‘The Bachelorette’ Recap: Kaitlyn Bristowe Narrows It Down To Shawn, Nick & Ben H.

The Bachelorette resumed Monday following last week’s sob fest with the promise of more tearful goodbyes and angsty conversation.

The Bachelorette Recap

Kaitlyn Bristowe‘s first one-on-one date this week is with Ben H. They row out to Innisfallen Island, where they once again engage in listless conversation. Kaitlyn, who hasn’t necessarily fully latched onto the idea that she’s looking for a husband, tries to figure out if Ben really is marriage material. As an exercise, the two list off what they think is most important in a spouse.

After the chat, Kaitlyn admits to Ben that she’s definitely falling for him, and Ben declares that he’s prepared to give himself over to their relationship in a way he hasn’t yet with anyone else. He says that for their overnight date, he’d rather skip sex in order to focus more on building their emotional connection and to stay up all night talking. Kaitlyn assumes that it must mean that Ben H. is a virgin, but he denies that’s the case.

For her next date, Kaitlyn goes on a three-on-one with Joe, Nick and Shawn at Killarney National Park. First, Shawn steals her away and says he regrets not kissing her on their last tense encounter. Just when Kaitlyn is working up the courage to tell him about sleeping with Nick, Nick whisks her off and confesses that he regrets nothing because he’s falling in love. When Joe gets his time with Kaitlyn, he gets right to the point, telling her he’s passed falling and now is in love with her. Kaitlyn doesn’t feel the same, however, and breaks up with him then and there, and then gets upset when he doesn’t hug her.

Shawn feels badly about how Joe got dispatched, but he’s happy that there’s one less man in the competition. Kaitlyn is not quite ready to give the date rose to either Shawn or Nick, and decides to spend the rest of day with Shawn. At night, Shawn is more than excited for his one-on-one time with Kaitlyn, not knowing that she’s about to drop a massive bomb on him.

After a long delay, including a preamble about trust and how she hasn’t told anyone else, Kaitlyn says, “You know I had that one-on-one date with Nick. That night we went back to my place, and I just feel like it went too far. It’s hard for me to admit it, but we had sex.”

Shawn takes the news in stride, tensely nodding his head for what feels like forever. When he finally speaks, he asks, “Do you regret it?” Kaitlyn admits that she couldn’t stop thinking about what it would mean for her relationship with Shawn. He asks for a minute alone to think about what she’s told him and to regroup. When Shawn comes back, he says he appreciates the honesty, and that he’s decided that he can’t let it ruin what they have, and that it’s all worth it.

Nick tries to talk odds about who’s getting a rose with Jared and Ben H., but they’re not terribly interested in participating in the conversation. When Shawn joins the guys, gone is the certainty that Kaitlyn is worth sticking around for. He tells the camera that it’s quite possible that he’ll be declining a rose. Shawn, as well as the other guys, are surprised and disappointed to hear that there would not be a cocktail party. Instead, they’re going straight to the Rose Ceremony.

The first rose goes to Shawn, who asks if they can talk first. Nervously, Kaitlyn agrees. Shawn wants to know why she would sleep with Nick, jeopardizing what she had with him. In the end, after hearing Kaitlyn’s thoughts, Shawn does accept the rose. Ben H. also accepts a rose. The last person to get the rose in Nick, meaning Jared is the latest suitor to head home. Kaitlyn sobs as she says goodbye to Jared, while he manages to hold off on his emotions until he’s in the car. Kaitlyn doesn’t have one bad thing to say about Jared, causing her to question saying goodbye to him.

Now, it’s onto Kaitlyn’s overnight date with Nick. The two go into a cathedral in Dublin, in which Kaitlyn starts to feel a spiritual connection to him. Afterwards, they head to a local pub and chat about their childhoods over a number of beers. They also talk with some of the locals about what makes a marriage last. Later on over more drinks, Nick reveals some dirt on Shawn before the night turns more romantic. When they head to the fantasy suite, Nick professes his love for Kaitlyn, and the next morning, they eat breakfast together.

While Kaitlyn was on her overnight date with Nick, Shawn was flipping out, not understanding why she’d keep him around. When Nick gets back from his overnight with Kaitlyn, he gets a visit from Shawn, who confronts him about not being trustworthy or on the show for the right reasons. Nick tells Shawn that he doesn’t know anything about him, save what he saw on the last season of The Bachelorette. Regardless, Shawn insists that he’s not to be trusted.