The Bachelorette star Emily Maynard eliminated three bachelors and narrowed her love search to 10 men during last night's broadcast of the ABC reality dating series' eighth season.
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"I'm disappointed. I'm sad that I'm leaving. I've never been in love before, but I hope that I fall in love. I came here to see if Emily was the one for me and it turns out she's not," Michael said in tears following his departure.
"It sucks that I'm not going to be able to continue on in this beautiful journey I started, but I think this allowed me an opportunity to be more open. It's just upsetting that I was opening up and I left it all out on the line out there," Charlie said after he got eliminated.
The Bachelorette's fourth eighth-season episode began with the remaining 10 bachelors traveling to Bermuda for the week of dates with Emily.
Once they arrived and got settled into their hotel suite, host Chris Harrison met up with the men and told them there would be a one-on-one date, a group date and a two-on-one date over the course of the next week. There would be a rose up for grabs during each date -- and if the bachelors on the one-on-one and two-on-one dates failed to receive a rose, they would be ousted immediately.
Doug Clerget, a 33-year-old real estate agent from Seattle, WA, then was told he'd be accompanying Emily on the week's only one-on-one date.
Arie Luyendyk, Jr., a 30-year-old race car driver from Scottsdale, AZ, said he wanted Doug to go home because he desired the "football team" and "bromance" to end. Meanwhile, Doug was really nervous for his date because he was terrified Emily may deny him the rose in the end and send him home. His fellow suitors were playing to his weaknesses and teasing him, which really frustrated Doug and set him off a bit.
Emily then picked up Doug for their date and interrupted the chaos, and she said she could feel the tension in the room as if everyone was "on edge" for some reason.
For the first portion of their date, Emily and Doug walked around in the little Bermuda town of St. George. They went shopping for a bit and enjoyed some conversation, which Emily believed flowed easily and made her feel comfortable around Doug. Emily thought she and Doug had an instant connection and understood each other. She also found him to be extremely good looking.
After telling Emily he started his own charity organization, Doug clearly continued to surprise and impress her. She was shocked that although he had a rough past, he was not bitter at all. Doug was then very open about the dispute with his fellow bachelors back at the suite prior to their date, and Emily appreciated his honestly.
Afterward, Emily and Doug wrote his son Austin a postcard, and Doug was thrilled because he was convinced it would make his day.
Meanwhile, back at the suite, the other bachelors learned who would share the group date with Emily.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOWCharlie; Ryan Bowers, a 31-year-old pro sports trainer from Augusta, GA; Chris Bukowski, a 25-year-old corporate sales director from Chicago, IL; Jef Holm, a 27-year-old entrepreneur from Salt Lake City, UT; Sean Lowe, a 28-year-old insurance agent from Dallas, TX; Arie; Travis Pope, a 30-year-old advertising sales representative from Madison, MS; and Kalon McMahon, a 27-year-old luxury brand consultant from Houston, TX.
"So it's myself, John, [Alejandro Velez], and Michael that are not going on the group date this week, so two of us will be on the two-on-one. I'm so dumbfounded right now I'm not going on the group date, because the two-on-one is two men fighting over one person. Things could get ugly and I'm not ready to go home yet," Nate explained.
Back on Emily's date, Doug was on cloud nine with how things were going, but Emily was beginning to feel a little unsure about him.
"I'm having a lot of fun with Doug, but I feel like there's something that he'd hiding from me, like he always has to give me the perfect answer. It's kind of very similar to the way I felt around [Brad Womack]. And with Brad, things definitely didn't go perfect. So tonight, I really just want Doug to open up to me, because if he is like Brad, it'll be hard for me to give him a rose tonight," Emily told the cameras.
Emily then asked Doug when the last time was he argued with his ex-girlfriend. Doug said it was because he didn't wash his car and was spending too much time with his son. Emily was a little disappointed in his answers, because it still left her uncertain as to whether Doug was just telling her things she wanted to hear and or was being truly sincere.
"I feel like Doug is trying to give me the perfect answer because he doesn't want to turn me off, but what he doesn't know, is I don't want the perfect answer. I want the honest answer," Emily said.
Emily told Doug she could probably come up with more faults than she's "too good of a mom." She said she was sensitive, stubborn, had trouble making up her mind, didn't work out, and sometimes wouldn't get out of her pajamas for the entire day. Doug couldn't help but question how she considered those flaws or faults, and then Emily was beginning to see his side of things. Doug tried to tell her he was "just a guy."
Doug told Emily he wasn't a genius but he wasn't dumb, and he wasn't wealthy but he also wasn't poor. "I'm just Doug," he said.
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Emily then gave Doug the rose because he had instilled a new faith in her -- a faith that assured her that Doug was a genuinely good guy. Doug gladly accepted the rose, but he wasn't quite ready to lean in for the kiss.
"I will remember today and tonight forever. This was the best date I've ever had. I got the rose and I was on cloud nine, and then I started thinking about kissing Emily. I'd really like to give Emily a kiss, but my grandfather always told me, "Never kiss a girl until they let you know that they really want you to. So I have not kissed a girl in months and months. It's been a really long time, actually," Doug explained.
"I'm a little different from the other guys here in that I move pretty slow. I don't ever make a first move -- ever. If Emily's wants a first kiss from Doug, she'll let Doug know she wants a kiss."
The next day, on the group date, the guys learned they'd be going sailing and racing against each other in two teams. The winners would get to spend more time with Emily throughout the latter portion of the date, while the losers would be forced to go back to the hotel and hang out with each other.
While most of the remaining bachelors embarked on the group date, John and Nate discovered they were going to be the two guys accompanying Emily on The Bachelorette's infamous upcoming two-on-one date. Neither of the bachelors were happy, because they knew how much pressure was going to be on them.
During the sailing group date, the guys got very competitive and tried their hardest to win. The yellow team -- which was comprised of Arie, Ryan, Jef, and Kalon -- ended up taking the cake. Charlie, who was on the opposing red team, was especially bummed and felt embarrassed. He couldn't believe he wasn't going to get any extra time with Emily.
That night, when Emily and her winning bachelors had some time to relax and chat, Ryan toasted in front of everyone to the "most beautiful trophy wife" ever, leaving Arie with a bad taste in his mouth. Arie thought Ryan was finally starting to show his true colors to Emily.
"Tonight's about spending time with Emily. It's not about winning the race or competing for a trophy wife. It's about getting that chance to hang out with her, and that's my priority right now," Arie said.
Jef then got to talk to Emily, and he was motivated to make his short time with her matter and mean something. Jef didn't want his conversation leaving Emily feeling like she had just talked to "another guy." Jef told Emily he loved hanging out with her and it was hard to let so much time elapse in between their meetings.
Emily told Jef to just be patient, and she was glad to hear Jef tell her flat out that he really liked her. When they were sitting on the beach together chatting, Emily was a little upset they didn't share their first kiss. However, Emily knew more chances were yet to come and she could wait a little longer for the special moment.
After spending a little time with Kalon, Ryan then pulled Emily aside. He said he wanted to make an impression on her rather than just impress her. Emily brought up some comments Ryan had said that bothered her and were lingering on her mind -- including whether he'd be okay with her gaining weight and statements he had made about getting her "butt to the gym."
Ryan clearly enjoyed giving Emily a bit of a hard time, but she seemed to take it all flirtatiously and waved some of his comments off with a laugh. Ryan then told Emily he had a hard time watching her kiss Arie in the hallway during the prior cocktail reception, especially because she was serving as a role model for young women everywhere as The Bachelorette.
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"I understand where he's coming from, but I'm also like, 'Why are you so upset about it? You kind of knew what you were getting yourself into.' I feel like there is such a double standard. If this were The Bachelor, no one would even bat an eye. I just feel like he's judging me," Emily explained.
Afterward, Emily decided to give the group date's rose to Jef, and he said it felt amazing. Jef then admitted he was beginning to fall for Emily. Arie was a little confused why he didn't get the rose himself, while Ryan was coming from the opposite perspective in claiming Emily had made "a safe move."
Although Ryan didn't get the rose, he just didn't want Arie to receive it because it would've rubbed him the wrong way after he discussed his issues with Emily. Ryan said he would've felt a little "betrayed" following their private conversation.
The following day, Emily went on her two-on-one date with John and Nate. Both guys were anticipating getting to know Emily a little bit better but feared rejection at the same time.
Meanwhile, back at the hotel suite, the bachelors were bickering over age differences and how much that could potentially play a role in their maturity level and ability to step up as a father figure to Emily's daughter Ricki.
Doug insisted five-year gaps were instrumental in gaining life experience, as 30-year-olds were more mature and wanted different things than 25-year-olds. Chris felt like Doug's comment was a direct shot against him since he happened to be 25, and he was growing very frustrated because he was sure he was ready for everything a relationship with Emily might entail.
During Emily's date, The Bachelorette star, John and Nate jumped off a cliff into the water and enjoyed some time outdoors. She loved seeing their fun, playful sides. However, she knew things were going to get more serious, and she also hoped to see a more serious side to the guys.
That night, the threesome shared a dinner inside a candle-lit Bermuda cave, and Emily was feeling extremely awkward because she had trouble getting personal with either guy when they were sitting at the table altogether.
Emily then grabbed Nate first to talk, and he told her he regretted not opening up to her sooner -- using that as reasoning as to why he understood why he ended up in the two-on-one date position. However, Emily assured him the interest was there for both guys.
Nate ended up getting a little teary-eyed during their conversation when talking about how close he was with his family and how he hoped to end up with the love his parents had throughout the years. Emily thought he was very sweet, innocent and kind. Afterward, Emily talked to John, and he told her he had every intention to work on their relationship and get to know each other better. Emily really liked his confidence.
When all three people returned to the table, Emily was ready to give out the date's only rose.
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John accepted the rose and Nate was very bummed out.
"Even though I know I'm making the right decision, it doesn't make it any easier having to look at someone and tell them that they're not for you. Nate cried about missing his family. It was so sweet and so endearing, but at the same time, I think that Nate is still really young. He admitted himself that he hasn't had a whole lot of life experiences and hey, that's a big part of maturity," Emily explained.
"I hope I did everything I could to let him know he didn't do anything wrong. It's not fun to send people home... He was such a gentleman and I feel bad, because it's never fun to hurt a person's feelings."
Emily was glad to be done with the day because it was "emotionally draining."
The next night, the cocktail party preceding the Rose Ceremony took place, so each of them bachelors would have one last chance to steal some personal time with Emily.
Doug thought Ryan was "overconfident" and thought most of his act was just a "load of crap." After giving Alejandro, a 25-year-old mushroom farmer from San Francisco, CA, a quick moment, Emily then spoke to Ryan.
While the couple went off to chat, the rest of the guys thought there was a possibility Ryan could be going home if Emily saw through his nice-guy persona. The bachelors agreed they'd be thrilled to see him go because it would be a huge blow to his ego.
"I'm not a real big fan of Ryan. There's so many things about Ryan that are narcissistic. I don't think Ryan really cares about Emily's happiness," Arie said. "It's all about Ryan. I'm protective of her because I don't want to see her hurt."
During Ryan and Emily's time together, Ryan surprisingly had more questions for Emily than she had for him.
"I personally feel like God has blessed me in a lot of ways. I'm romantic and I'm an athletic, charming guy and all those things. So I'm really evaluating Emily because I just don't want to fall in love with the wrong person. I'm doing it diligence, I guess you could say at this point," Ryan explained.
"I'm not worried about Emily and Arie. She says that every time we're around each other, she's more and more impressed by me. So, I just don't see Arie as a threat, to be honest with you. I'm very sure that I am a really good catch and I think the other guys see that. Emily, I like what I see in her. She has some great potential. But then again, to be very honest with you, I feel like I'm being called to something bigger."
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"We're all here to spend time with Emily, but when this whole thing is done, if it doesn't work out for me and I'm involved with the media back home, I'm going to say, 'Let's do Bachelor Ryan,'" Ryan said. "Isn't it great whenever you're able to use a position like this?"
Ryan later elaborated on his mission to become the next The Bachelor star.
"Emily is a very special person, but whether I end up with her or not, I think this is part of the journey that I'm walking. This is the path. I'm a good man. I know that. I'm confident in who I am and the choices I make. If I was the Bachelor, I'd be ready to open my heart up and it'd be neat for everyone to see," Ryan told the cameras.
Emily then got some alone time with Sean and told him that she had strong feelings for him even though they hadn't gotten a special one-on-one date together yet. Sean then gave Emily a kiss and told her he could kiss her all the time if given the opportunity.
Meanwhile, Doug told cameras that Emily was making a mistake in keeping Chris around because he wasn't ready to be a father. However, Chris completely disagreed with Doug's stance and wanted to make sure Emily felt good about him. Chris then assured Emily he was ready to be a father and husband, and he felt insulted by the other bachelors' view of him.
After speaking with Emily, Chris then approached Doug to talk. He asked Doug why he thought he was the better man for Emily, and Doug said he never said he was -- ultimately calling Chris' behavior immature. Doug felt like Chris was "coming at him" for no reason, although he insisted Chris "didn't get his competitive juices flowing."
Doug told Chris he wasn't going to feel comfortable around him anymore and then called him out for being insecure. Chris was getting increasingly more frustrated over Doug's reaction, telling him he was "over-the-top" humble and he didn't believe "half the sh-t" he was saying.
Chris questioned whether Doug had anything to hide because he didn't believe it was possible to have that extent of a good-guy personality at all times.
Afterward, Emily sat down and talked to Chris Harrison about her journey thus far. Emily admitted she was still trying to figure out Doug because he was either more than perfect or she was missing something serious in the equation. She also worried whether Jef wasn't into her because they hadn't kissed yet.
Chris could tell Emily had a crush on Arie because when she spoke about him, her face lit up and she got giddy. Emily expressed how much she liked Arie, and then told Chris she had concerns about whether Alejandro was ready to step into a father-figure role.
In addition, Emily said she sensed Ryan might be trying to pull a fast one on her because he was coming across "manipulative." Emily said Ryan probably thought he had her wrapped around his finger, but he'd be mistaken.
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Besides Doug, Jef and John, Emily gave roses to Sean, Arie, Travis, Chris, Ryan, Kalon, and Alejandro.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
