Desiree Hartsock was so jaded by the James Case saga that she wanted to leave The Bachelorette. But does she really end up with no one, as reported? The Bachelorette spoilers shed light on that, but regardless of how accurate those are, Desiree took it hard when James’ shadiness was exposed. As a girl who made a terrible rap video about the “right reasons” for being on the show, The Bachelorette star found it to be a tough pill to swallow. After James allegedly implied to his co-stars that he saw his “journey” as a stepping stone to becoming The Bachelor next January, Des was hurt. This followed Bryden Vukasin abruptly leaving after flying all the way to Germany, and Des learning that Ben Scott totes had ulterior motives too. Reports even suggest she almost abandoned the show after this, or that it contributed to her picking no one , depending on what or who you believe. “There were several moments where she said ‘I want to go home,'” a show insider revealed of Des’ mindset. “She thought ‘What else is going to happen?'” According to the source, Desiree went so far as to have “multiple conversations with producers about going home. There were a lot of tears behind the scenes.” “It got very emotional and real. This was not an easy process. What you didn’t seen on camera was how much she really struggled with letting James go.” The insider tells Hollywood Life that “James completely sabotaged himself, but Desiree was very discouraged … she wondered if anyone was there for her.” Who is there for Des? And does it work out in the end? Follow the link above for Bachelorette spoilers …
James Case, who went on a memorable date with Desiree Hartsock this week on The Bachelorette, says there’s more to the show than love. A lot more. Major Bachelorette spoilers right here, people! While he’s a fan of Des, and is/was totally interested, he says that anyone who tells you they’re just going on the show for love is not telling the truth. “The whole experience, if somebody tells you it’s just for love, they have to be crazy,” he says. “I got to travel the world, I got to do a lot of things.” So was he there … wait for it … for the right reasons ? “I got to do things people aren’t able to do and I took advantage of that. It was amazing. I’m living in a new city. It’s hard to find a woman to date here.” “It’s been difficult for me with work. I just felt like it was a great opportunity. There’s multiple reasons why I chose to go on the show,” says Case. If James doesn’t win out in his quest for love/adventure/whatever this summer, he thinks he knows who the right man for Desiree Hartsock will be. “I think [Desiree is] a smart girl and I think she’s going to pick the person that fits her,” Case says. “If I had to pick, I think it might be Brooks.” As for the drama involving him that looks like unfolds on this coming week’s episode, Dave says you’ll have to sit tight in that department. “I’m not too sure how I can answer that. I just hope people judge me on the merits and who I am and what they’ve seen thus far,” he told the media. “Things can be said, things can be done and you just have to roll with the punches. I signed up for this, you just gotta roll with it,” adds Case. “Stay tuned, right?” Right.
Bachelorette Desiree Hartsock is looking for a man who’s there for all the right reasons. Will she find him among the men remaining in the competition? Maybe. What she’ll definitely find is a group of guys willing to embarrass themselves in a Mr. America pageant in attempt to win her over and prove their eternal, undying love. At least until the next bachelor is chosen. (You can go ahead and check out The Bachelorette spoilers to see who she chooses. We don’t mind.) Let’s go ahead and break down this week’s antics with our THG +/- recap! Chris Harrison arrives at Casa de Testosterone to tell the remaining 13 men they all need to pack their bags. They’re headed to Atlantic City! Plus 4 . At the condo in Atlantic City, Brad gets the first one-on-one date. He, like Ben, has a son. But he’s not a douchebag using his kid as leverage like Ben, so there’s that. Plus 2 . The guys are all concerned that Brad is too reserved for Des, that he won’t be able to cut loose and show her his fun side. They have no idea! He’s relaxed and comfortable and there’s chocolate! Plus 5 for chocolate! Zak can look down from the guys’ hotel room and see Des and Brad on their date. So he stands at the window and watches them like a crazy person. Minus 5 . Down on the beach, someone has built an epic sand castle for the two to share some champagne and snacks. Des asks Brad what kind of girl he usually dates and he says he doesn’t really have a “type.” He’s looking for someone who’s a nice person and who will be a good mom for his son. Conversation kind of halts at that point. At dinner, Des asks him if he has any pet peeves. He doesn’t like it when people can’t ever be serious. Since she’s such a goofball, this is probably goodbye to him. If he doesn’t get the rose, it’s curtains for Brad. This dinner conversation is so painfully awkward. Horrifying to watch kind of painful. Minus 7 . While Brad and Des are scaling a light house, the other guys are taking bets on whether or not Brad’s coming back to the hotel at the end of the date. They say no. And they are right. Desiree doesn’t give Brad a rose. There are man tears. He’s not an unattractive crier, so he has that going for him. Now that Desiree has sent Brad packing, it’s time for the group date. The only guy not in attendance on this date is James who will get the next one-on-one date by default. Desiree’s fun event for their group date? A pageant. The Bachelorette’s Mr. America pageant. Plus 20 . Michael often dreamed of becoming Mr. America as a young kid. Of course he did. Minus 4 . Christopher Dean, world-famous pageant coach, is here to help them. I think he might be 12, so I’m not exactly sure how he got world-famous at this. Juan Pablo knows how to throw a baton. Plus 4. Chris rocks some incredibly sparkly, incredibly high heels. Plus 8 . Mikey’s disappointed that the bathing suit he’s been assigned for the swimsuit portion of the competition is bigger than the one he originally planned to wear. Minus 3 . Not only will the guys be performing for Desiree and Chris, they’ll be performing for a full audience inside the Boardwalk Hall. Fabulous! Plus 4 . Brooks is super nervous. It’s cute. Kasey’s up first. Ms. America asks him if he’s a giver or a taker in relationships. He says he’s a giver. He likes to show love and affection and if both people give in a relationship, the relationship works. Plus 5. Zak says that he would rather be fire than water. Brooks wants to be a lion. Chris flubs his answer, maybe on purpose. Juan Pablo reveals that he has a daughter and wants his woman to be a good dancer. Mikey thinks that women only see men for their bodies. But they cry inside, too. BWAHAHAHA. And now for the talent portion of the night. Kasey pretends to tap dance while Mikey, who’s sensitive inside, strips. Brooks sings a terrible song and smashes his ukulele. Ben ribbon dances and Drew recites Shakespeare. Chris hula hoops in his high heels and Bryden pelvic thrusts in the mayor’s face. Minus 15. Zak steals the show by writing and performing an original song. Plus 10 . During the swim suit competition, Mikey bounces his pecs and Brooks makes her laugh. Plus 4 . The second runner up for the competition is Brooks! Zak W. gets first runner up! Kasey steals the show and wins the crown and bursts into faux-man tears! Plus 10 . The group date continues around Desiree’s rooftop pool. She makes a toast to the fun day they’ve all had and hopes that will continue. Chris gets the first private time with her and reveals that he writes poetry. So does Desiree. After he reads her one of his poems, she pulls him in for a kiss. Plus 4 . None of the guys are fans of him, especially Bryden. Ben keeps saying he’s here to meet an amazing woman and not make friends. He doesn’t know who’s had one on one time with Desiree because he’s not the kind of guy who wants to see what’s going on. But he wants to show what’s going on. He steals Des away for alone time and then parks the two of them right in front of all the other guys. Minus 12 . When Zak’s turn with Desiree comes, he finishes the song he used during the talent portion of the pageant. It works and he gets the rose. Plus 8 . James is ready for his one-on-one date with Desiree. When she walks in to pick him up, Ben jumps up to hug her. Minus 3 . Instead of an “over the top and extravagant” date, they’re going on a helicopter ride with a Red Cross member to see the Jersey Shore to see the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. James and Desiree are overcome with emotion. After their helicopter ride, they go on a walking tour of the area and learn about the recovery efforts in place to help rebuild the shore. They talk to a couple who lost their home in the storm. Jan and Manny have been married for 38 years and spent their anniversary in a Red Cross shelter. Desiree and James decide to give up their date that evening and send Jan and Manny to Atlantic City to celebrate their life together. Plus 30 . James and Desiree find a local place and have pizza and beer while Jan and Manny experience the fairy tale dining of the usual date. Desiree talks about her parents and how Jan and Manny remind her of them. James feels the same way. And because he feels the same way, he decides to be honest with her about his past. He cheated on his last girlfriend after 5.5 years together. Minus 25 . But he was 18 and a freshman in college. Which means he started dating that girl when he was 13? 12 and a half? He’s ready to make a commitment now though and knows that he would never cheat again. Desiree is quite disappointed by his revelation. Back at the fairy tale date, someone presents Jan and Manny with a recreation and restoration of their wedding photos, which was one of the few things they were able to take when them when they left their home. It’s sweet and now they have those pictures to share with their grandchildren. Plus 10 . James and Desiree eventually make their way back to Jan and Manny and the four of them share a glass of wine and some champagne. Manny tells Desiree that she and James would make a great match. But she hasn’t given him the rose just yet. Darius Rucker makes a surprise appearance to give a private concert for Jan and Manny. Desiree and James sit around the table and she says she’s glad she shared that experience with him. Then she gives him the rose for being so honest. Plus 8 . Jan and Manny take off and Desiree and James stay to dance to Darius. He says he didn’t expect to meet such a beautiful person by coming there and they kiss a lot. Awwww. Now that the dates are over, it’s time for another cocktail party and rose ceremony. Bryden’s not sure if he’s feeling it and isn’t sure he can accept a rose if Desiree offers one. Uh oh. Michael gets the first alone time with her and presents her with a “gesture,” which is an acrostic poem. Which isn’t really a poem at all. Minus 5 . He ends his poem with his own initial, G, instead of hers. And then he kisses her. Bryden tells the other guys that he’s not sure he’s okay with the way things are going. Brooks seems okay with Bryden taking himself out of the competition. Chris gets the second private meeting with her and after a quick joke about being in the friend zone, she kisses him. Plus 3. Lots of kissing. Lots and lots of kissing. Bryden finally gets his moment with Desiree and talks about a million miles an hour. He thinks they’re behind where he wants to be and wonders if she sees any potential in the two of them. She tells him to focus on what he knows and not what he may perceive, which is apparently that Des isn’t that into him. Bryden still isn’t sure what he’ll do. He doesn’t have much longer to debate, however, because it’s time for another rose ceremony. Joining James and Zak W. and living to see another date are: Chris Brooks Juan Pablo Drew Michael Ben Kasey Bryden Mikey T. It’s the end of the journey for Zack. But hey, he can add “Competitor in Mr. America pageant” to his resume, so there’s that. EPISODE TOTAL: +60 SEASON TOTAL: +207
Who will walk away with the title of Mr. America on The Bachelorette? More importantly, who will earn roses and advance to the next week? See The Bachelorette spoilers for more on that subject, but Monday night, all bets are off when the gang heads to Atlantic City, N.J., on the ABC hit. The Bachelorette Season 9 Episode 4 Promo In the fourth episode of the season, aspiring Desiree Hartsock husbands throw down in their very own Mr. America Pageant, complete with a talent portion. Coinciding with the real Miss America pageant on ABC Sunday. Natch. It is a “hodge podge of tomfoolery,” according to the episode synopsis, and later, when Brad and Des tour a salt water taffy factory … we don’t even have a joke. Elsewhere, Des and James tour the Hurricane Sandy-ravaged N.J. coast by helicopter, Brooks Forester gets shirtless and Ben Scott is … well, Ben Scott . Oh, and Desiree looks smoking hot in a bikini. Score! Check out some pics from the episode below …
Rachel Uchitel is single again! Tiger Woods’ #1 mistress is getting divorced after her husband, Matt Hahn, filed the paperwork earlier today. Matt’s reason? “Cruel and inhumane treatment.” Seriously. He put that. The troubled couple frequently engaged in explosive, verbal arguments; Matt alleges that Rachel Uchitel slapped him after he repeatedly called her names. There’s more. Rachel called 911 on Matt on May 16 after a particularly nasty verbal argument, asking officials for help getting him out of the house. She did not follow up with police or press charges after the situation was resolved; they didn’t officially separate until today, over three weeks later. Uchitel has not responded to the divorce filing . Rachel and Matt Hahn, a former Penn State football player, were married a year-and-a-half ago. They got together after her flings with Tiger and David Boreanaz . Uchitel welcomed their first child, a daughter, last year.
It’s Game On for the men of The Bachelorette season 9. Tonight they’ll compete for Desiree Hartsock ‘s affections over a rousing game of dodge ball. And one of them will get a special visitor. Who will survive tonight’s Rose Ceremony? Read our THG +/- recap now to find out! (Or just skip straight to The Bachelorette spoilers .) Chris Harrison shows up at Casa de Testosterone to say there will be three dates this week: Two group dates and one one-on-one date. There’s still a lot of tension with Ben. So Bension? Minus 4 (for my terrible joke). Chris, Brian, Drew, Michael, Brooks, Brad, Mikey, Brandon, Zack K., and Ben are invited on the first group date. None of them are impressed to be sharing a limo with Ben. They’ll be playing Dodgeball today. Here to school them in the ways of dodging and balling is a team from the National Dodgeball League. Which is apparently a thing. After the guys get initiated, and by initiated I mean pummeled, Chris shows up to divide the men into two teams. Only one team will move on to the second part of the date with Desiree. The other 5 will be returning to Casa de Testosterone. They’ll battle it out for the rest of the date in front of an audience of bystanders at an outdoor shopping mall who have no doubt been recruited for the express purpose of watching them throw balls at one another. Also, men. Throwing balls. I might be 12. The guys are given tiny shorts and tank tops and they’re taking it all in stride. Plus 8 . The red team is in it to win it. The blue team got Ben. They might turn on him. He should watch his back. Chris and Drew are the final men standing for their respective teams in Round One. Drew manages to best Chris and Round One goes to the Blue Team. Round Two, however, goes to the Red Team thanks to Brandon . At the beginning of Round Three, Brooks takes a weird spill at the ball line and can’t get up. His finger is broken and he heads to the hospital to have it reset. But the game must go on and the Red Team vows to win it for their boy Brooks. Chris and Zack are the final men standing and Zack puts Chris out of his dodgeball misery. The Blue Team gets to go on the rest of the date with Desiree. The Red Team gets to go home and ice Brooks’ finger. JUST KIDDING. Desiree declares them all winners so they’re all going to the after party . Plus 10. Except Brooks. Because he’s at the hospital. Minus 2. While Brooks is at the hospital having his finger reset, he passes out from the pain. But he’s still in his short-shorts and his tank top so I’m not really sure which is more embarrassing. Desiree makes a toast to Brooks and then asks Brad to visit the hotel rooftop with her. He needs to tell her about his past, which sounds juicy. He drops the bomb that he has a 3 year old son, Maddox. He has full custody of his son and only came here because Desiree was the bachelorette. Plus 10 to him for not using his son as a ploy to get her attention during the opening ceremonies. Chris makes a bold move to garner Desiree’s attention and steals her away to a special spot in the hotel: the helicopter pad. Des is impressed. Plus 7 . After their tiny conversation, he thinks he might get the rose. But Brooks is back. In his short-shorts and tank top. Plus 25 . She whisks him away immediately and they end up making out. Because of course they do. I’m Team Brooks, by the way. So far at least. Chris gets the rose and they get a private concert. And Chris gets to kiss Desiree while the other guys watch from above and stew and appear on the verge of man tears. Chris is “ecstatic” and calls this “the greatest moment on this journey so far.” He feels lots and lots of “chemistry” with Des. So that’s what we’re calling it these days. It’s time for the one-on-one date and Desiree has scheduled her date with Kasey . But before she can go on that date, Chris Harrison calls her to give her some news. One of the guys is being dishonest. Dun dun dun… Minus 12 . Kasey’s ready to have their date but first she has to talk to Brian . She leads with “is there anything you want to tell me?” And he says he’s feeling very strongly for her. He tells her his past relationship was over a long time ago even if they only broke up a short time ago and in walks Chris Harrison with Brian’s “ex” girlfriend. Minus 15 . The guys are shocked! And angry! Some of them may be eyeballing her in case they’re sent home this week! Hey, baby, can I get your number?? This feels so fake! At least her tears do. When she flips the anger switch it feels real. And Brian just sits there kind of embarrassed and sheepish like a guy who’s been caught. Apparently, she has a son and he cares about her but she tried to break up with him and he said no, they just needed a break. And drama drama drama. Two nights before going to L.A. to find love with Des, Brian slept with his not-really ex-girlfriend. Who is apparently a little nuts and likes to throw actual rocks at his face. Des makes the decision to send the “lying, cheating, deceitful pig” packing immediately. Plus 8 . And another Plus 5 for the giant bouncer, Paulie. I’ll bet he’s really a big teddy bear. When Des tells the guys what just happened, the look between Michael and Brooks is priceless. Truly awesome. She gives the guys the opportunity to tell her anything they need to tell her and no one makes a move. She and Kasey head off on their date. Finally. Plus 10 . Sidenote: If I were taking a drink every time someone said “for the right reasons” or a variation thereof tonight, I’d be, well, incredibly drunk. Incredibly. So drunk this would be unintelligible. Brandon gets the man tears thinking about his life and how he grew up and how Brian cheated on a single mom. He’s, like, legit upset about this to the point that I wonder if he’s been hitting the sauce before breakfast. Desiree and Kasey are ready to have some fun on their date. And that fun involves rappelling down the side of a building while sky dancing. It’s called Bandaloop. Kasey says it feels like they’re sharing a moment no one else will share. Well, Kasey, that’s because you are. Minus 8 The rest of their date is supposed to be on the rooftop of the building they just danced down, but out of nowhere the wind picks up and there’s no way for them to have a conversation. So they jump into the pool. And freeze. And kiss. While the stuff on the roof blows down around them. Despite the disaster that was their date, she gives him a rose anyway. The disaster wasn’t his fault. Plus 9. Back at Casa de Testosterone, the guys headed on group date #2 load into a stagecoach to go meet Desiree. A stagecoach. With horses. A team of them. Okay, then. They’re taken to the scene of a western where Desiree is in a period costume from the Wild West. The guys will be going through Cowboy Bootcamp with the stunt team from the Disney movie The Lone Ranger . Plus 2 for mention of Johnny Depp!! The guys are all really great sports about learning to lasso and fight. I’m pretty sure they all knew how to quick draw their pistols before this, though. Ahem . Desiree plays the damsel in distress and the guys mount their horses. The one who rescues her best will get some extra time with Desiree later. Dan splits his pants. Zak makes her laugh. Juan Pablo uses his super powers of sex appeal and wins the competition. Plus 7 . And now we’re treated to a commercial for the upcoming flick. And also to a liplock between Desiree and Juan Pablo, which she calls “passionate.” Following their private viewing of The Lone Ranger , Desiree and Juan Pablo rejoin the rest of the guys. Bryden gets the time with Desiree first. He’s so delightfully awkward. Plus 3 . Zak W. pays her a great compliment when he says she’s a team player who makes everyone comfortable. They laugh really well together. Good, hearty belly-laughing from the two of them. Plus 5 . James is maybe more awkward than Bryden. He’s worried about his dad back home and his head isn’t all the way in the game. He asks her if she sees something more between the two of them and she gives him the rose to alleviate his worries. Plus 2 . Chris shows up at the house and says that tonight’s cocktail party has been canceled. Instead, Des wants to have a “relaxed, chill” pool party. Ben’s already up to his antics. Minus 15 . He sneaks out the door and grabs her as soon as she pulls up, enticing her to go for a drive before going in to see the other guys. He kisses her in plain view of the other guys and then tells her the car ride is “their little secret.” He’s so skeevy and she doesn’t see it. Minus 10 . Mikey and Chris set Ben up and he lies about spending time with Desiree before the pool party. He lies to Kasey and James, too. Minus 4 . Mikey and Michael call him out on it and he says he doesn’t kiss and tell. Then Michael says he can’t unscramble that egg and I decide that’s a line I’m going to use in real life from now on. Plus 3 for that. Brandon grabs her for some alone time and tells her about how hard it was to hear about Brian. Then he promises no man tears. And he promises never to hurt her or take her for granted. And that he’s falling in love with her. And then he kisses her. Finally! The Rose Ceremony! Brian is already out. James, Kasey, and Chris have roses from the dates. Joining them are: Bryden Juan Pablo Zak W. Brooks Drew Zack K. Brad Michael G. Mikey Ben Leaving tonight: Brandon Dan Maybe Brandon’s man tears were too much for her? Or his declaration of love? She tells him he’s an incredible person but just not the one for her. She goes after him and tells him it needed to be now instead of later. She didn’t feel the chemistry he felt. He’s so morose. Put him in one of those hook-up houses that’ll come out later this summer, okay? Brandon needs some love. Or lust. Whichever. EPISODE TOTAL: +44 SEASON TOTAL: +147
The Bachelorette’s Ben Scott is already being set up as the season’s villain. That doesn’t appear to bother the 29-year-old Dallas entrepreneur, though. Despite making enemies for interrupting another suitor’s chat with Desiree Hartsock – when he already had a rose, no less – Ben says he’ll do what he has to do. How far will he make it? The Bachelorette spoilers shed light on that, if you want to know. But it sure looks like he’s a strong contender at this stage. Scott, who also raised eyebrows by introducing his young son to Des the first night, spoke with reporters about the heat he’s taken so far this season. On introducing Brody : “It didn’t matter what everybody else thought. [I only wondered] how is this going to affect Desiree and my son’s mother?” “I confirmed that she was 100% okay with this before any of it happened.” “The main reason I brought Brody was to see how Des reacted when she [realized] I was a father. It was a big risk. It could have gone two ways.” “[Either] she’s going to love the fact that I’m a father, proud of my son, or it’s going to show me that she’s not ready to … become a mother figure.” “Des was 100 percent open to [it]. It made me extremely happy.” On barging in on Michael’s one-on-one time : “I have no regrets. This is a show to find love. I was there to see if [she’s] the one I’m going to spend life with.” “That came back to bite me with some guys. But without time, you can’t grow your relationship. Those minutes I got were great minutes that helped.” “I love talking to her. Could how I got that time been handled differently? Of course. But you’re nervous in a situation you’re not used to and I wanted to talk.” “I feel bad that I hurt somebody’s feelings but in the moment, it felt right.” On whether the guys are just jealous : “I’ve gone into this knowing that things may be said that I may not like. I’m not worrying about what other people said.” “I don’t hold anything against the other guys [or] their opinions.” “I don’t focus on negative things so I wasn’t going to let what happened with Michael affect what was happening with me and Des. My intentions were in the right place.” “Des was my main concentration throughout. Some people make judgments without truly knowing somebody. People will decide on their own.” “The only [opinions] that I would be concerned with was my family … as long as I’m being who I am and I’m doing things my mother would be okay with seeing on TV, I’m okay.” On whether Desiree Hartsock is the one : I don’t jump into things extremely fast, but there was definitely a connection. We have a lot of things in common and things are going really well.” “I’m excited. Des is an amazing kisser.”
We were pretty generous last night with our Bachelorette grade , awarding the latest episode 69 points when we easily could have docked it 1,000 for one reason alone: Desiree Hartsock and Soulja Boy. Rapping. Together. For real. The footage – which of course includes Desiree’s suitors – is every bit as painful as you’d imagine, making us think twice about bashing that Sophie Grace video this week. That thing is Emmy material compared to this nonsense. Watch now if you dare: The Bachelorette Rap Video – Desiree Hartsock ft. Soulja Boy
Tonight on The Bachelorette , Desiree Hartsock will begin dating the men of season 9! Who will get the first solo date? Which of the guys will she take on a group date? Will there be man tears? One thing’s for sure, there will be a rap video with Soulja Boy . We’ll find out all of this and more now in our THG +/- recap. (Of course, if you don’t want to wait, you can always skip ahead to The Bachelorette spoilers . We won’t tell!) The guys and their muscles move into the house and Chris Harrison explains the dating scenario. Any guy who doesn’t get a rose on a one-on-one date is going home immediately. The lucky winner of the first one-on-one date is Brooks ! He looks a lot like Steve Howey so I have trouble taking him seriously. Des doesn’t though, so good for her. She picks him up in her baby blue Bentley and instead of letting him drive, she takes the wheel. Plus 8 . To show him her life, she takes him to a bridal shop and dresses him up in a series of tuxes, the first of which is very monochrome. It ain’t easy being green, Brooks. Minus 2 (for my awful joke). They don wedding attire and pretend to be newlyweds at a cupcake truck. Plus 2 . It’s the 90th anniversary of the Hollywood sign, so they get special snowflake status and have a date overlooking all of Los Angeles. That’s cool. And then Desiree calls it a fairy tale and I roll my eyes. Minus 4. Brooks is willing to let his heart get broken over and over if it means finding The One at the end. He seems like a good guy. Plus 10 . First kiss goes to Brooks!! Plus 20! On the way home, Des gets “lost” in a less than savory part of town and convinces Brooks to help her move some signs marking that the road is closed. But it’s a set-up. Their dinner is on the bridge. It’s beautiful. At dinner, Brooks asks her about her life and her family. She wants what her parents have and Brooks’, whose parents are divorced, has trouble articulating what he wants in marriage. Brooks and his dad didn’t speak for 6 years after his parents’ divorce and as he talks to Des, there are tears in his eyes. If she doesn’t give him a rose after that, well, she should just go ahead and give him a rose. And she does. Rose to Brooks. Another kiss to Des. Plus 4 . Andy Grammer and his band are set up at the far end of the bridge to give Des and Brooks a private concert. She maybe should’ve planned dance lessons for the two of them, but who am I to judge their skillz. The spinning thing? Cheesy. CHEESE. Y. Minus 9 . It’s group date day and Des has 14 men at a winery. And while at this winery, they will record a rap video with Soulja Boy. This is her attempt to be goofy and make a fool of herself. For fun. The guys try to spit some game for Soulja Boy and he chooses Brandon, Ben, Michael G. , and James to be the performers in his video. The other 10 guys will be backup dancers. Brandon ‘s costume doesn’t include pants. Plus 12 . The lyrics to their song, “For The Right Reasons,” are all insults to bachelors from previous seasons. Ben ‘s up first and the guys try to rattle him. Michael G. is not a rapper. But he’s not as bad as Brandon . In his defense, his derriere is on display. The music video bit is totally silly, but they had fun? And fun’s what matters, right? Zak W. has brought her a gift, an antique journal that has never been written in that bears an inscription from a father to his daughter. After showing up to the first cocktail party shirtless, he wanted to show her his softer side. Plus 14 . While the other guys are sitting around staring at the rose, Brandon says he wishes they didn’t care so much about who gets a rose. That they could just have fun and focus on Des. Ben thinks that’s just silly and believes that pursuing her is the way to go. He steals her away from Mikey T. The guys don’t trust Ben. At all. Des and Ben talk about his son and she asks if he has any questions about it. She says she’s open to that. Then he plays the lamest game in history and makes up a story about how he wanted to kiss her earlier during the video shoot but worried his cowboy hat would get in the way so can he kiss her now? Minus 6. Man tears from Brandon who “didn’t expect to feel this way.” Minus 3 . Michael G . is here “for the right reasons.” He respects women. Like his mom. And his sister. And his nana. The guys really, really don’t trust Ben. Mikey T. seems to be the ring leader of the Un-trusters so he pulls Ben aside to talk about Ben stealing Des away from him earlier that evening. Mikey feels like Ben is nice when the cameras are rolling and when he has to be, but in general, calls Ben a politician. Ben doesn’t want tension in the house and isn’t the kind of guy to stab the other guys in the back. Then they talk about shoes, so thinks are good? I think? Minus 3 . Brandon still hasn’t talked to Des and really wants that opportunity, so he swipes her away from another guy in order to tell her that he basically has nothing. Except they both have a mom and a dad? Methinks he spent too much time hitting the sauce before having this conversation with her. His dad left when he was 5 and his mom was a drug addict. He raised himself and his siblings from the time he was 11. What he wants now is kids of his own. He didn’t expect to “fall in like” with her this soon. Plus 3 . At the end of the group date, Zak gets a “thoughtful” compliment and Brandon gets props for being nearly naked in their video. But Ben gets the rose. They end the group date by chanting the lyrics to their rap song and it sounds, well, odd. And not at all enthusiastic. Maybe they should’ve chanted before she passed out the rose. Bryden gets the second one-on-one date of the week and her plan for him is a road trip. They stop to get snacks because what’s a road trip without snacks. They share a love of pre-popped popcorn. Match made in TV heaven! Plus 7 He’s never seen California before so she plans to show him. The first stop is the beach where Des fails at flying a kite and they have fish tacos. The second stop is an orange grove where he asks if he wants Brie and he says he doesn’t know what that is. Their final stop is at a resort where their dinner has been set in a beautiful garden. She says they’re like little kids when they’re together. He thinks that’s important. I’m…confused? Bryden’s story is that he was in a really bad car accident and had to be air-lifted out. Then he shows her pictures of the work truck he wrecked. That experience is why he enjoys life so much. Plus 10 . He thinks he’s used being in the military as an excuse not to get close to people but finally feels like he’s ready to share his life with someone. Maybe even Desiree. Sharing his story earned Bryden a rose. Plus 2 . I’m having a little deja vu here because, just like on her first one-on-one date with Sean, they go swimming. He’s nervous. She’s looking for a kiss. He keeps talking and says “awesome” twice. It’s awkard. Minus 8 . She says “just kiss me already” and leaps at his face. Plus 8. It’s time for another cocktail party. Brooks, Ben, and Bryden all have roses meaning they’re safe. The other 16 men aren’t so secure. Michael G. steals her away for the first private conversation and tells her there’s “something about him she doesn’t know.” Way to lead with the scare, Michael. He has Type I Diabetes. (Is a Wilford Brimley joke appropriate here? It feels like no?) In the middle of his story, Ben, who already has a rose, steals her away. This doesn’t sit well with Michael. Or Mikey T. Or any of the other guys either. Brandon looks sharp in his pinstripes and paisley tie! Plus 5 . Michael, to the other guys, calls Ben “a load of BS.” Plus 4 . Ben thinks Des hasn’t kissed any of the other guys yet. Hahahahahahah, Ben. So much testosterone and booze in this house! Michael pulls Ben aside and asks him to talk for a second. In his interview, Ben says he didn’t mean any disrespect, but the smirk on his face says he’s playing the game. Minus 5 . Michael calls Ben out on rubbing some of the guys in the house the wrong way. They don’t believe that Ben’s really there for Des. Michael doesn’t care if Ben’s there to make friends. He said what he needed to say and he won’t stop saying what he needs to say. Apparently, Ben’s a bit of a shady sort off-camera. He talks about his bar and he talks about his nutrition stores. He doesn’t talk about his son so much, though. And with Des he doesn’t talk about his bar or his nutrition shops. Interesting. After a chat with Brian about his past relationships, it’s time for another Rose Ceremony. Joining Brooks, Ben, and Bryden and receving roses tonight are: James Kasey Dan Juan Pablo Brad Chris Brian Zak W. Drew Mikey T. Zack Michael G. Brandon It’s curtains for Will Robert Nick M. Please tell me you all stuck around to see the world premiere of “For The Right Reasons.” You did, didn’t you? Okay. As long as I didn’t suffer through that alone I’m good. EPISODE TOTAL: +69 SEASON TOTAL: +103
After being dumped by Sean Lowe during the hometown dates, beautiful brunette Desiree Hartsock is back and looking for love. And a best friend to share life with her. And probably a little fame, too. (If this doesn’t pan out, maybe she has a career as a rap artist ?) But hey, with 25 handsome and successful men flying in from all over for the chance to drink a lot of booze, spill some man tears, start some drama, all in the quest to win her hand, can we really blame her? Tonight she’ll meet the men of The Bachelorette Season 9 and narrow the playing field down to 19 contenders. Of course, if you don’t want to wait, feel free to skip ahead and read The Bachelorette spoilers to learn the identities of Desiree’s Final Four. The rest of us will be here watching what is sure to be two parts train wreck and one part treat. Desiree Hartsock lived a humbling life, so the extravagance of the house she’ll be staying in on the hillsides of Malibu, CA is quite the step up. And someone put m&ms on her nightstand. Plus 5. Where do I get somebody to do that? Sadness. We get to relive the tearful end of her relationship with Sean Lowe. Minus 10 . To help ease the pain of that breakup, The Bachelorette producers got her a Bentley. A. Bentley. Powder blue. She says she feels like she’s exactly where she’s supposed to be. After Desiree goes roller skating in a bikini top through Malibu, she sits down with Chris Harrison where she calls herself Cinderella no less than 3 times. She wants someone who can communicate how he feels. That means man tears, right? She vows to kiss the guy if she feels like kissing the guy. GIRL POWER! Plus 8 . She’s ready to weed out the men from the boys. So are we. Can we get to that now please? (Sure we can. After Desiree says the words “this is a fairy tale” a zillion times.) So, Chris Harrison introduces himself and the show right now at the 23 minute mark like we don’t already know what’s going on here. That will not ever cease to be not weird. Hooray! We’re meeting some of the men! Bryden is from Montana. He’s an Iraq war veteran who realized on his tour that he’s ready to find a best friend he can share his life with. He’s loyal, protective, sensitive, and plans to win her heart. Plus 2. Will is a banker from Chicago who practices Bikram Yoga. And high fives random people on the streets. Nick R. is also from Chicago.. In addition to being a tailor, he’s a magician. Drew is 27 and he’s in digital marketing, which means he does something with computers. Zak is from Texas. The middle of nowhere in Texas. He works in oil and gas and finds creative ways to entertain himself on his 15 acres. And one of those ways is by going nude. Plus 12 . Robert invented sign spinning. He and his buddies just had an idea one day 8 years ago and created a new style of advertising. And he rides a skateboard. He’s this season’s Jef with one F. Mike R is British without an accent. His family has the accent but he ditched it. Since Desiree’s big on the Cinderella, he should maybe pick that back up. Brandon is an adrenaline junkie. Not sure how he makes money wakeboarding, but okay. Adrenaline junkie. He was raised by his grandparents after his parents divorced. He believes in the power of positive thinking. Desiree has arrived at the rendezvous spot and she’s ready to meet her “husband.” I hope she knows the track record of the Bachelorettes who’ve come before her. Drew the digital marketer is the first out of the limo. He’s too nervous to introduce himself. Brooks from Salt Lake City is the next out. He also forgets to introduce himself but demands a second hug. Brad the accountant remembers his own name and brings a wishbone as a callback to Desiree’s wish-making with Sean. She wins the wish. Bryden’s hoping that Sean’s loss is his gain. Michael G. is a Federal Prosecutor. He’s going into the fountain to try and find her penny so she can have a do-over on her wish from last year. The second limo arrives and Kasey climbs out. He works in social media and came up with his own hashtags: #marriagematerial and #letthejourneybegin. Minus 47 for the hashtags. Will the yoga guy tells her she has the presence of a goddess and nicknames her Athena. Since she’s the goddess of war, he maybe should have gone with Aphrodite. Mikey T is a plumber with a close family. He’s an older brother so he understands her relationship with her brother. The relationship that sort of cost her Sean last season. Jonathan goes bold and hands her a key to his own Fantasy Suite. Desiree is not amused. At all. Zak shows up without his shirt and asks if Desiree will accept his abs. (She’d be a fool not to accept his abs.) Plus 8 . James believes that loyalty is love and tells her that if they get married, he’s going to get fat and old but they’ll still be together. Larry is an ER doctor who loves to dance. He tries to dip her and her shoe gets caught on her dress. Awkward. Nick the magician brings her a paper rose which he lights on fire and turns into a white rose. Zack K . is a book publisher who rocks the Chucks with his tux. Those elicit a compliment from Des. Diogo is here to be her knight in shining armor. Quite literally. Someone get that man an oil can and a turkey leg. Minus 7 . So far the guys have brought their cheesy A-games. But there are still 10 more to meet. Chris is a mortgage broker who gets down on one knee and asks….to tie his shoe. Then says he wants to get off on the right foot. Ha. Ha. Mike R., the dental student, wore his white coat so he could be Desiree’s McDreamy. Or McSteamy. Whichever. It’s not like he knew the difference. Robert ‘s not much of a tie guy, so he takes his off upon saying hello. Juan Pablo is a Venezuelan soccer player. And Desiree can’t even seem to say his name. That relationship is doomed. But he did bring her chocolate, so at least that’s one language they both speak. Brandon rides up on his motorcycle and Desiree asks to go for a ride. On his bike. Ahem. Plus 7. Brian wears a soft jacket. Micah wears a suit he designed himself. It pales in comparison to Desiree’s stunning red number from her own introduction. Pales. Nick wrote a poem: “Des, after watching you at the end of last season/I know I’m here for the right reason./The way you showed such genuine emotion/Made my heart flutter like waves in the ocean.” And we stopped listening and tried not to barf. Minus 4 Dan says he’s happy to meet Desiree three times in 10 seconds. The final guy of the night, Ben brings his son Brody to meet Desiree. And then sends him back to grandma where he wins the hearts of America on the way back to the limo by asking if he did everything and wishing he could go to the party with his Dad. Heart. Melted. Plus 45 . All the men are in the house! Desiree’s ready to get to know them. Chris Harrison tells her she doesn’t have to wait until the ceremony to start passing out roses. If Sean can do it, so can she. Kasey has another hashtag: #IWantARose. You and 18 other dudes, dude. With a little trick up his sleeve, Nick R. makes Des disappear for about 5 minutes and steals her away for the first one-on-one conversation. Like her, he’s in the custom clothing industry. So, common ground for the two of them. Brandon cuts in and asks Nick R. to disappear for 5 minutes. Minus 3 . He tells her that he flipped a coin to decide whether he should take a shot at going on The Bachelorette or to his birthday party with his grandparents. Here he is. He gives the coin to Des and tells her to give it to his mom on their hometown date. The guys take turns butting in and stealing Des away. Ben steals her and talks about his son. He’s never been married and has a kid with his best friend. He loves to camp and so does Des. He gets the first rose of the night. After getting the first rose, Ben starts dishing out advice to the other guys which the other guys do not appreciate. Haters gonna hate. The other guys start game-planning to get the roses. Diogo wears his helmet and someone does a little dance for her. Zak says he has to do something to get her attention as if the fact that he’s been shirtless all night hasn’t been enough. So in addition to being shirtless, he takes off his pants and jumps in the pool. Wonder where she’ll pin the rose now? While he’s swimming, the other guys whisk her away and Zak freezes. His stunt, or stripping down to his skivvies, earned him the second rose! Bryden ’s best friend is his dog. He plays the kid card, too, and tells the story of an Iraqi boy he befriended while overseas. He gets the third rose of the night. Juan Pablo’ s accent prevents Desiree from hearing or understanding anything else. He shows her some soccer moves and then starts a scrimmage with the other guys. The other guys who are growing increasingly more frustrated that they don’t have roses. The guys get more and more antsy as Drew steals her away for a chat. With her boobs. Minus 6 . She notices him looking at places other than her face and calls him on it. Then she gives him a rose. Larry laments his failed attempt to dip Desiree . He’s incredibly drunk. So drunk his face doesn’t move when he talks and he takes his glasses off and puts them back on and takes them off again. So drunk. Minus 4 . Jonathan calls himself “the guy who does bold things” and plans to plant one on her in his own version of the Fantasy Suite. He does some one-legged push-ups to prepare. He tells her his Fantasy Suite comment was a joke she didn’t get. She’s doing her best to get away from him and he just won’t let her leave. She’s not buying it. But hey, his mom says he’s good looking. Des should totally go for that! He pulls a Vicki Gunvalson and talks about his empty love tank. And I make a dirty joke in my head about his empty love tank and all that time he’s been spending alone in the Fantasy Suite. Kasey has another hashtag, and this one works. #FantasySuiteFail . Plus 13 . Desiree asks Jonathan to leave immediately. No rose ceremony for him. Plus 15 . Chris Harrison swoops in and swipes the tray of remaining roses. The rest will be handed out at the Rose Ceremony. Which is happening right now. The lucky guys receiving roses during the ceremony are: Brandon Zack K. Will Brooks Juan Pablo Brad Kasey James Robert Brian Dan Chris Mikey Joining the above 13 are: Ben Zak Michael Drew Nick Bryden Larry ‘s still upset about his failed attempt at dipping Des and Nick the magician doesn’t understand how his tricks didn’t work. Diogo has an “explosion of love and feelings” to share with someone. Just not Desiree. If the previews are any indication, get ready for a wild, tear-filled trip around the world as the bachelors attempt to woo Desiree Hartsock! EPISODE TOTAL: +34 SEASON TOTAL: +34
