The Bachelor: Episode Four Recap

Victoria. Stays. Classless.

by LAYLA HARRISON and AMANDA ROSENTHAL ★ JANUARY 28, 2021

Before we dive into this week's episode, an update on all the Bachelor nation goss.

Queen Victoria’s mugshot from her shoplifting offense years ago was publicized.
Hannah “Beast” Brown is rumored to be dating model, lifestyle coach, and ~Tyler Cameron lookalike,~ Adam Woolard.
Clare and Dale broke up. Obviously...
Bri and Chris from “Listen to Your Heart” broke up. Pour one out. This is an upset.
Arie Jr. (one of my personal top 4 worst Bachelors among #1 worst Peter Weber, Juan Pablo, and Brad Womack) and his wife Lauren are expecting twins.
Finally, some good news: Tayshia and Zac are still going strong. My hopes are so high for these two. All the love.
Dean and Caelyn are moving into a new house together. In her most recent YouTube video, they reveal their plan to get engaged in the next 2-ish years.

We should also address Matt’s post from last Friday. As we know, 5 new women joined the house yesterday and days before the episode aired, Matt posted this photo with new arrival Michelle:

And now for a Notable Quote Roundup:

“What feels illegal but isn’t illegal”
“I need to see this man’s NDA this feels very not allowed”
“Are you allowed to post this Matthew”
“Now we know for sure she didn’t win”
“It’s not too late to delete this”
“What. Is. Happening”

Ok, let’s get into it.
The episode begins with the women waiting for the evening portion of their date. The women are gossiping about Sarah leaving while Katie stands up for her and interrupts Victoria, calling her toxic and mean. Victoria, OF COURSE, denies being toxic.

The women leave for their group date, a simple cocktail party. Matt has a conversation with Chelsea Vaugn (the gorgeous Brooklyn model who wore the most stunning black dress on night one), and she opens up to him about her personal life. She shows Matt a picture of her with long hair and expresses her struggles with her hair. Growing up, she felt pressured to constantly straighten her hair due to societal standards, but shaving her hair was very emotional and freeing to her. Matt really appreciates her opening up and expresses that he loves her hair, both long and shaved. To no surprise, they kiss!!! And BIG SHOCKER, but his eyes seemed to be closed!!

The night comes to an end and Matt gives the group date rose to Chelsea with honorable mentions to MJ and Abigail. The date ends and Abigail expresses in an interview that she feels like “a storm is waiting to brew.” Little does she know, she is VERY right!

After the pow wow, Victoria pulls Katie aside and asks for an apology for singling her out. Katie refuses to apologize, telling Victoria that she’s just name calling. Victoria insists she’s expressing herself and responds, “I can express myself by name calling when I choose to.” Katie says, “If that’s how you want to express yourself and you wanna be toxic and rude then go for it.” Victoria fires back, “Yeah and if you want to express yourself with your dildo and think you’re ready for an engagement, you can do that.” Victoria denies being insecure, Katie asks the point of the conversation, Victoria is dumbfounded… and finally, V reaches a boiling point and calls Katie a bitch. Convo. Over.

Later, Victoria. Stays. Classless. She pulls aside Matt and essentially exemplifies every trait she claimed that Sarah has—talk about hypocrisy! She says she’s “used to knowing if a guy is interested in me so it’s, like, scary,” an obvious reach for affirmation. Matt says he wants to “be the guy that’s giving [her] reassurance.” Luckily, Matt is stolen by Chris Harrison before the chat with Queen V gets too long.

Chris takes Matt outside and informs him that five new women are coming to meet him that evening before the rose ceremony. The car of new women pulls up while Matt’s original women wait inside, speculating about Sarah’s potential return. Imagine their surprise when the car door opens and an unfamiliar woman, Brittany, steps out and starts FULL-ON making out with Matt, saying she wants to “make up for lost time.” BOLD. Then, she walks up the steps into the lion's den—oops—I mean… house.

Victoria, who has not forgotten the interruption from Chris Harrison says, “Brittany interrupted me to make out with Matt. Sl*t. Wh**e.” (Way to support women, V). Brittany, a Chicago native, attracted unwanted attention from Anna, the OG Chicago girl. Anna starts a rumor that Brittany is an escort. I’m wondering why the network aired this defamation in place of gossip, because this is SERIOUSLY problematic. Anna tells Victoria, and word gets around the house. Victoria calls Brittany “serial killer weird.”

Brittany is followed by four other women—Ryan, Kim, Michelle, and former Miss Puerto Rico Universe, Catalina (what’s SHE doing on the Bachelor?). Michelle captures Matt’s attention instantly. He hits her with the classic, “You look incredible,” they have instant MAD. CHEM.

The new girls enter the house of angry originals, and of course, cue Victoria saying: “Who the f**k are these random ass h*es coming into the house?” When Catalina walks in dressed in her Miss Universe sash, sparkling silver gown, and crown, we can SEE Victoria turning green. Victoria pulls Catalina aside to “introduce herself.” She says, “I’m Victoria, like the queen and so I think I should have that crown actually.” Immediately, Victoria SNATCHES. THE. CROWN. OFF CATALINA’S HEAD AND CROWNS HERSELF. WHAT is this girl’s problem? I’d love to have a chat with her therapist.

In case you needed a refresher: Victoria is a “queen” solely because she shares the name with historical figure Queen Victoria (no relation, no nothing). Catalina has a crown because she was MISS. FREAKING. UNIVERSE. Ohhhh kay, V.

Chris Harrison tells Matt it’s time for the rose ceremony. This didn’t have to be such a scene, but Chris Harrison calls Matt “Matty” and I can’t stop thinking about it. OG girls Khaylah and Kaili are sent home. 4/5 of the new girls get roses. RIP Kim, who had the shortest Bachelor run in the show’s history. Gone, but not forgotten. This is the first time a bachelor has walked out of a rose ceremony with more girls than before the ceremony.

The next day there’s a group date planned by bachelor nation favorite, Ben Higgins. He plans the “Fall in Love” seasonally themed obstacle course. First, women board 1,000- pound pumpkin rafts and paddle from one end of a pond to another. Magi struggles paddling and never makes it out of the water. Next, they had to put on a SQUIRREL OUTFIT to find acorns with their names on them. Anna hid Brittany’s. Sooo disrespectful. Mari wins the footrace to the end, but the only thing she gets to show for it is a trophy that says “Deez Nuts.” Yikes. Chris is really wilding this season.

Cut to: the evening portion of the date. It doesn’t take a seasoned Bachelor expert to see that tension’s been building among the girls. Seated in front of the whole cast, Anna outright asks Brittany if she is an escort. Brittany denies this and says that her feelings are extremely hurt. Honestly, just so painful to watch. The girls just fight it out while unproblematic Bri gets the group date rose.

The next day, there’s the only one-on-one of the week. It goes to new girl, Michelle. The OG girls, who have now officially named themselves the “Varsity Squad,” are pissed. Matt takes Michelle ziplining and hot air balloon riding. #TagYourself! I’m the guy operating the balloon in the basket with them trying not to watch them make out. Or the girls back at the resort spying on the date with binoculars. She and Matt both want three kids, and he says “letting my guard down around her is easy.” Bachelor nation figures such as Jason Tarnick (of Becca K’s season and current boyfriend of ex-bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe), already love Michelle.

In the evening portion of the date, Matt and Michelle talk about teaching during a pandemic. Michelle is a teacher and explains that it was hard not being able to see her students of color with the BLM movement becoming so prevalent and living through what happened to George Floyd. It was an emotional conversation about real issues facing Americans, which we LOVE to see on The Bachelor. Matt gets nervous before ultimately handing her the rose. He prefaces saying that it’s intimidating to have marriage be the end result of the relationship. He hopes that she’s open and tells her, “You embody all the qualities I’m looking for in a woman.” She accepts the rose. OK, new girl!

Next is another group date. This date was boxing themed, so naturally, as is with so many Bachelor dates, it got a little too violent. I don’t know what the producers expect at this point. Matt ends the date early after Serena P (who got a one-on-one last week) gets punched in the nose and throat (poor girl). Anna says that she’s glad the date was strictly “Varsity squad” because “there would’ve been blood if the new girls were there.”

We quickly move on to the evening portion. The “Varsity Squad” girls are still fuming over the presence of the new girls. Stepping up, Katie declares, “the petty mean girl stuff needs to stop.” She says the continuous digs at the new girls need to end and “at some point we need to get over it.” The girls try to isolate Katie, who is basically their babysitter at this point.

Katie gets up to go find Matt. She tells him that “the environment here hasn’t been the best, especially for the new girls.” Katie asks Matt to address the bullying and stand up for the women saying “coming from you it would mean a lot more to them.” She tells him that there are rumors flying around about the women that have the potential to ruin their lives. She NEEDS Matt to step up and shut this down. We all do.

The episode ends at that intense cliffhanger. Here’s hoping Matt puts on his big boy pants and tackles the issues arising… but can he take on that authority? Find out next week!

UGirlJanuary 28, 2021