it is.
Up and in.

‐ Yeah!
‐ Yeah!

‐ Joe, he's played
at the highest level.

But on top of that, like,
he's been quiet about it all.

He hasn't really been boasting

about how great
of a player he was.

‐ That was beautiful.

‐ It is coming down to the wire.

Who is gonna go home
with Michelle...

‐ No, no, no, no, no, no, no!
‐ And who's gonna go home

with no one?

‐ That was very‐‐ that was nice.

‐ I tell you what,
this is a close one.

These two teams giving it

all they have.

And that's gonna do it

for the Bachelorette's
Basketball Battle,

with the blue team winning
and getting that chance

to spend that much‐needed time
with Michelle,

while the red team is
headed home to the showers

and to shed some tears.

‐ It kind of sucked.
You know,

a lot of these guys
weren't necessarily

in their natural element.

So we were at a little bit
of a disadvantage,

but yeah, just‐‐
it's just unfortunate

that I won't get time
with Michelle tonight.

‐ Good playin'.
‐ Yeah.

‐ Kudos to them,
they tried their best,

but, like, sorry not sorry.

Man, I'm about
to go see my lady, so‐‐

‐ Great job today.

But we also have our MVP
of the day.

This is someone that Michelle
was really impressed by.

Um, so...

Joe, with this award,

you're gonna get invited
to the after‐party.

Appreciate you, man.
‐ Joe.

‐ You did a great job today.

‐ I'll help you out here.

‐ So now I'm able to go

to the cocktail party tonight
even though I lost.

I'm really excited about that.
So I'll get to see Michelle,

get to spend more time with her,

and build a better connection.

‐ This sucks, dude.

We can't even go
to the cocktail party at all.

Wow.

‐ Okay, let's do it.

‐ It feels great
that my team won the game.

‐ Now I get to go
to the after‐party

with a much smaller
group of guys.

I can't wait to get
that one‐on‐one time with her

because I'm so excited to just
continue getting to know her.

I'm crushing on this girl, 100%.

‐ All right.

‐ Can't wait to, like‐‐
like, what else, what else,

like, you know, what‐‐
what makes Michelle Michelle,

you know, I wanna know more
and more and more and more.

‐ How you guys doing?
‐ I'm good.

‐ Comfortable?
‐ Yeah.

‐ Well, I'm so happy you‐‐
you're here.

You put in so much effort
in that game.

I know you're excited.

Joe, you got the MVP.
‐ Appreciate it.

‐ I'm happy to have
you join us tonight.

‐ Glad to be here.
‐ Um, but tonight's about

continuing to be intentional
about that time,

because we're here to figure out

if this could possibly work.

And so let's continue
to be vulnerable,

challenge each other,
and make the most of it.

‐ Cheers to that.
‐ Cheers.

‐ I'm feeling good
after today's date.

Even though my team lost, I was
still able to get the invite

to the after‐party.

I definitely want to take
the opportunity and the time

that I have with her tonight
to open up with her

about the sad news that I heard,

um, and continue to build
on our‐‐our connection.

Um, I did want to say, um,
how much fun I had today.

Um, you said basketball
is your first love,

and it's also my first love.

Um, for my personally,
I had a past basketball coach

that actually
recently passed away,

and, um, I found out today.

You know, that happening
was really heavy on me and‐‐

and being on that date kind of,
like,

released me from those feelings.

And it felt good to be out there

and feel like myself again, so.

‐ Well, first, I'm incredibly
sorry to hear that.

‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ I understand how much

coaches can be such a big part
of your life.

‐ Right.
He taught me a lot of‐‐

a lot of things about the game
of basketball, you know,

and he was always
my biggest cheerleader too.

You know, he was the guy,

when I was on the bench
in high school,

that he was always trying
to get me in there.

He meant a lot for me.
He was always trying

to just help me out
any way that he could.

Um, felt like he was family.
And, you know‐‐

and to lose a family member,

it's hard to digest.

And, uh, yeah, um‐‐

I'm trying to com‐‐be composed
right now, but yeah.

‐ Well, and you don't ever have
to be composed.

It's okay
to lose your composure.

Especially, like,

us athletes, right?

‐ Right.
‐ Game face all the time.

‐ All the time.
‐ You don't have to have

the game face on all the time.

‐ Thank you.
I appreciate that.

It means a lot.

‐ I do feel like we have,
like, this level

of understanding now, like...

I don't know if it's basketball,

I don't know if it's Minnesota,

I don't know if it's both, but‐‐

‐ I feel it too.

‐ I have never had chemistry
with anybody

this off the charts so quickly
that I was, like,

so into getting to know,
attracted to.

I can see him being my teammate,

and today,
I felt like he was my teammate.

‐ Pressure.

‐ Pressure is on, Joe.
‐ Pressure.

‐ Ooh!
‐ Ugh.

You won.

My time with Michelle,
I'm really happy about it.

I could see myself
falling for her.

I could see that.

Ooh, uh‐oh.

‐ Uh‐oh.
‐ The winners?

We got the winners in the house?

Oh.

‐ What happened?
‐ We got our ass kicked.

Um‐‐ ‐ Really?

‐ Yeah.
‐ Who are we missing?

There's only four of you guys.
‐ Joe.

‐ Joe.
‐ So afterwards,

they gave Joe a medal,
like, MVP of the game,

so he got to go to the party.

‐ How do you‐‐
how do you get MVP

and you still take a L?

‐ I don't know.

‐ I'm not not confident
of myself,

I'm not confident of Joe.

‐ He's funny, man.
He is taking up

a good amount of time.

‐ I mean, there's a lot of
things that have just, like‐‐

‐ I think she likes him, yeah.

‐ He's also, like,
a college ball player‐‐

‐ Lives in Minnesota already.
‐ From Minnesota.

‐ Yeah.
It's a lot of things, man.

‐ But I don't know,
like, I don't‐‐

I guess I just‐‐
I guess I don't‐‐

I don't read into those things,
like, yeah, it's cool.

Whatever, I'm‐‐I don't know,
I'm just not trippin' about it.

The guys were talking about,
um, Joe and Michelle.

For me personally, I'm not gonna

waste my time thinking
about that.

You know, like, I just know
that Michelle and I have

something going on,
like, I was not bummed.

And I get that Michelle,
she has to give

these other guys
their due diligence.

‐ I have a beautiful
three‐year‐old son.

And he's, like,
my mini‐me, like,

he literally is my twin.

‐ Do you have a picture
with you?

‐ I do have a picture with me.
‐ Yes.

‐ When I'm looking at
kind of the other guys, um,

you know, I have no idea
what's going on in their time.

I'm not worried about it,
you know, I'm just not.

‐ Just first, we're gonna
do a quick little spin.

All right?
‐ Okay.

‐ I don't really know
how to dance tango,

I just wanted you here.

‐ I'm just looking forward
to my time with Michelle.

I'm not focusing on,
like, everybody else.

I made the date, so I'm
focusing on that, you know?

I missed a lot of sh*ts
today, okay?

‐ How the heck does a man
that tall miss it?

‐ You go your whole life‐‐
‐ You get that all the time?

‐ All the time.

I had to let the guys,
you know, have their time.

I didn't wanna be the guy
stealing the show, you know,

First Impression Rose,
you know, you know,

so I had to‐‐
I had to take it easy, but‐‐

Oh, man.

I feel really good right now.
I'm happy‐‐

I'm happy I'm here.
I'm really happy I'm here.

‐ I'm really happy
you're here too.

Really happy.
‐ Jeez.

Opposites attract, you know,

you got the 1,000 points,
I got six.

You know, it's perfect.

Perfect.
‐ It is perfect.

Mm.

‐ You're gorgeous.
Oh, my God,

this is crazy to me.

‐ Gorgeous.

You have the nicest eyes.

‐ Me?
‐ Yeah.

‐ Really?
I feel like you do.

‐ There's not a lot of guys
that I think genuinely

have the connection that me
and Michelle have right now.

I've been waiting so long.

I'm feeling like
I'm on a cloud right now.

The kissing was just like‐‐
oh, my God.

Like, Michelle is
out of this world.

There's not a chance in hell
that I'm not

getting a rose tonight.

‐ Bro, seeing that‐‐bro, seeing
that rose on the table's like,

hey, this is real, bro.

‐ Every time‐‐
every time you see that rose

put on the table,
you're just like‐‐

‐ Bro, reality hits.

‐ Hello!

‐ Hey.
‐ Oh, yep.

‐ I just wanted to start
by saying

thank you, guys.

I feel really grateful and lucky

to have such a wonderful group
of people here.

And so for that, I thank you.

That being said, there's
a Group Date Rose on the table.

Tonight...

I feel like this person really
pushed themselves

and challenged themselves
to open up.

So, Joe,

will you accept this rose?

‐ Absolutely.

Can probably sneak it in there.

There you go.
‐ Thank you.

Super happy that I was able
to get the rose tonight.

I wasn't supposed to be
on this date, you know,

my team lost, you know,
so I'm definitely lucky

to be in this situation
and be at the date.

Um, you know,
and things went really well

with me and Michelle, and
I think it's an affirmation

of the connection
that we're building,

and it shows that she sees me,
and I'm happy about that.

I got the rose glow
at the moment.

‐ I will see you tomorrow
at the cocktail party

before the Rose Ceremony.

Okay.

Bye, guys.
‐ See you, Michelle.

‐ Joe got the rose tonight.

I'm very disappointed,
just because it means

that he had a better connection
than I did.

They have a lot in common
and, you know,

Joe's a very quiet guy,
he seems very reserved.

But you know,

Joe's a silent assassin, 100%.

‐ Tonight is the second
cocktail party.

So there are three guys
who got roses so far.

Brandon got the first rose,

Jamie got the second rose
on a one‐on‐one date,

and Joe has the third rose.

‐ We all know about Joe.

You know, Joe comes from
the same city,

they're both, you know,
college basketball players.

For me, I just think it adds
to his situation,

but it doesn't take
any confidence away

from what I had with her.

‐ Tonight's gonna be critical.

I already know a lot of people
are gonna be sweatin'.

Those guys who went
back home yesterday,

even the guys
from the first group date

who didn't have
as much time with her then.

You know, at this point, it's
all about time with Michelle.

‐ Tonight, coming in,
I'm all smiles,

because I already am realizing

some of the feelings
that I'm starting to have.

And so I think that shows
that when you're all in,

it truly can work.

- Cheers.
- Cheers.

‐ I have a lot
of wonderful guys here.

For me, it's really important
that I give them

that time today
to actually get to know them,

because I do have a feeling
that I'm gonna be falling,

and I'm excited
to start feeling that.

Can I put this on real quick?
‐ Okay.

‐ So‐‐
‐ I'm excited and nervous.

‐ I wanna know
if you can actually pick out

a Granny Smith apple,
because you clearly don't‐‐

you‐‐you don't know your apples

and this is something
that's important to me.

‐ Of course.
‐ Okay?

‐ Let's do it.

‐ You gotta take a big bite.
‐ Okay.

‐ Okay.

I'll give you a second.

‐ That's definitely...

A sour green apple,
Granny Smith.

Absolutely.

‐ It sounds like I'm right.

‐ Rodney is not
the best taste tester.

Big bite.

‐ That right there
is a Fiji red apple.

‐ I don't know,
I feel like the average person

can bite into
a Granny Smith apple

and a Red Delicious apple
and, you know, like,

the Granny Smith one
is the super tart one.

Open wide.
Here's the next one.

‐ Okay.
‐ Ready?

‐ Okay.

Okay, now y'all got me twisted.

Hold up, what is that, girl?
Is that lasagna?

Hold up, nah,
I got a taste of crust.

I don't‐‐I don't know
if I like that one.

Don't tell me there's no cheese
in that, right?

What is the world was that?
‐ Are you‐‐

Wait, are you allergic to‐‐
are you allergic to cheese?

Are you lactose intolerant?
‐ Nah, I'm good.

I'm good, I'm cured from that.
Okay.

‐ One more.
‐ Okay.

‐ Last one, okay?
‐ Got you.

Okay, that was
by far the best kiss.

Can I‐‐ Can I take this off?

‐ You can take it off.
‐ Is it time?

Wow.

‐ So what's going on with Joe?

To me it seems like they know
each other from before.

‐ It does seem like
something's up.

It would be almost shocking
to believe that,

like, she would have no idea
of him since he played

at the University of Minnesota
and she lives in Minnesota,

but time here is limited
and I‐‐the ch‐‐

there's no chance that I spend
my time talking about it.

‐ Honestly, personally, it is
something that bothers me.

It's just this running thing
of, like,

do you guys know each other
already,

and are we really starting
from the same spot?

I think that's really,
like, the big issue.

‐ She likes who she likes,
you know, and in‐‐

in the real world,
when it comes to dating,

she's gonna go with who
she wants to go with, so‐‐

‐ Absolutely.
‐ We have to do our part.

‐ I personally feel like,
hold on a second,

like, if we're all here
to be authentic,

like, the number one challenge
is for us to be authentic,

be vulnerable, and it's like,
but are we really though?

‐ It honestly doesn't
really bother me.

If she knows him, she knows him.

If he knows her, he knows her.
‐ Okay.

‐ They're doin' their thing,
they're doin' their thing.

I'm just ready to do my thing,
you know what I mean?

Jamie's bringing stuff up
about Joe knowing Michelle.

It was just weird, I'm like,
what are you trying to get at?

What's going on?
Like, what does it matter?

Like, no one else here is‐‐
stop making assumptions.

Hands down.

‐ She said an agreement

for what
this space is supposed to be.

‐ So you think it's that
they're not‐‐she's not here

for the right reasons,
is that what you're saying?

‐ I'm just saying, like, that‐‐

that seems to be
what I'm hearing, like‐‐

‐ But you‐‐
is that what you're hearing,

or is that what you're thinking
and feeling?

‐ Yeah, this actually does seem
odd, this does seem suspicious.

After actually really
spending time with Michelle

on our one‐on‐one,
now there's a connection.

And so if it is true,
like, tell me.

Like, don't not tell‐‐
don't keep that from me.

I guess for me personally,
man, before I got here,

um, I got some information
from a friend,

um, that lives in Minneapolis.

And he was walking into a bar

and happened to, um,

see a girl walking out,
and when he went back

to go sit with his girlfriend,

they were like,
"Oh, that's Michelle,

"she's the Bachelorette.

She's already boo'd up

with a tall,
light‐skinned baller."

Um‐‐ ‐ Okay.

‐ I mean, for me personally,
like‐‐

‐ Did you kind of, like, forget
about that piece of information

or it just, like, resurfaced‐‐

‐ No, I didn't even think
about it at all.

‐ Right now it's just like‐‐
‐ No, no, now it's like,

yo, everybody's talking,
everybody's talking...

‐ It's starting to add up.
‐ And it's like, pretty much

every room
that I've walked into‐‐

‐ I didn't think
it was that much.

‐ People are talking, like‐‐
‐ Okay.

‐ Um‐‐

I have to say something
to Michelle.

It's important to make sure
that this person cares about me

and cares about this process

and cares about the authenticity

and appreciates
the vulnerability.

How are you doing?

‐ And I just couldn't
call somebody my partner

if they had
these things going on

and if they didn't bring
that information back to me,

so this is something
I need to address.

Um,

there's actually some stuff
I need to talk to you about,

separate from us.

Um, there's been a whole bunch
of talk today,

um, about this kind of feeling

that maybe you might have
known Joe before here.

Um, for me personally,

I just don't really care,

because I feel like whatever
happened before getting here,

like, has nothing to do with me.

But, like, everybody
else keeps feeling it.

I think that given
that this entire journey

is about authenticity
and about trust...

‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ And that that's the standard

that's been set, I think that

there's people out there
that are questioning that.

I think just given that level
of trust that we've built here

and the connection
that we built here,

that it really was important
for me to tell you that.

‐ Like, do you feel like

people are questioning me
in a way

that's, like, disrespectful?

‐ Yeah,
I think it's gotten to a point

where it's starting
to take on a life of its own.

And‐‐ ‐ Okay.

‐ I think it's important
'cause it also could

potentially extend outside
of just this bubble here.

Before I came here, I happen to
have a friend from Minneapolis,

and, uh, actually happened
to have run into you.

He was walking into a bar
and he saw you walking out.

And he's like, "Wait, that girl
looks kind of familiar,"

and, uh, goes back to go sit
with his girlfriends,

and they're like,
"Oh, that's Michelle,

she's the Bachelorette."

And he's like, "No way,

my boy's going on that show."

‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ And their response

from there was, "Well,
that's super interesting,

"because she's already boo'd up.

Um, she's been out with a tall,
light‐skinned baller."

‐ Sorry,

this is a lot.
Um...

No, I do appreciate that,
because I'm‐‐

I'm a person who likes
to just squash it.

I think maybe that I need
to take a minute right now to‐‐

‐ Absolutely.
‐ Kind of figure out

how to address it,
just because...

Yeah.

I'm very blindsided
by the information

that Jamie shares with me.

It's all I can do to, like,
not just, like,

put up every single wall,

'cause that's what I want
to do right now.

I'm trying to think about
the best way to address it.

I think where
I'm struggling most is that...

I don't know who believes in me
and who doesn't.

Thank you, Jamie.
‐ Absolutely.

‐ I'll see you in a bit.

‐ I feel good.
I feel good,

because I know
there's nothing there

with Joe and Michelle
from before.

I don't feel like
I need to hear the words,

because I look at her face
and I can see it.

I mean,
I think she took it well.

‐ The relationships
where I feel connected

and felt really good about them,

I don't know if they're the
people who were saying things.

Like, right now I'm questioning,

did I make the right decision
to come here?

Like, I want to find my person.

Just,
my person has to believe in me

and I'm not sure
who does right now.

‐ Hi.
‐ Hi.

You okay?
‐ Yeah.

No, I am.

‐ Mm.

‐ So I had a one‐on‐one
with Jamie.

‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ And he had told me that

there's been, like,
a ton of talk in the house

about, like, me and Joe,

and that we had a relationship
before this.

People were constantly
talking about it,

but I didn't have a relationship

with Joe or anybody.

Everybody definitely started
at an even playing field

when this whole thing started.

‐ Yeah, tell them that.
‐ Yeah.

No, no, and I‐‐
and I totally will.

Just, it's hard, 'cause, like,
you can do all of these things

to like, you know,
show your true character

and then it's, like, questioned.

And if I'm being
blatantly honest,

I honestly don't know
who to trust.

‐ It's tough.

It's really tough.

‐ I'm hurt.

I‐‐

I don't have anything to hide.

It's almost comical,

like, there's literally nothing.

Okay.
‐ Ready?

‐ Yep.

This situation,

I know
that I want to address it,

but Jamie said the whole house
is questioning me.

And so‐‐

It's hard to follow your heart
when, like, you're guarded,

and I don't know

what to do.

‐ Hello.
‐ Can we have a seat?

Thank you.

So I...

was made aware

that there was a lot
of conversation in the house

about whether or not

Joe and I knew each other
before.

What I want you guys to know
is that that first night,

when all of y'all walked in,

was the first night that I was
meeting every single one of you

for the first time.

Joe and I exchanged
a few messages

quite a few years back.

We kind of joke about it now,

but Joe ghosted me
after two messages,

and, like, that was that.

Also, there's a rumor
about me being spotted

with a light‐skinned basketball
dude before the show.

And being a woman of color,

you know, in Minnesota,

anytime I'm with a man of color,

I'm‐‐we're a couple.

That's what everyone sees it as.

I could have a romantic dinner
with a white guy

in a restaurant
and nobody would say,

"Oh, they're a couple," but
because it's another Black man,

we're supposed to be together.

And it's frustrating,

because I'm open to all of you.

What I want to do for you guys

is I want to open it up
for questions.

I want you guys

to ask me
if you have any reservations,

because it really does,

it starts to take on
this whole other thing

and it takes away from
why we're actually here.

I'm not joking, like I‐‐
when I'm standing here

talking about, everybody knows.

And so I don't feel
like it necessarily

should be a quiet room.

Okay.
I'm gonna excuse myself then.

‐ Man, did I miss

every conversation happening
in the house?

I feel like I've spent a good
amount of time with you guys,

and I actually am shocked,
because I haven't once

talked about them two
knowing each other.

‐ Bro, I'm right there with you.

I feel so lost.
‐ Okay, cool.

I just wanted to make sure
I'm not the only one.

‐ For me, the biggest part
is that she thinks now

that we, as a collective,

as a house,
question her character.

‐ Yeah, that's what‐‐that's
what I'm shocked about too.

‐ That's what
I'm most upset about.

‐ Yeah.
‐ So who‐‐who told her that?

Someone had to tell her
that though, like,

the whole house is talking
about it.

So it's causing drama that
doesn't need to be started.

‐ So does anyone wanna own that?

Does anyone wanna step up

and say they talked
about Joe to Michelle?

Because that doesn't make
any sense to me.

‐ The way I look at it, man,
is somebody here told a story

to Michelle, blew it
completely out of proportion,

and made it seem like the whole
house is talking about it.

I don't give a
who had that conversation

with Michelle,
but let that person save face,

but just know that I think
that you are soft.

‐ Yeah, I didn't
feel very comfortable

being the one that everybody's
talking about.

But also, I don't really care.

‐ You only get so much time
with Michelle,

so who really had the time
to talk to her

about, like, you know, Joe?

‐ Yeah, yeah.

Like, I'm not gonna
jump in and be like,

"Yeah, it was me."

I'm not dedicated
to being, like, the nice guy

or the good guy, that's not it.

‐ Like,
I just hate the fact that

it's about some dumb, bro.

‐ Yeah.
‐ You feel‐‐you feel me.

You feel me.
‐ Oh, 100%.

‐ Cheers, homie.
‐ 100%.

‐ Clearly, it's not the house,

it's one guy who's insecure
as hell.

Like, dude, get over it.

Go home.
Just go home, man.

‐ It might've been one person,

but I'd like to think, like,

it might've been
an accumulation of chatter.

‐ That's what it was.

‐ The person that told Michelle
about this

was definitely
trying to stir the pot.

It's someone here
that's a piece of

that's trying to start drama.

I need to talk with Michelle,
let her know how I feel

and how much I care for her
and that I trust her.

Michelle is...

very emotional.

She feels like her character
was in question.

‐ She does want you all to know
that she appreciates

this being brought
to her attention.

Communication is very important
to Michelle.

Unfortunately,

Michelle at this point
is just emotionally drained,

and she's decided
to cancel the cocktail party.

So she will see all of you
at the Rose Ceremony.

‐ The cocktail party
is canceled.

So now we're just going on
into the Rose Ceremony.

Michelle thinks some
of the guys in the house

are questioning her character.

She seems very upset,

but I really want
a sh*t at love,

and I really think Michelle
could be the one.

If I went home tonight,
I would be heartbroken.

‐ One of the guys is trying to
manipulate this whole thing

as some sort of game.

It was really difficult for me

because I think she's fantastic.

I think she's amazing,
but, you know,

I didn't get a chance
to speak with her,

so I'm probably gonna
leave tonight.

Tonight...

did not end how I had hoped.

But...

I'm going to continue

to try to keep my walls down

and stay vulnerable,
when right now,

I want to put them back up.

I also need you to understand

that with
accepting a rose tonight,

you're accepting to trust me,

as I will do with each of you.

‐ Nayte.

Nayte, will you accept
this rose?

‐ Of course.

‐ Rodney.

Rodney,
will you accept this rose?

‐ Of course.
‐ Thank you.

‐ Thank you.
‐ Thank you.

‐ Trust is a huge thing,
especially with Michelle.

Someone told her a lie.

It's just a shady thing to do
and it's very twisted.

‐ Martin.

Martin, will you accept
this rose?

‐ Absolutely.
‐ Thank you.

‐ With everything
that happened tonight,

I feel like I could be sabotaged

and I feel like my future
could be in jeopardy

and I could be
going home tonight,

when I didn't think that
about an hour ago.

I'm just really upset
in the whole situation,

'cause, like, I'm worried
about, like,

my relationship with Michelle.

‐ Rick.

Rick, will you accept this rose?

‐ Yes, please.

‐ Thank you.

Leroy.

‐ I didn't have time
at the cocktail party,

'cause of the drama
that went down,

which I'm definitely
frustrated about.

‐ Spencer.

‐ If I go home tonight having
not had that opportunity

to actually put myself out
there, I'll be really sad,

'cause I really see something
with her.

‐ Casey.

Will you accept this rose?

‐ Of course I will.
‐ Thank you.

Chris G.

Chris G,
will you accept this rose?

‐ Yes, of course.

‐ Thank you.

‐ I'm kind of stunned
and frustrated.

Someone told Michelle that
people in the house were

questioning Michelle's
character.

And that just was not true.

‐ Mollique.

Will you accept this rose?

‐ Absolutely.

‐ I'm nervous I won't have
a chance to tell Michelle

how I really feel.

And I'm preparing
to say my goodbyes.

‐ Olu.

Olu, will you accept this rose?

‐ I do.

‐ I'm very much
on edge right now

because I thought
I was gonna get time

and I didn't.

‐ Chris S.

‐ Things are starting
to get tense

with every rose that passes.

My name still hasn't been
called.

‐ Will.

‐ Excuse me.

‐ I really do want a rose.

If I were to be sent home
without even being able

to really convey to her
who I am,

it would bother me.

‐ Romeo.

Romeo,
will you accept this rose?

‐ Yes.

‐ I've, like, had enough of
the drama for the week.

I really did.

I'm really trying to pursue
love the right way,

and I got some clown over here

trying to get in the way of
my progress with Michelle.

‐ LT.

‐ LT, will you accept this rose?

‐ Of course.
Thank you.

‐ I didn't get that time
with her tonight

because that was robbed
from me this evening.

I'm gonna be so pissed
if I get sent home week two

because of not getting time
with her.

‐ Clayton.

Clayton,
will you accept this rose?

‐ Absolutely.

‐ Michelle.

Gentlemen,
this is the final rose tonight.

Whenever you're ready.

‐ Peter.

Peter,
will you accept this rose?

‐ Absolutely.

‐ Gentlemen, I am sorry,

but if you did not
receive a rose,

take a moment
and say your goodbyes.

‐ Good to meet you, man.

‐ I'm sorry, bro.
‐ For sure, man.

‐ I hope you find
what you're looking for.

‐ Thank you so much.

‐ At the cocktail party tonight,

there is someone
who wanted to stir the pot.

‐ Hey, have fun.

‐ I don't know who
conjured this up.

‐ Appreciate it.

‐ But I kind of feel
like this person

will make some kind
of other mistake...

‐ It was a pleasure being here.

Wish you nothing but the best.

‐ And will eventually
be exposed.

‐ What's still
a big question mark

in everyone's mind is,
"Who spoke to Michelle?"

I appreciate all of you,

and I'm hoping that this process

is still going to allow me
to find my person.

Let's make this next week
a lot better.

‐ Someone is insecure
and they're scared

and they're lashing out.

‐ Cheers to finding a soul mate.

Cheers.

‐ There's a rat in our midst,

and I hope someone lays
a little rat trap.

‐ Coming up next week
on "The Bachelorette"...

‐ I don't really know
who to trust right now.

‐ Are people really being
genuine and authentic?

‐ I'm ready to do whatever
it takes for Michelle.

‐ Hey!

They're all putting
their hearts on the line.

Oh, my gosh.

‐ I feel on top of the world
right now.

‐ This is our journey!

‐ She brings out
the absolute best in me.

‐ Do you feel like
you can trust me?

‐ I do.

I could see myself

falling in love
with one of them.

‐ It's so crazy.

There's just not really
a competition

between me and the guys
that are here.

‐ How did he think he would
get away with this?

What the, dude?

‐ I'm gonna keep exposing you.

This man has really pushed
my buttons!

‐ Oh!

‐ He's manipulating us and her.

‐ Do you see how hurt she was?

Did you see that?

‐ Trust is something that

makes or breaks a relationship.

‐ It is absolutely sick.

‐ My jaw is on the floor.

‐ In one instant...

it can come crashing down.

‐ The drama continues next week

on "The Bachelorette."

‐ And now for the blue team.

At forward, he still sleeps
with the lights on

and he once wrestled a dolphin

just because
it looked at him funny.

‐ It's Martin!

Yeah, Martin!

At power forward,

he has a pet name for his beard

and he talks to it at night
before going to bed.

It's Chris!

Ain't nothin' but a G thang,
baby!

For the red team,

at sh**ting guard,
he leaves the toilet seat up,

but only on the weekends.

Mollique!

Whoo!

‐ At forward,

he isn't afraid
to take it to the hole,

but he is afraid of spiders
and dogs who wear sweaters.

It's Joe!

Okay, Joe.

‐ And last but not least,
at center,

he shaves his nipples
and thinks hot dogs

should be called sandwiches.

It's Clayton!

I love it.