The Bachelorette star Katie Thurston found herself "physically ill" over Hunter Montgomery drama before eliminating the bachelor along with Connor Brennan -- who left with a broken heart -- Tre Cooper, Aaron Clancy, and James Bonsall during Monday night's Season 17 broadcast on ABC.
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RELATED LINK: MEET ALL OF KATIE THURSTON'S 'THE BACHELORETTE' SEASON 17 BACHELORS (PHOTOS)
In addition to Connor, Katie also denied roses to Hunter, a 34-year-old software strategist from Houston, TX; Tre, a 26-year-old a software engineer from Covington, GA; Aaron, a 26-year-old insurance agent from San Diego, CA; and James, a 30-year-old from New York, NY, at the Rose Ceremony.
The Bachelorette broadcast began with Katie sitting down with the show's co-hosts, former The Bachelorette alums Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams, to discuss her journey to find love leading up to Week 6.
Katie revealed she was starting to fall for multiple guys at the New Mexico resort and would like to test her bachelors by challenging them not to pleasure themselves for one week.
Mike Planeta, a 31-year-old proud virgin and gym owner from San Diego, CA, joked about how the other guys were "screwed" because he had been mastering the skill his entire life.
A Date Card then arrived with Justin Glaze's name on it. The 26-year-old investment sales consultant from Baltimore, MD, was so happy to be able to spend some alone time with the Bachelorette.
Meanwhile, Hunter talked to Greg Grippo, a 27-year-old marketing sales rep from Edison, NJ, about how he believed Katie had already chosen her Top 4 bachelors in her mind. Hunter was convinced that he was in the Top 4 as well as Greg, Connor B., and one other guy.
Greg told the cameras that Hunter is a Super Fan of the show who knows it well, and their conversation led to gossip in the house about how Hunter seemed to be sneaky and playing a game as "The Bachelor historian."
On Katie's one-on-one date with Justin, she set out to find whether she could connect with the bachelor on a deeper level given they always had a fun and flirty connection.
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Katie thought Justin is a talented and kind man with a big heart, but she wanted to see if they had the chemistry to potentially turn a relationship into an engagement.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOWKatie and Justin were tasked with writing wedding vows to each other and pretending to have a wedding ceremony in the woods. Justin even dressed in a tuxedo while Katie walked herself down an aisle in a white wedding dress.
Justin admitted he was extremely nervous about the date but needed to show Katie how he felt and just "be real" with the Bachelorette because she's "everything" that he wanted in a partner.
For his vows, Justin told Katie, "With you I found a love I once didn't believe existed. I trust you with my heart and promise to protect yours. I promise to support you through all of life's ups and downs and do everything in my power to keep that infectious smile on your face."
Justin called their bond "sacred" and vowed to cherish her "beautiful, kind, thoughtful and loving heart" for the rest of their days together.
Katie sweetly made a reference to painting in her vows given that's Justin's passion. She said he's the paint that colors her world and they should treat their marriage as a canvas and "paint something beautiful."
The couple then took wedding photos and cut a cake together.
Meanwhile, a Date Card arrived with the following names on it: Greg; Aaron; Mike P.; James; Tre; Hunter; Blake Moynes, a 30-year-old wildlife manager from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Andrew Spencer, a 26-year-old pro football player who splits his time between Vienna, Austria and Chicago, IL; Michael Allio, a 36-year-old business owner from Akron, OH; and Brendan Scanzano, a 26-year-old firefighter trainee from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
That left Connor with a one-on-one, and he was completely ecstatic.
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While Justin and Katie were enjoying dinner that evening, Katie revealed how she had found out after her father passed away that he was not her biological father. Katie's mom apparently kept that a secret.
Katie said her biological father wants to be a part of her life but she doesn't know how to build a relationship with him while also mourning the life of the man who had raised her.
Katie's story brought her to tears, and Justin thanked the Bachelorette for sharing that with him and being so "incredible." Justin said he felt honored to have accompanied Katie on this date and be able to support her.
Katie said Justin was "fantastic" and she felt safe with him and taken care of. With that being said, she gave Justin a rose and then the couple danced the night away at a private concert by Max.
"I feel like one date can really just change everything. Justin is someone I can see myself falling for," Katie explained, adding that being with Justin just "felt like normal life" and it was the beginning of "what could be love."
The next day, Katie and her group of selected bachelors participated in a "Great Royal Debate" hosted by RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars winners Shea Coulee and Monet X Change.
The guys were asked to throw shade at each other in a quest to prove to Katie why they might be the right guy for her.
When one of the drag queens asked Hunter before the show if he was "in love" with Katie, Hunter replied, "I don't really throw that term around. I don't think I'm in a place right now where I've been able to explore that. I think it would cheapen what we have."
However, during the debate, Hunter announced that he was "falling in love" with Katie and their relationship felt "real."
Hunter's speech rubbed the other guys the wrong way, especially Tre, who had actually overheard his conversation about love with one of the group-date hosts.
Hunter was an easy target for the guys during the date.
Brendan said he thought Hunter is the "least compatible" for Katie, and Tre wrote a joke about Hunter being a cross between a squirrel and an angry beaver. Aaron also called Hunter "a leprechaun" and told the cameras how he thought Hunter was "fake."
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At the group-date afterparty that night, there was animosity in the room towards Hunter, but Katie asked the men to focus on having deep conversation because some connections she had formed weren't strong enough to proceed past Week 6.
Tre and James questioned if Hunter had "split intentions" and a "playbook" he was following as a Bachelor Super Fan, but Hunter said he didn't care what anyone else thought and he only cared about how Katie viewed him.
Andrew S. told Katie that no one had what they had and no one kissed the way they kissed, but then Greg admitted to the Bachelorette, "I am falling for you at this point, and it's scary. I just feel like I can't read you sometimes."
Greg therefore asked Katie how she was feeling with where they were at, and Katie confirmed, "I am falling for you, and it's exciting and it's scary -- and there's my truth."
Katie felt it was important to be honest with Greg, and she said their bond was proof this process was working for her.
Blake confessed to Katie that he was struggling with not pleasuring himself but would continue to try for her and their relationship. He joked about how it was only going to get "harder."
Although Katie had told the cameras she trusted Hunter and didn't want to deal with drama in the evening, James S.t down with Katie and said he had noticed "a lack of consistency with Hunter."
"I see his behavior as almost calculated. Specifically today, he expressed he was falling for you... and that raises concerns for me," James explained.
Katie apparently felt conflicted because she felt a strong connection with Hunter, but then Tre also accused Hunter of lying.
Tre told Katie that while Hunter announced he was falling in love with her on the group date, he told the drag queens offstage how he wasn't quite there yet because he does not take the words "I love you" lightly at all.
Tre suggested Hunter was on the show for the wrong reasons, and Katie worried these revelations were going to ruin her night.
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Katie then pulled Hunter aside for a chat in attempt to receive answers, and Katie shared how men had called him calculated and even compared him to Thomas Jacobs, who had been eliminated for wanting to become the next The Bachelor star.
Hunter promised Katie that he was only focused on her and didn't know what else he could say to defend himself. Hunter said he was trying his best to handle himself well and didn't want more drama for Katie during her journey.
Katie began to question how much she could trust Hunter and whether she really even knew him at all. Katie said she felt like she was going to throw up -- and she apparently actually did!
Katie canceled the afterparty and decided not to hand out a rose. She was clearly feeling completely drained, sick to her stomach and too upset to continue conversations.
Brendan said he was frustrated to not have any time with Katie and he wasn't happy, and James also agreed it was a waste of a night.
The next day, Katie embarked on a one-on-one date with Connor B. and hoped they could take their relationship out of the friendzone.
Katie said she loved talking to Connor B. and they got along wonderfully; however, they were missing a physical connection and "that spark and that passion" when they kissed. Katie therefore treated this date like "a test."
Kaitlyn and her fiance Jason Tartick -- who also started off as friends -- joined Katie and Connor B. on their date, which featured the two couples playing games outside, enjoying a few drinks and barbecuing.
Jason came to the conclusion that Connor is a great guy and he and Katie seemed to connect, and Kaitlyn advised Katie that time can change things and one kiss can change everything. Katie therefore remained optimistic she might have a "magic" moment with "Connor the Cat."
This date was make or break for Connor and Katie, who laughed, flirted and played. Kaitlyn hoped Katie would give Connor another chance, and The Bachelorette seemed up for it.
Katie acknowledged that Connor is "one of a kind," and the bachelor said all of his doubts and insecurities drifted away when they're together. Connor then went in for a passionate kiss at sunset, and Kaitlyn and Jason waited with bated breath from a distance.
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Connor was excited for the nighttime portion of the date and said he looked forward to introducing Katie -- whom he was "falling in love with" -- to his family during hometown dates.
But suddenly, Katie knocked on the door of Connor's hotel room and was crying.
Connor appeared surprised and asked Katie what was wrong, and Katie explained how she considered him to be such a great man and his actions all season long had meant the world to her.
Connor realized in that moment where the conversation was going, and so he gave Katie an opportunity to speak freely and openly.
Katie said she felt strongly for Connor when they first met and she had imagined walking away with him but then things changed, although he had done "nothing wrong."
"I'll be honest -- when we kissed, there was something missing in that kiss... Everything between us is so easy and so good, but that one kiss, that was the only time when something was missing," Katie explained in tears.
Connor assured Katie that it was okay and getting dumped was worth it just to have met her.
Katie hugged Connor goodbye as he was crying, and Katie admitted the goodbye was extremely hard. Katie said Connor had still put her first, even when she was breaking up with him, and any woman would be lucky to be with him and be loved by him.
"It's heartbreaking," Connor said after his exit. "Oh God!... How bad of a kisser am I?!"
Connor then said goodbye to the other guys, and Tre confessed he was "shook" at the sight of Connor so upset and brokenhearted. Connor's departure left Tre's confidence shaken, and all of the guys looked shocked by Katie's decision to let Connor go.
Katie believed she and Connor just weren't meant for each other even though he had checked off pretty much all of her boxes.
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Blake swept Katie off her feet and kissed her in the hallway of her hotel room. It was clear Katie was feeling passion with Blake that she had lacked with Connor.
Blake comforted Katie and wanted to soothe her and be supportive. He hoped to turn her mood around, and Katie called his appearance "the greatest surprise ever."
"I had no idea how romantic he can be!" Katie gushed in a confessional.
"When I'm with Blake, I don't think about anything else except him and I. I'm in trouble. With Blake and I, there is just overflowing passion. There is this undeniable chemistry. With Blake, this is what I'm looking for."
And Blake said he was certain that he was falling for Katie and that she was falling for him too.
"It's impossible to deny that Katie and I are going to fall in love, and it's so exciting to think that's going to happen and that it's going to happen soon," Blake boasted to the cameras.
"I feel like Katie is going to be my fiancee, and with Katie, I'm not going to hold back in any way. I feel like I'm in my own love story, and right now, I'm just going to enjoy my own happy ending."
Later on, Katie met her group of men at the cocktail party preceding the fifth Rose Ceremony of the season. Katie's remaining bachelors said they felt a lot of pressure, and James just hoped Katie was going to be "cautious" with Hunter.
Katie told her suitors that more time wasn't going to make a difference that evening and so she owed it to herself and to the men she had connected the strongest with to just cancel the cocktail party and proceed with the show.
Katie said she was following her heart and knew exactly what she wanted to do at the Rose Ceremony.
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When Katie was prepared to hand out her first rose, she called Hunter over but then asked him to talk in private. Katie admitted she was looking for clarity, and Hunter assured the Bachelorette that he had been "on fire" with emotions and only had the purest of intentions.
Hunter rejoined the group and then Katie resumed the Rose Ceremony. Katie said she was tired of the drama and didn't want to allow anyone the time to catch up to her other relationships. Katie insisted that she knew what she wanted and didn't want to mess around.
With that being said, Katie handed out roses to Blake, Andrew, Greg, Michael A., Mike P., and Brendan.
Since Justin had already received a rose on his one-on-one date, Katie chose to eliminate Hunter, Tre, Aaron, and James.
Tre confessed he had made "a couple of mistakes" by getting involved in drama in the house but he had "no regrets" about his entire experience and had a beautiful journey on the show.
Tre considered Katie to be one of the best women he's ever met, and he noted how he was glad to see her do what's best for herself in the end.
And Hunter lamented on his way out, "It's going to take a lot for me to get closure about why, like, why this unraveled the way it did, and I don't think she made the right decision. I want her to want me here, and she didn't. She didn't 100 percent want me here, so f-ck them."
Katie told her remaining bachelors during a champagne toast that she saw something special in each and every one of them and couldn't wait to continue their journey on the show.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
