Joey and his six remaining women traveled to Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. He said it's the most beautiful place he's ever been. He's still feeling a little rough after Lexi decided to leave, and he's hoping it doesn't happen again. The lodge the women are staying in is beautiful. "You really can't be sad here," Jenn said. We'll see, Jenn, we'll see. She also added, "I just want to get naked and cuddle in the woods." She's looking to jump the gun right to the Fantasy Suites!
Gina: I'm not a cold-weather kinda gal, but I found myself wanting to head to Jasper! Joey said he's looking for clarity and confidence in Jasper, so hopefully those clear, blue skies and crystal-like waters will help him get where he needs to be. Also, just a side note, I love that Joey and Jesse play tennis at every location. It's like their bonding thing!
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The first date card was for Daisy! It read, "Let's ride off into the sunset together." She was elated to get a one-on-one, but Jenn teared up at not getting the date. I guess not being sad there was short-lived...
Daisy's One-on-One Date
Joey is hoping some alone time will lead Daisy to tell him that she's falling for him. He is falling for her and he said that he can see it. He wants to meet her family, but only if they are on the same page. Joey and Daisy pet some horses and then saddled up to do a trail ride. It seemed like Joey kept the conversation going, but Daisy seemed a little bit quiet, at least to me. Although, maybe it was hard for her to hear him on the trail.
Gina: I am gonna put my producer cap on here and say yeah, it could definitely have been difficult to get good audio from both of them on the trails or there could have been some technical difficulty. I'm going to try to not read into it too much.
They ended up at an outdoor hot tub. They got on their bathing suits and hopped in. That is a teeny bikini! She said she was excited about the prospect of bringing Joey home. She said that she wants someone who even when they hate her or are having a bad time, they still love her. Joey completely agreed and said that he wanted the same. They did a lot of kissing! "My feelings are really really strong for him and I can see a future with him, but I'm not in love with him yet," she said. She plans on telling him the truth about her slow-growing feelings, but worries he'll send her home.
Gina: The moment where Daisy said she was going home either way but she hoped it was with him was adorable. Their connection is so sweet. Joey just seems so calm when he is with Daisy. As for her feelings, this one-on-one time is the best way for her to build on them, so I totally understand her wanting to wait a little before professing her love.
Back at the lodge
The next date card arrived and it read, "Kelsey T., Maria, Rachel, and Jenn, Let's take our love to the great outdoors." That meant that Kelsey A. was getting a second one-on-one. Jenn was devastated.
Daisy's One-on-One Date Evening
Joey said that he had a wonderful day with her. He said that he loves where her head is at and that he loves her seriousness of everything... he's saying love a lot. He nudged her further about how she was feeling, and Daisy talked about how important her family is and that she would love to see him interact with them. "I really, really like you, but am I there yet, no," Daisy said. Joey's face fell! "I can see us getting there and I can see myself falling for you." She promised to let him know if she felt that she couldn't get there. She said that her family has seen her at her worst and she basically wants her family to ask him the tough questions, and she wants to make sure that he's ready for a real life with her. Joey told Daisy that he could be that person and he would tell them that. She said she just needs to see him with them first before she can feel like she's falling in love with him. So, he offered the date rose and she accepted it! She was so happy she cried.
He told Daisy he had one more surprise for her. They walked to an ice rink and played a little hockey together. They also did a lot of kissing. "I did not expect to feel this way, I'm falling. Oh my gosh, I think it's happening!" Daisy said.
Gina: And there it is! Their time together is obviously truncated for the show so I'm glad they could just be together and have fun and have those talks they needed. I will be very interested to see her family and have them meet Joey! How protective will they be? Will they see the same connection that we're all seeing? Oh, boy. (Also, if "The Bachelor" producers didn't incorporate hockey into this Canada trip in some way, I was going to be upset! ha)
Group Date
The four women met up with Joey and his friend Anita who is a lumberjill champion! They worked a big saw, they did some axe throwing and wood chopping. They competed in an obstacle course for some extra time with Joey. Rachel even drank elk milk even though she's lactose intolerant and allergic to milk protein. Yikes, she might not feel so hot later. Maria was running around and putting her all into competing but having to do this at this point in the game for Joey was making her feel kind of crappy. Kelsey T. was the ultimate winner. Jenn then grabbed Joey and kissed him in front of the other women and that also made Maria really upset.
Gina: Rachel wasn't so happy about that either. I get it, but also, we've been saying it all season long. You have to take your moments with Joey when you can. Jenn felt like she needed to make a memorable move, so she did. We've seen the progression of feelings, especially in these last two weeks, so I'm not surprised that would get a response from the other women.
Group Date Cocktail Party
There's a group date rose and that is weighing heavy on the night. As they made a toast, Joey said, "Tink!" as he clinked glasses with the women. Ha! He's so cute sometimes. Jenn spoke to Joey first and she told him that she found it very difficult to not get a one-on-one date. "I can tell you when I'm with you, I'm here 100%," he said. "I'm excited for you to meet my family if we get there," Jenn said. She warned him that he wouldn't feel the most comfortable with hers, and she had never brought anyone home before.
Gina: As the reality of a hometown date sunk in, I think the fears for Jenn bubbled up. She said it wouldn't be comfortable because of a clash of cultures. Her Vietnamese mom might not be as understanding of her situation now. Joey tried to reassure her that he wasn't scared, which was sweet, but she said to him that she sometimes felt she wasn't cut out for this. Could this be the end for Jenn?
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Kelsey T. said she left the date on a high, but she's in her head a bit, and seeing other people have interactions with him in front of her is tough. "It's hard, my feelings are really strong," she said. Kelsey T. said that her dad doesn't know that she's on the show. I wonder who Joey would meet?
Rachel told Joey that she was comfortable bringing him home and that her family would adore him. She shared a picture of her parents with him when they were first dating. They didn't show much of their conversation so it must have gone fine.
Maria Spirals
Maria finally got her chance to talk to Joey. And she led him to a private couch far away from the other women. She said that she is having trouble with him not being hers. "But I have connections with you too," Joey said, "But you always discredit that." She said it doesn't sit right with her and she doesn't know if she can do this anymore. "Last week was special to me," Joey said. "I'm honestly shocked, I didn't expect this." He said it was not his job to pull it out of her... he asked her if her mind was made up because it felt like it might be. She nodded but then got up and cried in the other room. Joey just sat there. If she's the one, get up and reassure her Joey!
Gina: Yeah, I get him wanting to give her a moment, but also, we feel like we know Maria now. If her mind was made up, would he have been able to change it by going to talk to her? I wonder if that's what he was thinking.
She walked back to the couch and sat down. "I just had a little moment," Maria said. "It was real, it was real," Joey said. "I don't think it's an overreaction," Joey said that he loves the side of her that talks her feelings out, and he knows what a life with her would be like. He said that she was scaring him because he thought she was going to leave. He doesn't want to put up walls, he wants to be all in. "You have to start believing it could be you, I want someone that's in it," Joey said. She apologized, but he didn't want that. He wants someone who can see it and trust it. Then she said that she wouldn't kiss him because she kissed Jenn, but then she did anyway. He thinks that he is falling for the women who aren't all in on him. He decided he couldn't give out the date rose because he needed more time.
Gina: Can't blame the guy for not giving out the rose right then. At one point with Maria, he said "You're all over the place, woman!" And she was, which made him feel all sorts of conflict and wonder if anything any of the women said was real. I worry doubt is going to continue to plague him.
Kelsey A.'s One-on-One Date
Joey and Kelsey A. went around town trying on some fun hats, drinking hot cocoa, and eating s'mores. Then, they headed to a bar where Joey taught her how to shoot pool. A "Typical Canadian" at the bar told them they had to go do the polar plunge! She has always wanted to try it! Joey was really nervous because he said, "I don't have a lot of meat on these bones, I get cold pretty easily." Aw, Joey. Kelsey A. and Joey marched down to the lake wearing silly Trojan hats and jumped in! They went fully in! Underwater in! Joey and Kelsey A. kissed as their lips turned blue and they struggled to breathe. Everyone else was out of the water except for them because they were making out! It was great! It really seemed to be a fun bonding moment for them and it was nice to see her push him out of his comfort zone. They found a sauna to warm up in, and that wasn't the only thing heating up!
Gina: Joey is not getting a break from the cold in this episode, is he? The things we do for love! Well, that *he* does for love.
Kelsey A.'s One-on-One Date Evening
During dinner, Kelsey A. talked about how her relationship with her dad changed after her mom passed away. She misses her mom during the big moments but is so grateful that she has her dad. He lost the love of his life, and had five kids, but rallied for all of them. Joey really admires his dad and thinks that he sounds like someone who could be a great father-in-law. Joey said that his dad was his biggest fan on "The Bachelorette" but wanted him to stay confident through the process on "The Bachelor." Kelsey A. said that she wants to make sure that if he chooses her he's 100% all in on her and not conflicted. Joey said he would not propose unless he was sure. More importantly, Joey said that he trusts Kelsey A. He offered her the rose and she accepted! "She has so much love to give and I have so much love to give, and the idea of that coming together is just magical," Joey said.
Gina: Can we talk about the moment where they're kissing outside and the deer is like right next to them? Also, earlier in the episode, we saw a beautiful shot of the Northern Lights. Props to the cameramen for these moments. But back to Kelsey and Joey, the smile she gives him when she talks to him is infectious and so sweet. She's strong and brave and I feel like their connection could go the distance!
Rose Ceremony
Jesse Palmer showed up and told the women that there would be no cocktail party. The women without roses were very upset.
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1) Daisy (One-on-One Date)
2) Kelsey A. (One-on-One Date)
Oh, snap. Mr. I Don't Need A Rose Ceremony asked Maria to go have a chat. Wouldn't a cocktail party have been a great opportunity for that? He wanted to make sure she wanted to be there and that she was all in, and she said that she was. I mean, she showed up right?
3) Rachel
4) Maria
Maria survives! Oh my goodness. Poor Kelsey T. and Jenn, they were eliminated. I am shocked! I thought that Jenn would have outlasted Rachel. I'm not sure I'm seeing a huge romantic connection there, but maybe more will be revealed in hometowns.
Gina: I'm with you here! I really saw Jenn lasting and possibly being final 2. I'm shocked.
Wow, also to note, no private walkouts. I feel bad for those two women. They are both incredible. Maybe one could be a future "Bachelorette?"
Gina: I noticed that as well. He hasn't walked anyone out for an explanation, which I found interesting. I would love seeing Jenn as "The Bachelorette." Perhaps even more than Maria (don't come for me, Bachelor Nation!).
Next Week
Joey travels to the women's hometowns and it looks like the dads give Joey a run for his money, specifically Maria's dad! Rachel ends up in tears because it seems as though things, despite a lot of fun, end up a bit rocky there.
Don't miss new episodes of Joey's season of "The Bachelor" on Monday nights on ABC and streaming the next day on Hulu.
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