Bachelor Brad Womack Fantasy Dates Episode 9
The Bachelor Brad Womack, Take 2 (Mondays at 8PM on ABC)
We picked back up with Brad and his final 3 ladies as they made their way to South Africa. He tells us what he thinks of each of the remaining Bachelorettes.
Chantal - he can be himself with her and have great chemistry, but he's worried she's too dramatic/emotional for him.
Ashley - he can be himself and they always have fun together, but he's worried that they've spent too much time "disconnected".
Emily - he thinks she's perfect, and he's glad that he's met her daughter and just hopes he's good enough for her.
SPOILER ALERT - Don't read the rest of this paragraph if you don't want some spoilers. Okay, so RealitySteve usually has all the inside dirt on the Bachelor/Bachelorette seasons, right down to the final pick. He's been boasting Chantal O. as the winner basically from "the slap" at the very beginnng. So I've been trying to pay extra close attention to Brad and Chantal's relationship. But as I've said in (especially) the last few posts, I can't imagine him NOT picking Emily. He just seems so in love with her, so in love with the kind of man he'd be if he was with her. And I'm not saying him and Chantal don't have amazing chemistry and their relationship (when in good times) seems extremely easy. But, I think it's been clear fairly early that he's willing to go the extra distance for Emily unlike any other woman. He's broken rules for her (telling her she'd get a rose, and then telling her he loves her too in tonight's episode) and was willing to put up with the wrath of the other women just to make her feel more at ease (the picnic during the rose ceremony, the numerous chats during the NASCAR group date, etc.) Well, this week RealitySteve has written a retraction of sorts, now saying his insider-info was wrong and that Brad does indeed pick and proprose to Emily. I guess we'll find out the truth in 2 weeks. END OF SPOILER.
Let's get to the dates. Chantal is up first and Brad takes her on a safari tour of the Lion Sands Private Game Reserve.
We get to see them cuddle and swoon over seeing the likes of sleepy lions, nibbling giraffes, strolling elephants, a rhino and some bathing hippos.
Photo Credit - ABC
They stop for a picnic lunch. They talk about how much it means to meet families and then about how much it means to get engaged. And how if she said yes to a proposal, she'd be willing to just get married right then and there.
Photo Credit - ABC
Then the Fantasy Suite Card arrives. She accepts.
Photo Credit - ABC
And the two stroll off hand-in-hand to an amazing tree-house (more like a tree-platform) and the two cuddle it up.
Photo Credit - ABC
Photo Credit - ABC
Second date was with Emily. He meets her with a hug and then tells her he forgot something. He leaves her alone in the bush, but comes back on top of Timbio the elephant. Which is her "dream date". See, Bachelor producers can be nice when they want to be. The ride off on elephant-back to a picnic location to watch the other elephants bathe and play.
Photo Credit - ABC
They talk about whether or not Brad is ready to be a dad to a 5-year old. He tells her yes. And they make-out.
Photo Credit - ABC
Photo Credit - ABC
Later at dinner, Emily tries to tell Brad how much she likes him. She sorta gets it out telling him it's harder for her now to separate their relationship from the other girls and that she wants it to be over and "just want to do it". (That's what she said... really). The Fantasy Suite Card arrives. She does a bit of a fake-out, then accepts.
Photo Credit - ABC
They get an actual room and Emily finally tells Brad she's falling in love with him. He can't let her be the only one to say it so he "breaks the rules" and tells her he's falling in love with her too.
Photo Credit - ABC
Then it's Ashley's date. He meets and brings her to a helicopter and she completely freaks out... Um, you're on The Bachelor. You can't be scared to go in a helicopter, that's just dumb.
Photo Credit - ABC
She gets over it rather quickly and they take a tour before landing for a picnic at God's Window.
Photo Credit - ABC
They talk about Brad's concerns that she may be too focused on her schooling and job to live a life together. But it goes over Ashley's head completely. He asks her where she would want to live, and she said "somewhere warm" or "near my sister in Maine" and "around the people I love"... which was an around-about way of saying she'd move to Austin without actually saying it, which goes over Brad's head.
Dinner. Brad quickly brings up the fact that Ashley "never, not one time did you mention Austin" when listing places she'd live and she tries to defend it by saying she's never been to Austin and that it's about the people not the place. But that wasn't good enough for Brad; he wanted her to come out and say "I'd move to Austin for you", but she just didn't. Things got more awkward, but the Fantasy Suite Card arrived anyway and she accepted.
Photo Credit - ABC
Things did NOT get better there either... (check out Brad's expression!)
Photo Credit - ABC
I think it was pretty clear from the dieliberation with Harrison that Ashley was the one not getting a rose, but apparently Brad was having a hard time believing their relationship didn't stand on solid ground (like he thought?).
As he stood in front of the ladies, he was physically uncomfortable and then finally asked Ashley to talk in private. He was sorry if his questions backed her into a corner but he needed to know the answers stating "I don't even know if I fit into your life"
Ashley shut down at that point, knowing he wasn't going to change his mind no matter what she said. "I don't know what else to say -- I'm not going to beg you to change your mind."
Photo Credit - ABC
I think they both realized that they don't communicate well together. Ashley's more "reading between the lines" type of girl and Brad's more of a "if you don't tell me in plain English, I'm not going to get it" type of guy.
But Ashley's shocked. She barely can muster up a hug for Brad before climbing into the rejecto-
Photo Credit - ABC
But the Rose Ceremony must go on, or so they say in show-biz. Brad wants to make sure the women also have a choice and can see him in their lives. He tells them that Ashley's been rejected, but was worth more than standing at a Rose Ceremony without an explanation first.
He gives Chantal the first rose, and Emily the second. They both accept.
Photo Credit - ABC
Photo Credit - ABC
Photo Credit - ABC
Next week is the Women Tell All Special, which supposedly (according to Harrison) is one of the "most aggressive and emotional" specials to-date, mostly because of Michelle... hmmmm can't wait.
Then after that, Chantal and Emily meet Brad's family in Cape Town, South Africa and he makes his choice. Who will it be? Chantal or Emily?
