Welcome to our recap for The Bachelor Season 28, Episode 3! In this week’s episode, nine women compete in the first-ever Mrs. Right Pageant on the first group date. One lucky lady gets to ride the waves with Joey Graziadei on the one-on-one date. On the second group date, eight women compete in the first-ever Bachelor Open. Last week, Joey had nine brides, but this week, he’s courtside at the craziest tennis tournament you’ve ever seen. Everyone is a good sport and has fun, so Joey calls it a success. Here are some of the highlights from The Bachelor Season 28, Episode 3.
Jesse explains it all
It’s a new day, and the ladies are looking forward to just spending some time with Joey. Jesse Palmer walks into the house. They must have had a heads up that he was coming because everybody was waiting expectantly on the living room couch. What’s up, Jesse?
“You are the 18 women who made it through the week,” he begins, “which means that you’re the women that Joey really can see a future with.” Oh, I doubt that, Jesse. They just can’t let him send them all home too early in the season. There’s a format he has to follow. I’m sure there are some duds in the group. He just has to carry some of them along for “entertainment.”
“This week there will be two really fun group dates,” Jesse adds, “and one very romantic one-on-one date.” All the ladies react with oohs and ahs.
With that, he whips the first group date card out of his back pocket and places it on the coffee table. Wishing them all the best, he makes his exit, while Jess hops up to rip open the card.
“Edwina, Kelsay A., Lexi, Allison, Madina, Chrissa, Lea, Sydney, Maria: I’m looking for my Mrs. Right. — Love, Joey.”
Looking for Mrs. Right
Meanwhile, Joey is waiting in a theater downtown for the women to arrive. “Mrs. Right just means the perfect person for me,” he says. “So today should be a good way to have some fun, and I’m hoping they can open up and be themselves … I am here to find my Mrs. Right, and I hope that I can be their Mr. Right.”
When Joey gathers the women on the stage, he tells them there are some more ladies “who wanted to be her and join us.” Some of the women look less than pleased about sharing Joey with even more girls. But when he calls them out from backstage, they turn out to be four of Gerry’s girls from The Golden Bachelor. It’s the “ASKN” ladies: April, Susan, Kathy and Nancy. “And if you’re askin’,” they say in unison, “we’re telling.” Cute.
These women are making a career out of having been on that show! Good for them. Get that paycheck!
“There is no better way to help [Joey] find Mrs. Right,” Kathy says, “than to have a pageant!” They have only one hour to rehearse before they have to perform in front of a live audience. The pressure’s on!
They will compete in three categories: the Lazy Sunday Fitwear, the Q&A, and the Talent Show. Oh, boy. Get ready for some questionable “talent.”
First-ever Bachelor Nation Mrs. Right Pageant
Jesse Palmer welcomes the audience to the first-ever Mrs. Right Pageant! The talent ranges from singing acapella (Edwina) to a gymnastics demonstration (Madina and Maria). But Sydney has been in pageants before and scoffs at their efforts. Let’s see what she’s got.
For her talent, Sydney does a cheer. She starts with, “L–O–V–E! Joey is the one for me!” and moves on to “Mrs. R–I–GH–T! Mrs. Right … That’s me!” It’s pretty weak, and the Golden Bachelor ladies exchange some looks. She gets some lackluster applause from the audience.
Next, Lexi claims to be the World’s Best Kisser and asks for Joey’s help to prove it. She asks for music and lays a big, sloppy kiss on Joey that lasts several seconds. Nobody wants to watch their boyfriend kiss someone else, and the other women are not amused.
And the winner of the Mrs. Right title is … Lexi! Joey decided she should win because she surprised him with that kiss.
Lea interviews that some of the other women think, “Lexi put less effort but got more reward.” Don’t discount sex appeal, Lea. Lexi just had a better idea, and Joey dug it. Sadly, it wasn’t enough to earn her the date rose. Kelsey gets to take that one home.
“Love is a wild ride”
Jenn gets the one-on-one date. The next day, she and Joey walk into a surf shop. They’re going to pick out two wetsuits and two surfboards, and they’re going surfing! If he lived near the water, Joey thinks this is what every day would look like with his partner.
Joey has visions of him and Jenn in a bus with surfboards on top and a couple of kids in the back. He gives her a surf lesson. Though she’s never quite able to stand up on the board, she does have a lot of fun and thinks she’s conquered her fear of the ocean.
Later, Joey and Jenn walk into the Hollywood Forever Funeral Home. Is that where they’re having dinner? That’s a little creepy.
When they sit down at their table, Joey confesses that he felt some butterflies today. Jenn agrees that she did, too. He’s excited to learn more tonight, and she hints that there’s “a lot that you don’t know yet.”
Because of the way she grew up, Jenn felt unlovable and that she would never find someone. Her parents fought a lot when she was growing up, and Jenn was left to take care of herself. She and her dad have no relationship. But seeing what a good person Joey is, she realizes what she’s been missing in her life, and she feels ready for a relationship now.
Joey asks Jenn to “Come with me,” picks up the rose and they walk outside. Suddenly there are light-up drones in the sky. They make sparkly designs and then spell out words. “Today has been … a dream. Jenn, will you … accept this rose?” And of course, she says yes.
The Bachelor Open
Back at the house, the group date card arrives. “Katelyn, Autumn, Rachel, Daisy, Evalin, Kelsey T., Starr, Jess: I’m done playing singles. – Love, Joey.”
Joey’s been playing tennis since he was 13 years old. It’s what he does for a living, so he’s really excited to share his passion with the women today. Everybody’s warming up when Jesse Palmer rocks up with his air horn. Uh oh. I have a feeling Jesse is here to make an announcement.
“I didn’t just come by here today to watch you all train,” he says. “How do y’all feel about a little head-to-head competition? Ladies, there’s something that I [forgot] to mention. Let’s just say, you’re gonna find out once you go to the changing rooms.”
Jesse welcomes everyone to the first-ever Bachelor Open. But this isn’t your average tennis tournament. Autumn and Daisy come out dressed as babies, in giant onesies wearing bonnets and waving their baby bottles. They’re wearing bibs that say “Cry Babies.”
Starr and Rachel are “Hot Dog and Bun.” “We’re gonna ‘mustard’ all the confidence, but these ladies better ‘ketchup,’” they say. Ouch.
Katelyn and Jess are “The Beehive.” Jess is a bee, and Katelyn is the hive. Katelyn says they’re about to “buzz all over this court.”
Kelsey and Evalin are “Lobster and Butter.” They promise, “The claws are coming out!”
And the winners of the Bachelor Open are Lobster and Butter. That was the silliest tennis tournament ever, but everybody had fun, and that’s exactly what Joey wanted.
“This is probably the best date ever,” Joey says. “I’m so happy with how everyone fully leaned into it and had a great time. What more could you ask for?”
The After Party
Sitting around a fire pit, everyone says they had so much fun at the tennis tournament today. It was all fun, no drama! In a voiceover, Joey admits that he’s “starting to have real feelings about these women … It just keeps getting better and better.”
When Rachel comes for some one-on-one time, she goes in for a hug and one of her earrings gets caught on his sweater. One of the crew has to come and separate her earring from Joey’s sweater. Rachel tells Joey that he reminds her of the good qualities in her dad, and Joey says it just makes him “feel so special.”
In the end, Joey gives the date rose to Katelyn.
“Mean Girl” drama
Back at the house, Sydney and Lea are talking about the “Mean Girl” (Maria). Sydney thinks that Maria is “intimidated by me ’cause I’m the only one who stuck up for Madina.” This is unnecessary drama. Didn’t Maria and Madina already make up? Apparently, they forgot to tell Sydney.
“I don’t like Maria,” Sydney says in an interview. “And unfortunately, I’m associated with this drama, but, like, I am not the drama. I am not the person that’s the mean girl.” Yes, you are absolutely the drama, girl, and it’s not a good look.
Even though she says she’s “not one to tattle,” Sydney decides to do just that. She’s going to tell Joey that Maria’s a Mean Girl. And I think it’s gonna blow up in her face.
Worst pool party ever
Everyone’s looking forward to the cocktail party tonight … until Jesse shows up. Guess what?
“Joey doesn’t want to have a cocktail party tonight,” Jesse announces, as smiles disappear. “He just can’t wait to see you all … so we’re having a pool party!”
Rather than having a barbecue, ABC squeezes in a little product placement when Jesse announces that they’re having KFC! Who doesn’t love a little sodium-infused, greasy fried food? They even have Colonel Sanders floaties in the pool!
But Sydney’s on a mission to get the Mean Girl sent home. Why doesn’t Madina tell her they already made their peace? Let’s watch while Sydney self-destructs.
Joey and Sydney sit down to talk. She tells him that after his talk about bullying the other night, Maria immediately started attacking Madina. When she told Maria to back off, Sydney became Maria’s target. Joey’s not happy to hear this.
“She verbally attacked me,” Sydney claims. “She called me embarrassing, weird, and dumb.”
Joey’s shocked and upset. He thanks Sydney for sharing this information and has no reason not to believe her. So, he goes to find Maria.
In the meantime, the other ladies are feeling the tension between Sydney and Maria. “This is the worst pool party I’ve ever been to,” Rachel sighs.
When Joey asks Maria to explain, she says she’s been bullied and would never want to treat someone else that way. Her feelings are hurt. Joey can see that she’s hurt and confused, which makes him question Sydney’s story. He really didn’t foresee the girl drama. I think Joey needs to talk to some of the other girls and get some clarification.
The Rose Ceremony
Here comes Jesse with his clinky Champagne Glass of Doom. The pool party that never was is over. There were no chicken fights. Nobody even went in the pool. Thanks, Sydney. Joey needs time to think before tonight’s Rose Ceremony.
Going into the rose ceremony, most of the women are upset that they haven’t had time with Joey. Sydney’s made-up drama with Maria disrupted everybody’s day.
Nevertheless, roses go to Lexi, Lea, Kelsey T., Rachel, Madina, Daisy, Jess, Edwina, Autumn, Allison, Maria, and (the Final Rose Tonight) Sydney. Ugh. I had hoped he’d send her home. She’s too much with her “poor little victimized me” act.
“Coming into next week, I’m going to put my energy into what matters,” Sydney interviews. “I’m not going to let the Mean Girl win. It has to be done, and I’m the only one that isn’t afraid of her.”
Next week, not only do we have two two-hour episodes of this show on Monday and Tuesday (Bachelor overload incoming), but there will be a two-on-one date starring Sydney and Maria. Who will be sent home?
Be sure to stick around for the final scene of Jesse Palmer floating in the pool and eating chicken, while he practices his lines. “Ladies, it’s the final rose tonight,” he says. “Why do I even have to say that? Everybody can see there’s only one rose left.” Perfect!
See you next week!
The Bachelor Season 28 airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE BACHELOR SEASON 28, EPISODE 3? HOW ABOUT THE DRAMA BETWEEN SYDNEY AND MARIA?
