Drama unfurls on first group dates of ‘Bachelor’ Grant’s season to his surprise, ‘the vibe is off’

NEW YORK — The women were so excited to survive night one of “The Bachelor” and get their journey started with Grant!

Gina: They started their journey with a mimosa toast, saying “Our wish has been granted!” I think we’re going to hear a lot of that this season.

Jesse Palmer welcomed the women to their new home and explained how the week would work. So there would be two group dates and one 1-on-1 date which goes to Alexe who got the first impression rose. Jesse said that the first date started right away, and left the date card behind. It read, “Beverly, Sarafiena, Alli Jo, Natalie, Parisa, Vicky, Chloie, Zoe, Juliana, Allyshia, it’s time to shoot your shot, Love Grant.” The ladies assumed it was a basketball date.

First Group Date

They all met Grant at an indoor basketball court and hugged his sweaty body. A big group of kids joined the ladies on their date. Grant said that he wanted to one day take his whole family to play basketball so he wanted to see the women in action. One of the kids got winded and Natalie helped her do some breathing exercises to help her. She figured if she wasn’t great at basketball, she could at least get some bonus points for her skills with kids.

Gina: This was such a sweet moment and I am betting Grant took notice!

Zoe Pulls Grant Away

They had a slam dunk contest and Zoe said that she was going to forfeit her shot and steal Grant for a few minutes. Bold! Zoe said she wanted to “shoot her shot.” She took him up to the roof, they chatted, then went back downstairs and everyone was bummed they had taken such a long time. The kids especially. They hardly got to play! But, then Jesse showed up and told them all to get ready for the “big game.”

Gina: Not gonna lie, the kids saying “We need to get this show on the road!” sent me!! They know what’s up.

Competition Time

Gina: Jesse saying during the game that “the point of basketball is getting the ball in the hoop” made me giggle. Also, ladies, if you know (or even think) you’re going to sport it up on a date, maybe leave the fake nails for the cocktail party? Just a thought!

Group Date Cocktail Party

Later that evening, they all headed to a cocktail hour and Grant pulled Chloie aside to chat right away. They played some more basketball and Grant said he liked her personality and energy. “I feel like there’s a connection there, so I’m excited,” Grant said. Chloie said that she appreciates how genuine Grant is and that he’s there for the right reasons. She talked about the fact that people are in each other’s lives for a season, a reason, or a lifetime. She thinks he is in hers for a reason! And, she got a kiss!

Gina: I thought Chloie was cool from the moment she walked into the Bachelor Mansion wearing the shirt from Zoe’s t-shirt gun! She has this fun spirit about her and I can see why Grant is intrigued. I hope we get to see more of her this season.

Confronting Zoe

Gina: It only took one group date for there to be drama. Is that a record? Probably not. Look, the date card said “Shoot your shot” so Zoe did that and you can’t necessarily fault her for it. We said the same thing last year when he-who-shall-not-be-named took Jenn to the site for alone time on the first group date. You do what you have to do to get your time with the lead.

Natalie Makes a Connection with Grant

Grant admitted to Natalie that he barely cared about the basketball skills the women had, he was paying attention more to how they interacted with the kids. He played her a message the little girl made for her that she had helped earlier in the day. Grant said she’s a fan favorite! Natalie said that she just wanted to make sure if she had a daughter that she could play volleyball if she wanted to, he agreed, and they kissed! I think she could go far! They have a fun energy together, and passion!

Gina: And here we have an example of probably the better way to make an impression on the lead. She was just herself, doing what felt natural to her. The kids loved her and Grant appreciated it.

Zoe Ups the Ante

Meantime, the other women were upset and talking about Zoe pretty much right in front of her. The alcohol is flowing and the politeness is gone. Juliana decided she’d try to take her turn to talk to Grant and he noticed she broke a nail, so he brought some hand oil to massage her hands. He liked that she was competitive, yet bubbly. “You give me that little something,” Grant told her. He asked her for a kiss and they kissed. He was giddy! Just as they were having fun, Zoe came into the room to steal him away. Of course, she was annoyed by Zoe.

Gina: First, I think he really likes Juliana! He has a little sparkle in his eye when he talks to her. Second, this is where Zoe goes wrong. She knows that the women are angry about the way she handled the first steal. Now this? Come on, Zoe!.

Alli Jo was fed up when she heard what Zoe was doing and stole more time away with Grant. Grant asked Zoe if there was an emotional connection. She explained that she is working on putting her walls down for the right people. She said with the right person she can be wide open. They ended their conversation with a long kiss.

Alli Jo decided she would end Zoe’s time, and she said just two minutes. Alli Jo said, “You’ve had all the minutes.” So, Grant said, “OK, I’ll be back.” Alli Jo apologized to Grant but he understood and said that he appreciated that she went hard on the court and in life. Alli Jo said that she wants a life where he could be involved with their kids and she wants him to know that she will fight for that with him and fight for him. She’s a fighter folks! Then, Zoe stole him back again! She said, “Can I steal him back to say my goodnight?” Alli Jo marched back to the group and said she is “done” with Zoe!

Gina: And it gets worse. Zoe asking Alli Jo for two more minutes when she didn’t afford that to Julianna when she stole Grant is wrong. And then going back to re-steal? NOT cool. Also, this is one moment I wish Grant would have spoken up and told Zoe that she had her time. TWICE.

What’s Zoe’s Problem?

When Zoe returned to the room, Alli Jo asked her what her problem was. She laid it all out and asked what her problem was with her. “Or do you need that much attention because you are so insecure?” Alli Jo said. Juliana said that although Alli Jo’s words were harsh, it basically needed to be said. Zoe stayed silent! Grant walked in the room, picked up the group date rose and offered it to Natalie! He said it because the date to him was all about the kids. After all that, Zoe got nothing!

Gina: Couple of things here. First, Natalie deserved that group date rose and I am happy she got it. Having the kids go to Grant and talk about her was very telling for Grant. Now to Zoe. Clearly, Grant wasn’t impressed with her thievery. But she tried to go from villain to victim in a split second there and the others were not having it. Girl, you are playing the game. Own your actions!

Spiders?

Parisa found a tarantula hole on the property of Bachelor Mansion, or what she called a tarantula hole. Maybe it was just for a mouse? She said she’d be searching for tarantulas while Alexe is on her one-on-one date. Gina, are there spiders there?

Gina: It’s possible! It is in the Santa Monica mountains, so there’s a lot happening around it with nature. I never saw them in the few times I was there, but then again, I wasn’t looking for them.

Alexe and Grant’s One-on-One Date

Grant made a path of rose petals for Alexe to walk on that led her to a big huge TV screen with a rose on it inside a giant mall. Grant went down the escalator to make his big entrance to her. They rode around on those animals with wheels that you can drive around the mall. They went shopping for shoes, jumped on beds (that they broke), and even used the PA system. Later, they went to the food court and made a giant ice cream sundae. They played ping pong with some giant paddles. They had the best time ever! This seemed like a dream date!

Special Song

They went into a store with a piano and Grant played Alexe a song that he made up on the spot. “It was the sweetest moment ever,” Alexe said. She thought he was emotional and very romantic. Grant and Alexe went back to the big rose sat on the ground and talked about their family lives. He shared details about his dad and how it has shaped what he wants for his future. Alexe said that she didn’t have a traditional family, she was raised by her grandparents. She’s estranged from her mother and she didn’t see her dad for 17 years. She works as a speech therapist for kids because she wants to provide that support to them that she didn’t have. He said well lucky for you, you will get a shot to make the family you always wanted one day. It’s so sweet. I’m so excited to see what Grant does with his future and you just want to root for him to get whatever he wants because he’s such a great guy!

Gina: Not gonna lie, I was swooning a bit when Grant was singing that song to Alexe. We’ve talked about how Grant is good with asking questions and I like that Alexe got a good one in and that he opened up to her. They found this sweet common ground and it will be fun to see where they go from here.

Alexe Gets the Rose

Group Date #2

Back at Bachelor Mansion, the second group of women were getting ready for their date. Rebekah, Dina, Carolina, Ella, Litia, Bailey and Rose.
Mario was at a theater and performed for them! That’s huge! He asked the women to write a song for Grant, dance, and perform in front of a live studio audience. Robin Antin, a choreographer, and creator of the Pussycat Dolls, was there to help the women learn to dance.

Gina: The ladies were nervous and I gotta say I do not blame them one bit!

Women Put on a Show

Suddenly, it was showtime! Grant performed first just to break the ice and he had a great time. He did great! He’s one of the least cringy Bachelors when it comes to actually performing. Then the ladies had to do their dance. Slay ladies. Bailey went out first and did a remix and split. She had fun with it! Litia admitted that music wasn’t her strong suit but kept it light and then sat on his lap. Rose did some cute poetic rapping, and Carolina mixed it up by switching to Spanish halfway through and the crowd went wild! Dina did the best that she could, so that’s good that she didn’t freak out too badly. Rebekah went out rapping and singing and the crowd loved it, but basically ended it by saying, “Let’s get engaged and go make a baby, baby, baby.” I wonder if that was a little too much. So who got the special serenade by Mario? Carolina! Then Grant and Carolina danced on stage as Mario performed a special song for them. This was a fun date, or at least it was until Carolina straddled Grant on stage and made out with him in front of everyone. Ouch!

Gina: Yeeeahhh, that made me cringe and I wasn’t even on the date! She was definitely working hard for that group date rose.

The Vibe is OFF

During the evening portion of the date, tension was high. Grant realized the vibe was off when he walked in. He started with Rebekah and complimented her performance, but then asked what was going on with all the women. She said that she realizes that you can’t always be chosen, but she tried to turn it positive and say that she’s there to help him get what he wants. She appreciated that he was acknowledging the way she felt. Rebekah relayed to the women that Grant was aware that things felt awkward. Carolina said to the other women, do you all feel the vibe is off? She was shocked because she felt great and didn’t like that they were bringing her down.

Rose Struggles

Rose told Grant that she was having a moment and struggling with the process. Grant asked what he could do to help and she said just being able to have a chance to talk to him one-on-one was helpful. Grant told Rose that he was very interested in her and that he wanted her to know that he thinks about her.

Carolina Tries to Explain Herself

Carolina told the girls that she was just trying to take advantage of the moment and normally she wouldn’t make out with a guy in front of everyone. I mean, it is kind of what they signed up for. She had a point. Carolina said that they should just feel happy for her. Good luck with that girl.

Gina: Yeah, I mean, how dare the other girls feel bad for themselves and not just be thrilled for Carolina? The way she was saying things kinda rubbed me the wrong way. Like, their feelings were taking away from her connection? Come on, Carolina.

Litia and Grant Make a Deep Connection

Litia was looking to follow up on a conversation they had on night one where Grant told her that he thought she didn’t get told no a lot. She said that she definitely has been told no a lot in previous relationships. She decided to clarify, and Grant said that he needed to apologize for saying it. He just wanted to say that he thinks she is beautiful. She said she was on and off with her ex for 3 and a half years, but they wanted different things. She wants to get married and have a family and her ex did not. She cried as she admitted that and said how hard it was. She’s sick of dating and just wants to have her life start and hates that she doesn’t ask the guy what he wants until she already loves them. Grant said that he’s sick of dating too. I bet he will be more than ever after this experience! Dating 25 women at once is rough (well 18 now)! Grant told Litia that he fell fast in relationships, and he kissed her! Wow! Is Grant falling for Litia?!

Gina: He could be! I like that she wanted him to clarify that comment and I’m glad that he apologized for it and meant it. Open communication – that’s what it’s all about. Also, I do find it funny that Grant is making these connections on the group dates while drama is swirling everywhere!

Grant and Carolina Talk

Carolina said the other women’s feelings put a damper on a great day. It made her uncomfortable and she just wanted to focus on the connection between her and Grant. He said she didn’t do anything wrong and they were just having fun. He said if you get any slack please come and tell me. “I have to be able to protect you,” Grant said. He added that they have a genuine connection. They ended their conversation with a kiss.

Gina: Something she said to Grant caught my attention. She told Grant that it sucks seeing people unhappy that he’s happy. And that sounded to me like some Jedi mind tricking on her part to start the wheels turning against the other girls. And it worked because he said he wanted to protect her, so there’s that. But Carolina has some next-level gamesmanship here. I think we are definitely going to have to keep an eye on her and how she words things.

Litia Gets the Group Date Rose

In the end, Grant gave the group date rose to Litia. Wow! Let’s move her to his shortlist! Carolina was definitely bummed.

Gina: Kinda interesting how the two girls trying to manipulate the situation ended up without the group date roses. Hmm.

Cocktail Party

Back at the house, the women were stressed, Bailey among them, that they didn’t get to talk to Grant enough on their dates. They were worried that Grant didn’t get to truly know them at the level he needed to get a rose.

Grant starts the night off by telling the women that he is appreciative of all of them. He said that he needs emotional availability and he thinks his person is in that room.

Beverly said that she’s 30 and she is ready to find someone just like Grant who is an emotionally available man. He said that when his parents would argue he would hide in his room and now he wants to find someone he can talk to and say everything to. Grant finds her to be super loving.

Ella also appreciated his emotional availability comment. She wrote Grant a letter that she read out loud. She held his face as she read it and it was kind of weird. Grant said he appreciated it and asked if he could keep it. “You gave me comfort,” he said.

Bailey cried because the stress was giving her anxiety. The other women tried to build her up so she could go into her conversation with Grant on a positive note. But, Bailey admitted she’s struggling with the process. She said it’s hard to be emotionally available when you’re stressed out and uncomfortable. Bailey said that’s not really her. Grant just kept saying, “I don’t want to see you cry!” But then, she was interrupted. Grant was having fun with the other women, so that gave her stress too. Ding, ding, it’s Jesse Palmer, game over ladies! Time for the rose ceremony!

Gina: I’m surprised that Bailey didn’t learn from night one, where you have to just find your moment with Grant and take advantage of it. She has a bubbly, outgoing personality. She might have to just get out of her own way.

Rose Ceremony

1) Natalie (group date)
2) Alexe (one-on-one date)
3) Litia (group date)
4) Juliana
5) Beverly
6) Sarafiena
7) Carolina
8) Zoe
9) Dina
10) Rose
11) Bailey
12) Parisa
13) Alli Jo
14) Chloie

That meant Rebekah, Ella (cried so much), Allyshia, and Vicky were eliminated.

Next Week

The women talk about risqué purchases, and one was a surprise! Then they visit the Vanderpumps and take care of some dogs on a group date. Carolina looks like she gets a one-on-one, and Litia also gets some time with Grant. Serafiena makes a comment about Zoe’s dress being too short. Carolina perpetuates some drama and Grant says it’s a lie. Also, Rose thinks she might be going home! I was a little confused by this part of the preview so we’ll have to see what actually happens!

Gina: So perhaps the others are catching on to Carolina’s games too? Also, Chloie mentioned someone talking about two other girls, so interested to see who was doing that. Was it someone on a one-on-one date? That tease was certainly dramatic – see y’all next week!

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