Listen to Your Heart Episode 4 Recap: Get These People Out Of Here

After last week’s episode, it seemed like the rules of The Bachelor Presents Listen to Your Heart were finally established: The contestants were paired up and would be performing duets in front of a group of judges while drama still continued inside the house. Well, at the very start of episode 4, another big change was announced. It really seems like the producers were just working this thing out as they went along… and that kind of makes the show more entertaining. 

The episode begins with Chris Harrison announcing that some of the contestants will be “going on dates... but it’s not going to be with who you think it’s going to be.” Yep, he's breaking up the pairs. And if you watched last week’s episode, you know one of the dates has to go to Julia Rae and Brandon Mills, because she clearly still likes him more than her current partner, Sheridan Reed. The other two dates go to Chris Watson and Rudi (Just Rudi), and Jamie Gabrielle and Ryan Neal.

The whole thing has major “Too many of you are still here and we need to do something about this” overtones. As you might recall, the couples who weren’t serious about their relationships were asked to leave à la Bachelor in Paradise rules last week. The thing is, only two people exited. Given that this is a show about people who want to be famous, that should have been expected. But, six pairs of contestants is just too many to judge and eliminate. People need to get to steppin’. 

We breeze right past the first two dates. Chris talks to Rudi about how much he likes Bri Stauss, and she's still into her partner, Matt Ranaudo. Jamie and Ryan are happy to be friends now after being initially interested in each other. If the producers thought they were getting drama out of any of these people, they were sorely disappointed. But that’s satisfying in itself. It’s nice to see a few normal people not let a reality show sabotage get to them.

But then there’s Julia and Brandon. While the other two pairs are basically tossed a bottle of wine outside, Julia and Brandon are sent to The Roxy to write a song with singer Joel Crouse and perform it. They sound much better together than they did with their other partners during last week’s show, and this with a song that they just came up with. After the duet, they kiss. In her confessional, Julia says, “I want to end up with Brandon.” WE KNOW.

Long after the other pairs are back from their dates, Julia and Brandon return, and she immediately pulls Sheridan aside for a chat. “I’m sorry,” she starts. “I just was able to figure out what I needed to know.” Sheridan has no time for this. “What did you need to know? What did you figure out?” She asks why he’s being so mean about it, and he apologizes. But, like, this is a stressful situation, Julia. He’s been there all day while his career — I mean, his romantic future hangs in the balance. She says she can’t continue on with him, and when he leaves, she says, “You’re seriously going to walk away?” Julia knows how to play reality TV. Sheridan comforts her, and then says his goodbyes to the other contestants. That was fast! The producers must have been thrilled. As Sheridan drives off, we get a montage of his and Julia’s “relationship” set to one of their duets. I'm sorry, but this isn’t emotional. They were an awful match who knew each other for a very short time.

Next up is Brandon’s conversation with his partner, Savannah McKinley. It's infuriating. He tells her he and Julia still have feelings for each other, but then immediately starts blaming Savannah for the demise of the relationship. He says she doesn’t seem totally into him. That she has “an attitude or an air” about her. He calls her “sweetie." Then he asks what he can do to “fix this.” Fix what? You just said you were into another woman! He says they can make it work if she can fully trust him, and she’s like what the hell, dude, of course I can't trust you. After seeing his arguing style — aka gaslighting — any wise person would flee. So at that point, Savannah leaves. We don’t get a montage of their time together, perhaps because they didn’t really have any. 

The next day, Chris Harrison shows up again and blatantly states that the plan to get rid of some of the contestants worked: “I think it was a necessary exercise, and obviously, to get to where we want to go, which is one couple, these are the steps we’re going to have to take." Thanks for the honesty, Chris.

The couples get their song assignments, and Brandon is mad he has to sing Pat Benatar. Red flag! Corinne Olympios look-alike Natascha Bessez takes it upon herself to tell Julia to cover her ears and then asks Brandon if he would have chosen Savannah if she said she was “all-in” with him. He nods “ye.s” He’s the worst. Plus, Savannah was all-in with him, before he said he was into someone else.

Before the performances, Natascha tells Julia what she asked Brandon and how he answered. Julia is upset that Natascha brought this up right before the concert. Hey, Natascha is a pot-stirrer. We know this. But she’s not making things up, so the anger should primarily be aimed at Brandon. Julia confronts him, and he says something about him and Savannah not seeing eye-to-eye and it being over with now, so who cares. 

Anyway, it’s time to sing! The judges this week are Toni Braxton, Andy Grammer, and Bachelorette success story Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo. 

The first couple to perform are Rudi and Matt, who cover Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey." Matt has a guitar. Rudi has sparkly pants. They’re great. The judges approve, but Toni thinks Matt’s guitar playing should have been more sexual. “I wanted to be uncomfortable.” Toni! This is not that type of show!

Next, Jamie and Trevor Holmes sing “Like I’m Going to Lose You” by Meghan Trainor and John Legend. During their song, we get a shot of Rachel Lindsay looking concerned and commentary from other contestants about it being an awkward performance. Andy says they seemed really nervous. Rachel says Trevor’s energy didn’t match Jamie’s. Backstage, Jamie is upset that she “fucked it up," but Trevor assures her that she was “incredible." Do I think this is sweet? Yes. Do I think they’ll last? Eh. 

Chris and Bri take on “Lover” by Taylor Swift. They both look so giddy as the other sings. Toni is satisfied and says she was actually made “uncomfortable” this time. (Did any of us ever think we’d be watching a singing competition judged by how horny performers make Toni Braxton? What a world.) After their critique, Bri notes that she told Chris she loved him at the end of the song, but he didn’t hear it. He says he loves her, too. They should win. Game over. There may be better singing, but there will be no better display of chemistry while singing.

The fourth couple to perform is Julia and Brandon, who were assigned “We Belong” by Pat Benatar. During the song, Rachel whispers to Bryan, “I don’t think they have any chemistry.” Before judging, Brandon explains that they only became partners this week, and all the judges are like, well, that explains it. Rachel says they were “disjointed” and “more like a karaoke performance.” Rachel’s a straight shooter. She and Jason Mraz should be permanent judges. 

Natascha and Ryan are last with Ray LaMontagne’s “You Are the Best Thing." Like last week, they really put on a show, singing with their faces smushed together and kissing. The judges love how flirty and fun they are. They are flirty and fun. Do their voices go together? Nah, not really. But this pairing of the quiet, raspy-voiced guy and the drama-starter with the Christina Aguilera-level belting is still so random and wonderful. 

After the show, Julia confronts Natascha in front of everyone about how it was “vindictive” and “dirty” that she brought up the Brandon drama before the performance. Natascha agrees that it “might have been the wrong time,” but says she’s didn’t do it to hurt Julia. In her confessional, Natascha says that Julia is obsessed with herself. 

At the rose ceremony, Bri and Chris, Rudi and Matt, Natascha and Ryan, and Jamie and Trevor receive roses. This means Brandon and Julia are going home. This is the right decision, which means that it’s a surprising decision for a Bachelor show. The only people bringing drama are leaving? This makes me want the roses on The Bachelor to be chosen by a group of judges. Toni Braxton, Jason Mraz, and Rachel Lindsay could have had Peter Weber with Kelley Flanagan way sooner.

Julia leaves in tears. She says Brandon treated their duet like a solo performance and that she wishes she could go back and choose Sheridan. Wow. What a capital-J Journey.

Next week: Tour buses to Vegas, an appearance from Ashlee Simpson, and probably some more rule changes. 

Most likely to succeed: Rudi. Even if she and Matt don’t win — and I don’t think they will — her career better take off after this show.

Most needed in Paradise: If BIP ever comes back, it needs Julia Rae. She can’t decide which guy she’s interested in. A beach full of single ones is the perfect place for her. 

Best judge: Rachel Lindsay. She tells it like it is and gave the editors a wide variety of reaction faces to choose from.