Becca gets acquainted with her suitors, with a little help from Lil Jon The Bachelorette S 14 E 2 Close this dialog window Streaming Options Man, ABC sure had a rough run on social media last week. First Roseanne Barr murdered her hit sitcom with a racist tweet attack on Valerie Jarrett, and a few days later, seemingly harmless Bachelorette contestant Garrett Yrigoyen publicly atoned for supporting offensive posts on Instagram. I hope someone has the Bachelor interns scouring every potential Paradise contestant’s Snapchat accounts for dubious content, or we could be in for a very grim summer. But now for the happy news: Becca’s ready to date again! And what a stellar group of guys she has waiting for her at the mansion. night1 Credit: ABC Same, Harrison. Same. The first group date goes to Clay, Nick, Chris R., David (chicken guy), Jean Blanc, Jordan, Connor, and Lincoln. They head out to Saddlerock Ranch, where Becca awaits in a long white dress. (The date card did say, “I’m ready for my big day,” after all.) Though the Bachelorette promises the guys some “pampering,” she then leads them to a rack of tuxedos and tells them to get changed… in the middle of the room. As a professional mannequin, Jordan is definitely in his element. “Wait, are you a model?” asks Becca, who must not have talked to Jordan at ALL on night one, because he must say the word “model” every 43 seconds. After everyone’s dressed up, the Bachelorette leads them out to an obstacle course on a grassy field. And guess who’s hosting! Screen Shot 2018-06-02 at 5.12.33 PM Credit: ABC Once again, Mila and Ashton were busy. Anyhow, the course features wedding-themed challenges like Ball & Chain, Slippery Slope, and Get Over Your Exes. It’s important to note that Connor thought it was perfectly acceptable to announce that he planned to use the Cold Feet obstacle — wherein the guys stand waist-deep in barrels of ice-cold water — for “a nice little bathroom break.” (Fortunately, Team Bachelorette chose not to provide any footage of that moment.) Lincoln is the first out of the Cold Feet barrel — though Chris R. feels certain he cheated, since he got in the tub before Lincoln. When it comes down to the final race to the altar, David the Chicken looks like he can pull off a win… until Lincoln gives him “a little nudge” and barrels up to Becca with the cake-covered ring in his hand. He takes the win, but in the process Lincoln loses the respect of some of his fellow suitors. “If you’re cheating on a small little game here,” grouses Conner, “what does that say about your character?” At the post-date cocktail party, Lincoln is the first to pull Becca aside for a one-on-one chat, an act that only serves to irritate the other guys even more. They really have no need to be jealous, because everything Lincoln says to Becca is basically nonsense. Example: “I genuinely believe as long as you are who you are, which you always are, you will always get nothing from the best from me.” He does, however, get a framed “wedding” photo of his “future wife”… Screen Shot 2018-06-02 at 5.36.39 PM Credit: ABC …and a brief couch make-out session. When Lincoln returns to the holding pen, he brandishes the photo proudly, setting it up on the table next to the rose and even talking to it like it’s not an inanimate object. “You don’t have to brag about anything,” Connor grumbles. “We know what happened.” Braced with a little liquid courage, Connor picks up the photo and tosses it behind the couch. He gets even more irritated when Lincoln retrieves it, so he grabs the photo and tosses it over the patio and into the pool. It’s a “classless” move, says Lincoln, but he’s not about to “make a scene” over it. “I was raised better than that,” he huffs. “My mom would kill me if I acted like that.” While this petty ish is going on in the sitting room, Jean Blanc is off in a cozy corner charming the bejeezus out of Becca. “You made me feel so good today,” she gushes. “You’re just so good at eye contact — the little wink that you gave me, I’m like, ‘He is so sweet and so attentive!’” And they share a pleasant kiss. (Next: Tears of a clown) Unfortunately for Becca, Lincoln is waiting to fill her in on picturegate as soon as she comes down the stairs. He also adds a few flourishes, saying Connor “smashed” the picture and then threw it in the pool, which made him feel “threatened physically.” Come on, buddy, you’re completely jacked — do you really expect us to believe that Captain Hairdo intimidates you? Switching into mom-with-quarreling-kids mode, Becca tells Lincoln to “take some deep breaths” while she goes and talks to Connor about his “aggressive behavior.” Screen Shot 2018-06-02 at 6.06.46 PM Credit: ABC Oh, man, does Connor fail this interview. “I just got rid of it,” he says. “I just sent it away, I guess you could say.” When he tries to talk over Becca, she cuts him off with a firm, “But I’m looking for a man that can still stay respectful and handle himself well…. I don’t want to deal with the bulls— and the drama with the other guys.” And with that, the Bachelorette walks away and leaves Connor alone to think about what he’s done. Also, sweet-smelling Jean Blanc gets the rose. The next morning, Lincoln is still crying — actual tears — about the picture. “He destroyed something that meant a lot to me,” he sniffles. “It broke my heart.” Colton and Jason look on uncomfortably, and gently try to tell Lincoln to “forget it” and “move on.” Later, Jason and Jordan sit outside and scoff about Lincoln’s tears, and Jordan even uses the occasion to invent a new word. Screen Shot 2018-06-02 at 6.23.32 PM Credit: ABC I want to say that’s the love child of “ingenuity” and “disingenuous,” but I don’t think we’ll ever truly know what goes on inside a male model’s brain. Anyhow, it’s time for the first one-on-one date! Becca has chosen Blake, and he’s thrilled to ride in a limo since he rode up to the mansion on an ox. The Bachelorette says the date will be a surprise to her too, because Chris Harrison is in charge of the day’s activities. Screen Shot 2018-06-02 at 6.30.38 PM Credit: ABC Damn, Harrison can make anything look sexy. The host instructs Becca and Blake to put on jumpsuits and safety goggles, and then sends them into a vast warehouse. Inside, pieces of Becca’s past — in the form of a beat-up race car, a bank of TVs showing Arie’s proposal on a loop, and even the couch she was sitting on when Arie dumped her — are waiting… as is Grammy-winning rap artist Lil Jon. “All you’re gonna do today is purge those memories by destroying it all,” says Lil Jon. “And once you destroy this stuff… the memories are gone.” Hit it, DJ! DJ Credit: ABC What follows is perhaps the whitest rap video of all time, as Becca and Blake smash champagne bottles, a fish tank (no animals were harmed, PETA! ), a glass coffee table, little white hearts filled with colored powder, and TV sets, while “Turn Down for What” blares in the background. tvsmash Credit: ABC Over dinner, Blake tells Becca about his last big relationship, in which he “fell hard and fell fast.” Soon after Blake and his girlfriend exchanged “I love yous,” she dumped him — but the pain was worth it, he says, because the experience proved to him that he’s “capable of loving that much.” And she LOVES it. Confession: Sometimes I think about what breakup sob story I’d tell if somehow I was transported to an alternate universe where 45-year-old married women could be contestants on The Bachelor. I’ve gotta be honest, I don’t think any of my breakups can really be condensed into vague, easily digestible sound bites.<doc-sep>Once the race begins, the hardest part seems to be the "cold feet." Bryan tells the dudes not to worry "about the shrinkage" in the cold water. Clay certainly isn't—he's calm and collected. Still, Lincoln is the first one out of the water. Chris thinks Lincoln cheated—and he's not alone. David claims Lincoln pushed him out of the way as they raced to the alter. Lincoln's not worried about the guys' saltiness, though: You go all in for love, right? I get why the guys are annoyed, but I also don't care because the stakes are so, so low. Later that night, after everyone's had a chance to clean up, there's a cocktail party. Becca wears a STUH-UH-UNNING red pantsuit. Hot. Right away, Lincoln asks to if they can have some alone time, and this also pisses the guys off and oh my God what babies. You will get your time! Go enjoy your two-drinks-per-hour free booze and relax. Anyway, Lincoln makes the most of his time with Becca by telling her that he feels like he can be himself around her. She rewards this with a framed "wedding" photo from his victory. He's so excited, he asks if he can kiss her again now that they're not covered in cake and mud. They make out, and then he brags about his new picture to the other guys. Connor deems this to be "childish." To be fair, Lincoln is being a little obnoxious—but not enough to warrant what happens next: Connor get so mad at Lincoln he takes the framed photo and tosses it across the room. Lincoln picks it up and puts it back on the table, flat, so Connor reacts by throwing it through a window into the pool. Uh, I'm with Lincoln so far on this. Is it because he's very attractive? Possibly, but also Connor's being a lil brat. Jordan calls Connor's move "epic," which again tells me I'm on the right side of this. Lincoln, however, doesn't fight back because he was "raised better." He's just bummed because he was looking forward to showing his mom the picture. (Uhhh, sure.) Elsewhere, Jean Blanc and Becca cuddle under a blanket and bond. They make out. The positive vibes don't last for long: Lincoln tells Becca what happened with Connor and says he feels physically threatened. It's a lame move for two reasons: One, being a tattle tale never ends up well on this franchise. And two, I don't believe Lincoln, who is twice Connor's side, is actually scared of this guy. Still, Becca agrees that Connor's reaction was aggressive, so she pulls him aside to talk about it. His excuse: "I just got rid of it." She understands why it would be irritating to see that picture, but she wants a guy who can be respectful and handle himself well. Connor claims this side of himself "is not me" even though, uh, it is you because you literally just did it. Becca's like, dude, it's too early to behave like this. Connor sits moodily in a dark room complaining that he's lost his chance at the group date rose. And it's true: That honor goes to Jean Blanc. The next day, Lincoln CRIES while he tells the other men what happened. Apparently seeing the broken frame "broke his heart." Some of the guys think these are crocodile tears—and Jordan even calls into question Lincoln's accent. Jordan, if you want to hear a real fake accent, go watch Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. No time to unpack that further, though, because it's time for Becca's one-on-one date with Blake. She's nervous because it's her first big solo date since being engaged, so she lets Chris Harrison handle all the plans. Turns out, he can set up a pretty good date: Becca and Blake arrive at a warehouse filled with random things connected to Arie—a racing car, monitors playing his proposal, the actual damn couch he broke up with Becca on—and they get to destroy them all.<doc-sep>SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched the June 4 season premiere of “The Bachelorette.” In the week since “The Bachelorette” premiere on May 28, scandal has surrounded one of this season’s frontrunners, Garrett Yrigoyen, who received the first impression rose from Becca Kufrin in the first episode. Yrigoyen faced public backlash after it was revealed he had a history of liking posts on Instagram that mocked Parkland high school students, liberal women, trans people, and undocumented immigrants. The “Bachelorette” contestant has since apologized, but how will the scandal affect the rest of the season? Week two of Kufrin’s journey for love, following the heartbreak of Arie Luyendyk Jr.’s season, kicked off with 21 remaining men and the season’s first group date. Eight of the suitors headed out for a day of pampering — or so they thought. After getting dressed in form-fitting tuxes, the date took a dirtier turn, when last season’s “Bachelorette” success story, Rachel Lindsay and her fiance Bryan Abasolo, arrived to reveal the contestants had gotten all dressed up to compete in a wet, mud-covered obstacle course. After a hard fought competition that ended in the men slip ‘n sliding down a wedding aisle, 26-year-old account sales executive Lincoln came out the winner under a fake altar. At the date’s afterparty, Lincoln continuously rubbed his victory in the faces of the other men, creating some early tension in the group, and leading to a fight with Connor. Colognoisseur Jean Blanc set himself apart in his relationship with Kufrin, which resulted in him receiving the date rose. The next day, Blake was awarded the first one-on-one date of the season, when he and Kufrin headed out on a romantic date to… a warehouse? Upon arrival, it became clear that some seemingly random items were actually all things connected to the Bachelorette’s past relationship with Luyendyk, including his race car, monitors airing their proposal and even the couch where he dumped her on national TV. The two were equipped with sledgehammers and, with a soundtrack provided by Lil Jon, were let loose to smash the ex’s items. That’s one way to do it. At dinner, the two continued to bond over their comfort level with each other and open up about their past relationships, with Blake easily securing the first one-on-one date rose. While Kufrin declared she was “smitten,” Blake, a 28-year-old sales rep, said, “I think tonight’s the beginning of our love story.” If only there weren’t 20 other simultaneous love stories! The second group date of the week got physical, with the majority of the competitors getting out of the mansion to participate in a Bachelor dodgeball tournament. After being educated on the game by elementary schoolers, the group headed to an arena to battle it out in front of a crowd, dodgeball style, while Kufrin watched from the stands. At the post-game party, Kufrin continued to bond with Yrigoyen, and Colton, an early fan favorite, dropped a bomb on the Bachelorette, revealing that he had a previous relationship with Tia Booth, one of Kufrin’s friends and a fellow ex of Luyendyk. Upon finding out about his past, she confessed that “it makes me feel a little bit sick” and brought up concerns that Colton was really there for her. That set off a series of events that left the Bachelorette in tears, admitting she was losing trust in the men and was “afraid of being blindsided again” after her broken engagement last season. Before the end of the date, she awarded Willis the group date rose. At the cocktail party, the men were quick to convince her she had reason to believe in the process — that is until male model Jordan decided to take off all of his clothes and stroll around the mansion in an attempt to impress Kufrin. If that’s not enough to make a girl give up on love, nothing is. At the rose ceremony, Kufrin sent home Alex, Trent and Rickey, knocking it down to 18 men remaining. After another difficult conversation with Colton over his dating history, she decided to take a chance and keep him around another week. Yrigoyen, while still appearing a frontrunner, didn’t get too much screen time this week, so we may having to wait for further in the season to see if and how the scandal plays out. Next week, the journey for love continues, with appearances by some of the women from Luyendyk’s season — including Tia. Drama! “The Bachelorette” airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC. RELATED CONTENT:<doc-sep>
The Bachelorette Week 2 Season 14 Episode 2 Editor’s Rating 3 stars * * * « Previous Next » Photo: Paul Hebert/ABC I’ve been searching my brain for the answer and reading all the context clues. I cannot crack this mystery. And maybe to even deign to ask the question will make me worthy of scorn and ridicule but I need help. I need guidance. What is Becca’s … um … personality? Don’t say “Minnesota” because that’s not a personality. It’s a state and we should all know the difference between a personality and a state in the contiguous United States. There are plenty of hints this episode to the deep, barely concealed rage that simmers under the surface but that’s not a personality either. What else is there? “Dead Dad?” That’s definitely not a personality trait. We’re just listing things from her life. Like what is this woman’s job? What are her hobbies? This isn’t a dig on Becca. She’s entertaining to watch, but I just don’t know how to describe her. “Minnesota” and “nice” are the only things people can come up with to describe her, and those can be used interchangeably and we all know it. I think I’m straight-up loving her season and loving Becca, but who is she? She’s a mystery wrapped in blue-gray sequins. The show wants to define her personality as “jilted.” So, what better way to get over your ex than go on a series of dates designed to remind you of your ex and your romantic failures! The contesticles are waiting around for the first date card of the week and David has molted his chicken costume and he’s kind of a cutie. It’s painfully obvious this episode that Becca has two types: Square-headed Football Lug and Joey Donner from 10 Things I Hate About You. Everyone is either made of shoulders or has slicked-back hair. The first group date of the season is here! Clay, Nick, Chris R., David, Jean Blanc, Jordan, Connor, and Lincoln are told that Becca is ready for her big day. Let’s never stop reminding the guys that Becca was once engaged and is currently 100 percent ready for marriage. She has no other ambitions or expectations other than to be a wife and a mother. WHICH IS FINE but I wish I knew literally one other thing about her. Even if the show is subscribing to some limited gender roles, they give us some tastee bytes to look at. Becca forces the contesticles to change into tuxedos in front of her. And because Becca is from the midwest, she’s faux-scandalized by a few pectorals. Let’s lean into the misandrist rage storming beneath Becca’s surface and arrange for her to watch the men parade naked in front of her like Daenerys while she sips a goblet of wine. It would be less humiliating than the marriage-themed obstacle course. Speaking of that obstacle course, why was every fucking event named in the most depressing way possible? One section is the “Ball & Chain.” Another is “Cold Feet.” The bright spot for this segment is RACHEL AND BRYAN ARE BACK! (We have to pretend to be excited about Bryan because Rachel doesn’t like to go anywhere without him). One of the challenges is they have to eat through a wedding cake to find a plastic ring and Rachel tells them they can’t use their hands because she wants to find out “WHAT THAT MOUF DO.” Fucking filthy Rachel is the best Rachel. Get her a dating round-table discussion show on Viceland. That’s what we all want. The obstacle course is pretty standard early-episode Bachelorette bullshit but the two best moments are Clay relaxing in the tub of ice water because it’s a recovery method in the NFL and Lincoln blatantly cheating. Lincoln wins the obstacle course and he gets a photo with Becca and a kiss as his prize. Then all hell breaks loose. Lincoln is excited about winning the challenge and getting a framed photo in a way that only a British Nigerian can manage. This drives Connor, just some white guy with Jordan Rogers hair, in-fucking-sane. He cannot and WILL NOT stand for another man to be excited in his presence. HOW DARE Lincoln feel joy and be proud of his accomplishments. In this moment, Lincoln is a less talented Serena Williams and Connor is just like … white people? It’s a very loose metaphor and I’m still workshopping it.