'The Bachelor' star Nick Viall eliminates Dominique Alexis, Elizabeth Whitelaw, Lacey Mark and Hailey Merkt

The Bachelor star Nick Viall eliminated four bachelorettes during Monday night's Season 21 episode on ABC.


Nick eliminated Elizabeth Whitelaw, a 24-year-old marketing manager from Dallas, TX; Lacey Mark, a 25-year-old digital marketing manager from Manhattan, NY; and Hailey Merkt, a 23-year-old photographer from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, at the season's second Rose Ceremony.

"I've been in love before. I know what it feels like and I know how amazing it is. I absolutely do want to find love. I'm just sad that Nick didn't choose me," Hailey said following her ouster.

"It's weird because you go through this journey and you have to be a little bit vulnerable to allow people to love you. I knew that coming in, but I didn't do it. If Nick is attracted to someone like [Corinne Olympios], that is what really upsets me."

Later on, Nick sent Dominique Alexis, a 25-year-old restaurant server from Los Angeles, CA, home in the middle of a group date because she complained he wasn't giving her a chance, yet he felt their relationship couldn't surpass what he had already developed with other women.


The Bachelor began where last week's episode had left off, with Nick revealing to his bachelorettes he once had sex with Liz Sandoz, whom he ousted on a prior group date because he was disappointed in her explanation for wanting to date him on The Bachelor when she seemingly had no interest in contacting him over the course of nine months.

Christen Whitney, a 25-year-old wedding videographer from Tulsa, OK, apparently earned the group-date rose when Liz went home. The ladies -- some of whom felt "blindsided" by Nick's disclosure about Liz -- were starting to question Nick's intentions and whether all the rumors and gossip about him are actually true.

Nick then sat down with Vanessa Grimaldi, a 29-year-old special education teacher from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, for a chat before the Rose Ceremony. She told Nick that she was surprised to hear about Liz, but Nick promised he never anticipated her The Bachelor participation.

Nick then talked to Danielle "Lo" Lombard, a 27-year-old small business owner from Los Angeles, CA, who revealed her grandparents have been married for over 50 years and she wants the type of relationship they have. Nick told Danielle that he's a big fan of her and also very intrigued by her.

Nick said the women were understanding about the Liz situation and that spoke volumes about their quality.


Meanwhile, Corinne, a 24-year-old model from Miami, FL, was feeling confident, saying she has the "it factor" that guys like. She was looking to spice up their romance and explore each other sexually. Corinne told the cameras that she didn't want to just "get along and be cool with each other" -- she wanted a "sexual connection" with Nick.

Corinne therefore dressed in nothing but a trench coat and fed Nick whipped cream. At one point, she smothered the whipped cream on her chest and asked Nick to lick it off, which he obliged. Nick admitted he's very attracted to Corinne and she is good at "stimulating chemistry" between them.

"I like it a lot," Nick said in a confessional, "but at the same time, I'm really juggling how to appreciate everything that is Corinne while being respectful to the other women in the house."

Nick liked how Corinne was comfortable with her body and sexuality, but he didn't want to take full advantage of what she was offering after the controversial Liz situation. Nick wanted to slow things down because he knew his actions could potentially affect a lot of people.

Jasmine Goode, a 29-year-old pro basketball dancer from San Francisco, CA, then stole Nick away from Corinne. Corinne thought her plan backfired because, although they madeout, Nick wasn't really interested in her sexual advances. She ran off and cried, saying their conversation went badly and she just wanted to go home.


It then became time for the Rose Ceremony, and Corinne -- who had already earned a group-date rose -- slept through the whole thing, which angered her fellow bachelorettes. Corinne's failure to show up to the ceremony rubbed Nick the wrong way, and he said the decision could ultimately "blow up in her face."

Nick found his relationship with Corinne "a balancing act," because he didn't want the other women to think he was validating Corinne's bad behavior. But at the same time, he didn't want to discourage Corinne from being herself.

Nick then handed out roses to Astrid Loch, a 26-year-old plastic surgery office manager from Tampa, FL; Taylor Nolan, a 23-year-old mental health counselor from Seattle, WA; Whitney Fransway, a 25-year-old Pilates instructor from Chanhassen, MN; Kristina Schulman, a 24-year-old dental hygienist from Lexington, KY; Danielle "Lo," Rachel Lindsay, a 31-year-old attorney from Dallas, TX; Vanessa; Raven Gates, a 25-year-old fashion boutique owner from Hoxie, AR; Jaimi King, a 28-year-old chef from New Orleans, LA; Dominique; Sarah Vendal, a 26-year-old grade school teacher from Newport Beach, CA; Alexis Waters, a 23-year-old aspiring dolphin trainer from Secaucus, NJ; Brittany Farrar, a 26-year-old travel nurse from Santa Monica, CA; Josephine Tutman, a 24-year-old unemployed nurse from Santa Cruz, CA; and finally Jasmine G.

The following day, the ladies received a Date Card from Chris Harrison, who teased their minds would be blown.

The bachelorettes selected for this date were Danielle "Lo," Christen, Kristina, Whitney, Taylor, Jasmine, and Corinne. The card simply said "Everybody," and then all of a sudden, the Backstreet Boys entered the Los Angeles mansion as one of their biggest hit songs was playing in the background. The girls cheered with excitement. The Backstreet Boys then serenaded them "I Want It That Way."


The girls learned they'd be learning a choreographed routine to the song "Everybody" which they must perform onstage in front of a live audience at one of the Backstreet Boys' concerts. One woman would be picked as the best dancer -- and winner -- and she'd receive a special dance with Nick onstage. 

Corinne didn't feel comfortable, bubbly or fun, insisting she can't dance at all. She therefore ran off crying and felt very self-conscious. Corinne didn't want to embarrass herself in front of other people and especially Nick.

In the end, the Backstreet Boys chose Danielle L. as the winner. When the couple danced onstage, they kissed in front of everyone, and Corinne said it really hurt to watch and was like a "nightmare." Corinne told the cameras she was developing strong feelings for Nick and always wanted to be the center of his attention.

Later that night, Corinne grabbed Nick first to talk because she needed some reassurance. She apologized for sleeping through the Rose Ceremony and admitted something had upset her.

Danielle then told the cameras she felt a strong connection with Nick and didn't want to have any reservations during their time together. The couple engaged in a very steamy makeout session.


Meanwhile, a Date Card arrived at the mansion and Vanessa discovered it belonged to her. The card read, "You make me feel like I'm floating." Dominique was frustrated she had to keep waiting for a date with Nick, but Vanessa was on Cloud 9.

Around this time, Corinne announced to the girls that she has a nanny back home who makes her bed, cooks her food, washes her clothes and cleans her house. Jasmine couldn't believe it and told the cameras she's "crazy."

Back on the group date, Nick decided to give Danielle L. the rose. He said he was very excited about their romance, but Corinne said in a confessional that the girl has nothing else going on besides her beautiful looks.

The following day, Nick embarked on his one-on-one date with Vanessa, and she had a very special feeling for him. The couple traveled in a "Zero G plane" in order to experience what astronauts feel while they are in space. Vanessa and Nick floated in the plane without gravity and appeared to have a blast, kissing and dancing around. Vanessa felt so calm and comfortable around Nick, and he in turn loved her energy.

But on the way back down, Vanessa got nauseous and eventually threw up. She worried it ruined her perfect date and a perfect intimate moment, but Nick didn't mind and held back her hair. He made her feel comfortable and protected.

Meanwhile, the girls received another Date Card for a group date. The names on it were Rachel, Alexis, Astrid, Jaimi, Sarah, Brittany, and Dominique. They received the clue, "I'm done playing the field."


Back on Vanessa's date, the teacher viewed him as the "total package" and loved how he supported her. They went to the top of the tallest building in Los Angeles and enjoyed dinner.

Vanessa explained that her grandfather had passed away three weeks before she went on the show, and she had doubts about participating in the first place. Nick opened up to Vanessa about his past on reality TV and confessed it was "heartbreaking" to not find "the one" over and over again.

Nick wondered if he could trust his own emotions in this environment, but Vanessa made him feel really optimistic about his chances of finding true love. In fact, Nick started to cry on the date because he found his time with Vanessa meaningful and amazing. She made him less terrified of getting hurt again.

Vanessa said that the process would be "so worth it," even if Nick didn't choose her in the end.

"I see a lot of things [in Vanessa] I'm looking for in someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. And that's an incredible feeling I haven't had for a while. I don't know what's going to happen, but now, more than ever, I feel like my heart is totally open to the chance of finding the one," Nick said in a confessional.

Vanessa also felt happiness and hope they could have something so strong and special that could last forever.


The next day, Nick's group of girls met him at a track, and it just so happened to be Dominique and Rachel's first date of the season. Nick explained he had competed in track and field in both high school and college. The group was greeted by Olympic athletes Carl Lewis, Allyson Felix and Michelle Carter.

The bachelorettes were required to compete in a "Nickathalon" complete with high jump, long jump, shot put javelin, and 100 meter dash. The winner got to spend some extra alone time in a hot tub with Nick, and that person ended up being Astrid. She defeated runner-up Rachel and third-place finisher Alexis for the win.

At this point, Dominique started to cry about not wanting to waste her time on the show. She felt overlooked by Nick and unappreciated. 

That night, Dominique was ready to get out of her head and focus on Nick. She wanted to pull him aside first, but Nick picked Astrid to speak with before she had a chance to step up to the plate. Dominique said every time she tried to get physical with Nick or make a connection, he wasn't present and didn't seem interested.

Dominique's friends thought the bachelorette was caught up in Nick's relationship with other women rather than their own. Dominique was looking to find peace and alleviate some anxiety.

After Dominique caught Nick kissing Rachel -- whom the Bachelor called smart, beautiful, mature and easy to talk to -- she planned to show Nick her goofy and playful sides.


However, Dominique fired away at Nick immediately, telling him that he never gave her a fair chance. Nick asked her not to get inside her head, but then he came to the realization that Dominique was not going to be his future wife. He therefore followed his gut and let Dominique go right then and there.

Nick concluded the date by giving Rachel the only available rose.

"Anything is possible. I'm starting to believe I could be the last one standing," Rachel told the cameras.

Nick later canceled the cocktail party and threw a pool party for the girls instead. Corinne asked Nick to join her in a bouncy house, but things got too hot and flirtatious. At one point, the other women watched Corinne straddle the Bachelor in the bouncy house and make out with him. Nick thought she was fun and playful.

"I don't think Corinne has what it takes to be Nick's wife," Raven said in a confessional. "I think it's super unfair, because I think Nick is here for the right reasons."

Raven then warned Nick that he was making a mistake by keeping Corinne around. Raven revealed how Corinne has a nanny at home and doesn't even know how to wash a spoon in the sink. Nick didn't want friction or animosity against Corinne in the house to affect his other relationships.


"I'm pissed off. Honestly, I just don't want to be here right now," Vanessa told the cameras after watching Nick with Corinne.

Vanessa decided to confront Nick about his questionable behavior. She asked why he'd do such a thing when people are going to judge him for his actions. Vanessa laid it all out on the line, asking Nick whether he was looking for a wife or just someone to mess around with.

Vanessa admitted that if Nick's intentions were to mess around, she didn't even want to keep the rose from him.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski