Hi guys! I’m back at it to recap another episode of the Bachelor, and we’re getting into unchartered territory over here. Although the final outcome of the episode wasn’t surprising to me, as I saw Becca and Amanda’s snapstories from the Women Tell All taping which included Caila, it was still filled with drama and uncomfortable decisions. Thankfully, I finally got all those L-bombs I was waiting for, and some from an unexpected source!

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My Thoughts

1. First up was Caila’s date, which involved a raft ride down a river, and a stop at a jerk chicken shack. Caila admits that she is feeling anxious, and this is shown through plenty of awkward silences. During the daytime portion of the date, Ben tries to get Caila to tell him if something was bothering her but she continuously tells him that everything is good.
   
   At night, Caila realizes she has to be honest with Ben if she wants their relationship to move forward. She admits to having her guard up, as after her hometown date, she finally realized that there are two other women who also have very strong feelings for Ben. Knowing that it’s now or never, Caila tells Ben that she is in love with him. Ben’s reaction, telling once one watches the entire episode, is to smile and go in for the kiss.

   The fantasy suite card comes, and Caila accepts. After a quick jaunt into the ocean, Ben and Caila retreat to their room, with these crazy ass fireworks blowing up in the background. They don’t seem to bothering those two though.
   
   In the morning, Ben and Caila looked to have had a nice night. They eat breakfast on the terrace, and Caila is all smiles, repeatedly telling Ben she loves him, and being met with just a smile.

2. After leaving Caila, Ben is ready to meet up with Lauren for their date. He mentions that it’s hard to go from one girl to another, but he says “the moment I see Lauren, the day is about her” (yeah, because he loves her). Ben takes Lauren on a boat to THE COOLEST DATE EVER. Seriously, if anyone took me to do this, I would hope that they would drop to one knee and propose right there.
   
   Ben and Lauren are going to help save sea turtles at Gibraltar Beach. Mel teaches Lauren and Ben about what his program does to save the turtles, and then lifts back a flap of mesh within a hole to reveal a small mound of baby hawksbill turtles. Lauren and Ben are both squeeing with excitement, and are told by Mel that they can grab a turtle and take him/her to the ocean and clean them off. After the turtles are all cleaned from their nest, Ben and Lauren place them in a bucket and release them into the ocean. Watching those little guys fight to get to sea is the most heartwarming thing ever, and I hope they all make it. To learn more about saving the sea turtle, visit The Oracabessa Bay Fish Sanctuary.

   For Lauren’s nighttime portion of the date, her and Ben do a little bit of reggae dancing, and then talk about their feelings over dinner. Lauren is also very wary that there are two other girls in this process, and isn’t able to get up the nerve to tell Ben that she loves him. Even without the ‘I love you’, Ben offers the date card, and Lauren accepts. In the suite, the two of them sit on a couch, and continue to discuss their feelings (I really don’t know how else to put it). Lauren starts to ramble a bit, and you know the ‘I love you’ is coming. “I’ve felt this way for a long time but, I’m completely in love with you and you really are the man of my dreams and you make me feel a way I didn’t even know I could feel. And I feel like I’ve been wanting to tell you that for awhile, this isn’t something new”, says Lauren. Ben looks at her happily, and says “I have no doubt, especially talking to your family that you are someone who doesn’t just jump into things and they know you wouldn’t be here unless your feelings are strong. For me, I’ve known I’m in love with you for awhile as well”. Say whattttt???

   

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   Lauren looks expectedly surprised, because, uhm, you’re not allowed to do that. Needless to say, she is extremely pleased, and the two have a cute moment of covering their faces and saying they love each other. Ben and Lauren make out, while Ben’s leg is awkwardly crossed. Their morning is uneventful, besides the two of them continuing to say “I love you”.

   Ben leaves to go on his date with JoJo and says “My heart is right now with Lauren but I need to explore where it’s at with JoJo”. The daytime portion of their date is pretty uneventful, they jump off a waterfall and go in a helicopter. In her ITMs, JoJo mentions that her love language is ‘words of affirmation’, and she hates that when she tells Ben that she loves him, he won’t be able to tell her back unless she is the last one there. As they talk about their feelings (this show seriously must be the most exhausting thing ever), JoJo tells Ben, “When I think about the future there’s not a doubt in my mind that I want to spend it with you.… and why I think it’s so hard for me to say I love you is because I’m so scared. But I do, everything that I’ve said up to this point makes me think that I do love you, like I’m not just falling in love anymore…I do, I do love you. To JoJo’s surprise, Ben says, “JoJo, I love you too”. Whatttt?!?! JoJo, being pretty adorable, says “What? Are you allowed to say that?”

   

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3. After JoJo’s date is over, Ben is understandably confused about what he is doing with his life. He knows he has to let Caila go, as he just wasn’t able to say ‘I love you’ to her. He’s sitting outside, pondering his life choices, when Caila comes bouncing out to “surprise” him because she just wanted to see him. She is so excited, as she believes that Ben loves her too, and watching the whole exchange made me cringe. I just wanted to yell “Run Caila! Save yourself!”.
   
   Ben tells Caila that he has fallen and love and he just wasn’t able to get there with her and Caila handles the breakup as gracefully and realistically as anyone I can remember. In some of my favorite Caila moments of the season she responds with, “That sounds like a line, but uhm” when Ben says it’s going to be really hard to say goodbye to her. When he says he’s going to miss her, she says, “You don’t have to say that. You really don’t have to say that.” She tearfully tells him that she’ll miss him, and that’s she is going to go because “there is no reason for me to stay”. While sitting in the van waiting to leave, she decides that if she wants answers she has to get them now. She gets out and confronts Ben, asking him if he knew after their date and if he did, why he’s doing this to her now. Realizing, that the wound is too raw to really get any closure, Ben walks her back to the van that whisks her away. The real heartbreaker was Caila sobbing in the car while saying that she still loved Ben.
   
   For some unknown reason, there is still a rose ceremony. Both Lauren and JoJo tell Chris Harrison that they told Ben they loved him and he told them the same. Actually, I think they held the rose ceremony just for the Chris Harrison reaction shots to this news.
   
   

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   Ben first gives JoJo a rose, and then Lauren, and they participate in a super awkard group hug/toast. Sister wives anyone?
   

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Best Tweets

1. Rose Ceremony this week. Harrison will simply say "anyone who got an I Love You from Ben step forward. Not so fast, Caila" #TheBachelor

   — Robert Mills (@Millsy11374) March 1, 2016

2. Catherine can feel it in my breath that I had pizza for dinner. #TheBachelor

   — Sean Lowe (@SeanLowe09) March 1, 2016

3. Caila: "It's funny you noticed there was something wrong with me today."
   CAILA, YOU DIDN'T SPEAK. Ben isn't a blind moron. #TheBachelor

   — Bachelor Burn Book (@bachelorburnbk) March 1, 2016

Best Dressed

1. 
   JoJo’s date outfit was fun and casual for a day of hiking. I liked the deep v-neck of the shirt, which stays tasteful when paired with a bathing suit top. This outfit is something I would wear, and JoJo looks great.
2. 
   Lauren’s rose ceremony dress was a little casual as compared to earlier rose ceremonies, but I thought it was appropriate for the tropical atmosphere of Jamaica. I loved the high slit in the dress, as well as the bright color.
3. 
   JoJo continues her trend of really killing it in the sex appeal department at the rose ceremonies. The fun, tropical print is perfect for Jamaica, and the fit is impeccable.

That’s all I’ve got for you today rose lovers! What did you think about Ben telling two women he loves them? Does anyone think that was a good move (I’m going to guess no)? And who do you think is going to win, JoJo or Lauren? Let me know in the comments!

Xoxo Em