Bachelor Recap: Vegas Baby!

By: Juliana Marie Swift

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers.

We’re almost at the end of the season! This episode was filled with tons of surprises and heartwarming moments, so let’s get right into it. 

The remaining contestants of Listen to Your Heart. // Photo Credit: ABC

The episode started off with the four couples discussing the night before and how excited they were for the next part of their journey. We saw flashes of the happy couples while Jamie talked about how she thought what Natascha did last week was extremely manipulative. Chris and Bri reminisced about their first time saying “I love you.”

Chris Harrison came in at the top of the episode to give the couples the lowdown on what was going to happen in the days to come. Before that, though, he asked Chris and Bri how they were feeling since sharing their first “I love you” and they were absolutely smitten. Chris Harrison seemed very pleased to see the process working. He then announced that the couples would be leaving LA and heading to Las Vegas for the week to have dates, grow their connections, and prepare for their next performances. 

Upon packing their bags and leaving the mansion, they all realized that each couple got their own tour bus to travel to Las Vegas. The couples were all so excited and couldn’t wait to go on a “road trip” together because “traveling with each other is a big deal.” Now, while I completely agree that road trips and traveling are huge milestones and bonding opportunities for a couple, I would like to point out some things. First of all, the drive from the mansion in LA to Las Vegas is about four hours. While that is a long drive, doing it in a luxury tour bus with your own bathroom and bedroom, and where neither you nor your partner is the ones driving, it is not the same “road trip vibe” they were all talking about. Second of all, they were taking these tour buses to Las Vegas, to arrive at a hotel they’d be sleeping in. So what was the point of the tour buses, if they were just going to drive four hours in them and never use them again? That really confused me, but I suppose they wanted to give them the touring life vibe for a couple of hours. I, personally, just think it was a tad extra. 

On the drive through the desert, Rudi and Matt were reminiscing about their journey throughout the show. Rudi explained that she’s been into him since day one, even though they’ve had their rough patches. She also said she wanted to jump his bones and I just love that for her. Although she loved reminiscing with him, she was also very worried because they both are a little guarded and seem slightly behind the other couples in developing their relationship, and this really was weighing on her. Matt explained in his interview that he moves more slowly when it comes to emotions and relationships because he’s been burned in the past. Throughout the episode, you could tell that he’s really scared to love again and is super guarded. They stopped at a random little “Bottle Tree Ranch” in the middle of the desert as Matt explained in his interview that he would be hesitant to say he’s falling for Rudi, even if he is. 

Trevor and Jamie seemed to be having a lovely time on their tour bus. Trevor started to sing Jamie a song; it didn’t sound familiar so I assumed he wrote it, but she somehow also knew the words to the song. While they were singing, there were flashes of all the couples being all lovey-dovey on their tour buses. Apparently, each tour bus came with its own Polaroid camera, which was cute. Also, as a side note, Trevor and Jamie seemed to be the only ones who stopped at a gas station to get road trip snacks in an attempt to make it feel more like a real road trip, which was really cute even though I’m still not a big Trevor fan. 

Jamie and Trevor, Bri and Chris, and Natascha and Ryan all arrived at the NoMad Hotel in Las Vegas and apparently they were all staying in the same suite, but couples still weren’t sharing a bed or room from my understanding. All of the couples except Rudi and Matt arrived at the hotel, and everyone was starting to get worried that they wouldn’t come at all or that they might have even parted ways. 

We found out that since Rudi and Matt still hadn’t had a date yet, they decided to take matters into their own hands. They made a stop at a random hotel in the middle of the desert to stay together before reuniting with the other couples in Vegas. They wanted more alone time, and it seemed like they got and even benefited from that alone time. 

The next morning, Chris and Bri got a date card, and they were headed to The Little White Chapel. Naturally, commercials leading up to this moment made it look like they were getting married, but they were actually just singing a song at a random couple’s wedding. Needless to say, I was disappointed that they weren’t the ones getting married, but it was still an adorable date, and I believe Bri and Chris will get married someday. Also, the couple that did get married was lovely, and Chris and Bri’s rendition of “Stand By Me” was so heartwarming. One random side note: it was rude of Bri to wear white to a wedding that wasn’t her own, but I suppose if the bride didn’t mind, that’s all that mattered. After the wedding, they had a really sweet heart-to-heart, and Chris talked about how he always wanted his dad to marry him and his future wife because his dad was a pastor. Chris said he would have loved for Bri to meet his dad, and that he was so grateful that they found each other, and they even mentioned that they’ve thought about engagement.

Rudi and Matt finally met up with the other couples in Vegas, and everyone seemed jealous that they got to sleep in the same bed for the night. Matt talked to Ryan about how he’s guarded and it was obvious to see that Matt cared for Rudi a lot, but he’s just scared to come to terms with those feelings. Meanwhile, Rudi talked to Jamie at the hotel bar and Rudi admitted she was falling for Matt, but she’s scared of what his response might be. Jamie assured Rudi that if she didn’t tell Matt how he felt, she’d leave here regretting it, and Rudi agreed.

Jamie and Trevor on a date. // Photo Credit: ABC

Then, another date card arrived, and this time it was for Trevor and Jamie. For their date, they had an entire hockey arena to themselves. Jamie wanted to tell Trevor that she’s falling for him but thought that he didn’t feel the same and was really scared to say it. However, considering the advice she just gave Rudi, she would’ve been a hypocrite if she didn’t tell him how she was feeling. After skating for a while, Trevor and Jamie decided to sit on a couch set up on the ice to talk about their feelings. Trevor admitted that he's only said “the L-word” to two people outside of his family because he takes that word so seriously. Apparently, he takes it so seriously that he wouldn’t even say the word “love” instead of “the L-word.” After that conversation, Jamie was clearly even more nervous than she already had been to tell him how she felt. They started skating again, and Trevor started crying and telling Jamie that he was proud of her––I’m not sure what for. Then, Jamie told him she was falling in love with him and he said he was too. She was elated, to say the least. It was a really cute moment. I still don’t fully trust Trevor, but I’m happy for them for the time being.  

Matt and Rudi on a date. // Photo Credit: ABC

Next, Rudi and Matt got a date card, and this date was great. They went to an intimate Shaggy concert and got to be on stage for his performance of “It Wasn’t Me.” Honestly, it was super random, but actually really cute and felt like a real date. Personally, I think they are such a great match for each other and are very real. However, I think Matt is just scared and hesitant, which makes Rudi worried. After they were on stage with Shaggy, they went backstage to their own room and Rudi started confessing her feelings for Matt. She told him that she’s falling for him and that she’d regret if she didn’t at least tell him how she felt. Matt’s response was, “You’re very courageous for speaking your truth, and I appreciate you doing that.” Rudi started crying and was clearly upset. It’s hard to tell someone how you feel and have them not say it back, even if they do really care for you. She walked away and started to break down a bit. It’s clear that they’re both struggling here because she knows that he cares for her, but it was hard to not have the reassurance that she needed. Matt said he didn’t want to say those words if he wasn’t 100 percent sure, which is completely understandable. We can tell, as viewers, that he cares for Rudi, but he was just super scared. With all that being said, we never saw a resolution to this conversation until performances.

Next, Natascha and Ryan had a date at a car demolition site. It was a nice, sweet, and low-key date, but also really random compared to all the other dates. I mean, Chris and Bri went to the iconic Little White Chapel, Jamie and Trevor had an entire arena to themselves, Rudi and Matt sang on stage with Shaggy at one of his concerts, and Natascha and Ryan got…a date to a random demolition site? It still seemed like they had a lot of fun, which is all that matters, but the date just felt so out of place. I think Natascha and Ryan have a really solid connection––both musically and romantically. They mesh very well.

Then, back at the hotel suite, all of the couples received their songs for their next performances. Natascha and Ryan were going to sing “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran but wanted to change the original tune of it, which was a risk they were willing to take. Chris and Bri got “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis, which is the same song they sang to each other on their first date to Guitar Center when they both realized they were falling in love with each other. They really have come full circle. Jamie and Trevor got “Just A Kiss” by Lady Antebellum. Jamie said even though it’s the song they knew the least, she felt like it perfectly described how she felt about Trevor. Rudi and Matt had the song “Shallow” from “A Star is Born.” When they were rehearsing, it was easy to see that they still hadn’t fully resolved the issues from their date the other night, but they were determined to work it out.

Then it was time for the performances. The venue was smaller than the last one; they were singing inside the hotel where performers and celebrities hold their more intimate concerts. The judges this round were Pat Monahan from Train, Ashlee Simpson Ross and her husband, Evan Ross, and Arie and Lauren from season 22 of “The Bachelor.”

Chris and Bri perform. // Photo Credit: ABC

The first up to perform were Bri and Chris. Their rendition of Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling In Love” was genuinely magical. You could tell throughout their performance that they were so in love and their connection was so real. They even started dancing together, and it felt like no one else was there except the two of them. It was so beautiful and all of the judges loved it. Pat Monahan even said he got emotional watching them. 

Jamie and Trevor were next and for the first time all season, Jamie wasn’t nervous at all. They performed “Just A Kiss” very well. I think it still felt awkward and Jamie seemed more into it than Trevor, but they definitely had a better onstage connection than they used to. I also just think that Trevor’s voice is extremely mediocre. The judges thought it was a great performance. Pat said he could tell Jamie was a little nervous, but it made her feel more real and raw, which I agreed with. Lauren and Arie felt like they even saw some similarities between themselves, and Trevor and Jamie.

Ryan and Natascha perform. // Photo Credit: ABC

Next, Natascha and Ryan sang their rendition of Ed Sheeran’s iconic love song “Perfect.” At first, the beginning of the song was almost the exact same as the original, but once they got past the first verse, they tried to make it more upbeat and jazzy. There was a really long pause with no vocals, and you could tell there was something off. We found out later that Natascha sang the wrong part of the song and basically skipped an entire portion of it by accident. It was really hard to watch because I think they were the most talented couple and vocalists. They also had a strong connection and I wanted them to win the competition. Seeing them try to change the song and mess up was really sad. The judges could tell that they had a connection, but something went really wrong and it felt like there were two different performances. Evan Ross said that he felt like the original version of the song is so great and loving that there was no need to try and change it up. Natascha was extremely disappointed in herself, and Ryan continued to be supportive and reassuring that everything was okay. 

Rudi and Matt perform. // Photo Credit: ABC

The final performance of the night was Rudi and Matt. Their performance of “Shallow” was honestly great. Watching them sing it made it seem like they worked out their issues, and Rudi said she wasn’t going to give up on them just because he is slower with expressing his feelings. Their harmonies were so beautiful and in sync. They even matched some riffs, which is so hard to do. Rudi killed it, and seeing Matt watch her was moving. You could tell he really cares for her. The judges absolutely loved it and said they could feel their connection. Performing together really seemed to ease Rudi’s worries, and Matt said he wanted to play music with Rudi for the rest of their lives. That’s close enough to an “I’m falling for you,” right? 

This week’s rose ceremony was bittersweet because I really didn’t want anyone to go home. The couples saved and moving on to the finale were Jamie and Trevor, Rudi and Matt, and Bri and Chris. I was so sad to see Natascha and Ryan go home because I really felt like they deserved to go all the way. They had such great musical and romantic chemistry, and talent. When leaving, they agreed that they didn’t want their journey to end here, and it seemed hopeful that they’d stay connected after this.

After they left, Chris Harrison confessed that the finale wouldn’t be in Vegas, so it was time for the couples to pack their bags again and get ready to head to Nashville. Next week won’t be just the finale of the competition, but also fantasy suite week for the couples. I’m most excited for next week to see Kaitlyn Bristowe and Jason Tartick be judges on the panel, considering they’re two of the best people to come out of the franchise. I can’t wait to see how the end of this season unfolds next week on the finale!