There was no rose ceremony in Episode 4 of The Bachelorette, thanks to Matthew Rossi’s arrival.
So, Episode 5 started with Jenn playing catch-up.
First, she told Matt goodbye, choosing not to take off with him (a la Clare Crawley and her early exit), and she didn’t let him stay and compete either.
Heading into the new episode, three men already had a rose.
Sam McKinney got one from his solo date, where he had Jenn doubting their connection.
Devin Strader also got a rose on their solo date, during which they enjoyed a Maori welcome celebration and bonded over their rough upbringings.
Marcus Shoberg impressed Jenn with his story after getting injured during the rugby match.
The first rose ceremony of Episode 5 on The Bachelorette
Early in the episode, Jenn handed out roses to most of her men. This may have been one of the best rose ceremonies because she sent home the remaining pot-stirrer in the constant struggle with Devin.
In order, Jenn gave roses to Jeremy, Jonathan, Spencer, Dylan, Austin and Grant.
That meant Thomas N was finally sent packing along with John.
At this point, the men realize that every single one of them left has a growing connection with Jenn, and now, any of them could go home at any point.
That conversation had a huge impact on Austin, who realized that he doesn’t really have that strong of a connection with Jenn and hasn’t even had a one-on-one date with her yet.
At that point, Austin decided to sit down with Jenn and self-eliminate for her and the other guys, who had more of a connection with her.
That didn’t sit well with Jenn, who was full of self-doubt—something she expressed to the other men later.
The second rose ceremony of Episode 5
The second rose ceremony was much shorter, as numbers were dwindling, and this time, only one man wouldn’t get a rose.
Grant and Jonathan already had roses after the group and solo dates, respectively.
That meant there were only five roses to hand out. They went to Sam M, Devin, Marcus, Jeremy, and Spencer — in that order.
Unfortunately, that meant Dylan had to go home at the end of the episode.
With just seven men left after this latest episode, we’re headed into the second half of the season, and the competition will only get hotter as Jenn’s decisions get even harder.
The Bachelorette airs on Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.