by Gina Scarpa

 

Things got real this week on The Bachelorette as date cards began to arrive. Ryan is the first of the season to get a one on one date and if he was expecting a helicopter ride, or to bungee jump off a bridge, he has another thought coming! Emily is just looking to feel comfortable doing everyday things with these guys so she asks Ryan to help bake cookies for Ricki's soccer game. If a lot of the dates are along these lines this season, I can't complain. I think people on the show need to experience what a normal life would be like.

 

Emily drops off the cookies to Ricki without introducing Ryan (thank god) and then two head out to dinner where she gets serious. She wants to know how many relationships he's had, if he'll get bored once there's no cat/mouse dynamic happening, and that she doesn't want to be the prize at the end of a game or competition. Ryan gives her back a tough question as well, asking if she's really open to having a man be a part of Ricki's life. Fair question. He seems a little too perfect to Emily but she takes a chance on him and gives him the rose. The night ends with a concert by Gloriana, and a few hundred others in attendance, but the attention is all on Emily and Ryan. It may be too early to say this but they do seem like a pretty cute couple!

 

The next date card is the dreaded group date - who wants to get stuck on those? The unlucky 13 this week are Alejandro, Nate, Alessandro, Tony, Michael, John, Jef, Charlie, Kyle, Chris, Aaron, Stevie, and Kalon. Everyone meets up at a local theater and will be performing to raise money for The Ricky Hendrick Centers for Intensive Care at The Levine Children's Hospital. To help ensure the guys put on great show, Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Fozzie show up for a little advice and direction - love it! Everyone is split into three groups. Some will dance with Miss Piggy, others will sing with Kermit, and the rest will do a comedy routine with Fozzie.

 

Charlie was having a serious issue with getting up on stage to do comedy, because he's self-conscious about his speech following an accident that he suffered. Emily switches him to the singing group without a second thought. Yet, when the show arrives, he's called out on stage for a little improv sketch with Miss Piggy. Apparently, The Bachelorette producers weren't as sympathetic as Emily but he does really well. Give him that rose, Emily!

 

Before we can get to that, it's time for a little after party where everyone pulls her in a million directions, trying to make that lasting impression. She flatters Chris and tells him how attractive he is, calls out Jef for not paying enough attention to her, dances with Stevie, and the date rose ends up going to Jef. Looks like attraction wins this round! The two didn't even talk the entire day until the cocktail party!

 

The last one on one of the week goes to Joe, who gets the over the top date that Ryan didn't get. They travel, by private jet, to West Virginia then take a beautiful vintage car to The Greenbrier. The Greenbrier is a resort that Emily has been going to since she was a little girl and it's pretty clear she grew up very comfortable financially. The date starts off okay but it seems over dinner that things are uncomfortable and a spark is missing. Knowing that it probably won't work out, she decides to part ways now and I'll give it to Joe. He takes it well.

 

Heading into the cocktail party, there is some clear tension between some of the guys and all of that drama somehow has Kalon involved. From arguing with Stevie over time with Emily to saying Doug put being a dad on hold to be here, he's not exactly winning fans. At least Kalon has as little competition, as the attention is turned on Ryan for spending time with Emily when he's safe. I mean, just because the guy has a rose doesn't mean he can't talk to her until the following week.

 

Tony gets a little time with her next but I'm not feeling any romantic connection between them. Kalon steals a few moments too and while most of the guys sulk in the corner about it, Emily seems fairly taken with him. The first rose at the ceremony goes to Kalon - man, how much do the guys hate that? Arie is next, followed by Michael, Nate, Sean, Chris, Doug, Travis, Tony, John, Alessandro, Charlie, Alejandro, and Stevie.  Whaaa? The Party DJ?  Really?  That leaves Aaron and Kyle out in the cold.  In their exit interviews, it's clear she made the right choice.  Neither made a real impression.

 

The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.

 

(Image courtesy of ABC)

 

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