The Bachelorette, Ep. 9.3

Can't wait for the drama tonight! We are going to learn about Brian and his big lie...

Group Date: Chris, Brian, Drew, Michael, Brooks, Brad, Mikey, Brandon, Zack K., Ben

We know this date is going to end badly for 2 reasons: (1) They are playing dodgeball, so this means that this physical competition is bound to be painful  and possibly get out of control, as they literally "fight" for Des (2) We see Brooks being taken away in an ambulance in the previews.

They are playing against professionals, and those guys throw bullets! That's gotta hurt! Chris Harrison comes in to "save the day" and tells them it's time to stop getting pummeled. They are now going to play against each other. Winners get to continue the date with Des and the losers go home.

The randomly assigned teams are: Red--Mikey, Michael, Brooks, Chris and Brandon and Blue--Ben, Drew, Zack, Brad and Brian.

Not only do they have to compete against each other, but they are competing in front of a very large crowd. The guys come out with some serious game faces on. You would think they were fighting to the death. The red team even had their own little chant to get amped up. Blue countered with their own chant. Pretty funny stuff.

Game 1: It comes down to Chris (red) vs Drew (blue) and Drew wins! So it's Blue-1, Red-0

Game 2: Red came back with a vengeance and Brandon got the winning shot for the Red team. All tied up at 1-1.

Game 3: Right off the bat as they scramble for the ball, Brooks is on the ground and they think he broke his finger. The paramedics told him he needed to go to the hospital to get it reset. The game resumes and it's down to Chris (red) and Zack (blue). Zack finally hits Chris and the Blue team comes away with the win for the game and take the prize of the after party by winning 2-1. But...after the game, Des announces that she is going to take both teams to the after party because it's still early and she needs more time with each of the guys.

We check back in with Brooks and he says he passed out and woke up with oxygen tubes in his nose. He looked like he was in pretty bad shape, but that bad from just a broken finger?

Back at the after party, Brad gets the first one-on-one time with Des. He's been wanting to talk to her and tell her that he has a 3-year-old son named Maddox. He has custody of Maddox and his mom and his brother help him a lot. His relationship with Maddox's mother wasn't good. She was an alcoholic, and one night, she stole his keys and he tried to stop her and he was the one arrested. Then he tells Des that if she wasn't the Bachelorette, he wouldn't have done the show. Big stuff from Brad tonight.

Chris was worried he wasn't going to get to talk to her, so he decides he needs to make a big move. Somehow, he finds a "secret spot", which was basically the rooftop...and he just "happened to find it". He thinks after his talk that he has the rose in the bag.

Next a limo pulls up and it's a very disheviled-looking Brooks with his wrapped up finger. He knew he had to show up because he didn't think he would get another chance to talk to her before the cocktail party, before the Rose Ceremony. She's very happy to see him, and they both said that they've missed each other. Of all the guys, we only see her make out with Brooks.

Finally, Des hands out the rose, and wouldn't you know, Chris gets it! His rose means some bonus time with Des, and they get serenaded by Kate Earl (no idea who she is, but I like her performance!). Meanwhile, the rest of the guys aren't that far away, and they see them kissing.

The Drama....duh duh duh (insert ominous music)

Des receives a phone call from Chris Harrison. He fills her in on "the girlfriend" and Chris said he doesn't think they should let him (Brian) get away with it, and he said she should go and have a conversation with him. She was like, "for sure!" She gets in her blue car and high-tails it to the house.

Everyone thinks that Des is there to pick up Kasey for his date, and that's what she was originally planning to do. So, she pulls Brian aside and asks him if he's sincere and if there's anything he wants to tell her. She baits him and tries to get him to come clean. He talks about his prior relationship and how it was over so long ago. And just like that, in walks the girlfriend, Stephanie! Brian looks floored, and says "oh geez". His face turns as bright pink as his shirt (literally). He's been caught and he knows it.  It's about to hit the fan, folks!

Here's the scoop from Stephanie's point of view (as she's frantically crying): she tried to break up with him the day before he left for the show. He told her he needed some time to himself and think things through. She had no idea he was going to come on the show. She has a son, Donovan, whom she says Brian has been a role model for. She said they are still together and he told her that he wouldn't see anyone else. She claims that he was seeing like seven other girls. She also said that he told her to mark May 10 on her calendar because they would meet up for dinner.

Brian's story is that their relationship was over and in the past. He says he cares about her, and he even referred to her as "babe". He says that she was dating other guys and that they had a very rocky relationship, which may or may not have included her throwing rocks at his face. He admitted to sleeping with her 2 nights before he left.

My opinion: I don't fully believe either of them. She says she tried to break up with him, but he told her "I need some time and let's work on it." If she wanted to break up with him, why in the world does any of this even matter? I think he really did want to come on the show to find love, but he obviously lied to Stephanie and to the show, as well as Des about what his current situation is. I think Stephanie is really over-exaggerating things, and trying to make more out of it than there really is. The whole "May 10-dinner" thing is just weird. Like Chris said, how would he know what date they would be done filming? That to me just sounds made up on her part. The entire fight ended when he admitted to sleeping with Stephanie 2 nights before he left. That was all Des needed to hear, and he was gone.

They told him to go pack his things. He wasn't even allowed to talk to the guys.

One-on-One Date: Kasey
Poor Kasey has to now compete with everything that must be going through her mind.

They head for their date in West Hollywood, where they are going to dance on the side of a building. They did some dancing, but ended up just dangling until they got tired.

Time for dinner, and they end up in a wind storm as they try to talk. Plants are falling over, candles are blowing out, the rose almost took flight off of the plate! So, they decide to jump into the pool to get away from the wind...but the pool was freezing. Wow, this date is going...um...awkward. He tries to kiss her in the pool...with towels on their head. At least he's a good sport and he was really sweet about the whole thing. He walks away with the rose.

Group Date: Dan, James, Juan Pablo, Bryden, Zak W.
The guys take a stage coach to their date back in time to the old west. They get to dress up in old western clothes to do some stunts in a cowboy bootcamp. They learn how to lasso, quick draw and fight. In their final test, they have to save Des. Whoever she thinks does the best will earn some extra time with her.

The guys really got into their parts, and they were fun to watch. Some of the hi-lights: Dan split his pants getting onto the horse. Zak was hilarious and had everyone laughing. Juan Pablo spoke only in Spanish and I think threw the stunt guys he was fighting for a loop. I have to admit, he did sound and look pretty sexy, and it was pretty obvious that Des was going to pick him as the winner. As the winner, he won alone time with her in the barn and they got a private screening of the new movie The Lone Ranger (because the stunt teachers worked on the movie).

Later she gets some more one-on-one with the rest of the guys. She rekindles her romance with Bryden. Side note about Bryden: it looks like he has a grown-up hair-do now, and is no longer sporting the "I-just-cut-my-hair-using-a-bowl" haircut. Then she cracks up with Zak about his failed attempt at a kiss earlier in the day. She talks with James, and I just find him so dull. And just I'm thinking that, she excuses herself and goes to get the rose to give to him. She gives it to him because she wants him to be reassured about her wanting him there. She asks him if he will accept the rose, and out of nowhere, he says "yes, but only if you accept this daisy". Whoa, where did that come from...that was pretty good. There might just be more to him than we are seeing.

Pool Party
Chris Harrison comes to the guys' house and tells them that Des has canceled the cocktail party and instead is inviting them to a pool party.

Ben meets her out front before she gets to the house, and he says he wants to go on a 15-minute car ride. She agrees, and they take off, with the other guys wondering when she's going to show up. They are waiting for her, and they see her pull up...with Ben in the car...and they're making out. The guys did not like that little stunt one bit. Ben just keeps digging himself into a hole.

Chris tries to trick Ben into confessing about his little joyride, and Ben blatantly lied to their faces. The more he lied, the more the guys were getting really mad. Mikey confronted him...again, about his behavior. But like Ben says, it's called Bachelorette for a reason. It's not Let's Make Friends. But...it's one thing to go after her, but it's another to be so shady and lie about everything. It says a lot (or a little) about his character.

Brandon gets time with Des, and he tells her that he is falling in love with her. Wow...it is week 3! That's gotta be some kind of a record! Lots of people talk about it this early, but no one says it to the person that early! I think this has "heartbreak" written all over it.

Rose Ceremony

Receive Roses: Bryden, Juan Pablo, Zak W., Brooks, Drew, Zack K., Brad, Michael, Mikey, Ben as well as Chris, Kasey and James who received roses on their dates

Eliminated: Dan, Brandon and Brian--who was eliminated for having a girlfriend

Brandon looked absolutely confused and dumbfounded when she called Ben's name instead of his. He was visibly upset and did not see that coming....at all! He walked up to her to say his goodbye and he said he just didn't understand. He walked out, and she ran after him. She tried to explain to him that he's a great guy, but he wasn't the one for her. She said she just didn't feel that it was right and she would rather do it now than later. Poor guy...he was in love, and like so many people in his life, she has left him. His "out of tears" quote at the end, was a bit much though.