The Bachelorette featured Michelle feeling "unseen" and "hurt" during a group date, The Bachelorette star questioning Martin Gelbspan due to his close friendship with Jamie Skaar, Chris Sutton and Nayte Olukoya getting into a heated confrontation, and three more men going home during Tuesday night's Season 18 episode on ABC.
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Joe Coleman, a 28-year-old real estate developer from Minneapolis, MN, said Jamie had been preaching "honesty, transparency and communication" and had opportunities to prove those things without following through.
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The guys considered Jamie "a snake" and praised Michelle for being "a strong woman" and confronting a difficult situation head-on.
Meanwhile, Michelle talked to The Bachelorette co-host Kaitlyn Bristowe about how she had trusted her intuition when it came to Jamie and noticed red flags, which would prevent her from establishing trust with him going forward.
Michelle, however, was thankful the rest of her men were being so vulnerable with her and seemed "all in."
The Bachelorette co-host Tayshia Adams then dropped off a Date Card for Michelle's remaining men, and they learned Martin, a 29-year-old personal trainer from Miami, FL, would be accompanying Michelle on the first one-on-one date of the week.
"Let's get love back on track," Michelle wrote on the Date Card.
Martin had apparently been very close with Jamie in the house, and so some of the guys were wary about him pursuing and potentially ending up with Michelle.
"I don't trust him. I personally feel like Martin can be two-faced. I hope he goes home. He doesn't deserve a woman of her caliber," said Olumide "Olu" Onajide, a 27-year-old IT analyst from Newark, NJ.
Martin met Michelle at the BMW Performance Center, and the pair both drove his or her own BMW M3.
They did donuts on a track and learned how to slide a car on a skid pad. In the end, Michelle won a race against Martin, who said Michelle looked "badass" and "sexy" behind the wheel of her yellow car.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOWThe couple then relaxed in a hot tub and enjoyed champagne, and Michelle brought up how she had made a connection with somebody and felt she could trust somebody -- and then that feeling totally dissipated in one day.
"As far as Jamie's situation goes, I'm not trying to take his side or anything... Everyone's like, 'He's a rat' or this or that, but I was like, 'I don't think he's a bad person. I still think he's a hell of a man," Martin told Michelle.
"So do you feel like I made the incorrect decision [by eliminating Jamie] yesterday?" Michelle asked.
"No," Martin replied. "That's your connection with him and I can't get mad at you getting rid of somebody when I'm here too. It builds my relationship with you."
Michelle explained how she needed a man who would trust her and her decisions because she's a strong woman, and then Martin pointed out how her relationships with the men were different from the friendships the guys had developed in the house.
Michelle wasn't sure whether Martin was defending Jamie or tell her that she had made a mistake.
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"Either way, I felt like my decision was potentially being questioned, and that's not a good feeling," Michelle shared in a confessional.
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Michelle told Martin that she felt like he had shut her down in conversation, and Martin admitted he can be very blunt and never intends to come across condescending. Martin confessed that he needed to work on his communication and doesn't mind a woman calling him out.
Martin shared with Michelle how he had grown up in a household where his father wasn't a good communicator and often hid his tears. Martin wasn't used to watching or seeing emotion from his parents and so he essentially learned crying "isn't okay to do."
Martin assured Michelle that he was trying to be vulnerable and would raise his children differently, by leading with example and showing them it's okay to show their feelings and be communicative.
Michelle could relate because she didn't know how to express herself or be open until college.
Over at the house, the guys received the next Date Card, and it had the following names on it: Olu; Joe; Nayte, a 27-year-old sales executive from Austin, TX; Will Urena, a 28-year-old academic interventionist from Grand Rapids, MI; Chris S., a 28-year-old commodities broker from West Hollywood, CA; Casey Woods, a 36-year-old advertising creative director from Miami Beach, FL; Chris Gallant, a 28-year-old motivational speaker from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Leroy Arthur, a 27-year-old biomedical Ph.D. student from Dallas, TX; Rodney Mathews, a 29-year-old sales representative from Rancho Cucamonga, CA; Brandon Jones, a 26-year-old traveling nurse recruiter from Portland, OR; Clayton Echard, a 28-year-old medical sales representative from Columbia, MO; and Romeo Alexander, a 32-year-old mathematician from New York City, NY.
Rick Leach, a 32-year-old medical sales representative from Los Angeles, CA, therefore discovered he'd be accompanying Michelle on the next group date, and he couldn't wait to dish about his family, friends and life.
"I'm not stressing when I'm going to get a one-on-one date. All I know is a one-on-one is coming, and if it's not today, it's going to be another time. I'm in a good spot regardless, I feel like," Nayte announced.
Chris S. told the cameras Nayte was coming off "really cocky," adding, "He thinks he's got everything in the bag!"
Afterward, Michelle gave Martin a rose for listening well, opening up, and changing quickly or adjusting his behavior when necessary.
The date ended with Michelle and Martin looking at the stars together, and she noted how it was a very "powerful" moment for the both of them.
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The next day, 12 guys were gifted new pajamas because Michelle surprised them with a massive slumber party complete with teddy bears, ice cream, cotton candy, and games.
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"It's like, 'Why the f-ck am I here?'" Michelle questioned, adding how she felt totally "unseen" and alone on the group date.
Michelle was no longer excited about the date. She didn't think the behavior was intentional, but Michelle recalled trying to make a moment with Matt James on The Bachelor at every single opportunity.
The Bella Twins, Nikki and Brie Bella, then showed up on the date and told the men they'd be competing in "The Ultimate Teddy Bear Takedown," which was essentially a pillow fight using teddy bears.
Michelle was upset because she wanted to talk to her bachelors and get to know them better, but she decided not to "sweat the small stuff" and make the date "a big thing."
The guys were told the winning team would advance to the afterparty while the losing team would be sent home.
The guys proceeded to battle each other in a series of matchups, and in the end, the winning team was comprise of Olu, Clayton, Nayte, Chris G., and Romeo.
At the end of the group date, Michelle acknowledged how she felt really "frustrated" and "hurt," even though she had tried to make the best of the Teddy Bear Takedown.
Michelle remembered being overlooked as "the token Black girl" growing up, which made dealing with this current situation of being unnoticed even more difficult.
During the afterparty, Michelle decided to be 100 percent transparent with her suitors. She said she had been putting in so much effort to make "small moments" with the guys and she didn't feel like that was being reciprocated.
Michelle said she didn't expect massive and romantic gifts or gestures but she'd appreciate "a hello" during a date. Michelle wanted to feel appreciated and sought after, and so she decided to pull Nayte first for a conversation.
The men apparently felt really bad about their actions, especially Olu, who was brought to tears. Olu could relate to Michelle feeling overlooked and "in the shadows" during her childhood, and he clearly never wanted to make her feel that way.
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Olu shared with Michelle how he could hear and feel her pain because his beloved sisters had dealt with similar situations in their past of feeling unseen. Olu insisted that he appreciated Michelle, and she was grateful for his honesty.
The conversations Michelle had that night with the men were exactly what she needed to continue on in the process. She felt heard and validated.
Michelle then decided to give the group date rose to Olu, commending him on "exuding so much strength and showing [his] vulnerability," which allowed Michelle to do the same.
Michelle no longer wanted to put on a good face for others when she's struggling internally.
The next day, Rick embarked on his one-on-one date with Michelle, and they took their relationship to "new heights" by taking a gondola ride up to a higher altitude. It wasn't a big and elaborate activity, but Michelle pointed out how she likes "simple" sometimes.
Rick and Michelle took in some beautiful views together and then got in touch with nature by walking around in the woods, where they stumbled across a wish box.
Michelle and Rick read other people's wishes, and one person wished he could be the type of man his dad had been. The note made Rick start to cry, because he shared with Michelle how his father had been depressed for the last 10 years of his life.
Rick said he couldn't help his father, and that was one of his toughest challenges in life.
Michelle told Rick that tough conversations must be had in order to fall in love, and Rick was shocked by how deeply he was connecting with Michelle in just a few hours. Rick thought his dynamic with Michelle was just "easy."
Over a nice dinner that evening, Rick told Michelle how his father had been his coach growing up and there were times when he was a good father and husband -- and there were times when he wasn't.
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Rick decided to tell his mother about the text message, which resulted in Rick and his siblings having to move out of their home shortly after Christmas with their mother.
"Unfortunately, he had cheated on my mom, and then he split. Honestly, I blamed myself at first [because of the text]," Rick said. "But I can only take responsibility for my choices."
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Rick said he eventually found his father dead on the floor after a decade of his dad being depressed. Rick said his father unfortunately blamed him for the whole divorce since he had spilled the beans to his mother.
Rick expressed to Michelle how he was "falling in love" with her and would enjoy every moment with her until he could actually say, "I love you."
"I was not ready for that," Michelle sweetly said before kissing the suitor.
Rick acknowledged how he and Michelle had "a strong bond" and being in love at the end of the show would be "priceless." And with that being said, Michelle gave him a rose because she said she could be her complete self with Rick.
The pair ended their date with a performance by Andy Grammer, and Rick said, "I feel like I'm in a dream and I need to wake myself up."
Michelle appreciated how Rick was so thankful for every moment, and she told the cameras how he was proving to her the process was working.
Once the next cocktail party commenced, Chris S. said he didn't like how Michelle had felt unseen during a previous group date and then announced how some guys in the cast felt like they already had the competition "in the bag."
Chris S. said some of the men weren't putting in enough effort and Michelle deserved more.
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Michelle appreciated Chris S. speaking up in her defense and confirmed that no one had it "in the bag -- not even close."
Nayte didn't feel Chris S.'s speech did any good and was "weird as hell" because Michelle had addressed her issues with six men during the group-date afterparty and Chris S. was totally unaware of those conversations.
But then Chris S. flat out admitted to Michelle that Nayte had been overconfident in anticipating his one-on-one date, saying how it wasn't matter of "if" he'd receive a solo date but "when." Chris S. apparently thought Michelle "deserved to know" that.
Michelle felt "disappointed" in Nayte and wanted to make it clear that there was no frontrunner for her heart at this stage in the game.
Chris G. thought Chris S. had created "a negative situation" for no reason, and Romeo added how Chris S.'s actions appeared to be "a desperate ploy to ruin everything."
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Chris S. insisted how he just cared about Michelle's feelings, but Nayte called it "a strategic move in the worst way possible" that appeared to "come out of left field." Nayte assumed Chris S. wanted to come across like Michelle's "protector."
While Nayte and Michelle talked about how she's not a prize and shouldn't light a fire under a man's ass to fight for her, Brandon accused Chris S. of starting some real "sh-t."
Nayte could tell his connection with Michelle was going downhill for no reason, and so he complained about feeling "really pissed off."
Nayte subsequently asked Chris S. to speak in private, and Chris S. said he never meant to single Nayte out.
Nayte complained that his time with Michelle was dominated by what Chris S. had said, and Nayte expressed anger about his name being in Chris S.'s mouth to begin with.
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Chris S. asked Nayte to "calm down" and accused the bachelor of wanting to put his hands on him. Nayte said he was just asking questions, and their confrontation ended with Nayte calling Chris S. "a dweeb."
"I came in on my white horse and I saved [Michelle] from the castle that she's been stuck in," Chris S. explained to the cameras.
Nayte dubbed Chris S. a "weirdo," and the other guys said they understood why Nayte was so upset about having been thrown under the bus. The guys seemed to agree Chris S. was "a snake" in the house.
Joe, Rodney and Brandon then continued to woo Michelle and push themselves out of their comfort zones.
Chris S. felt pretty certain a rose was coming his way, but Olu and the other men considered him to be "a rat" and predicted Michelle was going to send him home.
"I think it was very selfish and immature of Chris to pull that stunt," Clayton noted.
At the Rose Ceremony, Michelle handed out roses to Brandon, Leroy, Joe, Rodney, Clayton, Casey, Nayte, and Chris S.
Michelle therefore eliminated Chris G., Will, and Romeo.
The episode ended with Michelle announcing to her remaining suitors they'd be traveling to Minnesota to see where Michelle had grown up.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
