The Bachelor star Sean Lowe sent three bachelorettes packing during last night's broadcast of the ABC reality dating series' seventeenth season.
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Kacie Boguskie, a 25-year-old administrative assistant from Clarksville, TN who previously competed on The Bachelor's sixteenth season for Ben Flajnik's heart; Taryn Renee Daniels, a 30-year-old heath club manager from Troutdale, OR; and Kristy Kaminski, a 25-year-old model from Darien, WI, were eliminated during the third episode's Rose Ceremony.
"I feel brokenhearted, because I didn't get the chance to really make that connection with him. I might've been guarded. I didn't open up myself and I'll have to figure that out. Maybe I'm not ready. I might not be sweet enough for him. I would've loved to have been married, however, that's not my card. That's disheartening," Taryn said following her ouster.
"Sean was a wonderful guy -- wonderful heart -- and it would've been a fairytale. So I wish I would've found love here, but you can't force something that isn't there. I hope my chance for love will come someday," Kristy said after failing to receive a rose.
The Bachelor's third seventeenth-season episode began with host Chris Harrison visiting Sean's remaining bachelorettes at the mansion and dropping off their date card.
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Over the course of the week, there would be two one-on-one dates and one group date with a rose up for grabs during each -- and if the bachelorettes on the one-on-one dates failed to receive a rose, they would be eliminated immediately. Lesley Murphy, a 25-year-old political consultant from Washington, D.C., then learned she'd be accompanying Sean on the week's first one-on-one date.
Lesley was hoping her relationship with Sean would move onto the next level. Sean said he picked her for the date because they got along really well and he had felt a connection from the very start.
For their date, Sean brought her to Planet Hollywood and they acted as tourists. Lesley was clearly a bit disappointed in the date's events because nothing was very thrilling or romantic about it, but she still thought it was fun to be alone and spend time with Sean.
Sean then explained to Lesley his father currently holds a Guinness World Record and he wanted to break one on their own. Chris then arrived and told the pair they were going to attempt to break the record of "longest on-screen kiss" in front of a crowd of people.
Lesley thought it was really cool but admitted her body was "numb" because she was so nervous. The record at the time stood at three minutes and 15 seconds, so their kiss had to exceed that be at least one second.
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During the couple's long kiss in which their lips could never stop touching, they kept giggling and trembling. Sean said Lesley was a great kisser and he liked how she used her hands and got really into the kiss. Sean noted it felt like they were alone at times even though people were staring and cheering, and he realized then and there that there was a lot of chemistry between them. Sean hoped to "crank up the romance" that night.
After securing the new world record, Sean and Lesley enjoyed the second -- more private and quiet -- half of their date. He told the cameras he felt comfortable with Lesley and could be himself around her. The couple talked about wanting a love like their parents' and Lesley admitted she got very nervous around Sean.
Lesley's feelings for the Bachelor were growing stronger and stronger. Not only did she appreciate how "attractive" Sean was, but she said she loved the way he looked into her eyes when they talked and she believed he was genuine and sincere. Lesley acknowledged the fact she wasn't even sure if her whole experience could be real because it seemed too good to be true.
Meanwhile, the other women learned who would be sharing the week's group date with Sean.
Accompanying Sean would be Kacie; Kristy; Taryn; Robyn Howard, a 24-year-old oil field account manager from Houston, TX; Leslie Hughes, a 29-year-old poker dealer from Los Angeles, CA; Catherine Giudici, a 26-year-old graphic designer from Seattle, WA; Desiree Hartsock, a 26-year-old bridal stylist from Los Angeles, CA; and Amanda Meyer, a 26-year-old fit model from Newport Beach, CA.
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The other girls who were selected for the group date included: Lindsay Yenter, a 24-year-old substitute teacher from Fort Leonard Wood, MO; Daniella McBride, a 24-year-old commercial casting associate from San Francisco, CA; Jackie Parr, a 25-year-old cosmetics consultant from Boynton Beach, FL; and Tierra LiCausi, a 24-year-old leasing consultant, Denver, CO.
Selma Alameri, a 29-year-old real estate developer from San Diego, CA; Sarah Herron, a 26-year-old advertising executive from Los Angeles, CA; and AshLee Frazier, a 32-year-old personal organizer from Houston, TX, were experiencing mixed emotions because one of them was going to receive the other one-on-one date of the week but two of them were going to miss out on a date altogether.
During Sean's date with Lesley, they both told each other they were developing feelings for one another and then Sean decided to give her the rose.
"I think it's pretty rare to connect with someone so quickly and I've really been blown away. I really have. And I didn't think I'd have feelings this fast, but I do. Today, I couldn't have asked for a better day," Sean said.
After Lesley accepted the rose, she was beaming and the couple shared another kiss.
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"The day has been out of control unbelievable and I got a rose. It's the best feeling ever. I'm falling in love with this guy. He's perfect. I don't know what else to say. The evening has been very magical in a very good way," Lesley said.
"Tonight has been incredible, it's not everyday you find someone so sexy, so smart, so funny. To be honest, we've connected on so many different levels, and I've developed really strong feelings for Lesley. I have high hopes for our future. I don't know where it's going to go, but I think I'm going to enjoy finding out," Sean explained.
The next day, the 12 girls going on the group date met up with Sean on the beach. They planned to enjoy time in the sun either tossing a Frisbee, playing in the water or throwing a football around. Chris then showed up on the beach and announced they'd be playing some volleyball in two teams of six.
Chris explained the winning team would get to stay with Sean and move onto the next part of the date to have some quality time with him while the losing team would be forced to go back to the mansion immediately.
The teams ended up being Kacie, Lindsay, Jackie, Robyn, Desiree, and Amanda vs. Catherine, Taryn, Leslie, Kristy, Daniella, and Tierra. The girls quickly brought out their competitive edge and the game became intense, as the bachelorettes were desperate to win time with the Bachelor. Sean acknowledged he was going to feel terribly for the losing team because everyone was trying so hard.
In the end, Kristy's team lost and she started crying because she really wanted time with Sean. She felt like she was just chasing and chasing Sean, ultimately calling her experience exhausting. Daniella said losing was "not a good feeling," while Leslie was scared she was going to get sent home without Sean really having the ability to get to know her.
The winning team then went back to Sean's house. Sean talked to Linsday first, and she told him when she falls in love, she falls head over heels and gives everything to that person. Lindsay told the cameras afterward she never wanted to stop kissing him.
Afterward, Sean had some alone time with Desiree, and he told her that he loved her confidence. Desiree just tried to explain she enjoys life and the beauty of life and therefore tended to be optimistic and happy every day. While Desiree was almost certain she'd receive the date's rose, Amanda felt the same way because she was convinced she had "a ton to offer."
Meanwhile, the girls in the mansion learned AshLee would be going on the week's other one-on-one date with Sean. Tierra joked around saying Selma's name was on the date card as well, and while she thought the prank was hilarious, the other girls in the room didn't and considered it rude.
Back on the group date, Amanda told Sean that she believed she had all the qualities he was looking for in a woman. She said she'd create a light, airy, fun atmosphere if they were to ever get married. However, some girls viewed Amanda in the exact opposite light.
"I think Amanda is really questionable. I honestly don't know if she's here for Sean. Sean is just this great positive guy, and then you see Amanda and she's just kind of this dark -- just kind of creepy. I'm hoping Sean can see right through it," Desiree said.
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Kacie watched the tension build between Desiree and Amanda and didn't think Sean would find it attractive, nor did she think he'd tolerate such drama. Therefore, Kacie thought it'd be in her best interest to be a little selfish and warn Sean of the problem.
She then pulled Sean aside and told him that she was caught between a rock and a hard place in the house. Kacie said Desiree saw something negative in Amanda, and because she was friends with Desiree, she felt in the middle of the drama. Kacie said she was caught between two opposing dynamics and therefore couldn't be herself in their environment because she felt uncomfortable.
"Why are you saying something to me? They both seem fine and neither one of them has said anything to me," Sean told Kacie.
Kacie said she didn't want to be the person to say anything to Sean, as she doesn't normally get involved in drama, but she didn't want to hurt either girl. Sean asked Kacie why she was involving herself or focusing her attention on them, and Kacie attempted to remind him that she was focused solely on him.
"I just want you to act like Kacie, not like this crazy person I'm seeing. I want you to be Kacie," Sean sternly said.
Kacie quickly realized her plan had backfired. She didn't expect him to react the way he did, and she began feeling as if she had blown her chance with the Bachelor.
After his awkward conversation with Kacie, Sean decided to give the group date's rose to Lindsay. Lindsay was shocked and cried tears of joy while Kacie worried she made herself look like a "crazy person who can't handle drama." Kacie firmly believed she had "screwed up" and turned Sean off.
"I came here once and it wasn't this hard, and I'm here again and I told you it's going to be hard. I'm not supposed to cry this early," Kacie, who was bawling at this point, told the cameras.
The following day, AshLee got ready for her one-on-one date with Sean. She was looking forward to talking about her adoption and family with him and excited because she thought "nothing will and can go wrong today."
However, something did go wrong. Tierra fell down the stairs and AshLee noticed she "looked totally out of it." Lindsay came running, as she was truly concerned Tierra hurt herself. In a matter of minutes, Sean arrived to the mansion to pick up AshLee for their date but was overwhelmed by Tierra's situation. He feared she was suffering a concussion.
An ambulance then arrived and medics tried to take Tierra out on a stretcher. However, Tierra told the medics she was fine and insisted she didn't want to go to the hospital. She asked to be left alone and then popped off the stretcher.
After witnessing the entire incident, AshLee was convinced it was an act to grab attention from Sean. She had to wait to embark on her one-on-one date and therefore no longer felt sympathy for Tierra, whom AshLee believed "thought it was cute to play the victim."
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Sean sat with Tierra for a bit to make sure she was okay and said it was nice to spend a little time with her even though the circumstances weren't that great. They laughed and joked about the situation all the while AshLee was getting more frustrated with every passing minute.
AshLee finally got her time with Sean. They drove up to Six Flags Magic Mountain, and Sean told her the entire park was going to be shut down for the day just for them.
In addition, Sean planned to do some charity work. As a result, he introduced AshLee to two girls, Emily and Brianna, who suffer from chronic illnesses and were best friends who had never met each other in person. When the girls met and hugged one another, AshLee said it "thrilled her heart" to be a part of it.
The foursome went on rides, played games and took pictures throughout the day. Sean said he was noticing how compassionate AshLee really was by observing how she interacted with the two girls.
Sean believed AshLee was trying to make them happy and succeeded at sparking conversation. Towards the end of the afternoon, they all got to listen to a private live concert in the park by Sean's favorite band, Eli Young.
"It's the greatest feeling to see these two girls and they're so happy. I know their illnesses aren't running through their minds right now. They said this was the happiest day of their lives. We all go through things in life and everybody has something. It's a great blessing for me to be a part of these girls' lives and to be here with Sean. I'm really lucky," AshLee said in tears.
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That night, the couple got some alone time and talked. AshLee told Sean she definitely wanted kids, including an adopted child over the age of two. Sean agreed and said it was always in his heart to adopt. At that point, AshLee felt comfortable enough to explain her past. She told Sean how she had been adopted at age six and was abused by a family when in a foster home.
AshLee said she wasn't bitter about anything, and on the contrary, actually felt lucky to have not been sexually abused. Sean was taken aback by her positive attitude and cried because he was touched by her story and how she's overcome so many hardships in life. Sean admitted he admired AshLee.
Within moments, Sean offered AshLee the date's rose, saying he had an amazing day and the highest hopes for her and "us." The couple then danced to Eli Young's music and shared a kiss.
"It feels amazing to get the rose. It felt good to finally tell somebody that I'm falling in love with about everything I'm insecure about, and he had no issue with it," AshLee said.
"I've already opened up to Sean more than anyone in my life. Now my heart is in his hands to hold, and nurture and take care of. And for me to place that into his hands willingly, I never thought that would happen, but here I am. And to completely immerse myself into the possibility of loving this man for the rest of my life, it's scary. I really want this. I never thought I'd believe in this."
The next night, the cocktail party preceding the Rose Ceremony took place, so each of the bachelorettes would have one last chance to snag some personal time with Sean.
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Sean had a surprise for Sarah first of all, as he wanted her to know he had been thinking about her even though she didn't get to go on a date this week. Leo, her dog, then arrived in a limo and Sarah cried in glee. Sarah admitted she felt so special and cared for.
As the night progressed, the women got increasingly more aggressive to spend time with Sean. Tierra and Desiree argued for time, interrupting one another often. Robyn and Lesley were also aggravated that Tierra was "monopolizing his time," so Lesley stole him away.
In addition, Kacie tried to apologize for discussing drama previously in the week. Right after Sean told her that he felt they had taken a few steps back because of it, their conversation was also interrupted.
It didn't take Sean long to catch on that the dynamic had changed in the house and the girls were being ruthless.
"I've got my hands full," Sean said.
The Bachelor's third Rose Ceremony then commenced, and Sean told the bachelorettes that he knew he'd be capable of finding his wife in the room.
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But before handing out his first rose, Sean pulled Kacie out of the room. He explained they had hit it off in New York awhile back, but as he continued to wonder whether they could move past a friendship level, he began realizing it wasn't in the cards for them. Sean told Kacie he had too much respect for her to make her endure a Rose Ceremony, so he simply walked her to a limo and noted they were "better off as friends."
"Last time, I left here with no regrets, and this time, there are regrets that I have. That's something I'll have to live with," Kacie said following her ouster.
Once Sean returned to his remaining bachelorettes, he handed out roses one by one. Besides Lesley, Lindsay and AshLee, Sean gave roses to Tierra, Leslie, Catherine, Daniella, Robyn, Selma, Sarah, Jackie, Amanda, and Desiree.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski