Crying in Canada: Bachelor 28, Episode 6
Literally no one was having a good time, except maybe Jesse đ
Weâre down to 10 women, hometowns are right around the corner, and Joey is having doubts about this process. Not only was his demeanor in the cold open with Maria giving âI donât want to be here right now,â but we also get a few moments of him doubting himself. He tells producers he has a sinking feeling that the process wonât work out for him and that heâs feeling a lot of pressure to be perfect, which is a small callback to his uncleâs concerns from hometowns during Charityâs season. So we know this episode is about to be heavy.Â
Jesseâs Scavenger Hunt
On the date: Daisy, Katelyn, Kelsey A, Jenn, Rachel, Lexi, Lea, Jess
The women meet Jesse on a bustling Montreal street and he tells them there will be a group date and two special one-on-ones. He reveals that Maria and Kelsey T. will be going on individual dates for the week while he sends the rest of the women on a scavenger hunt through the city. He also reminds us that he is Canadian and can speak French. Sidenote: Americans are so embarrassing. Most of us only know English yet weâas a wholeâjudge people whose first language isnât English and so they may not speak it perfectly. Jess and Jenn couldnât even use context clues to understand what Jesse was saying, but weâre judging people who speak their native language and Englishânotoriously one of the most difficult languages to learn!? Make it make sense.
Together the group is enjoying the markets around town, making poutine, and dancing through the streets. Honestly, none of these women looked like they were having a good time, except for maybe Jenn. The women arenât hiding that they arenât having a good time either. Jess looks frustrated, Katelyn and Kelsey A. take some time to decompress, and Lexi is reflecting on how weird it feels to go from an intimate and personal one-on-one to a group date with seven other women.Â
Going into the nighttime portion of the date, the mood is low and somber. And it makes sense. Two-thirds of the women have been cut, in a week or so half of them will be gone, and it is very clear with at least some of the women where he stands.Â
Before Joey arrives, the women admit to one another how hard itâs getting to see Joey grow feelings for some women, but not others. I love that we got to see this. My suspicion is there is a point in this process every season where the women start to feel some type of way, but this is the first time we get to see the women and the lead be honest about it. I loved this sort of peek behind the curtain of whatâs going on in everyoneâs head.Â
The sadness somewhat continues during his time with Katelyn and Kelsey A., they both tear up saying how this week has felt harder than the ones before, especially since theyâre more than halfway through the process. Joey does his best to reassure both of the women, and it at least seems to work on Kelsey A. because she tells him sheâs falling in love with him. Jenn shares that sheâs falling for him too a few moments later.Â
Next, Lexi wastes no time mincing words and her life timeline and I love that for her. She asked how he saw the next few years (engagement, kids, marriage) and Joey answered it straightforwardly. He imagines a two to three-year engagement, then a few years of marriage before having children, whereas Lexi sees herself trying for kids within the next two years. We love two adults who can be clear about what they want, even if the timelines donât align. Also, why donât more people ask this question on this show? Seems like itâd be important to address before hometowns/fantasy suites.
Jess spends time with Joey next and tells him that sheâs falling for him too and Joeyâs face does not budge. No smile, no kiss, barely an eye blink. He uses her revelation to share that he canât see it with her the way she sees it with him. So, he walks her out. Before she leaves, she asks him if she did something wrong and he shares itâs not her, but just the way things are progressing. This was sad and hard to watch. Like all of us, Jess just wants to be wanted and I imagine itâs crushing to be vulnerable like that and it end in her going home.Â
Joey returns to the women, shares he sent Jess home, and offers the group date rose to Jenn.Â
Cirque du Sol-J
Kelsey Tâs hair is giving bouncy waves, sheâs rocking a bomb red coat, and loading her trust issues in her interview with producers. Something she hopes to be able to work on with Joey throughout the day.
Theyâre going to put their trust issues to the test because they are swinging on fucking hoops like professional acrobats. As scary as this date seemed like it was going to be, they seemed to be vibing. Kelseyâs making fun of him, theyâre spinning around getting dizzy, and laughing together.Â
Back at the hotel, Lexi and Maria chat about Joeyâs ideal timeline for engagement/marriage and how it makes her feel. Lexi has endometriosis and as she shared last week, that can make getting pregnant more difficult, so naturally Lexi would rather begin a family a bit sooner so she doesnât feel rushed. We donât see her share this during this segment, but she did share on IG that she froze her eggs right before going on this season, so I wondered if having kids was at the forefront of her mind for that reason as well.Â
Joey and Kelsey have had a great day together and sheâs headed into dinner hoping she can bring some of the walls she has up down so Joey can truly get to know her.Â
Kelsey admits that her feelings are getting serious for Joey, but that with hometowns coming up she needs to share some of the dynamics of her family, namely the relationship with her dad. Growing up she and her dad were very close, but as she got older, she wanted to pursue a career and college that fell outside her dadâs wishes for her. So, she was kicked out of his house and went to live with her mom. She says it affected her trust in men and getting close to people.Â
Recently, she and her dad have slowly tried to reconnect in small ways, but she still struggles with the relationship because he (willingly) missed so much of her life. Whatâs still somewhat unclear is why exactly she and her dad fell out. She calls it âthe religionâ but is that Christianity? The fact that she was/wasnât religious? Something else? Some key details seemed to have been edited out.Â
I guess all that matters is that Kelsey felt heard and cared for by Joey at this moment. He thanked her for sharing and she thanked him for listening. They end the night watching a Cirque du Soleil performance and she accepts the rose.Â
An Extra Date for an Extra WomanÂ
Itâs only right that Maria would get a date like this. She and Joey meet designer Claudette and they try on dozens of dresses before landing on a gold sparkly number, which I hated. It didnât fit her wellâit seemed too big. And I know how much this show loves a sparkly dress or ballgown moment, but I wish they wouldâve let her actually pick a dress on her own. I think she wouldâve ended up in a sexy black number.
They get in a gorgeous white old-school limo and head to a helipad where they can enjoy all the cityscapes and landscapes Montreal has to offer. We get swelling romantic music during this portion, which I feel is reserved for top picks, but I just donât see it with Maria. This relationship gives Pilot Pete and Victoria Fuller vibes. Unfortunately, I just think they have mad physical chemistry and want to sleep together. And ainât nothing wrong with that! But does he need to bring her to a hometown date for that? Can they just sneak away and do it like Kaitlyn and Nick Viall did?Â
Why do I feel like we still donât know Maria? Is it just me? Sheâs been on our screens so much, but during their dinner I found myself wondering who are you, sis? She shares that integrity is important to her and she wants to ensure that Joey is actually here to get married. He says he is, and for the second time in this episode, shares that heâs nervous that this process wonât work in the end. We need more on this Joey, what are the doubts specifically? Is it personal insecurities, what heâs seeing from the women? WHAT IS THE REASON?Â
At the end of the date, Joey gives Maria the date rose and shares that he sees a future with her.Â
Lexi Says Goodbye
Any time a contestant is going to speak to a lead unannounced, or during downtime, itâs usually going to end on said contestant going home.Â
Lexi is going to speak with Joey because sheâs realizing how unaligned their timelines are, which is tough for her because heâs made her feel so wanted and cared for during this process. But at the end of the day, she doesnât have the privilege and luxury to wait to start a family the way Joey would prefer to. She says itâd be unfair of her to stay when sheâs on a different timeline than he is.Â
What a grown woman decision Lexi is making. Joey shared that he hoped to have more time with her to have family conversations, but he understands her decision to leave. I didnât see this coming, but I completely understand the decision, especially as a thirty-something who wants kids and has concerns about my ability to have them.Â
Lexi goes to tell Maria and Daisy goodbye and ends with the realization that you cannot make someone ready for something that they are not ready for. And sheâs right. Her exit also makes Joey continue to question if heâll end this experience alone.Â
Only Three Roses
Joey is shaken up by Lexi leaving and so are the other women. Going into the rose ceremony there are eight women left and a few more will be gone by the nightâs end.Â
He kicks off the cocktail party with a toast where for the THIRD time this episode, he shares his biggest fear about this process, which is that heâll choose his person at the end and they wonât choose him back. So does the final woman he chooses dip or what? That fear is always present with the leads, but it was heavy-handed in this episode. Who is Joey feeling, that ultimately doesnât end up feeling the same?
I cannot tell you what Joey and Daisy talked about, but what I can tell you is that he willingly touched her feet, so that might mean he loves her yâall. Because I love my man, but I donât want his toes unexpectedly in my face like that, even if they are well manicured. In my mind, Rachel was his end game, but could it be Daisy? đ
As the rose ceremony begins, the women are shocked to only see three roses on the podium. This means two additional women are going home after Lexi and Jess have already exited earlier in the week.
The first rose goes to Daisy, no surprise there, then Kelsey A., and finally Rachel. Meaning Katelyn and Lea are going home. Notably, Lea is going home without getting a one-on-one, which she couldâve had if she hadnât thrown that card in the fire. Let this be a lesson, play stupid games, win stupid prizes.Â
Next week, weâre still in Canada, but in Jasper, which looks stunning. Itâs the week before hometowns, so there is bound to be some drama and hearts broken. Until then, âđž.