'The Bachelorette': Chris Harrison Blogs Week 2
I want to start off this Memorial Day week blog by taking a moment to thank the men and women who serve our country so bravely in our armed services and to those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Thank you is hardly enough…. but Thank You!
After a crazy first night I wanted to go over and see how Kaitlyn was doing now that it had set in that she was indeed our Bachelorette. I found her to be in really good spirits, with a good grasp on the situation. I also really appreciated how the first thing she thought about after learning she was the Bachelorette was Britt and how she was doing. As much of a competition as it was, both women handled the situation with class and respect, and that is to be admired.
Britt told her mom she believes everything happens for a reason. As you saw, Brady did find her and made the best of what might have at first seemed like a very dim situation. We showed you several clips of the two of them dating and how they spent the days that followed her dismissal. I know many of you were very upset about the two Bachelorettes idea; it will be interesting to see how you feel about this now that you have actually seen what really happened. Not sure if it will change opinions or not, but then again, that’s one of the things I love about this show. Britt and Brady spent quite a lot of time together and are very happy. This is not the last you’ll see of them, as we will continue to update you as their relationship grows. Was it just me, or was the best part when Brady essentially asked Britt to go steady?
Now back to Kaitlyn and her journey as the Bachelorette. It all started with a group boxing date with the champ Laila Ali. One of the cool things about our franchise is we have so many fans from so many walks of life. Laila could not have been nicer and more generous. It was my first time meeting her and I was really struck at how gentle and sweet she is, but at the same time there was no doubt she could at any time literally knock my head off. It goes without saying that I was a very gracious host to the champ.
It’s good to have dates like this that really push the guys into situations they’re not very comfortable with. I definitely enjoyed channelling my inner Michael Buffer. (He’s the famous ring announcer that makes a crapload of money by saying “let’s get ready to ru**le!” I’d spell the whole phrase out for you but I’m afraid I’d have to pay Buffer ten grand. I think I may have finally found a guy whose gig is easier than mine!)
Related: ‘Bachelorette’ Recap: Punch Drunk Love
Ben Z. was easily the biggest guy on this date and he’s also pretty athletic, so it was clear he’d be tough to beat. The biggest and best surprise was Jared. We didn’t really show that much of the boxing, but wow, that kid can pack a punch. He even impressed Laila with how dangerous his right hand is. The problem for Jared is the way it ended up, he had to box three times in a short period of time, and he was just exhausted. By the time he faced Ben in the championship round, he was beat before he ever got beat. We all felt bad that he got a little hurt, but he was a champ and rolled with the punches (yep, I said that). At the end of the day Ben Z, got the belt, the rose, and the kiss.
Clint got the first one-on-one date. (Just so you know, I might have had a little part in helping Kaitlyn choose him for the first solo date, because of the triceratops pic he drew of me.) The underwater photo shoot that we set up for them was extremely cool. It was interesting to watch how the two of them slowly but surely got closer and closer as the shoot went on. The more comfortable they got, the more intimate it became. Clint got the rose, so the triceratops rides on to see another week. As for the drawing, I shall not rest until the triceratops is home with me where it belongs.
I was so happy to find out that the brilliant actor and comedian Amy Schumer is a proud member of Bachelor Nation. She and Kaitlyn hit it off like they’d known each other for years, and it was funny to see Amy become like a protective big sister of Kaitlyn’s during the stand-up comedy date. Most of the guys did the best they could and made the best of an extremely difficult date, but there were two guys that really stood out, and not in a good way. JJ really rubbed Amy the wrong way. I loved how she cut him to the core and let him know that he was not, in fact, the smartest guy in the room. His arrogance was an absolute turn-off, which made what happened later all the more interesting.
JJ turned things around when he was alone with Kaitlyn and started talking about his kid. That melted Kaitlyn’s heart, and she ended up giving him the rose. So far Kaitlyn clearly only sees one side of JJ, while Amy Schumer, America, and the guys are seeing another. It’ll be interesting to see how long JJ can keep that game up. The other guy who’s made an odd impression thus far is Tony. During the comedy date, the guy used the force like a true Jedi to magically make everyone slightly uncomfortable. During the cocktail party later, Tony was really vocal about his feelings on fighting, love, and JJ. If Tony made the week’s most awkward impression, then I’d have to give it up to Ian for the best surprise impression of the week. He came out of nowhere and pulled Kaitlyn aside to share his story. The guy is damn lucky to be alive, much less walking and talking about his accident so easily. Kaitlyn was supremely impressed by him, and I know this will shock you but she kissed him.
On the polar opposite of the impression spectrum was Kupah. His conversation with Kaitlyn was like watching a fireman repeatedly run into a burning building to throw gasoline instead of water onto a raging fire. For a guy that seems supremely confident in himself and his knowledge about women, Kupah absolutely whiffed on this occasion. He paid zero attention to Kaitlyn during the group date and then he had the audacity to confront her and accuse her of ignoring him. Kaitlyn, to her credit, handled the entire situation with class, strength, and great restraint. She was absolutely turned off by this guy. The funny thing is that she liked him up until that point; I had talked to her and she really wanted him to open up a bit so she could get to know him. The more he talked the more you could watch Kaitlyn’s emotions sour.
Then as if things couldn’t get worse, Kupah decides he’s now going to go into “save” mode and try to turn this thing around. Again more gasoline on a fire. Let me tell you what a woman definitely wants to hear when she’s pissed off and trying to have a serious conversation with a man: “I think you’re hot!” That might’ve been the single worst-timed line ever on this show. If it wasn’t already over with him before then (and it was), it was beyond over now. Kaitlyn wisely sent Kupah home and was ready to go on with her night, but as you saw he just wasn’t going quietly. Well, Kaitlyn was fired up and tired of his antics and she isn’t one to just sit by and be disrespected — so this ain’t over yet! I truly loved seeing this side of Kaitlyn.
A quick personal note before I wrap this up this week. Last week, I had the extraordinary experience of traveling around the country on my book tour as I released my first novel, The Perfect Letter. I want to thank you for supporting the book and making its debut week such a huge success. I loved hearing all the positive feedback and pics that have been posted. I enjoyed going to each book signing event and meeting hundreds of you at each stop. I love Bachelor Nation, and this book tour only confirmed why.
Next week you’ll see the rest of this story and the fallout from Kupah’s exit. You’ll also see the rose ceremony right at the top of the show. Things are already intense this season, and there’s more drama to come. This is a strong, proud group of men, and we have a strong, proud Bachelorette with a backbone. Things are about go get even crazier. See you next Monday!
The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.
