The Bachelor featured Zoe McGrady emerging as a villain, Carolina Sofia rubbing the other bachelorettes the wrong way, Grant Ellis apologizing to Litia Garr, and four women being denied roses during the Season 29 episode that aired Monday night on ABC.
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At the second Rose Ceremony of Grant’s The Bachelor season, Grant denied roses to Allyshia Gupta, a 29-year-old interior designer from Tampa, FL; Ella, a 25-year-old luxury travel host from Los Angeles, CA; Rebekah G., a 31-year-old ICU nurse from Dallas, TX; and Vicky Nyamuswa, a 28-year-old nightclub server from Las Vegas, NV.
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The Bachelor broadcast began with host Jesse Palmer greeting the remaining 18 women in the mansion and informing them there would be a one-on-one date as well as two group dates for the week.
The bachelorettes invited on the first group date included Allyshia; Vicky; Alli Jo, a 30-year-old boxing trainer from Manalapan, NJ; Beverly Ortega, a 30-year-old insurance salesperson from Howard Beach, NY; Chloie Costello, a 27-year-old model from New York, NY; and Juliana Pasquarosa, a 28-year-old client service associate from Newton, MA.
The other women asked on the first group date were Natalie Phillips, a 25-year-old Ph.D. student from Louisville, KY; Parisa Shifteh, a 29-year-old pediatric behavior analyst from Birmingham, MI; Sarafiena Watkins, a 29-year-old associate media director from New York, NY; and Zoe, a 27-year-old tech engineer and model from New York, NY.
For the group date, the women were asked to “Shoot their Shot,” and so they played basketball with a group of kids.
Zoe said she had played basketball in high school and then switched to wrestling, and so she believed that she’d be able to work her way to the top.
Natalie, on the other hand, admitted she had no basketball skills. She therefore put her own skillset to use by finding a child — who had gotten “winded” while playing the sport — and helping her to take some deep breaths and feel better.
When the ladies were supposed to compete in a slam dunk competition, Zoe stole Grant for a conversation and rubbed the other bachelorettes the wrong way.
Upon their return to the date, Zoe explained to the group how she and Grant had “lost track of time,” but the kids appeared upset and so did Natalie, who voiced in a confessional how the vibe was “uncomfortable” thanks to Zoe.
Jesse then showed up on the date and revealed how the women would be split into two teams of five to play a real game of basketball. The winner, dubbed the “MVP” of the game, would receive extra time with Grant and his Letterman Jacket.
The teams were Beverly, Chloie, Natalie, Parisa, and Zoe vs. Alli Jo, Allyshia, Juliana, Sarafiena, and Vicky.
Juliana said Zoe was so competitive that it got to the point where the game was “dirty,” and Zoe’s team — which was comprised of the taller women in the group — ended up winning the game in a landslide of points.
Chloie, however, won “MVP” thanks to her effort and ability to score some clutch baskets.
All of the bachelorettes were invited to the afterparty that night, but Grant spent some alone time with Chloie first. He called her bubbly “with a mean layup,” and the pair shared a kiss.
Everyone else at the afterparty was feeling a little bitter and resentful about Zoe’s move to steal Grant away during the basketball date. Zoe said she was on the show for Grant and she was making him the priority, and so she apparently didn’t feel bad about it.
Juliana announced to the group how Zoe’s behavior was “disrespectful” earlier that day, but Zoe clapped back and noted, “I think all is fair in love and war, and the [Date] Card said, ‘Shoot your shot,’ and so I shot my shot.”
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Meanwhile, Grant was bonding with Natalie, whom he could tell felt very comfortable around kids, especially the one girl she had assisted during the training portion of the basketball date.
Grant thought Natalie will make a great wife and mother, and they talked about how they both want to have kids and would love to raise them in any sport they’ll be interested in. When the couple kissed, Grant said he could definitely feel chemistry and a passion between them.
Afterward, Grant massaged Juliana’s hands with some lotion because she had lost some of her nails on the basketball court. Juliana felt so happy and appreciated, but then Zoe interrupted their special moment.
“You don’t move like that in a group of girls who respect each other,” Juliana snapped in a confessional.
When Alli Jo heard about Zoe’s actions, she admitted she was “fed up” to the cameras and was no longer going to put up with it.
Zoe told Grant that she had her walls up but really wanted to be open with him, and Grant — who clearly felt an attraction and “a spark” to Zoe — told the cameras that he was going to make it his mission to “kick those walls down.”
Alli Jo interrupted Zoe and Grant’s time together, but Zoe insisted she wasn’t angry about it because there were “no rules” when filming The Bachelor.
Alli Jo spoke to Grant about how she wants kids and grew up with her father being her soccer coach, but then Zoe stole Grant away again.
Alli Jo was so furious that she confronted Zoe later on.
“You’ve stepped on all of our toes… You’ve talked to him multiple times so what is your problem with me that you needed to interrupt me, or you need that much attention because you’re that insecure?” Alli Jo asked Zoe.
Zoe just sat there in silence as Alli Jo yelled at her, and then Grant rejoined the group of ladies to hand out the group-date rose to Natalie.
It then became time for Grant’s one-on-one date with Alexe Godin, a 27-year-old pediatric speech therapist from New Brunswick, Canada. The pair shut down the Beverly Center, which is a shopping and dining mall.
Grant admitted he already had feelings developing for Alexe, with whom he could laugh and be himself. The couple ate ice cream, played games, jumped on beds, and acted like kids running around the empty mall.
Grant explained how he loved spending time at the mall as a kid with his friends and viewed it as a safe space.
“When I’m with Alexe, I feel like I’m on top of the world. Tonight, it feels like I’m living in a dream. It’s just so romantic. I see something with Alexe. She’s a kid at heart, and I’m the same way, and so I feel a connection,” Grant gushed.
Grant sang an original song and played the piano for Alexe, and she told the cameras how Grant was thoughtful, attentive, romantic and emotional. Alexe said she felt both a physical and aromatic chemistry with The Bachelor star.
Alexe opened up to Grant how she didn’t have a traditional upbringing and had been raised by her grandparents. Alexe said she didn’t see her dad for 17 years of her life and was estranged from her mother, who never made her feel seen or supported.
Alexe shared how she wanted to become a speech therapist to support kids in the way she wished she had been supported growing up. She also said how she enjoys the counseling aspect of her job.
“Grant makes me feel like he sees me and he understands me,” Alexe gushed to The Bachelor cameras, adding how she and Grant also bonded over the fact they never had a picture-perfect life.
Grant ended up telling Alexe that he could see a future with her, and so he gave her a rose.
The pair wrapped up the night with a dance in the middle of the quiet mall, and Alexe said this was the best date she had ever gone on in her life.
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The second group date featured Ella; Rebekah; Bailey Brown, a 27-year-old social media manager from Atlanta, GA; Carolina, a 28-year-old public relations producer from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico; Dina Lupancu, a 31-year-old attorney from Chicago, IL; Litia, a 31-year-old venture capitalist from Salt Lake City, UT; and Rose Sombke, a 27-year-old registered nurse from Chicago, IL.
The women were treated to a live performance by the singer Mario, and then they were asked to write and perform an R&B song for Grant as well as a live audience.
Mario explained it was all about self-expression rather than trying to be the best singer or dancer.
Litia admitted performing in front of an audience was pretty much her worst fear, and Carolina, Ella and Dina also told the cameras how they lacked talent in this department.
All of the bachelorettes dressed in cute costumes and did their absolute best, especially Rebekah, who wrote “Mrs. Ellis” on her back in glitter, and Carolina, who wrote an impressive rap and performed part of it in Spanish.
Carolina’s performance also ended with a kiss and got the crowd roaring, and so she ended up winning the competition. Grant called her “a firecracker,” and the couple got to dance onstage alone while Mario performed another song.
At one point, Carolina said she forgot that anyone was watching, and so she straddled Grant on a couch that was on the stage and had a very steamy makeout session with him. Carolina called her time with Grant “a 10 out of 10,” but Dina said the scene “burned” her eyeballs.
At the afterparty, Grant noticed that the women seemed “off” and weren’t in a great mood. Rebekah shared with Grant how there was a weird vibe that night because the women had all put themselves out there and it didn’t feel good not to be chosen.
Rebekah then shared with the group what she had told Carolina, and Carolina didn’t realize that the other bachelorettes were so bummed out by her onstage kiss with Grant.
“Feeling bad for their situation kind of puts a damper on my own happiness,” Carolina lamented in a confessional.
“I should be celebrating right now, but what was supposed to be a good night for me is now me feeling guilty for everyone else who didn’t get to have the day that I did.”
Carolina didn’t want the other bachelorettes to think that she was trying to rub her connection with Grant in their faces.
Carolina pointed out how she was just trying to take advantage of the moment she had with The Bachelor star, but the other women were clearly upset.
Grant proceeded to reassure Rose that he was very interested in her.
“You’re somebody that I do think about, and I just want to make sure that you know that because I’m very interested in you,” Grant told Rose.
“Even today, right, the whole dancing thing onstage and everything, I was thinking about you. I don’t want you to feel like I’m not paying attention, because I am.”
During Litia’s time with Grant, Litia mentioned how Grant saying she was attractive and so she didn’t get told “no” was triggering for her. Litia explained how she got told “no” all the time, and Grant apologized for being wrong and saying the wrong thing in that moment.
“You’re so beautiful that I made a quick judgement, so I definitely want to apologize for that. It wasn’t called for and it wasn’t warranted,” Grant told the bachelorette.
Litia opened up to Grant about how she had dated a man for over three years off and on. Litia “assumed” that they wanted the same things but she never checked — and he didn’t.
“I want to get married. I want a family,” Litia said, breaking down into tears.
Litia and Grant both agreed that they were “sick of dating,” and Litia was also tired of dating men who didn’t want a long-term, committed relationship with her.
Grant hugged Litia and warned her that he tended to fall fast, and then the pair hugged and kissed.
“Tonight with Litia, I felt we reached a certain level of emotional intimacy. She opened up to me and opened her heart, and that’s a big thing to me,” Grant told the cameras. “That’s one of the things that makes me fall, so she gave me hope that this whole thing is going to work out.”
Carolina subsequently shared with Grant how she was hearing “whispers” among the other women, who had brought up things that made her sad. Carolina told Grant that it sucked seeing other people be unhappy about her being happy.
Grant promised Carolina that he’d have her back and protect her, and he asked her to let her know if anyone gave her a hard time. Grant told the bachelorette that he had fun with her and felt a genuine connection with her, and so their conversation put Carolina more at ease.
At the end of the evening, Grant gave Litia the group-date rose, and it provoked anxiety in Bailey because she didn’t know where she stood with Grant or what to expect from him.
Bailey proceeded to struggle and spiral, and she could barely hold back her tears.
Grant then got to know Beverly, Ella and Bailey better at the cocktail party.
Grant mentioned how Beverly was warm, kind and beautiful. Ella wrote Grant a sweet letter, saying she wanted to provide him comfort during this journey, and she felt reaffirmed by The Bachelor star. And Bailey cried in front of Grant but spoke about how she was totally being herself and couldn’t help it.
At the second Rose Ceremony of the season, Grant handed out roses to Juliana, Beverly, Sarafiena, Carolina, Zoe, Dina, Rose, Bailey, Parisa, Alli Jo, and Chloie.
Ella was so devastated that she collapsed and cried before exiting The Bachelor mansion.
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Click here to read spoilers for Grant’s The Bachelor season, including the identities of his winner and runner-up.
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About The Author:
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.