This season of The Bachelorette has been all about Katie kicking off villain after quasi-villain, and episode 6 once again begs the question of whether Katie will give the boot to a man the group finds suspicious. The accused: Hunter. The crime: Being a “calculated” “superfan." The potential sentence: No rose.
The episode opens with Katie hanging out with Tayshia and Kaitlyn and giving us a rundown of her top four without explicitly saying that’s what she’s doing. The men she mentions are Blake, Greg, Michael A, and Andrew S. (Of course, the editors could have taken out other men’s names, but it’s clear we’re supposed to see these guys as the top of the bunch.) Then, during the same conversation Katie says she has “an idea” to have the guys “withhold their self-care." She wants them to not masturbate, because… producers think there’s not enough happening on yet another quarantine season and Katie keeps kicking off the villains? That’s my guess.
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Kaitlyn tells the guys about WOWO (Week Off Whack Off) and references the Seinfeld episode about this very idea, saying they have to “be the master of their domain.” Some of the men make it seem like this is actually going to be difficult, and I’m sorry, but is it? Sound off in the comments! (JK. A million times JK.) Something feels icky about trying to limit an entire group of people’s sexual expression, but from what we see they all take it in stride and joke about it.
Thankfully, we move on from that with some hot gossip from Hunter. He’s wondering if Greg will get a second one-on-one. Greg replies, “Does that happen?” Greg does not watch this show. Hunter then says he’s sure Katie already knows her final four and that it’s himself, Greg, and Connor. That leaves one space, but he doesn’t share his fourth pick. In his confessional, Greg says that Connor is “calculated” and a “superfan." A bit later, we get another clip of Aaron, James the box, and an unknown man named Brendan talking about Connor being a fan of the show. “I heard he was in the forums and shit,” James says. Ooooh, not the forums.
Meanwhile, Katie’s first one-on-one is with Justin, the man who brought Katie that heart painting on night one. Their date is to have a fake wedding and be photographed by “Bachelor Nation Photographer” Franco, who is back yet again. Katie and Justin write vows that they recite to each other. They look great in their wedding outfits, but it’s a weird date for these two, since they are still just getting to know one another. Katie says, “Our marriage is a canvas, so let’s paint something beautiful.” See? All she knows about him is the painting, too.
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At dinner, Katie shares that the idea of a wedding is emotional for her because her dad passed away and won’t be there when she actually gets married. She also shares that before her dad died, she found out that he was not her biological father and that her mom had kept this a secret from her. Now, her biological father wants to be part of her life, but she doesn’t know how to navigate it. This is a lot to confront, and obviously, Katie and Justin aren’t going to work through the details in this moment. But, he reacts the best way one can, saying he’s amazed by her strength. Justin gets a rose. We still haven’t learned anything about him.
The group date is hosted by two RuPaul's Drag Race alums: Monét X Change and Shea Couleé. Michael says, “Two beautiful drag queens come walking out, and if it’s drag day, I’m going all the way.” I love him, and I need more information! Did he think they would be dressing in drag? Because they’re not. Instead, the men have to do a roast of sorts where they explain why they deserve to be with Katie while dissing each other. It isn’t until the queens push them for some gossip that some of the guys start calling out Hunter, his superfandom, and his top four list, which he denies even having. The guys most outspoken about this are Aaron, Tre, and James. Greg, who also knows about the list, doesn’t speak up because he’s no dummy.
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At the cocktail party, Katie has real conversations and makes out with Andrew and Greg while Aaron, Tre, and James hold a meeting to decide what to do about Hunter. Shouldn’t it be obvious to them that this is not what they should be focusing on? Maybe not, if they aren’t superfans of the show like Hunter.
Blake talks to Katie about the challenge and says it’s been hard for him. Clever. Even with the conversation being about that, it’s clear they have a great rapport and a lot of chemistry.
James, Tre, and Aaron all warn Katie about Hunter being potentially there for the wrong reasons. Katie confronts Hunter, who says he’s only there for her and doesn’t know how else he can defend himself. Hunter has seemed sort of suspish, but it doesn’t seem like he’s done anything that bad. Back with the group, Michael actually defends Hunter and says based on his conversations with the guy, he does seem into Katie. (And, clearly, I trust Michael above all else.) Meanwhile, Katie goes to the bathroom to vomit because she is so overwhelmed with this new information. She returns to tell the group that she’s calling it a night and no rose will be given out.
The next day is a one-on-one with Connor. Katie is concerned they’re better as friends. By her telling, the high point of their connection was when he got out of the limo in that cat costume. Katie and Connor have a double date with Kaitlyn and her fiancé, Bachelorette alum Jason Tartick, with outdoor games and a cookout. It's all very cute, but it's not enough.
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Connor and Katie end the day date with a kiss, but when we jump to the nighttime portion, it’s clear something is wrong. While Connor is getting dressed in his hotel room, Katie is walking down a corridor wearing a hoodie and jeans. When she shows up at his door and he sees what she’s wearing, the concern is clear on his face. Through tears, Katie gives Connor the cat the boot, because something is missing when they kiss. Connor cries, but assures her that it’s okay. Then he says goodbye to the other guys, many of whom are also emotional at the news, before driving off in tears. I really did not see this coming — neither did Hunter, for that matter. Poor Connor the cat.
While Katie is sitting in her room pondering why she couldn’t find romantic love with her cat buddy, Blake shows up outside her window with a boombox Say Anything-style, playing the Laine Hardy song they danced to during their one-on-one. He’s there to cheer her up, and she invites him up. They start making out before they even get back to the room, which shows exactly why he’s there instead of Connor. Once they’re able to actually speak again, Blake explains that after he said goodbye to Connor, he was concerned with how she was doing. Katie is thrilled at this turn of events and says the chemistry she has with Blake is exactly what she’s looking for. In his confessional, Blake says it’s undeniable that he and Katie are going to fall in love soon. And on that earnest note, the editors decide to make a visual joke about how Blake is going to his own room to have some “self-care” by showing us a sprinkler system going off.
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The rose ceremony is next. Like, actually next, because Katie says she doesn’t need the cocktail party in order to make her decisions.
Katie calls Hunter’s name first, but then asks him to go outside to talk. The sneaky non-rose is becoming her signature move. Katie tells Hunter that she’s looking for clarity, but we don’t see much of their convo or whether he provides any. It’s unclear why this was even left in the episode. It doesn’t build extra suspense, because suspense is the entire point of handing out the roses one by one.
Anyway, Justin already has a rose. Katie gives her additional roses to Blake, Andrew, Greg, Michael A, Mike P, and Brendan. She sends home the dramatic trio of Aaron, Tre, and James, along with the source of their fury, Hunter. She’s really killing it with her rose ceremony choices. I’ve never seen a lead do such an effective job with their picks.
Next week it looks like we finally get to hear more from Mike P and Brendan, before they are inevitably sent home.
Frontrunner to win: Blake. She really, really likes him.
Frontrunners for final four: Greg, Michael A, Blake, and Andrew. The very people Katie listed at the beginning of the episode.
Frontrunner for Bachelor: I don’t think it actually should be him, but I will give this as an honorary award to Connor the cat. All his fellow contestants really love him and he seems like a sweetheart.
Frontrunner for Paradise: Tre. He is a pot-stirrer, an open crier, and wore a fantastic leopard blazer at tonight’s rose ceremony. He has the penchant for drama and the fashion sense we need on the beach.