We begin this week just after last week's rose ceremony. Just as with last week, most of the drama that starts this episode involves the sisters Ashley I. and Lauren. Lauren is not into anyone and doesn't want to be there anymore and trying to take care of her sister is distracting Ashley I. from the reason she is there. Some of the other contestants complain that Lauren shouldn't be there because she obviously does not want anything to do with the group.
Between the sister drama, we learn that Mikey T. is still not realizing that Clare is not as into him as he is into her and that Jared is very interested in Clare as he reveals he would have given his rose to her had she not already been kept by Mikey. The next day we learn that Lauren is someone's mistress and that she is in love with the guy despite being his side-piece. Ashley I. says that Lauren really wanted to meet Joshua the welder from Kaitlyn's season, so she hopes he arrives before Lauren just gives up and gets out of dodge.
And Joshua does arrive, carrying a date card. Ashley I. jumps at him to try to get him hooked up with Lauren. However, Joshua offers the date to Tenley. J.J. evidently thought Joshua was not threat to his psuedo-relationship of less than a day with Tenley, so when he finds out Tenley is going on the date with Joshua, he is surprised, but at least he says nice things about her instead of disparaging her. However, despite how nicely J.J. might speak of Tenley, he has no problem making fun of Joshua. Tenley and Joshua have a great time during and after their date, though J.J. gets some time with Tenley and continues to be confident that he will prevail over Joshua.
Back with the sister drama, Ashley I. is upset (read: sobbing and wailing) that Lauren is bailing and going hardcore on the fact that Lauren is with a guy who won't commit to her. To me, this whole scenario explains why Lauren was so weepy at Marcus and Lacy's wedding (love/marriage is something she wants but can't have with the guy she's in love with). The rest of the cast does not care that Lauren leaves.
Joe from Kaitlyn's season is the next cast member to arrive and he has a date card as well. Everyone is talking about how funny he is and how much the guys like him, but then it gets really awkward as he just sits and stares at everyone and disagrees when the girls say the guys said he was funny. Then Joe just straight-up insults Clare which causes her to break down a bit (and gives the editors another opportunity to make it look like she's talking to another raccoon). Joe continues to act bizarre and awkward. Eventually Joe sort-of asks Juelia to go on the date with him. Juelia has a great time on the date with Joe, but we see Joe talking to a producer and he reveals that he's just trying to get a rose so he can stick around to meet Samantha.
Jared is the next to get a date card and he chooses Clare, who agrees to go on the date. This makes both Ashley I. and Mikey upset. Jared and Clare seem to have a great date (they go sailing and bungee jumping over the ocean). They seem to have chemistry and even kiss several times, which is farther than Ashley I. got with Jared, but later after they are back on the beach, they have a conversation in which Jared indicates he's just not that into Clare, so now Clare, having burnt her bridge with Mikey, doesn't know what to do.
Tenley learns from a couple of the guys that Joshua was talking about partying and doing drugs, so she goes to talk to him about that because that is not the kind of lifestyle she is interested in. Joshua tries to reassure her that that was a one-time thing but she is still conflicted about this information. Then Michael from Desiree's season shows up and he is there specifically for Tenley. He asks her on his one-on-one date and she accepts, and they have a nice, romantic dinner and seem to have a lot of fun, but Tenley now has three guys vying for her (J.J., Joshua, and Michael) and she doesn't know what to do.
Mikey is trying to stick around so he sets his sights on Juelia, but she is nearly 100% positive that she is choosing Joe. At the pre-ceremony cocktail party, she says as much, and Jonathan pulls her aside to tell her he thinks Joe is not there for the right reasons and not there for her. She gets the same thing from Mikey, which leads Juelia to go talk to Joe about it. Joe soothes Juelia's worries, but in private to a producer says a bunch of nasty things about both of the other guys.
Mikey confronts Joe and Joe pretty much lies to Mikey's face, saying that he is into Juelia and not just trying to get a rose. Joe then goes and confronts Jonathan and basically makes Jonathan feel terrible for thinking Joe was there for the wrong reasons. Jonathan considers Joe a friend and apologizes, saying he got caught up on the game and didn't mean it. Joe says he'll forgive Jonathan as long and Jonathan says to Juelia what he said to Joe in his apology. It is so messed up how manipulative Joe is! It makes me wonder how ticked off Jonathan is watching this back and now knowing that Joe was playing every single person there just so he could stay and meet Samantha.
Jared finally has a conversation with Ashely I. after all the drama with Clare. He says some vague stuff about doing what feels right in the moment and then goes for the kiss, completely surprising Ashley I., but she is down and much happier than she has been the whole show so far. Then, before the rose ceremony gets under way, Clare starts crying and gives a random speech about how she is there for love and this time is not like last year in paradise because there is more strategizing and plotting this go around and no one is really there for love. When they get to the ceremony, Jade speaks up before it starts and says she was offended by what Clare said because she and most of the people she has talked to are there for love.
Finally, the rose ceremony starts and the roses are given out as follows: Carly to Kirk, Ashley S. to Dan, Jade to Tanner, Tenley to Joshua (surprising J.J. and Michael), and before the next person is called up, Clare walks out crying and stops to talk to Chris Harrison. Clare says she doesn't feel right being there and that is where the episode ends with a To Be Continued!
Well, it stinks we don't get the full rose ceremony this week (which was one of my biggest pet peeves with Kaitlyn's season of The Bachelorette) but we don't have too long to wait to see what happens.
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