SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from Monday’s episode of The Bachelorette.
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Jenn Tran and her 12 remaining men are in for a surprise after someone from her past finds her in New Zealand, hoping for a second chance.
Let’s start from the beginning, shall we? This week’s episode takes place in Auckland, New Zealand, where two lucky men will get a one-on-one date with Jenn, while the rest will spend another week vying for her attention on a group date. Unsurprisingly, the first one-on-one of the week goes to Sam M., who Jenn has had a visible connection with since she met him.
Jenn thinks that the pair are going to have a romantic drink atop the Auckland Sky Tower, and she is not pleased to learn that, actually, they’ll be jumping from it. Jenn is afraid of heights, and the idea of bungee jumping 600 feet to the ground below is not anywhere on her bucket list — but Sam M. is very much up for the task. Sam M. think he’s pushing Jenn out of her comfort zone in a good way by being insistent that they go through with it, but really he’s just pushing her away from him.
Jenn quickly becomes frustrated as Sam treats the situation very casually, saying in confessional that she felt isolated in that moment and just wanted Sam to validate her fear and make her feel safe. Eventually, he catches on and changes his tune, giving her a hug and letting her know that they don’t have to jump if she doesn’t want to. Turns out, the assurance was all she needed, and they both do finally take a dive from the top.
At dinner, Sam manages to turn the situation around by getting vulnerable with Jenn and letting her know that, more than anything, he just wants to love his partner unconditionally and do whatever he can to make them feel safe. It’s enough to get him the rose.
Meanwhile, the remaining men are summoned for a group date — save for Devin, who gets the second one-on-one.
Spencer, Marcus, Grant, John M., Austin, Jonathan, Jeremy, Dylan, Thomas, Jeremy, and Sam N. meet Jenn for a game of rugby. It becomes clear rather quickly that these men are going to be taking this game very seriously, especially Sam N., who is wearing a jersey that says “Jenn’s husband” rather than his name. Af first, it seems like Jenn is into the theatrics of it all, but the men are not. From the jump, they’re not gelling with Sam N.’s behavior.
Sam N. makes it very clear his only mission is to get a group date rose and a kiss from Jenn, so he goes into the cocktail party pretty confident after his team wins the game. The men try to tell Sam N. that he should tone it down and be more respectful of all the other men who are also trying to get Jenn’s attention, but it just goes in one ear and out the other.
When Sam N. interrupts Thomas’ conversation with Jenn to get some extra time with her (after he already pulled her away essentially the second she entered the party and giving her a jersey that says “Sam’s wife”), it becomes clear that maybe Jenn isn’t vibing with Sam’s grand gestures either. He asks if he can kiss her, and she tells him that she really doesn’t think they’re a good fit, opting to send him home instead.
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As one might imagine, the rest of the men are relieved. But while none of them had anything nice to say, Jenn spoke highly of Sam, chalking it up to simply a difference in their needs.
In the end, it’s Marcus who gets the group date rose, after he opens up about his own struggles to be vulnerable. Jenn says she appreciates how much he is trying to show her the deeper parts of himself, even if it’s hard.
For Jenn’s one-on-one with Devin, the pair have a visit with a group of Māori people, who pull back the curtain on their culture. This is an especially poignant date for both Jenn and Devin, as they both come from cultural backgrounds that they say they wish they had stronger connections to. Jenn’s parents are Vietnamese, and Devin’s dad is Mexican.
Their conversation about their identity extends into the dinner portion of the date, as they begin telling each other about their family dynamic growing up. Jenn says that her parents’ divorce affected her deeply, especially because her dad ultimately walked out of her life after. Meanwhile, Devin says he also struggled with his own father figure, as his parents were never married and his mom raised him alone.
Once again, vulnerability gets him the rose.
No time to get to the rose ceremony in this episode, because — surprise! — Jenn’s ex-boyfriend is here to shake things up. Audiences may remember Matthew as the ex who suddenly broke up with Jenn after their brief post-college relationship. While they only dated for a few months, she credits that breakup as the reason she ultimately moved to Miami and began PA school. Well, now he’s in New Zealand, and host Jesse Palmer explains he got there on his own dime, all for Jenn.
Matthew surprises her while she’s filming with her producers a few hours before the rose ceremony and tells her that he left a wedding in Colombia, which they were supposed to attend together, to fly halfway across the world because he wants her back. But, he’s willing to work for it. He says he’s willing to join the show, if she’ll have him.
This is where the episode ends, though a sneak peek for next week indicates that none of the other men are going to be particularly happy about this turn of events.
The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and is available next day on Hulu.
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