Chris Harrison Blogs ‘The Bachelor’ Ep. 7

Photo: ABC
Photo: ABC

Warning: This blog contains spoilers for Episode 7 of The Bachelor.

Hello, Bachelor Nation!

It was a very tense week for all of us as we waited to see what would happen after Nick visited the remaining women and let them know he was afraid this process might not work for him. As bad as the suspense was for us, you have to imagine it was 10 times worse for the women who had left their lives at home for a shot at love. After what must have been a restless night for Nick, I met up with him on the beach and we talked about what he was going through.

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I think it was important for him to know that what he was feeling wasn’t that unusual, and the fact that it was happening only a week before hometowns was actually normal. Being the Bachelor is incredibly hard. It’s full of pressure and really emotionally draining. If Nick wanted to quit he certainly had the right to do that, but as we talked, I knew he was going to follow his heart and see all the good that lies before him. As we talked about early in the season, Nick is a hopeless romantic. He’s the kind of guy that never gives up, and I was happy to see him pick himself up off the ground and get back into it.

Again, Nick is doing things a little differently. I can’t remember the last time someone skipped a cocktail party and a rose ceremony, but that’s what Nick needed to do in order to prepare himself for some very important hometown dates. Nick has been through that part of things twice, so he doesn’t want to make any mistakes when it comes to meeting people’s families.

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We left magical St. Thomas to go to a place we have also never been before — the island of Bimini in the Bahamas. It’s only about a 40-minute flight from Miami, so it’s incredibly convenient but also feels like being halfway around the world. The weather is perfect and it’s a wonderful place for romantic dates, and Nick certainly took advantage.

The first date of the week was with Vanessa. They snorkeled to a shipwreck and saw something not many people get to see. Obviously things are getting more and more serious between these two. I applaud Vanessa for having the courage to tell Nick how she felt even though she knew he couldn’t reciprocate. I also commend Nick for sticking to his guns and making sure he does this the way he wants to do it. This time needs to work out for him, and no one is taking it more seriously than Nick himself.

The group date the week before hometowns is always a tough one. Of course it’s very exciting to give out the first rose that means you’re going to meet someone’s family, but having to do it in front of two other women that you also really care about? That’s devastating. There is no better symbolism than spending the day in some open water surrounded by sharks. Was this date dangerous? Yes, definitely. Was the cocktail party that night even more dangerous? Absolutely. But Nick gave his rose to Raven and he will be heading to Hoxie. That is, unless something goes wrong between now and then.

Danielle got Nick’s first one on one date of the season, and their rise was meteoric, but things seemed to have leveled off between them. At this point it’s hard to say goodbye to someone and tell her exactly what’s wrong. It’s very rare that something is easy to point out as a problem when you have such a great relationship, but sometimes that feeling is just off, and you just don’t know if you can see a forever with that person. I think saying goodbye to Danielle was very hard on Nick. I know we all love her and wish her the very best.

The last date of the week was with Rachel. I don’t think there’s much hidden in this relationship. Their chemistry is intense and they just seem to have so much fun together. They both have said that a good relationship is built on a foundation of friendship, and they obviously have that, but the romance is also palpable between these two, and I think Nick has already made it clear that a trip to Dallas to meet the Lindsays is in the cards for him.

And then there’s Corinne. Look, Corinne never got a one-on-one date and she decided to make her own. No matter how you feel about Corinne, you must give her credit for being unapologetically herself and honest about how she’s feeling at any given minute. And of course, there is the temptation on both sides to take things to the next level, but Nick and Corinne were both responsible and were able to hold back. I’m not sure everyone else could have stayed level-headed in that situation!

The end of this week was truly heartbreaking. It was only a short time ago that we all fell in love with Kristina. To see Nick say goodbye to her was shocking and devastating, but I also think it was for the best. Sometimes you can have a really strong connection and love for someone without necessarily being in love with them, and I think that’s how Nick felt about this Russian beauty. The shocks and heartbreaks keep coming, and next week is no exception.

The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC. Watch clips and full episodes of The Bachelor for free on Yahoo View.

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