The Bachelor star Arie Luyendyk Jr. eliminated Krystal Nielson, Jenna Cooper and Chelsea Roy during Monday night's episode of Season 22 on ABC.

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Arie, a 36-year-old pro racing driver from Scottsdale, AZ, ousted Krystal, a 30-year-old fitness coach from San Diego, CA, during a two-on-one date with Kendall Long, a 26-year-old creative director from Los Angeles, CA, in Paris, France.

Because Arie sent Krystal packing, Kendall received a rose on the date, which ended with a kiss on top of the Eiffel Tower.

"This is such bullsh-t. I'm floored. I'm just floored! I'm so confused because I feel like I've just given love and now I feel abandoned. I question, 'Does Arie want a strong and confident woman or someone who's timid who needs him?'" Krystal said in her final words.

"I put myself out there for Arie and I put up with a lot of sh-t. I was weak and I'm never weak... I don't need love to feel fulfilled, but I really want it. I just want to feel accepted and good enough. I have so much love to give and I feel like I deserve that. But part of me feels like I'll never find that."

Arie later ousted Jenna, a 28-year-old social media manager from Raleigh, NC, and Chelsea, a 29-year-old real estate executive assistant from Portland, ME, at the Rose Ceremony.

"Feeling rejected, it sucks and it's sad. And there's some anger and hurt. My heart feels like it was ripped out... I don't want to leave! Arie is great and amazing!" Jenna said after being denied a rose.

And Chelsea admitted with tears in her eyes: "I actually felt a connection with Arie and that's the saddest part, is I didn't see this coming. I thought there was definitely more there, and I'm disappointed in that, but that's where I go wrong every single time -- I'm so hopeful. I want love." 

The Bachelor broadcast began with Arie talking to host Chris Harrison about his journey so far.

Arie said the process was confusing because he kept falling for one girl after the next. When he had his first one-on-one date with Becca Kufrin, a 27-year-old publicist from Minneapolis, MN, he could see her at the end of all this.

But then Arie developed strong feelings for Bekah Martinez, a 22-year-old nanny from Los Angeles, CA. And it didn't take long for Arie to begin falling for Tia Booth, a 26-year-old physical therapist from Weiner, AR, who had already confessed feelings of love to The Bachelor star.

Arie recognized the possibilities were exciting, but it made the next week's decisions even more important and stressful.

As for Krystal, she acknowledged her relationship with Arie had regressed, but she wanted to work through things with him and challenge him. Knowing a two-on-one date was ahead, Krystal figured she was "the obvious choice," but the bachelorette wasn't worried because she didn't think any of the other ladies were on her level. 

Lauren Burnham, a 25-year-old technology salesperson from Dallas, TX, soon learned that she'd be accompanying Arie on the first one-on-one date in Paris. Arie admitted to the bachelorette that he had saved this date for her, and they went cruising down a river in a luxury speedboat.

Meanwhile, Krystal told the cameras that Arie would be "taking the easy way out" by going for someone "super soft" like Lauren, who allegedly doesn't speak her mind. Krystal insisted that Arie needed a real "woman," not a girl.

Back on Lauren's date, Arie said in a confessional that he was really attracted to the bachelorette and considered her "super beautiful." He was therefore looking forward to learning more about her as a person and getting to know her personality, but that quickly proved to be a challenge.

As the girls were talking about Lauren being slow to open up, viewers saw it for themselves on the bachelorette's date. In one of the most romantic cities in the world, Arie and Lauren walked around and checked out a local market, but there was awkward silence.

Arie tried to spark up conversations with Lauren, but she would often just look around at her surroundings and let out a little "wow" every now and then. 

"I'm a little worried because Lauren is so quiet. I just want this to work so badly that maybe I'm trying to will it to happen," Arie noted in a confessional. "Sometimes I get the sense, I don't know, that Lauren's not really that into me."

Conversation wasn't easy, and Arie said it felt a bit forced. As a result, the Bachelor determined that if their dynamic didn't improve at dinner that night, he would have to say goodbye to her even though he was so attracted to her.

Arie went into dinner that night with Lauren with some big concerns, but Lauren soon opened up about how she was overwhelmed earlier that day and really felt the pressure of the competition.

Lauren explained to Arie that she usually puts a man in "the friend zone" for like six months before getting romantically involved because she has trouble being vulnerable and trusting someone.

In order to make Lauren feel comfortable about sharing things, Arie felt he had to lay the foundation, so he revealed a bombshell that his ex-girlfriend -- a single mom with two children whom he had lived with -- got pregnant with his baby when they were dating.

Arie said he continued to travel for racing during the pregnancy and his ex eventually miscarried the child and left him.

Arie said the breakup really hit him hard, and Lauren appreciated Arie being so open with her. Lauren was terrified to tell Arie anything, explaining how her parents didn't have an easy marriage and she was put in the middle of their struggles.

However, Lauren disclosed to Arie that she had been engaged before going on The Bachelor but the romance didn't work out because the guy began treating her poorly after giving her the diamond ring.

The heartbreak made Lauren standoffish and guarded with men she's interested in because she had firmly believed that her ex was her "person" forever. 

But Lauren thought Arie was "soft, sweet and kind." She started to cry at dinner over the fear of falling for him and losing him, but Arie assured her that he had confidence in her and she worried too much. When Lauren did let Arie in, he loved what he saw.

"I know that you're beautiful, but you're much more than that to me," Arie told the bachelorette.

Lauren said she went on The Bachelor to meet a man she'd never come across in real life, and Arie seemed to be the guy of her dreams. He made her feel safe, and Lauren called the date "astonishing," adding, "I think I really could fall in love with him."

The next day, Arie brought six bachelorettes to Moulin Rouge: Becca, Bekah, Chelsea, Tia, Jenna, and Seinne Fleming, a 27-year-old commercial real estate agent from Newport Beach, CA.

Krystal noticed it was either going to be Kendall or Jacqueline Trumbull, a 26-year-old research coordinator from New York, NY, going on the two-on-one date with her. Krystal laughed about how the date, either way, was going to be unfair and "unbalanced," and she quipped, "Game on!"

For the group date, Arie's girls dressed in elaborate costumes and learned a brief choreographed dance. Seinne grew up dancing, so she was in her element, but Tia was not a good dancer. Tia just hoped she'd look good in her costume. Meanwhile, Jenna was just her goofy self and made everyone laugh.

Arie explained that the girl to receive a rose at the cocktail party that night would get to appear onstage with Arie in a show at the Moulin Rouge that night. Arie didn't plan on giving the rose to the best dancer, however. He instead was going to give it to someone with whom he had a strong connection.

Arie thought he had something "really cool and special" with Tia, who found herself daydreaming about him constantly.

But Chelsea began to wonder about what Arie was looking for since Bekah and herself were still around and they were exact opposites. Chelsea was almost 30 and she's a single mom with a lot of responsibility at home, while Bekah was a 22-year-old free spirit.

But Bekah and Arie felt strongly for each other, with Bekah telling the cameras, "I could see myself falling in love with Arie, and that's a scary thing."

Arie then had a moment with Seinne at the cocktail party when he asked her to keep her walls down. But after several great conversations, Bekah got the rose.

That night, the girls watched Bekah and Arie perform together onstage, and everyone was definitely jealous. Bekah's romance with Arie made Chelsea feel insecure, but Bekah was beaming with happiness and pride.

"It was great to have Bekah by my side [for this]. I'm definitely falling for her," Arie admitted.

It then became time for Arie's two-on-one date with Krystal and Kendall. Luckily, Jacqueline would receive a one-on-one date with Arie, and she was very thankful because she thought a two-on-one date with Krystal would be her "worst nightmare."

Krystal laughed about how Kendall "sh-t her pants" at the thought of going head-to-head with her, and although Kendall was confident in herself, she did feel she was at a disadvantage since Krystal had more time to get to know Arie and develop a connection with him over the course of the season.

For their date, the awkward trio visited a beautiful chateau built in the 1600s. Arie felt anxious because he had questions about both women.

On one hand, Kendall had never been in love, nor had she even been in a relationship longer than 10 months.

On the other hand, Arie's previous week with Krystal was filled with conflict, and she showed immaturity in the way she had handled the bowling date in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Arie acknowledged his relationship with Krystal had started off strong but slowly went downhill.

Arie confessed that if he was going to see the same Krystal he got to know in Florida, she'd be going home that night, because he couldn't be with someone like that.

When Arie talked to Krystal in private, he said he wanted her to confront him whenever they had a problem. He didn't like how she had talked behind his back and sulked in Florida instead of addressing the issue head-on.

Krystal apologized for handling their disagreement that way and said she regretted it, adding that she appreciated the color, depth and texture of their relationship.

Krystal also asked Arie why he had decided to bring Kendall on the date because she didn't seem emotionally ready to settle down and get married. Krystal knew Arie was looking for a wife, and she didn't think Kendall would be a good fit for him.

After talking to the Bachelor, Krystal was 99 percent sure Kendall was going home. But Kendall promised Arie that there's no timeline for marriage -- that if she found the right man, she'd be ready. And Kendall insisted her feelings for Arie were strong and could potentially last forever.

Kendall was upset and hurt that Krystal had talked about her to Arie and planted "a seed of doubt" in his mind.

"It's about winning to Krystal," Kendall told the cameras. "That was obvious at the bowling date and it's obvious now."

Kendall briefly attempted to understand Krystal's insecurities, explaining that the bachelorette often said cruel things when she was hurting on the inside. But Krystal wouldn't let Kendall relate to her. On the contrary, Krystal just found the bachelorette patronizing and condescending.

Arie ultimately determined on the day portion of the date he needed more time to get to know the women and so he would hand out his rose at dinner that night.

Krystal was surprised by Arie's decision, venting about how there was "no competition" and it was "a little f-cked up" of the Bachelor.

At dinner, Krystal told Kendall they had similar beliefs, but Kendall said they presented them "in a very different way." The girls simply didn't get along, and Kendall stopped the conversation before things got any worse. Kendall just wanted the women to focus on their individual connections with Arie.

In the end, Arie thought hard about his overall experience on the show. Based on logic and "an instinctual feeling," he gave Kendall the rose because she had "a lot of promise," and so he sent Krystal packing.

The night ended with Kendall getting a kiss on top of the Eiffel Tower.

The following day, Arie embarked on a one-on-one date with Jacqueline, who looked forward to having fun with Arie and being "giddy" with him.

At the start of the date, the couple's car broke down, so they took a taxi. The couple then went shopping and Jacqueline picked out a sexy black dress for their dinner date that night. Arie loved how Jacqueline was funny and goofy but also "super intelligent and interesting."

The pair enjoyed dinner at the iconic Maxim's that night, and it was clear Arie and Jacqueline both really liked each other.

Jacqueline worried, however, she was "an experiment" in this process for Arie instead of someone he truly cared about. Arie did admit he was "intimidated" by her at the start of the competition because she's so smart and so he pulled back from her early on instead of gravitating towards her.

As the night progressed, it became apparent that Jacqueline has yet to finish her education because she wants a PhD.

Arie feared that a relationship with him would get in the way of her hopes and dreams, and Arie didn't want Jacqueline to miss out on anything to make things work with him.

Arie could see himself falling for Jacqueline, but he needed a relationship that was going to work in the real world and last long-term. Jacqueline cried on the date, because although she understood where Arie was coming from, she desperately wanted to continue dating him and experience all the highs of their romance.

At one point, it seemed like Arie was going to deny Jacqueline a rose, but in the end, he gave it to her. Arie went with his heart and asked Jacqueline to do the same. He felt "deeply" for this bachelorette and wanted to see where the relationship could go.

"I feel Jacqueline is the type of woman I could really see a future with. Do our lives fit right now? Probably not. But I feel like there's more to our story and there's more to find out about her," Arie said.

"If we love each other, we can figure it out and see if something great could happen."

The episode concluded with a Rose Ceremony, and Arie handed out roses to Tia, Seinne, and then Becca. Chelsea and Jenna left Paris without love.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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