Chris Harrison Blogs ‘The Bachelorette’ Week 2

Chris Harrison with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Photo: Chris Harrison)
Chris Harrison with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Photo: Chris Harrison)

Welcome back, Bachelor Nation. We’re only one week into dates and already the drama is off the charts. Blake and Lucas are at each other’s throats. DeMario and Lexi aren’t seeing eye-to-eye. The journey has only just begun but I have a feeling this season is going to be one of the craziest love stories ever told.

The first date was really a lot of fun. Mila and Ashton contacted us and let us know that they wanted to help Rachel find a man. They’re such a charming couple and so much fun, and that dynamic is exactly what Rachel is looking for. So, the men were put to the test. Changing diapers and vacuuming are only some of the things you’re going to have to do as a Dad, and if you’re serious about finding a wife, it’s time to learn how to accomplish these tasks. Also, we knew it was going to be very fun to watch.

Anything is possible in this world, but absolutely no one thought Lucas was going to whaaaboooom his way to the top in that competition. Between his fevered pace and the incredibly brave stiff arm (also the endless patience of Kenny), Lucas came out on top, but his victory didn’t last long as Ashton shut down his request for a mutual whaaaboooom and Blake decided to put an end to Lucas’ tenure in the mansion.

The first night was bizarre. Between the nonsense fighting between Lucas and Blake and the fear the guys seemed to feel around Rachel, what usually is a romantic night took a turn for the weird. It wasn’t until after their rose that Dean finally got around to leaning in for the kiss, but when he did, it was a good one, as both he and Rachel attested.

The first one-on-one date went to Peter. Well, kind of. Rachel is a very devoted dog-mom and she really wanted to include Copper on her journey, so we made sure to help he plan a date that wasn’t only dog-friendly, it was dog-centric. Barkfest was a majestic sight to behold. Dog massages. Dogs on floats. Dog smoothies (for dogs, not made of them). And finally after all these years we have discovered exactly who let the dogs out. It was Peter. He left the sliding glass door open. Now we know.

Some first dates are just easy as can be and that was the case for Peter and Rachel. They were both so open and honest and they were really listening to each other. I know it seems obvious but so often people are just waiting for their turn to talk. These two were connecting. And there were fireworks. I’ll just leave that joke there for you to enjoy.

The final group date of the week was one I was really looking forward to. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is an absolute legend and to have him agree to come by and spend some time getting to know us and getting to know Rachel was a real pleasure. The guys were unbelievably excited and it was one of the more raucous crowds we’ve ever had at a Bachelor event. The game was just as intense as it looked, and I have to give it to one of the unsung heroes of the game. Matt — who you may remember wore a penguin costume on night one — was, in fact the game’s high scorer. He probably would’ve had more time to celebrate if the entire place hadn’t exploded when Lexi, who I had never met before in my life, dropped her bomb on the place.

It’s impossible to ever know the full story behind anything, but the fact that DeMario said “Who’s this?” when he saw Lexi says a lot. He was obviously thrown off and was incapable of even forming a sentence. We can get more into that next week, because as you can see, DeMario had some time to formulate his thoughts and returned to the mansion, in an Uber, apparently, to try to get a second chance. Will Rachel give it to him? We’ll find out next week! See you there!

The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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