Tonight on The Bachelor: It’s Thailand!
As Zach Shallcross checked into his hotel suite, he told us that he has three incredible women left, and “I can see a future with all three of [them].” You’re gonna have to choose one, Zach. This is not Sister Wives.
The Three Remaining Women Look Forward To Uninterrupted Time With Zach
Gabi Elnicki strolled along the beach, thinking about Zach. Even though their date in London was “a fairy tale” and she’s never felt so special, Gabi’s been in her head and was feeling a little insecure. She finally admitted that Thailand is “the perfect place” to tell Zach she’s falling in love.
Ariel Frenkel told Zach she was “falling for him” on her Hometown date in NYC. She also had a one-on-one date in Estonia, where she felt an “uninhibited chemistry” with the Bachelor. Ariel was “very, very eager” for their time in the Fantasy Suite.
Kaity Biggar also told Zach she was falling in love with him when last she saw him. She said, “It feels so good, like, to be able to open my heart to such an amazing man . . . I am head over heels.” Kaity was looking forward to having some “uninterrupted time with Zach.”
Zach Has A Pre-Game Sitdown with Jesse Palmer
Before going into any of the Fantasy Week dates, show host Jesse Palmer sat with Zach to talk about his game plan. He reminded him, “It was at this time with Rachel [Recchia] that everything turned upside down. You got your heart ripped out of your chest. How scared are you that that could happen again?”
Even though he admitted to being terrified, Zach hoped to learn a lot about each woman — for better or worse. Then he went and did it again, “I, unfortunately, learned for the worse at that time [with Rachel].” Ugh, Zach. Really? We’ll hear from Rachel again tomorrow that he needs to stop talking about her.
“It’s always in the back of your head that something could happen. I didn’t expect it with Rachel,” Zack told Jesse, “But I just knew that something was off.”
Zach Tells Jesse About His Vow Of Chastity
During his chat with Jesse, Zach dropped the bomb we’ve all been expecting, “Most important to me is to express to each and every single one of the women is, uh . . . no sex. None. No sex of any kind for Fantasy Suites.”
Seeming surprised, Jesse sputtered, “Okay then. What brought you to that decision?”
Zach admitted that he got the inspiration for his revolutionary approach to Fantasy Week from Season 17 Bachelor Sean Lowe, who told him to “do what is comfortable for you and what you feel is right.” Having sex “can really muddy the situation,” Zach said.
Jesse asked the question we were all thinking, “[Are] you really gonna be able to pull this off? Because you are gonna be tempted.”
Even though it would be “really damn hard,” (wink wink), Zach wanted his partner to be secure in their relationship and not have to worry about him having sex with another woman right before their engagement. He’s on the right track, but we all know from the previews that this is not going to go as he planned.
Ariel Gets The First Date
O.M.G. How many scenes of Zach taking a shower must we be subjected to? We get it. He’s in shape. I’m just not that into his hairy chest (or Zach, actually). Enough already.
Again Zach told us, “What feels right to me is not to explore sexual connections with three different women before falling in love. When sex is involved, it can cause so many additional hurdles, and real feelings are at stake.”
Even though he admitted to having a physical attraction to all three women, Zach swore, “I’m up for the challenge.” Somewhere Fate — or maybe Karma? — said, “Hold my beer.”
Getting ready for her date with Zach, Ariel said, “I have no idea what we’re doing . . . I don’t even care. I’m just excited to be with him and to have the entire night together.”
“Being physical with someone is a big part of loving someone and getting to know them,” the New York native added. Boy, is she going to be disappointed.
Zach And Ariel Eat Bugs At The Night Market
I love that Ariel just walks up to Zach and gives him a ladylike hug and a kiss, rather than throwing her whole body at him. They jumped into a tuk-tuk and took off.
“Ariel was kind of a mystery at first,” Zach confessed, “and then bam. It hits you right in the face.” Are you sure that wasn’t Ariel’s brother Bobby, Zach? He was kind of aggressive about looking out for his little sister when you met him in New York.
Oooooh, they went to a Night Market to try all different kinds of local foods. I see deep-fried scorpions or grasshoppers in their future. Yuck. And of course, their first stop was a stall that sells deep-fried insects. “Let’s go eat some bugs,” said Zach.
As they walked through the market intermittently eating and making out, Zach confessed to being “so in the moment with her . . . I came into this week not wanting to involve sex. Sounds easy, right?” He’s already regretting his vow of abstinence.
Gabi Struggles With Insecurity And Self-Doubt
Back in the hotel, Gabi was in her head and feeling insecure. “It is so hard to sit here for hours and hours, just waiting and waiting and waiting,” she complained. She had been feeling so excited, but now she was stressed and nervous. “It’s really hard to not see someone for ten days, and then feel like this,” she added.
As she looked sadly out the window, Zach and Ariel appeared to walk past on their way to dinner, but I think that was just tricky editing. That would really suck for Gabi to have to watch them on their date, while she was feeling so down. Even though she knew she wasn’t “the only person here,” it was terrible to think he was with someone else while she was all alone in a hotel in a foreign country. Doesn’t she have a handler to keep her company?
Zach And Ariel Go To Dinner
Despite having consumed quantities of disgusting deep-fried critters at the market, Zach and Ariel have a table booked for dinner. Though we all know nobody ever eats on these dates, it’s a necessary transition to get them to the Fantasy Suite.
A sign on the wall said “White Lotus.” Does ABC have an affiliation with Hulu? I thought that was a Hulu series?
At dinner, Ariel shared with Zach that when her feelings get deeper about someone, as they are with him, she has a habit of taking a step back, and she didn’t want to do that with him. She told Zach, “I definitely am falling in love with you. So dumb. Sorry.” But he LOVED it!
Zach slyly pulled the card “from Jesse” out from under his plate and gave it to Ariel to read, “Zach and Ariel, welcome to Thailand. I hope your evening at the night market gave you a taste of what your future together would look like. Should you choose to forgo your individual rooms, please use this key to stay as a couple in the Fantasy Suite. — Jesse.”
Zach Lays Down The “No Sex” Rule For Ariel
Before heading off for what Ariel hoped would be a night of passion, Zach let the air out of her balloon by informing her of his “no sex” rule. He said his intention was to promote “a happy engagement and a happy marriage” by taking “sex off the table” for the overnight date. And a shadow crossed Ariel’s face, as all the light went out behind her eyes.
Ariel foreshadowed what was to come by telling Zach she didn’t like to make a definite plan before a date. “I feel like if you set a standard before, like I’m definitely not gonna sleep with you, like, I probably will.” She claimed to understand where he was coming from, but still just wanted to use the time to get to know him better.
She admitted in her confessional interview to being disappointed, but Ariel predicted it would still be “hot and steamy,” since they always had physical chemistry. So off to the Fantasy Suite they went.
Zach And Ariel In The Fantasy Suite
As they inspected their gorgeous suite (private pool included), Zach took note of the king-sized bed. While he waited for Ariel to emerge from changing into her swimsuit, he realized, “This is going to be difficult.” And when Ariel walked out in a tiny bikini, he knew he was in trouble.
Following their swim, Zach and Ariel were wearing robes (really? Is that a good idea, Zach?) and sitting on the bed. Ariel asked him, “Now that we’re all dry, should we make out some more?”
Next thing we know, someone was hanging a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door handle. We all know what that means. Bow chicka bow wow.
The next morning Ariel admitted, “Waking up next to Zach this morning, I’m feeling really good. Today feels like light years ahead of where we were before.”
She told Zach, “We [did] three different positions,” but he quickly corrected her, “Sleeping positions!”
“I came into this week not wanting to involve sex,” Zach acknowledged. “And with Ariel, it was more difficult than I could have ever imagined. But we both agreed on it, and it was very important to just have conversations and not have sex involved.” So they didn’t have sex? I thought for sure it would be Ariel. Then who???
Gabi And Zach Sail Away On A Pirate Ship
Thailand really is beautiful, and I know they’re probably an annoyance, but I think the monkeys are adorable!
Gabi again walked along the sand heading for her date with Zach. Even though she was freaking out the night before, Gabi’s mood had calmed down to “nervous and excited.” She was hoping that once she and Zach were together, it would be “like no time had passed, and we’re gonna pick up right where we left off.”
Gabi also walked calmly toward Zach and just gave him a hug, without trying to mount him. Is this a trend? I hope so, because the run-and-jump thing is just old and stupid. And somebody’s gonna throw out their back one of these days.
When Zach told her that the plan for the day was to sail to their own private island on a “pirate ship,” Gabi was thrilled. They boarded a launch, which ferried them out to their pirate ship. The sea was totally flat and gorgeous, even though they both complained about how hot it was.
Zach loved how Gabi “is always excited and ready to have fun . . . I’m a lucky guy.” When they got to their destination, they both jumped off the side of the ship and swam to the private island.
Gabi Goes Into A Spiral Of Insecurity
When Zach asked her how she was feeling, Gabi told him that she had been “in her head.” She admitted that in past relationships she’s felt “chosen second,” so being on the second date of the week was kind of putting her back in that place.
Rather than comforting her and assuring her that the order of the dates didn’t mean anything, Zach said, “It’s not a mind game . . . Like I don’t know how to do this the right way, I just know what feels right to me.” In other words, he was doing his best, but he didn’t put her mind at ease. She’s right back in her head. Nick Viall was right. Zach doesn’t have much empathy.
Gabi excused herself to go talk to her handler behind a palm tree (see? I knew they had handlers). “I feel very stupid and foolish,” she said. “Why can’t I be happy?”
When Zach walked over to see how she was doing, Gabi lied and said, “I’m fine.” Finally she admitted to him that she’d been very anxious the night before about being “chosen second.” She went on to say, “We’ll just air it all out right now. [In my previous relationships] I was never enough, and I was cheated on . . . Feeling second was a lot of emotion.” She assured him, though, that the way she was feeling had nothing to do with him. Gabi was just feeling the stress of the situation.
At last, Zach agreed with her! “This is hard,” he said. “This is the hardest [bleeping] thing.” He went on to tell her that he felt secure about her and hoped she had “no doubt how I feel for you. It’s special with you.” Finally some empathy! He told her that he gets in his head all the time, so he understood where she was coming from. And most importantly, Gabi felt better.
Gabi And Zach Go To Dinner
Walking to dinner, Gabi looked gorgeous in a short, silky blue ombre dress. She was happy that even though she had been hot, sweaty and covered in salt water on their date that afternoon, Zach had told her, “You look beautiful. You could never look ugly.” She was ready to tell Zach she loved him and was looking forward to the Fantasy Suite.
Gabi raised a toast to Zach “for meeting me with nothing but compassion, support and love, and making me feel chosen first.” It took him a minute, but he got there after all.
At last, Gabi told Zach she was falling in love with him, and he was very happy. “It feels damn good,” he said. He whipped out the Fantasy Suite card and presented it to Gabi.
“Zach and Gabi, from sailing on the turquoise-colored sea to exploring your own private island, I hope that today you created memories that will last a lifetime. Should you choose to forgo your individual rooms, please use this key to stay as a couple in the Fantasy Suite. — Jesse.”
Every time they read these cards, I always remember when Ryan Sutter was reading the Fantasy Suite card on his date with the first ever Bachelorette Trista Rehn (now Sutter). As soon as he finished reading the card, he shouted, “Check, please!” So cute!
Zach Tells Gabi About The “No Sex” Situation
After she read the card, Zach gave Gabi his speech, “[The Fantasy Suite] means an opportunity for us to spend more time together and get to know each other better.” But then he went on to explain why he wouldn’t be having sex with her (see his conversation with Ariel above).
Gabi wasn’t happy about it, but she promised not to seduce him, “And thank you for sharing that.” Even though she wasn’t pleased, she did seem relieved that her boyfriend wasn’t “test driving” either of the other women. So there’s that.
When they got to the room, they took a quick tour and immediately started making out on the bed. Gabi interviewed, “Zach says he’s not having sex. But, I don’t know, maybe he will.” And the lights went out. Could this be the moment?
The next morning, they seem content, but not necessarily glowing. Gabi declared it a “special night” that ended in a “great cuddle session.” So no sex?
Zach’s Beautiful Moment Feels “Robbed”
Oh, but wait! When Zach got back to his hotel room, he sat on the foot of his bed and looked serious, while his voiceover said, “The whole night was a very passionate night for Gabi and I, and it was really special. But my whole perspective on how I thought the week was gonna go changed, because something really special happened between us . . . and now I feel like I’m holding in a secret.” Oho! They did have sex! I’m glad it was Gabi, cause she’s my favorite.
When Jesse arrived, Zach told him how he was feeling about Gabi and that he sees more of a life with her every day. Jesse said, “Dude, that’s awesome! That’s beautiful. That’s why you’re here.”
But then Zach confessed that he and Gabi had “agreed and wanted to have sex together, and it was very special.” Zach was feeling terrible that he broke his word. He had massive guilt that the other women would be hurt that he had said one thing and done another. Happily, he had “zero regret” about what happened with Gabi, but he felt compelled to “be honest” with the other women and tell them. I don’t think that’s a great idea, Zach . . .
When Zach went into this week, he thought he would make things a lot simpler by taking sex out of the equation, but in reality, he made it a lot worse. It was a lot harder to keep his vow of abstinence than he thought it would be. He was determined to have some hard conversations.
Zach Has A Tough Conversation With Gabi
As Kaity got ready for her date with Zach, she was excited and happy to see him. Poor Kaity was about to have the rug pulled out from under her. She was looking forward to “a really special day and night for the two of us,” as Zach knocked on her door.
Oops! Major misdirect, and I fell for it this time. He was actually knocking on Gabi’s door. She was surprised to see him again so soon. “Aren’t you supposed to be on a date right now?”
Before meeting Kaity, Zach needed to talk to Gabi about the conversations he planned to have with the other women. He told her he needed to be “transparent” and not keep secrets from the others.
Gabi was a little shocked that he was so “bothered” by what took place between them. “Not by us,” Zach promised her. But Gabi was disturbed that something that should have been private was no longer private. She felt her trust had been broken. Something that should have been “just between us,” now was “between us plus everyone else.” Awkward.
Zach finally told Gabi, “I’m falling in love with you . . . You’re someone it would be [bleeping] awesome to go through life with.” Okay, it was a little touch and go for a minute there, but Gabi was smiling again, so okay?
As Zach left to meet Kaity, Gabi managed to tell him, “Don’t have too much fun on your date.” But as he walked away, Zach was still narrating about having his final date and overnight with Kaity. Wait . . . he’s still gonna go to the Fantasy Suite with Kaity after telling Gabi he’s falling in love with her? I’m confused.
Kaity Gets Crushed By Zach’s Confession
On her way to meet Zach, Kaity told us she hadn’t seen him in over a week, so she was excited to see him. Kaity was also falling in love with Zach, calling him “extremely loyal, committed, trusting.” She may be about to change her mind soon.
Somebody really must have had a talk with the women about jumping on The Bachelor, because Kaity also just calmly walked up and gave Zach a hug. So I guess they are still having their date, since Zach told her they were going to explore a Thai mangrove forest in a special way. The surprise was a glass-bottomed canoe, so they can see into the water below them. Cool!
All the while, Zach was worried about the conversation he needed to have with Kaity (and later with Ariel). Zach thought it was important for Kaity to know everything that had happened this week.
I think I’m on #TeamGabi. I don’t like that he’s telling everyone their intimate business, like it’s something dirty he needs them all to know. It wouldn’t feel good to be Gabi in this situation. Zach’s kind of clueless.
As he continued narrating, “Kaity doesn’t know how this week has transpired with Ariel and Gabi . . . and I think it’s really important that Kaity knows all of this.” Does she really need to know, though, Zach? I think he’s trying to do the honest thing, but it’s coming off kind of self-righteous. He had “all the faith in the world that she is someone that can handle this conversation, and we’ll have a discussion about it.” I’m not so sure I agree with him. I’ve seen the previews. Also when I see Zach making out with Kaity now, I feel like he’s cheating on Gabi.
RELATED: New Bachelor Zach Shallcross Promises A “Drama-Free” Season
While they were sitting on the riverbank with their feet in the water, Zach ripped off the BandAid: “I want to talk to you about what’s been going on.” Uh oh. Zach told Kaity that he went into the week taking sex and physical intimacy off the table, and he had shared that with both Ariel and Gabi. But as things evolved, he admitted to having been intimate with one of the other women, and he just wanted to be honest with her. But with a lot more words and a lot more dancing around the subject. Also a little nervous giggling was involved.
Kaity tried to voice her thoughts, but started to choke up a bit. She said, “I knew going into this, that is something that could potentially happen. It sucks, obviously, to think about it.” She knew it could happen, but never thought he’d be telling her about it.
She added, “I just figured that was the case, but you just telling me, like confirming . . . I get that you wanted to tell me, but honestly, I could’ve went without hearing that.” So in essence, he relieved his guilty conscience at the cost of Kaity’s feelings. And she admitted in her confessional to being “crushed.”
Kaity Feels Distant and Confused
As they walked away from the river, Kaity told Zach she was feeling “very distant” from him. She had been so excited to have this day with him, but now she felt “weird” about being with him. She knew he was dating other women, but she didn’t need to know the details. “I don’t care to hear it, to be honest,” she said. “It’s kind of like rubbing salt in the wound.”
Suddenly Zach realized maybe this wasn’t the best idea he ever had. Kaity wondered what he expected her response to be. Did he think she would say, “Yay!” or give him a high five? What did he expect?
“I didn’t mean to make you feel this way,” Zach told her. He really is emotionally challenged.
Zach was sad to see Kaity so upset by his news, but he was still planning to finish out their date, “We’ll see how tonight goes. Honestly, like, anything can happen.” Really? Is he hoping for another Fantasy Suite? He’s already broken his own vow of chastity, so why not just go all in? I thought Clayton Echard was the worst Bachelor ever, but Zach is really giving him a run for his money.
As Kaity walked away with her handler, she moaned, “Oooooh my god. I feel so distant from him. I’m so [bleeping] confused . . . What am I doing? How am I supposed to spend the rest of the night with him, when I’m not happy and all I’m gonna think about is that?”
“Heartbreak doesn’t feel good,” Kaity sobbed, “but this doesn’t feel good either . . . I literally just want to go home.” Again, Nick got it right, when he said three weeks ago that Zach was acting like a total d**k.
Kaity Actually Showed Up For Dinner With Zach
After all the drama of the afternoon, Kaity actually showed up for dinner. She didn’t look happy, though, because she wouldn’t even look at Zach as she approached him. When they sat down, Kaity told him that this has been the most “challenging” week since they started this process. She just wanted to go on their date and keep strengthening their relationship, but what he told her made the opposite happen.
Zach emphasized that he didn’t want there to be any secrets, as they were so close to an engagement. He didn’t want anything hidden that would be hurtful after a proposal. Zach claimed to be physically unable to keep a secret, blaming it on “Catholic guilt.” He was truly sorry for hurting her, but he needed to be honest.
Seeing Zach so obviously upset, Kaity realized, “A relationship isn’t always rainbows and butterflies. It’s gonna have highs and lows . . . This is something we can get through. We can keep moving forward.” So she forgave him and even gave him a kiss. Huh. I hate to say it, but this might just be a bonding experience for them as a couple. Sorry, Gabi.
So Zach handed her the card, and Kaity read, “Zach and Kaity, should you choose to forgo your individual rooms, please use this key to stay as a couple in the Fantasy Suite. — Jesse.” That was short and to the point. I guess it was best not to mention the afternoon portion of their date, which didn’t go so well.
One More Time To The Fantasy Suite With Kaity
“Shall we go then?” Zach asked.
And Kaity answered, “Absolutely!” In her confessional, she told us that all she wanted is “to keep strengthening our relationship, but I’m cautious.” She was still hoping that they would grow closer with the opportunity of spending so much time together.
Zach was relieved since he came so close to losing Kaity. “We’ll see where we go from here,” he said.
The Rose Ceremony: Down To The Final Two
Apparently the conversation with Kaity was such a disaster that Zach decided to skip having that talk with Ariel after all. The three women arrived at the Rose Ceremony and took their places before the podium, where only two roses were up for grabs.
As Gabi made her way toward the Rose Ceremony, she said, “It was great to hear [Zach’s] falling in love with me, but in a way, it feels like he’s cleared his conscience at the expense of my heart.” Also Kaity’s feelings (see above). “I’m feeling blindsided by it, and my trust was broken. I don’t know if I want this rose right now.” I don’t blame her.
Kaity admitted she was feeling anxious, but I think she’s getting a rose for sure. The other two are a coin flip at this point.
After making another speech about “parameters” (did Ariel even have a clue what he was talking about?), it was time to hand out roses. The two women who got roses were Kaity and Gabi. Honestly, if he hadn’t given Gabi a rose, I would have been really pissed that he had sex with her and then sent her home.
Jesse told Ariel how sorry he was and told her to say her goodbyes. Zach walked her out, they said how great it was to meet each other and then she was gone. Ariel is a cool cucumber. She didn’t shed a tear, even though she claimed, “It hurts a lot.”
Meanwhile back at the Rose Ceremony, Kaity whispered to Gabi, “I know that you were the only one [to have sex with Zach].” Ouch. That was catty.
Gabi at first turned away from her, but then said, “I feel like I’m wearing an ‘A’ on my chest. [Bleeping] Scarlet Letter over here.” Gabi confessed, “I thought I would be in a much different state of mind. I thought I’d be a lot happier . . . It’s a very uncomfortable feeling. And he’s only making eye contact with Kaity, when I feel like I’ve just been put through the wringer here.”
Gabi was spiraling again. But he did seem to only be making eye contact with Kaity. You can add a big red flag to that scarlet letter, Gabi.
Next week is the finale and the engagement. I’m not sure either of the women is confident about accepting his proposal at this point. He’s really messed things up. See you next week for the Bachelor Season Finale!
TELL US – WERE YOU SURPRISED ARIEL WENT HOME? WHO DO YOU THINK WILL GET THE FINAL ROSE AND THE RING NEXT WEEK? DO YOU THINK EITHER WOMAN WILL ACCEPT ZACH’S PROPOSAL?
[Photo Credit: Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Images]
