The Bachelor – Women Tell All

Abigail was more active on social media leading up to last night’s Women Tell All (WTA). She posted an Instagram story thanking everyone for their support, saying she’s been blown away. She encouraged people to get the Threads app that she was using because it auto captions, which helps people like her. THANK YOU, Abigail, for using your platform for good!

In her story, she said, “um” so often that she typed afterwards, “Take a shot for every time I say “um.”

It’s a good thing I’m not allowed alcohol (doctor’s orders)!

People Magazine published an article with a sneak peek at Abigail’s WTA appearance. The Bachelor tweeted a clip that was retweeted by Abigail and mentioned by Us Weekly.

https://twitter.com/AbigailHeringer/status/1366210984893947907

In an Instagram post, Abigail urged viewers to tune in. Based on the media blitz, I knew she’d be in the Hot Seat, which means more airtime!

Chris’ Hyperbole

Ok, I hear you telling me to get to the WTA already and I don’t even have my cochlear implant on yet!

Recorded on February 4 without a studio audience, the WTA is a “very special, very intimate episode.” Chris refers to the wild, unprecedented season of shocking surprises and explosive drama. “Everybody’s looking good,” he says, and gives our girl Abigail a shout out. A clip also airs of her saying about Matt, “He was just super easy to talk to, so he just blew my expectations out of the water right away.”

A review of the season thus far is shown. Thank goodness I have this on TiVo and started late. Fast forwarding is my superpower right now!

It appears the women are seated in two rows formed in a semi circle. Abigail is in the back row as usual. The front row would be easier as she could just turn around to lipread. The distance between her and Chris/the stage seems too far for lipreading.

First, Chris addresses the Jessenia and MJ feud. Next up are Ryan and Victoria, who is wearing a crown. But of course. Victoria makes up a word: “upset-ness.” I’ll use it in a sentence. Victoria’s upset-ness may have been overshadowed by her outfit, which was an open jacket with matching bra, as if she was proudly and ironically flaunting her bra-zen fashion sense (or lack thereof).

Many of the women are experiencing backlash for how they handled things, which Katie says is karma. Victoria actually apologizes. Then in a true demonstration of irony, they all gang up on Katie.

The Hot Seat

To Brittany in the Hot Seat, Chris says, “One of the craziest rumors I’ve heard in 20 years of doing this show enveloped you. I wanna hear all about it, but first, let’s take a look back and see what happened.” FF to the rescue again!

Being falsely accused of being a high end escort has clearly taken its toll. Brittany didn’t want to be around her family when she got back, and even texting her friends was difficult. She’s forever going to be associated with this. Anna — who started the rumor — apologized earlier but hasn’t reached out. Anna delivers a good apology. Brittany takes the high road and says she doesn’t want people to destroy Anna’s life also. Words can really affect you, she says. People make mistakes. She also addresses people in the sex working industry, saying no one’s life is worth more or less based on an occupation.

Dates We Didn’t See

To lighten things up, we get a peek at some of the “most outrageous moments we didn’t get to see,” including one date that didn’t make it to air, which is rare. It’s called “What’s in the Box?” Abigail knows right away what this means. She reads a card in the clip: “Ring shopping can be intimidating and a bit scary…and today will be BOTH! I DARE YOU to pick a ring out of one of these ring boxes.”

The first box has killer Amazon cockroaches. Abigail’s box has fire crickets. She reaches her arm in sight unseen to feel around for the ring. “How did you find yours so quick?” she asks. Abigail is shown watching this in the studio with her hands over her face. In the clip, she finally grabs the ring, and jumps up and down out of disgust and relief.

Another box has flesh eating worms. Seeing all these creepy, crawly critters is so gross. What were they thinking?? Obviously they realized it wasn’t worth airing, yet it aired anyway. Perfect Bachelor logic.

As part of the group date on the farm, they have to eat a whole plate of dense pancakes, and then drink a pint of beer. Abigail belches. She’s in the next clip too, of a group date playing Hide and Seek in the woods. Good lord, has it really come to this? Might as well throw in a game of Cat’s Cradle while they’re at it.

On the boxing date, the girls each drink a raw egg. I’m going to puke just watching. Kit is smart – she pretends to drink it but really throws it over her shoulder.

The Hot Seat

Chris calls Katie the gift that kept on giving. She was confident in her relationship with Matt, but didn’t pay attention to the other relationships in the house. Matt is the first person she was able to be 110% herself with. She says she just has to remain hopeful that her person’s still out there.

Now it’s Abigail’s turn in the Hot Seat! First, they show a clip of her with Matt. She asks him how old he was when he had his first kiss. He was in 7th grade and bit the girl’s lip so hard, it was gushing blood. “Now I’m scared to kiss you again,” Abigail laughs.

“This next woman captured the First Impression Rose and America’s heart,” Chris says. “But, well, in the end, things did not work out for her and Matt. So what happened? Let’s find out. Abigail, come down and join me.”

The women snap fingers as she makes her way to the stage. “Wow, at least you got snaps, the new applause in 2021,” Chris says. Can Abigail even hear the snaps? Odd choice, but whatever.

“We have so much to talk about,” says Chris. “Let’s take a look.”

“That’s not fun to watch,” Abigail says afterwards, tears in her eyes.

“How surprised were you that night?” Chris asks. “He just always kind of wanted to be near you. It seemed like you had that chemistry.”

“Yeah, no, I definitely felt it, and he just gave me so much assurance every time I was with him, and we started off so strong. I kind of came in saying, you know, I don’t believe in love at first sight. Just having the first night go the way it did, I think that’s the closest I’ve ever come to that kind of feeling.”

“Were you ready to fall in love with this guy?”

“Um, I was on my way to falling in love. He had all the qualities I was looking for, and all the conversations we had, he responded really well to all of them. I told him, I said, you know, hopefully we would get more time, but I feel really confident bringing you around my family. You’re everything they would hope I would bring home. I just kind of have a big what-if. If we had that much attraction with how little time we had, you know, what if we had had a whole day together? Could I have been up there with kind of the frontrunners? Um…you know, it’s just, yeah, it’s just a lot of questions, for sure.”

“You had a very honest, vulnerable conversation with Matt about having children.”

“Mmm hmm. Yeah, um, so by that point, hometowns were coming around the corner. I wanted to be as [my notes say “farrow,” which makes no sense and is clearly an autocorrect that I can’t figure out, so just pick a word to go here] with him ’cause I think it wouldn’t be fair to him if I went through this entire journey and kind of held on to my insecurities, not giving him that whole transparency.”

“Well, I know there were a lot of challenges, but I love that you are here and were brave enough to do this. It’s had a massive impact on the deaf community.”

“It’s been incredible. I was really scared, kind of, when I decided to come on, just because I think people kind of view the hearing community and then the Deaf community, with a capital D, as kind of black and white. And I’m kind of that gray space in the middle that hasn’t had a lot of light shone on, because I don’t use sign language. I’m able to communicate vocally. I was born profoundly deaf so it means I have no hearing, so if I take my cochlear implant off, I can’t hear anything. So I had no idea how people were going to receive me. But no, the response has been incredible. I’ve had so many people reach out and say, you know, thank you for sharing your story. I have a very similar one. Yeah, I just–I’ve been blown away.”

[Note: it’s interesting – the clip ABC tweeted has parts that weren’t on WTA, so I kind of combined them in Abigail’s quotes on this post.]

“I wanna pull up some of these comments. I don’t know if you’ve seen all of these or not.”

Abigail laughs. Chris says there’s one more. It’s from @bdub1209: “Abigail, my daughter is 7 and bilaterally implanted. Seeing the representation and you not being afraid to be who you are makes my heart SO happy.”

“Oh my god,” Abigail says. “I just have gotten so many messages like this, of people saying, thank you so much for showing this in a romantic light, just because disability isn’t always romanticized. Um… yeah, it’s been incredible.”

“I know you were actually here looking for love and that’s what it’s all about. To that end, where are you now?”

[Sighs} “Yeah, so I know things didn’t work out with Matt and I, but that’s not to say that I didn’t leave, you know, with nothing. I think, you know, I met an incredible group of women. I learned a lot about myself. Yeah, I think it’s what Katie said, like I think I’m just a better version of myself that I’m really excited to be able to share with whoever wants to share that with me.”

More Hot Seat

Pieper’s next in the Hot Seat. She, too, was shocked by her exit because she wasn’t paying attention to the other women.

Back from commercial, Chris says, “All your favorite women are with me tonight.” The camera immediately goes to Abigail. Hmm… Is it me, or am I getting Bachelorette vibes?

In the Hot Seat, Serena has to visibly compose herself. Chris thought she was the one at one point in time, but instead she’s the one who had the guts to leave.

Matt comes out to “twangy rock music” in a big, bushy, UGLY beard. Chris calls it a bold choice. The women profess to like it, but as Twitter describes it, “Show you’re single without saying you’re single.”

Matt addresses a couple of the women and reflects on his journey. Then Chris tells him there was a recurring issue America had with him – “you always had your eye on those ladies” – cue to a kissing-with-eyes-open montage. Matt didn’t know it was a no-no and admits after watching it back that it’s kind of weird. Chris asks if anyone is brave enough to talk about it. Pieper says she brought it up to Matt and expresses surprise that it went this long without anyone saying anything. The consensus: Eyes closed, please.

“Some of these ladies want to talk to you,” Chris tells Matt. The camera lands on Abigail. “Abigail, did you have anything you wanted to say to Matt?”

“No, I just want to say thank you for the entire experience. Um, I think we had a really good time together. But it just wasn’t in the cards for us. I just have nothing but good things to say about our experience, and hopefully you feel the same way about it.”

“Thank you, I appreciate that,” Matt responds, sticking to his standard line.

A couple other women speak. Then the best part: the bloopers. And a preview of the March 15 finale. “You have no idea what’s coming,” Chris says, a statement that has aged well.

An EW recap says, “Gah, after watching this highlight reel, I’m mad all over again that Matt sent Abigail home. Big mistake, buddy. Big. Huge. Abigail is an angel on earth…Damnit, producers, do NOT put this woman on Paradise. She is too pure.”

Abigail remains a fan favorite. A tweet calls her one of the least toxic women this season. Another says, “These women can learn so much from her.”

And ABC tweeted this. Hmmmmm.

https://twitter.com/BachelorABC/status/1366572202880098308

As Reality Steve says of the Bachelorette possibilities, “You might think Serena is still too young, or maybe you don’t want to see Abigail get screwed by production, but you won’t be mad and angry seeing [the prospects] in that role if they got it.”

The Bachelor – Week 7

This week’s episode begins with [ominous music] as we see a replay of Heather walking in, because seeing it in the previews and last week’s episode just wasn’t enough. This time, however, we’re treated to the incredibly articulate conversation she has with Matt. Just kidding. True to her blonde roots, she breaks a record for the number of times she says “like.” And get this – she even booked a red eye, all on her own!

While Matt takes some time to think (good lord, we’ll be here all night), Heather approaches the other girls. As she tells the camera after, they came at her hard. That they did, but they had some good lines. When Heather says she’s not there to ruin everyone’s day, one girl says, “My day’s pretty ruined.”

“Matt’s been gone for a while and we’re super nervous ’cause we don’t know what’s going through his mind and whether he’s gonna keep her or send her home,” Abigail tells the camera.

A couple of the girls say if Matt keeps Heather, then he hasn’t valued the time he’s spent with them. Luckily for them, Matt gives Heather the boot because he’s already deep into the process and falling for the women already. I still don’t understand why Hannah didn’t tell him about Heather earlier. The timing is suspicious.

The girls watch as Matt walks Heather out and says goodbye. Abigail points out that they’re hugging. Matt apologizes when he joins the group. To his credit, he also apologizes to Pieper and invites her to finish their conversation. Chelsea says, “That was so hot,” and the women laugh. We see Abigail joining in.

“I’m really scared, to be honest,” Abigail says. “I think I have no idea where his head’s at and what decision he’s gonna make, and I think of just all the sacrifices and time that we’ve all put into it….Umm… I don’t know what that means for me yet.”

To the camera, Abigail adds, “This is probably the most nervous I’ve been going into the Rose Ceremony because I don’t know where I stand…umm… so I’m just hoping for the best. [groans] I’m not ready to go home.”

Rose Ceremony

Matt sighs outside and reflects on the roller coaster of emotions tonight. “I’m taking this process serious,” he says. SERIOUSLY, Matt. It’s SERIOUSLY. I’m fucking serious.

Abigail’s in the front this time. “I think Matt and I do have a really great connection and–and I think, you know, we are really attracted to one another,” she tells the camera. “If I get a rose tonight, it just means that he really could see a future with me, so this rose definitely means everything.”

She looks nervous. “I think my biggest fear if I was to go home tonight would be that,” she tells the camera. “I can see Matt being my future husband.”

It comes down to the final rose, and it’s between Abigail and Chelsea. Matt says Abigail’s name, and she looks so relieved. Now there’s eight women left.

Up in the Air

Jessenia and Abigail talk about how Matt said his wife is in the group. Abigail says, “Waking up this morning, I feel recharged. Now I do feel confident in my relationship with Matt. I really do like this guy and so I just hope I finally get my 1:1 time with Matt.”

Chris calls last night a big turning point. Dates are huge this week, with two one-on-ones, and one group date. Abigail and Jessenia are the only girls who haven’t had 1:1 time.

The first date goes to Serena P., who says, “Everyone assumed it would be Jessenia or Abi today.” Yep, from here forth, Abigail is referred to as Abi by the girls, showing how much closer they’ve gotten.

“It feels like a slap in the face to give Serena a 1:1 and I’m like, well, I haven’t even had one,” Abigail tells the camera as she blows out air and sighs. “I’m just trying to figure out where his head’s at.” She twists her lips in disappointment.

Apparently Matt picked Serena because they’ve been in the friend zone and haven’t had that breakthrough moment. To jump start that, they have a tantric yoga date. Matt’s in leggings, and that’s just not my thing on guys. Try some joggers next time, perhaps?

The yogi puts Matt and Serena into sex-based yoga positions. AWKWARD! Serena hates it and tells Matt she was in her head the whole time and couldn’t wait for it to be over.

Back at the house, Jessenia says she and Abi are the only ladies left without 1:1 dates before Hometowns. The next date card arrives. It’s a group date. Abigail’s name is the last one mentioned, which means Jessenia gets the 1:1. She does a double take, as she’s first sad for Abigail and then realizes what it means for her.

Matt is caught off guard by Serena being uncomfortable during their date. He loves her honesty and is drawn to her authenticity and realness. Does that mean everyone else is fake/er?

“I just have no idea kind of where his headspace is right now,” Abigail tells Kit. Kit tells her to go with her gut and instincts on what she thinks is the best decision for her and her relationship. “Like you got the First Impression Rose, so you know there’s potential there, but not having a 1:1 must be discouraging at this point,” Kit says. “Yeah,” Abigail replies.

[somber music]

“I feel like I’ve gotten forms of validation like the First Impression Rose, a group date rose, and then just not the chance to explore that potential,” Abigail tells the camera. “It’s just like I don’t know what else I need to be doing. It’s frustrating when I have so much desire to hang out with him and I just feel really defeated right now.”

She tells Kit, “It’s just weird bringing someone home when you haven’t even had a normal date with them.”

Serena tells Matt she’s falling for him and wants him to meet her family. She gets the rose, so now she’s one of the final four. They go ice skating after the “meal” we never see them eat. Matt can 100% see himself falling in love with her. Too bad he doesn’t literally fall. That would have been good TV.

Group Date

In what I’m sure isn’t product placement, we see Matt on his Peloton. Meanwhile, the girls get ready for their date. We see Abigail put lipstick on. She’s wearing another simple, classy dress, this one in burnt orange.

Matt tells the girls he wants them to leave everything on the table. He probably means their clothes but takes the high road and says if there’s something bothering them, it should be addressed. (Not undressed.)

Bri says she’s given up a lot, and now it’s time to share that with Matt. The lead up makes me think it’s going to be something big, like she’s a single mom. Her revelation is that she had to resign from her dream job to be on the show. It’s “extremely worth it” to be here with Matt. Really? It’s a hell of a lot easier to find a man than to snag a dream job – especially when the outcome with Matt isn’t guaranteed. But you do you, girlfriend.

“Thank you for sharing,” Matt says. “I had no idea.” Matt, of course you didn’t, you fool. You’re not a mind reader.

Abigail says, “What I’m struggling with is the fact that I’m the only girl going into Hometowns that hasn’t had a 1:1. We are hitting that point where certain relationships are moving faster and are at the next level, and I feel like I’m struggling to keep our relationship moving forward. And it’s just frustrating.” [lip twist]

Pieper tells Matt she’s falling in love with him.

Abigail is shown sadly looking down. “The first night, I ended up getting the First Impression rose, which was the most amazing feeling,” Abigail says. “But we just haven’t been able to see a lot of each other since then, so I need to know that we’re not stalled, that we’re still moving forward.”

To the camera, Abigail says, “I would love to introduce Matt to my family. He’s an amazing guy, and there is something here. It wasn’t just like an initial spark, so I guess I’m just getting in my head and overthinking things, because I think Matt and I would be really good together.”

To Matt, Abigail says, “This week has been really hard.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Um… I think, from the beginning, all I’ve wanted is…just more time with you. We’ve only kind of gotten little bits here and there, but I think we’ve had really good conversations, and I mean, I’ve opened up to you…”

“Yeah.”

“About, you know, some of my biggest insecurities, and you know, you’ve kind of shared your insecurities as well, and it just made me feel really good. I think we want a lot of the same things. We kind of share a really similar perspective…”

“Yeah.”

“On life, and…like, I’m just really excited about you. Just – I was kind of thinking about it the other day, of, you know when you kind of have a picture in your head of, ok, this is what I want, you’re like, ok, I want to be married, I want to have a family, and I’ve just kind of started picturing you in that, and it’s scary because I can see the possibility of a future with you. I just wanna know, like, can you see that possibility with me? Or…like, I guess I’d rather know now instead of…and I know you can’t like, obviously say too much, like…”

“Yeah,” Matt says. “You know, from night one, our first conversation, I was instantly drawn to you. You were vulnerable with me. You’re beautiful, compassionate, and understanding…everything that I’m looking for, and it was a no brainer that I’d give you the First Impression rose. I was so comfortable in our relationship that…I explored other relationships and…[tense music] in exploring those relationships with other women and going on those one on ones, I did grow strong feelings for them…and being honest with you and following my heart, my heart’s pulling me in another direction. I apologize. [solemn music] The last thing I wanna do is lead you on and lie to you. You deserve someone who’s gonna put you first.”

Abigail looks down the whole time and takes it in. “I-I mean, I really do appreciate you being honest,” she tells him, as his hand is on her thigh.

“Again, I apologize,” Matt says. “You want me to walk you out?”

They hold hands as they walk out, and she holds his arm. They hug and he says, “I’m sorry, I wish I had more time.”

Once in the getaway vehicle, Abigail puts her hands over her face and sniffles. “For me to like lay it all out and then for him to come back and say he doesn’t see it, umm…it’s just kind of eating me alive right now.” [lip twist] “I just feel like I’m constantly like the person that makes men realize what they want next, but they never want that with me, so it’s just…a hard pill that I’m gonna have to swallow.” [purses lips]

Matt returns to the girls and says, “Um, I just walked Abigail out. I wasn’t expecting our conversation to go that way tonight, but that’s where the conversation led us, and at this point in the process I’m not gonna lead anybody on.”

Rachael says, “Oh my god, Abigail felt a connection with Matt and he sent her home. Shows that none of us really know where his mind’s at.”

Matt tells the camera, “It was not easy saying good bye to Abigail. I hated doing that, but I had to be honest with her. So now I’m gonna continue to follow my heart and explore these relationships, because I’ve got some tough decisions I’ve gotta make going forward.”

The Rest of the Episode

We don’t care about the rest of the episode now, do we? But Abigail’s exit has caused some shockwaves. “After seeing how Abi went home, I’m really nervous,” Kit says. “Are we on the same page?”

Rachael, by the way, tells Matt she’s in love with him. Given her racist statements on social media, is this the definition of irony?

Kit tells Matt she has some set things on her life trajectory that she’s not willing to compromise on that he needs to know. She calls herself a long-term investment. Good for her!

Rachael gets the rose and bonus 1:1 time with Matt. They invent a new dance called The Make Out Dance, which they do while someone I’ve never heard of called Aloe Blacc sings. Is this a stage name? Whether it is or his birth name, I have questions.

I think I’ve pinpointed why Matt’s tongue bothers me. It floats. Kind of like a puppy dog, only it’s inside his mouth. On par with his bland hangdog personality.

Anyway. Kit pays Matt a visit and basically tells him she’s leaving because he deserves someone who is 100% sure of a proposal tomorrow. Matt wants her there, but thankfully even though she’s only 21, she does the right thing for both of them. As a friend points out, he’s nicer to her than to Abigail.

“I really do respect Abigail and Kit to, like, take, really take, a step back, and realize what’s on the line here,” Pieper says.

Jessenia is nervous that Abigail and Kit went home, so she’s even more nervous for her date. They meet in a parking lot, where Matt shows up in a red sports car and a professional drifter who’s also a host on Motor Trend. Had you ever heard of drifting in this context? I hadn’t. According to Wikipedia, it’s a “driving technique where the driver intentionally oversteers, with loss of traction, while maintaining control and driving the car through the entirety of a corner.” Wow. My idea of a fun date… not.

After Jessenia takes the wheel, she describes the experience and says, “I did once, on accident.” It’s BY accident, Jessenia! My 16-year-old son says “on accident” all the time, and my 19-year-old and I am always correcting him. Don’t validate his poor grammar usage!

She gets Matt to lay her out on the hood of the car, and they kiss. They have the prettiest evening date yet. Matt appreciates her patience with the process and with him. Guess he saw more potential with her than with Abigail?

Back at the house, Rachael says she’s sitting and thinking about Abigail and Kit. Why do the girls keep bringing up the two of them? Do they not realize Kit left of her own volition?

Jessenia tells Matt she’s falling in love with him. “Thanks for sharing that with me,” he says, his stock answer to everything. He grabs the rose and then praises her before he says they’re missing that compatibility, that love he needs to feel going into the Hometown week that he has with the other women. “I don’t think I’m there yet.” She’s blindsided, and I don’t blame her. Holding the rose wasn’t necessary.

Prior to the next Rose Ceremony, Matt tells Chris that he’s conflicted. But then he says he knows what he has to do. Either Matt figured it out quickly or the editing didn’t show it all.

Pieper is sent home, so the final four is Bri, Michelle, Rachael, and Serena P. Pieper doesn’t even talk to Matt when he walks her out.

The clip at the end shows Michelle’s sense of humor and personality. Why they never air more of this stuff is beyond me. As it is, the impression we get of Matt is that he’s bland. A friend who’s a long-time Bachelor fan calls him a terrible Bachelor. His conversations suck and we know nothing about him, she told me, and he looks bored all the time.

Last Thoughts

A deaf friend pointed out that Matt never took the time to get to know Abigail. All their interactions were about her deafness, not about having fun together. His line about being so comfortable in their relationship is a load of BS, this friend says, and I agree.

After last week’s episode, my friend Eileen told me, “I hate to say this, but I really feel like she’s being kept around because she’s deaf, but I’ll have to see how they play it to make my final decision. The problem is, it’s like in society… keep the ‘scary deaf girl’ at arm’s length. Be intrigued, but don’t get too close. You don’t wanna go too far because, let’s face it, it’s probably not gonna work. But whatever you do, don’t make yourself out to look like the bad guy by cutting her off right away because they’re gonna say it’s because she’s deaf, and we all know it’s because she’s deaf, but we don’t want it to actually BE that she’s deaf. Oh, and try to avoid a lawsuit. Thanks.”

Historically, the First Impression Rose does get a 1:1 date, but an article in Men’s Health says it’s not really indicative of how well a contestant will do during the season.

A Yahoo article about Abigail’s exit has a poll asking if Abigail or Katie should be Bachelorette. Last I checked, 80% was in Abigail’s favor. Even Nick Viall — who’s been on three seasons of The Bachelor and I don’t know how many of Bachelor in Paradise — tweeted, “Abigail for Bachelorette.”

Even though I’m leery of the show due to producer involvement and manipulation, and poor background checks, Abigail being the Bachelorette would increase awareness of cochlear implants along with listening and spoken language. And just think of the accommodations they’d have to make for her!

Abigail’s Instagram post affirms that she didn’t walk away empty handed.

The Bachelor – Week 3

This episode has no shortage of drama. You might as well call this episode The Sarah Show. It picks up where the last left off, with Sarah fainting during the Rose Ceremony.

As the women talk among themselves, I wonder how the producers determine their placement. Why would they place Abigail in the second row with a more potentially obstructed view?

When Chris comes in to announce the final rose, I remember another reason why I stopped watching this show. We all know it’s the final rose, Chris!

This week there’s three dates: two group dates and one “unbelievable romantic 1:1 date.” The Bachelor is known for nothing if not its hyperbole. I do feel for these women, who are stuck at a Pennsylvania resort because of COVID. Dates in past seasons are much more exciting and over the top, and eventually they travel to exotic locales. Then again, these women are still on national television and getting an escape from their every day lives.

Group Date

Apparently Matt needs to be pushed a little bit. He has trouble feeling uncomfortable, so the point of the group date is to be uncomfortable. When the group (sans Abigail) walks into the room, Ashley I. (past contestant) is reading an erotic scene from Chris’ book, The Perfect Letter. Turns out the women have to write their own sexy love story with Matt, sharing with the rest of the group and a live studio audience.

The live studio audience sounds scary but it ends up being the other women in the house. They’re seated in the back of the room. Abigail is shown at the beginning of this scene, and then we don’t see her until she’s at the house. A deaf friend and I independently wonder how Abigail is able to follow the women reading their stories on stage. I always sit in the front or near the front at things like this whenever possible. Maybe she can hear well with her CI, but then why would she talk about lipreading so much? Is the show not accommodating her like they should? Or is she not advocating for herself?

Katie tells the camera that she loves watching and hearing Matt talk, with his juicy lips. Ironic that it’s not Abigail saying this!

Back at the House

During the conversation at the house, when the camera pans over Abigail, she’s looking down as usual. Does it help her listen better? Or do they always just happen to catch her that way?

When there’s a knock at the door, Abigail tells the camera, “My heart just sinks every time I hear that knock [so I guess she does hear it?]. I really want that date card. I just feel like other girls are getting that time with him, exploring relationships with him. I just need more time at this point. I think the connection is there. It’s super easy to talk with him when I see him, but you can only do so much with so little time.”

Alas, the next date is a 1:1 for Serena P.

The Sarah Show

Sarah is having a difficult time on the show because she’s developed feelings for Matt, who’s dating 32 women. She can’t deal. She interrupts him on the group date, which pisses off the women because now they’re denied their time. Some don’t get to talk to him at all, because the producers must have told him he had to leave to ensure this drama.

Sarah hides back at the house, so Matt checks on her when he shows up for his date with Serena. Their date involves horseback riding, a picnic with donkeys, a dinner, and then making out in a hot tub. You know, the usual. Meanwhile, everyone at the house is bashing Sarah, who continues to hide in her room.

When the third date card shows up, Sarah finally makes an appearance. She apologizes to the women, explaining that she was thinking of leaving and had to talk to Matt, yada yada yada. The women push back. Abigail speaks up as a voice of reason: “So if you don’t want to be here, why are you taking someone else’s rose that really does wanna be here and trusts that process?”

The episode continues with the women bashing Sarah. When Katie checks on Sarah, we discover that while we knew her dad has ALS, he only has weeks to live. Yes, it’s time to go home, Sarah dear! [ETA: A friend read Reality Steve’s recap and reported that Sarah had a boyfriend right before she went on the show. She doesn’t live with her parents and isn’t her dad’s caretaker. Oh, and her dad is still alive, which is great. But this kind of misrepresentation shouldn’t be required for reality TV!]

When no one has seen Sarah for the third day in a row, Abigail says, “If she doesn’t show on the group date, I feel like that’s a big red flag for Matt.” The others agree. Then they find out Sarah has decided to leave. There’s a dramatic goodbye with Matt, and the episode ends before even showing Abigail’s group date. So now I’m pissed at Sarah too. Next week, five new girls show up.

But for now, Abigail is still there, looking rosy!