(ABC)
On Monday’s “The Bachelor,” Ben Higgins’ ongoing ups and downs with Olivia and Jubilee boiled over. Get the full recap below!
The fifth episode of the season began with Ben and the remaining 11 women arriving in Mexico City. Amanda scored the first one-on-one date, for which she and Ben took a balloon ride over ancient ruins. During their romantic dinner, the “nervous” single mom of two opened up about her painful divorce. Touched by her vulnerability, Ben offered Amanda the date rose, which she accepted with a kiss.
For the group date, nine of the girls joined Ben for Spanish lessons. Afterward, the contestants learned they’d have to use their new vocabulary to go food shopping, and then compete in a cook-off. For the challenge, everyone had to pair up, but since there was an odd number of ladies, one got to be partnered with Ben. Much to everyone else’s dismay, that person was Olivia.
But Jubilee was unhappy even before that point, finding it hard to fall for Ben as he dated so many other women. In fact, during the speaking lesson, she actually objected when he told her “te amo” (“I love you”) since he had said it to “the last four girls.” Losing the cook-off partnership to Olivia added to her anger, which only temporarily dissipated when she and partner Lauren B. won the actual challenge. Despite having plenty of solo time due to the partnership, Olivia stole Ben first at the after-party, and Jubilee became more and more upset as Ben chose other girls to talk to afterward.
When he finally requested private time with her, she refused to hold his hand and complained about how “difficult” the process has been. Ben admitted he was no longer “confident” in their connection due to her standoffish-ness, and she begged him not to “give up” on her. Asked point-blank if he saw a future with her, Ben noted how awkward things had become and how his relationships with others have progressed before confessing, “It would be unfair of me to tell you that I thought something could exist.”
As tears filled her eyes, Ben said he thought it best for them say goodbye right then. The women were stunned when Ben came back alone, and JoJo seized the opportunity to comfort him. But it was Olivia who received the group date rose, ratcheting the tension right back up.
Ben still had another one-on-one date to go on, and for that he and Lauren H. met with fashion designer Pineda Covalin behind the scenes of a fashion show. The reality stars ended up becoming models when they walked the runway during the Mexican Fashion Week presentation. Like Amanda earlier, Lauren H., too, received the date rose, despite some concerns about their romance being a “slow burn.”
At the pre-rose ceremony cocktail party, the issue of Olivia finally became too much for the women to stand. The boiling point came when Olivia told Amanda that she reminded her of “Teen Mom.” Of course, Amanda may be a mom, but she’s no teen. Olivia turned on the waterworks as she apologized for causing offense, but Emily wasn’t having it. In tears, she clued Ben into the girls’ problems with Olivia, openly questioning why he gave her the group date rose.
“I seem to know one Olivia, but the girls seem to know a different Olivia,” Ben surmised to the camera, finally getting it. And though she was safe from elimination, Olivia stole some private time anyway, and even gave the Bachelor a little gift. This time, though, he didn’t seem to be buying her pleasantries.
Amanda was next to talk to Ben about Olivia’s “red flags,” followed by Jennifer. The alarming info prompted Ben to delay the rose ceremony to speak to Olivia again. Could her rose be taken away? The episode ended with a “To Be Continued…”
