First dates, flying ice cubes and the unexpected voluntary departure of one bachelorette highlighted last night's broadcast of The Bachelor's thirteenth season. When the dust had settled, three more female suitors were eliminated as star Jason Mesnick continued his pursuit of true love.
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"When I first saw Jason, there was hope this could be the person for me," said Sharon following her elimination. "I quit my job, I left my family, I left my friends. I gave a lot to be here and I got cut short."
"I came here for Jason, I wanted it to work out, I had faith it would work out. The way he looked in my eyes I just felt we had a connection with him," added Raquel. "I wanted to stay, I wanted to get to know him better. Maybe I was too aggressive for him, I don't know I really don't know."
Lisa, a 27-year-old public relations associate from Boise, ID, was the third bachelorette to leave the reality dating show. However, she did so voluntarily, telling Jason prior to the Rose Ceremony that she needed to be with her family while her grandmother coped with a terminal form of cancer.
"To be honest, I was excited to talk to Lisa, we really hadn't had a chance to share anything yet," Jason said after learning of her departure. "But she told me that her grandma was sick, and she's deciding to go home to spend time with her, and I completely support that decision because I think any person as amazing as Lisa would do the same thing."
The Bachelor's second thirteenth-season episode began with host Chris Harrison informing the fifteen remaining bachelorettes that Jason would be taking them out on either group or one-on-one dates. For each group date there would be one rose up for grabs amongst the ladies, with no repercussions to those who don't receive it other than a date at that week's Rose Ceremony.
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Chris then surprised the girls with the season's second twist as he told them that, unlike previous seasons, not every girl would get the opportunity to go on a date with Jason before the upcoming Rose Ceremony.
"It definitely sucks for whoever doesn't [get to go on a date]," said Naomi, a 24-year-old flight attendant from Carlsbad, CA, after learning of the twist.
The girls received an additional surprise the following day when Jason decided to join them unannounced as they relaxed by the pool.
"I don't wanna see them immensely prepared, I just wanna see them be themselves," Jason said of his decision to surprise the girls.
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Jason first made a point to seek out Megan, a 25-year-old lacrosse coach and single mom from Sewickley, PA, who had been "voted out" by the other bachelorettes in the season premiere but remained on the show because of a twist that not only kept her in the competition but also automatically awarded her an initial Rose Ceremony rose.
Megan told Jason that she had been trying to forget the ordeal, and added that she felt she had only received the rose "by default" and not because he had necessarily wanted her to remain on the show.
However, Jason told her otherwise.
"If that thing didn't happen, you would gotten a rose anyway, I mean because you know I want you here." Jason told her.
"It was absolutely one-hundred percent a huge relief for Jason to say 'I want you here' and that I would've gotten a rose anyway," Megan said after her talk with Jason. "As far as any girls who voted me out of the house, time will tell, and they will go home."
Jason also sought out Jillian, a 29-year-old interior designer from Peace River, Alberta, Canada, who had caught his attention at the cocktail party with her "hot dog test." After asking to hear more about her hot dog theory, Jillian laughed as she admitted that she had initially pegged him as a ketchup person, or a "momma's boy," but had been pleasantly surprised by his selection of mustard.
"I thought that you were a really, really great guy, not that mustard's not a really great guy. But mustard's just a little bit more fun than the ketchup," she told Jason as he laughed along with her theory.
"Jillian was a blast today," Jason said later. "She is definitely one of the girls that's the life of the party. She's great, she's hilarious."
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"I didn't think the girls were expecting that this party was going to turn into handing out a rose at all. I wasn't even expecting to hand out a rose today," Jason said. "There are so many girls here, and there's really just not enough time to talk to them all."
Some of the highlights of the remainder of the pool party included Naomi talking with Jason about his charity work; the inability of Stephanie, a 34-year-old medical marketing representative and single mom from Huntsville, AL, to break into a conversation between Jason and Natalie, a 27-year-old human resources associate from Morton, IL, despite bringing over a drink for him.
In addition, Shannon, a 29-year-old dental hygienist from Marshall, MO, also threw ice up onto the balcony to interrupt a one-on-one conversation of Jason's after she admitted she was "bothered" when he spoke with the other women and willing to "do whatever it takes to get some alone time with him."
Jason then retrieved his rose and decided to give it to Jillian, whom he told to quickly get dressed for the date they would be going on that evening.
After the bachelorettes returned to the house, Natalie had to be consoled by Raquel as she cried in the bathroom because she didn't receive the rose.
"Jillian is in a great place with Jason right now," Natalie said later. "Getting time with Jason before this next ceremony is extremely important, and that could've been me, but whatever."
For Jason's date with Jillian -- which he said would be "just about use getting to know each other and having a good time" because she had already received a rose and was safe from elimination -- the couple traveled in a limousine to the Disney Hall in Los Angeles. After walking around the building's unique exterior and sharing champagne and chocolate strawberries under the stars while they looks at a scenic view of Los Angeles, the couple was treated to a private concert by Robin Thicke inside the building.
The couple shared a kiss as they danced together during the performance. Following the date, Jillian said the date had been one of the most "intimate" dates she had ever been on.
"When it comes to people and it comes to connections, I think we had a great connection," Jillian said. "[The date] was amazing, it was phenomenal." Jillian
Jason was equally impressed, saying that Jillian had been "fun" and "easy to talk to" ant that the date had "a little bit of romance too."
While Jason and Jillian were out together, Melissa, a 25-year-old sales representative from Dallas, TX, learned that she would be going on the next one-on-one date with Jason the following day. While excited, she admitted to not being "good at dating." She was stressed out further after learning that Jillian and Jason had kissed on their date.
"When I heard that Jillian and Jason had kissed, it made me more nervous because now I'm going 'Well they had a fantastic evening, how am I gonna follow up to that?'" Melissa said.
However, Melissa impressed Jason on their date when discussing her recent decision to pursue a teaching certificate so she could become a first grade teacher. Jason later admitted to perhaps selling the former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader short.
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After receiving a kiss from Jason while the two sat on a beach, the couple went for a ride in the Goodyear Blimp before Jason gave her a rose as well.
"When Jason gave me the rose I was ecstatic," Melissa said. "My last date was literally years ago, so to have a date like this, it's the most extravagant, best first date ever."
For Jason's third date -- a group date -- the bachelor chose Natalie; Erica, a 25-year-old account executive from Monroe, CT; Naomi; Nikki, a 29-year-old administrative assistant from Blue Island, IL; Lauren, a 27-year-old teacher from Malboro, NJ; Kari, a 27-year-old advertising executive from Lee's Summit, MO; Sharon; and Molly, a 24-year-old department store buyer from Grand Rapids, MI to accompany him.
After taking the girls shopping to pick out an entire outfit, Jason brought the girls to a pool on top of a hotel overlooking Hollywood for the evening. Highlights of the date included an impromptu talent show that saw Jason show off his supposed break dancing skills and a synchronized swimming routine by Kari, Molly and Shannon, and an argument between Nikki and Natalie after Natalie said out loud that she saw Jason and Shannon kissing after the girls had made a pact to not spy on each other while they were with Jason.
"I don't need to hear that," said Nikki, who proceeded to seek out Jason and tell him that she did not feel that some of the girls understood the commitment it took to become a wife and step-mother.
"I really wish you could see what its like at the house, what people say and how people act," Nikki told Jason. "There's a lot of people that say they're ready to be a mom, but they don't show the characteristics or the maturity of being responsible enough to be a mom"
"I'd love to know who's not ready for that, just know that I know you are," Jason responded.
Naomi stepped up her efforts to get time alone with Jason, and told him that she would always look out for him and be a friend to him regardless of how the competition went. However, she was "shocked" when Jason ultimately decided to give his rose for the date to Molly instead of her.
After Jason returned to the house with the bachelorettes, Raquel -- who did not receive a date -- took an opportunity to sneak out into his limousine and wait for him to get a moment of alone time with him and reiterate that she wanted to stay at the house.
"He could possibly be my soul mate, and I letting it go because I didn't even try? No way," she said.
However, Jason seemed shocked, and somewhat frightened, upon seeing Raquel in the car and seemed to have nothing to say to her after she plead her case to him.
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Some of the party's highlights included Megan and Stephanie developing a bond because they were both mothers, Shannon further displaying her in-depth knowledge of Jason and his family, Lisa's revelation that she had to leave the show because of her ill grandmother, and Megan getting mad at Molly after she stole Jason away from her when she finally had gotten some alone time with him.
Megan's anger extended to Erica after she said that Molly had been wrong, but then went into another room and supported Molly's decision to interrupt the conversation. Erica responded by saying that she had been playing devil's advocate when the two had been speaking about Molly, and added that Megan's attitude had been the reason that the girls had voted to eliminate her.
"Megan, she's a mess," Erica added later. "Everybody was talking about both sides and she wanted to cause a little drama, which doesn't surprise me. [I got a] bad karma feeling from the start, that girl is no good."
The Bachelor's second thirteenth-season Rose Ceremony then commenced.
Prior to revealing his choices, Jason told Chris that he had noticed the girls vying for his attention more than in the previous week, and added that his decision had been "a little bit tougher" than the week before.
"I mean that by the fact that I'm gonna have to let two women go who are amazing and that I know a lot better," he added.
In addition to Jillian, Melissa and Molly, the other bachelorettes who received roses were Megan, Nikki, Lauren, Naomi, Stephanie, Kari, Natalie, Shannon, and Erica.
"Love can be a very difficult thing, heartbreak is painful," Sharon said after her ouster. "He doesn't see himself marrying me, so yeah I'm disappointed."
The Bachelor's next episode will air Monday, January 19 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC.
(Photo credit ABC/Adam Larkey) About The Author: John Bracchitta
