Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Of the four remaining guys, Atlantan Andi Dorfman had a relatively easy choice Monday night to eliminate on the eighth episode of "The Bachelorette": Marcus Grodd, the incredibly boring sports medicine manager.
After the hometown visits but before the rose ceremony, the entire "fairy tale" of this show was marred by the news that Eric Hill, eliminated a few weeks earlier, had died in a paragliding accident. When Chris Harrison informs everyone, there is just shocked silence. Andi feels bad about how she kicked him out the last time we saw him. The camera crew is so taken in, they set the cameras down and comfort the cast.
This leaves three dudes who all have appealing aspects about them: Chris Soules, the sweet, romantic farmer; Nick Viall, the douchebag software executive Andi seems drawn to despite his arrogance; and Josh Murray, the earnest, fairly simple-minded Atlanta jock many observers had pegged was "the one' from the beginning of the season.
Hometown Visit No. 1
Her first visit was Waukesha, WI with Nick, the man who got a first impression rose and has remained a favorite for her. Sure, the other guys hate him but he tells his family members he loves her. He has been engaged before and been burned, but he's been willing to open up to Andi.
"We have a good mental connection," Andi explains to one of Nick's younger sisters Bella. "When we says things, I get it."
She says he's "amazing and makes me super, super happy." She doesn't say the "l" word.
He tells his mom that "she's the half of me I'm missing." But he doesn't make any big declaration to her.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Hometown No. 2
Now she's in farm country with Chris. She sees his bachelor pad, a sizable home. She utters her signature "shut up" twice as she sees his tractor. And that's not a metaphor. Nonetheless, she's turned on as she rides the tractor on his lap. Again, not a metaphor. That's literal.
It's clear Chris is cemented in Iowa. She'd have to agree to move there with her. Would a city girl like her be able to do that?
"What would I do for work here?' she asks.
"There's an opportunity to be a home maker," he says. But he did note that Cedar Rapids is nearby and that's not a tiny city. She says she's open to it but it's hard to say how open she really is. But she is charmed when a "Chris loves Andi" banner flies by. "The sweetest, cutest gesture," she says. Farmer boy knows the right romantic moves.
Biggest family revelation about Chris: "He only wore underwear on school days." One of his sisters brags about his entrepreneurship skills. "The more I get to know her, I'm falling for this person," he says.
Chris' mom seems to get along with Andi. She's more open than Nick's mom, who struck me as far more cautious.
"I saw a life with him," she says. And she uses her go-to adjectives of "awesome" and "amazing."
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Hometown visit #3
Josh, our long-running pick to be Andi's beau, gets to show off Tampa to him. (He now lives in Atlanta but grew up in Tampa.)
She admits strong feelings for him but they scare her.
He plays baseball with her. The field brings mixed feelings to him. He didn't make it to the pros. "I didn't have that passion anymore," he said. So he tied his future to his younger brother Aaron, who played quarterback on the University of Georgia. Aaron is getting ready for the football draft. (He ends up getting drafted by Kansas City.)
Josh gets teary-eyed when he sees his family for the first time in awhile. His mom makes it clear to Andi that he's in love. If anything, Josh seems 100% sincere - unlike Nick.
"I hope Josh's family is ready we'll be making our own family . Our family will be the priority," Andi says. Josh's sister anticipates there may be arguments over family/football priorities. But all the family members say Josh is ready for a family.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Hometown visit #4
In Dallas, poor hapless Marcus tried his best to impress Andi. He re-enacts the stripping bit from an early group date. She likes his "hotness." Bugt his personality? Snooze.
"I do love you very much and I'm crazy about you," he says.
"I'm excited," she responds. No "l" word here. He later says she's his "soul mate."
"I worry that he can fall that fast," she notes to Marcus' sister. "Can I catch up to that?"
The fact she even has to "catch up" dooms this unbalanced relationship. She isn't in love. Period.
The rose ceremony
Andi is still choked up over Eric's death. She collapses in tears before handing out the first rose.
But she has to do what she has to do with a heavy heart. That means getting rid of Marcus, the "clingy" dullard.
Next week
It's fantasy suite week in the Dominican Republic. She brings up a lot about fear and someone doesn't "match up."
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