The Bachelor Season 25, Episode 7 Recap: Bye Bye Bye

Tonight’s episode begins with ten women left on Matt’s season of The Bachelor. By the end of the episode, we’re down to four. This season passes right over the part where there’s about six contestants and we see the lead form deeper bonds with them. That’s also usually the part where we see a potential Bachelorette come forth. Next week, it’s already time for hometowns. Do we blame the pandemic and the fact that they can’t travel? Do we blame the editors for giving Victoria way too much screen time in the first half of the season? Did someone count the rose ceremony roses wrong? 

The episode begins with Matt still laughing maniacally at the arrival of Heather Martin from Colton Underwood’s season. She’s clearly not going to be sticking around, so it all just feels like a waste of time. Heather tells Matt that after their mutual friend Hannah Brown told her how great of a guy he is, she had to at least meet him. Matt says he’s heard great things about her, too, but he doesn’t have a lot of time to get to know her. He needs to think about it. 

This leaves time for Heather to get grilled by the other women. Jessenia, Pieper, and Serena C. are the ones who express their issues with Heather to her face. “You’re just Bachelor hopping,” says Pieper. It’s all unnecessarily mean. It’s one thing to be annoyed that someone new is showing up. It’s another to be mean to her face. They’re all on a reality show, where this kind of thing tends to happen.

Matt ends up telling Heather that the decision is hard because he trusts Hannah’s opinion, but it’s too far into the show for her to stay. Bye, Heather. Sorry you quarantined in a hotel room just for this.

At the rose ceremony, Matt gives roses to Bri, Rachael, Serena P., Kit, Jessenia, and Abigail. They join Pieper and Michelle, who already have roses. Chelsea and Serena C. are sent home. 

The next day, Serena — hey, we get to drop the initial now — gets a one-on-one. This is a shocker to the group since she’s already had one and Abigail and Jessenia haven’t. Matt explains in his confessional that he feels like he and Serena are in the friendzone, and he wants to see if there’s something more there.

Serena and Matt do tantric yoga together and, as viewers, we learn that they’re both extremely flexible. After the yoga session, Serena tells Matt that she hated the date, because they had to sit on top of each other and she’s not a very affectionate person, especially in public. She’s not upset, though. She says this all while poking fun at how she’s never, ever doing tantric yoga again. Matt, on the other hand, was super into the date, and liked that it made him feel closer to her. But, he also likes that Serena’s open about what she doesn’t like. I agree. This show has uncomfortable dates all the time, and we don’t often hear someone say they didn’t have a good time.

At dinner, they continue talking about how important it is to be honest — whether it’s about yoga or anything else. They also talk about hometowns, and Serena says it’s “bizarre” that she wants him to meet her family so quickly. This show is weird and Serena gets that. She gets the rose and a place in the final four. 

Back at the hotel, Abigail is worried because she hasn’t had a real date with Matt, and hometowns are the following week. It does seem like Matt should’ve just given her the date instead of Serena. From what we saw, it wasn’t very hard for him to figure out he liked Serena as more than a friend.

But, alas, Abigail is on the group date. And this week’s only consists of the nighttime cocktail party portion. The layout of the dates this season has been all over the place. 

On the date, Bri tells Matt that she had to leave her job as a “communications manager” a few days ago in order to stay on the show. She feels that what she and Matt have is worth it. I hope it is, and that she can get an even better job after this, because that really sucks. In his confessional, Matt says, “I’ve heard all I need to hear from Bri. She’s here for me.” Yeah, in case you ever doubted it, Bri’s going to hometowns.

Someone who’s not going to hometowns? Abigail. She and Matt have a brutal breakup on the date. She tells him that she can see her future with him and asks if he sees the same thing. He responds with what sounds like a terrible excuse for cheating. After giving her the first impression rose, he "was so comfortable in our relationship, that I explored other relationships.” Through that, he developed stronger feelings for some of the other women. Matt! What? You just forgot to take her on a date? Come on, man.

On the car ride away, Abigail says, “I’m just realizing that I’m constantly that person who makes men realize what they want next, but they never want that with me.” That’s just heartbreaking — and potentially a solid Bachelorette lead soundbite. 

Back inside, Rachael tells Matt that she’s never felt the way she does for him about anyone else, and she’s only worried that she won’t be with him at the end. “When I’m not around you, I’m thinking about you,” he responds. Rachael’s a lock for hometowns, too. 

Next up, Kit wants to ask where she stands, which is a bold move considering the last person who did that was literally just sent home. “There are things that I’ve set for my life trajectory that I’m not willing to compromise on,” Kit tells Matt. Those things are finishing school, traveling, and figuring out her career. Pretty simple. But, she notes, that she won’t be ready to get married and have kids as soon as some of the other women might. 

“I wouldn’t want to have kids until” — I fully expect her to say “I’m at least 35” — but she says, “I’m 25, 26.” Oh right, Kit is only 21. Matt does not seem at all surprised by this and says he doesn’t have an exact timeline he’s working with in life, he just wants to be with someone he loves. Kit is super relieved. Good for her for speaking up about something she was nervous to express.

The group date rose goes to Rachael. No surprise there. What is surprising is that Matt and Rachael then leave together for a special post-group-date date. It’s a private concert from Aloe Blacc. Another surprise — I’ve actually heard of him. 

At some indeterminate time after the concert, Kit shows up at Matt’s suite. Turns out, she doesn’t have the clarity she needs going into hometowns. “You deserve someone who is 100 percent sure of you getting down on one knee tomorrow, and that’s not me,” she says. Matt says he loves her confidence and wants her there, but she sticks to her decision to leave. I’m sure he’s relieved. Even if he’s into Kit — and honestly, I don’t think so — she isn’t one of the women he’s closest with. She just made his life a lot easier. 

The next day is Jessenia’s one-on-one. She and Matt go car drifting with a professional driver. (That’s learning to spin a car around in a parking lot, according to me, a person who knows nothing about this activity.) Afterward, they make out on the hood of the car. Jessenia thinks the date is going wonderfully. Unfortunately, it’s not.

At night, the connection just isn’t there. Their entire conversation sounds like filler. Eventually, Jessenia says she’s falling in love with Matt. He thanks her, but explains that their relationship isn’t at the level it needs to be. Jessenia is sent packing.

And then it’s already time for another rose ceremony. We’re breezing through. Going in, Serena and Rachael have roses. Matt gives roses to Bri and Michelle. This means Pieper is tearfully sent home, regretting that she would ever listen to stupid things like feelings and emotions. 

Next week: Hometowns. Have I mentioned that enough? Also, skydiving.

Winner of the episode: Michelle. I know what you’re thinking, Michelle didn’t do anything of note this episode. But, in the extra clip that always comes at the end of the show, we get to see more of Michelle’s fun side when she says she has to do push ups before giving a toast so that she looks good on TV. She cracks everyone up when she jumps down to the floor. She’s funny and so drama-free that we rarely see her. I approve. 

Loser of the episode: Serena C. for calling Heather a “virus” in the middle of a pandemic.`