Chris Harrison Blogs 'The Bachelor' Episode 2

Welcome back, Bachelor Nation! It’s only the second week and there is already so much to talk about. It’s clear that the women have strong feelings for Ben, and it’s also clear that they have pretty strong opinions about each other. Let’s get right to it.

The week started with a tremendously fun date as we transported Ben back to high school and gave some of the women a chance to try to be his prom queen. As it turns out high school is a lot more fun when you don’t actually have to get up early, be on time, or study. Watching Jubilee and Lace try to figure out how to make their volcano erupt was hysterical, particularly because Jubilee kept called Lace “Lacey,” and Lace never seemed to notice. To this day I’m not even sure if Jubilee knows what Lace’s name actually is.

The day was a little crazy for everyone. Becca and Jojo were totally and completely embarrassed by their inability to figure out where, or even what, Indiana is. Jackie may still be somewhere bobbing for that apple — we’ll never know. But the craziest moment was right before the race when we all looked down and saw that Mandi was wearing a pair of plastic flip flops. We were all sure she was going down until right before the race, when she just kicked them off and went barefoot. She even got a small cut in her foot from stepping on a rock, but nothing could stop her getting to that finish line first. Unfortunately, even winning prom queen can’t always guarantee that you’ll find love.

Related: ‘The Bachelor’ Recap: Yeah, Science!

That night things got even crazier when Lace decided to go in for a second chance at time with Ben. You could have cut the tension with a knife that night. From the moment Lace went in for the kill, all the ladies had their eyes on her and those eyes aren’t going away any time soon. But in the meantime, Becca, Jojo, and Jubilee had great talks with Ben that night and at the end of the day, that’s what this is all about. It’s great to see Ben and the women connecting so strongly so soon, and I hope it continues.

The next day was great as I brought in some help to plan what ended up being a pretty epic date. First of all, having Ice Cube and Kevin Hart walk into the Bachelor mansion isn’t something anyone was prepared for. The house totally exploded with energy, and everyone was insanely jealous of the day Caila had ahead of her. They had a little ride-along date and even though it could have been awkward, Ice Cube and Kevin Hart really helped melt the ice and made it into a fun and unforgettable day.

Then at night, we surprised Ben with a performance by Amos Lee, one of Ben’s favorite musicians. He was so happy to spend that time with Caila and it was great to see how open and honest they were being on their first date. The first one-on-one date is a big moment for any Bachelor, and I don’t think it could have gone any better than it did with Caila. She was a perfect choice for him.

The “Love Lab” date was even longer and more intense than you got to see. There were a barrage of experiments conducted, with lots of treadmill work, eye-tracking software, and heart rate monitors. Those numbers that gave Olivia the edge at the end of the day were painstakingly taken from hours of collected data. And it wasn’t too surprising; she did get the first impression rose, so no one was too surprised that the science backed it up. What was surprising, though, was how quickly she went from being a threat to being downright disliked.

I guess a few things she said rubbed the women the wrong way and they found her to be rude and condescending. Things took an even worse turn when she tried to get time with Ben at the cocktail party. This is an age-old question: If you have a rose, should you take a back seat at the cocktail party? There are two sides to this. On the one hand, in a perfect world, everyone should get a chance to talk to Ben, but on the other hand, it’s not a perfect world, and the goal isn’t just to collect roses, but to build a lasting relationship. What’s the right thing to do? I’ll leave that to you, Bachelor Nation. Take it to twitter and let us know how you feel about it.

Next week, things are going to go to the next level with more one on one dates and some drama you’ll have to see to believe, and we’ll continue to break it all down on Bachelor Live every Monday night in January after the show! Thanks for tuning in, Bachelor Nation. This is only the beginning of a very exciting season and we can’t wait to continue the ride-along with you.

The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC. Bachelor Live airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on ABC.