The Bachelor 2021 Week 3 Recap: Meltdown Leads to an Early Exit

We pick up where we left off last week. In the middle of the rose ceremony, Sarah nearly faints and has to be helped to a seat. She is led outside for some “fresh air.” There are still a handful of roses left on the table. The girls seem a little skeptical as they watch Matt run to comfort her. 

Queen Victoria remains victorious

The ceremony continues: Khalah, Mari, MJ, Anna, Kaili receive roses. There is one left. And Matt picks Victoria. Marylynn is going home. That’s after Victoria fed Matt a poison pill about her!. “How could he give her a rose?” Marylynn asks incredulously. “She’s the worst.” Marylynn concludes that Victoria is “a good actor.”

Going home along with Marylynn is: Alana, Illeana, Kristin, and Sydney. Victoria’s next target is SARAH. “All the fake b*tch*s can go home,” she says. 

In the morning, Chris arrives and declares that Matt needs to be pushed a bit! And Matt agrees. There are two group dates and a romantic one-on-one date. 

Rachael, Bri, Lauren, Kit, Serena C. Victoria, Khaylah, Anna, Kaili, and Katie participate in the first group date. “Today is a surprise for everybody,” it says on the card. Matt reveals that Chris has planned a surprise for all of them, including himself. 

Group date gets spicy…and cringy

As they enter a room, a woman on stage reads from what appears to be a bodice ripper novel. Lots of talk of grabbing buttocks and what not. The woman reading the spicey story is Ashley Iaconetti, who met her husband Jared Haibon on Bachelor in Paradise in 2018. 

Oh man. the trashy book Ashley reads from is Chris Harrison’s romance novel, The Perfect Letter. Dear God Make It Stop. The woman will each write a sexy story about Matt, to be read in front of an audience. Kit can’t imagine Chris Harrison writing the book. A ghostwriter probably penned it, so yeah. 

Katie already embarrassed herself brandishing a vibrator. So she’s already hit rock bottom. Each girl shares her story with Ashley. And it’s pretty clear these tales are going to be totally CRINGE. Victoria’s story is so por*o*gra**ic that it had to be bleeped. “You’re going to make an impression, I’ll tell you that,” says Ashley.

The “audience” is the rest of the ladies. First Matt. He’s got his own cringey story. Which I bet a producer wrote. Anna reads hers next. Her chapter is called “The Fantasy Suite.” She exposes her breasts one at a time…” OMG. More girls follow. Cringe, cringe, cringe and CRINGE. So much cringe. Katie’s story has a ton of bleeps, ending with a big O. The ladies are shocked, shocked.  Victoria mixes in some s and m. Literally the end of her story is completely bleeped out. The ladies are laughing.

A Bachelorette is jealous

Back at the hotel, Sarah admits to the other girls that she can’t stand seeing Matt with other women after their one-on-one-date. Oooh. Trouble is brewing. Meanwhile, time to get down at the afterparty. Rachael admits that she was uncomfortable reading her story. Matt assures her that he enjoyed it. She admits that she’s feeling something. They kiss. TIME TO MAKE OUT. 

Bri, who had a one-on-one date with Matt last week, confesses that she tried to be more creative in her storytelling than sexy. Matt says that holding a few details back can actually be alluring, before the the two begin sucking face. She’s hoping for the date rose tonight.

Serena P learns she’ll go on the next one-on-one date with Matt. While she literally dances in her seat, the other ladies wear their best stinkfaces. Meanwhile, Sarah is in another part of the residence, spiraling. She feels “emotionally exhausted.” Apparently, her trust issues are bubbling up. She can’t stand that he’s having “special moments” with other women.  She heads over to the after party. Oh boy.

Sarah interrupts Katie’s chat with Matt

She interrupts Katie’s chat with Matt. “I’m surprised to see you here,” she says. Walking off, Katie’s is pissed that her convo got interrupted. The rest of the women are, of course, irritated. Sarah confesses her feelings of jealousy. “I don’t know what I’m doing here. I had to tell you what I was feeling.” Katie comes back to reclaim her man. She doesn’t leave the room, so Sarah pulls Matt outside.  A minute later, Katie interrupts again. She’s not having it! Meanwhile, Matt is assuring Sarah and suggests that she just focus on their time together.

After saying goodbye to Matt, Sarah faces the other girls on the group date. They aren’t feeling charitable, to say the least. She delivers a half hearted apology, while refusing to reveal why she’s interrupting their date. “I just wanted you to hear it from me, and not anyone else,” Sarah says cagily. After, she confesses that she feels like she has a “target on my back.”

Sarah is outside crying, Victoria joins her. She puts on a big WE’RE WORRIED ABOUT YOU! (SURE) front. Katie joins the party to yell at Sarah. “You had a whole one-one-one date! ” says an exasperated Katie. As far as Sarah’s insecurities, Katie encourages her “to figure it out.” She is turning out to be the show’s straight shooter. 

Rachael gets the group date rose

Matt gives out the date rose without out meeting with each of the ladies. Disappointment all around. He gives the rose to Rachael. Anna complains that she hasn’t talked to Matt at all yet. Serena C. is crying, she’s so upset. “It’s so irritating. I’m always being robbed of time.”

The next morning, Katie is still really mad. She dishes to the ladies who weren’t on the date. Katie thinks she could have had the rose if she got her time with Matt.

Meanwhile, Serena P. gets ready for her date with Matt. The girls want her to tell Matt that “Sarah sucks.” There’s a new villain in town! Matt arrives at the residence, but first he wants to speak with Sarah, who is off sulking somewhere. The girls agree that all Sarah wants is more attention and affirmation from Matt. Sarah is very whiny and attention seeking.  She confesses to Matt that she packed her bags. He insists that her leaving would be tragic and that he was on cloud nine after their date. Matt says he’s glad she interrupted the group date, and if he didn’t want her here, he wouldn’t have sought her out today. Back in the living room, MJ shared that she thinks Sarah is manipulating Matt and she’s not “here for it!” 

RUN AWAY MATT RUN

That Matt isn’t RUNNING FAR AWAY after Sarah reveals herself to be an insecure, clingy wack job? Well, alrighty then. Of course, Sarah will be “unpacking” her bags. As if she ever even considered leaving. Matt tells the girls that he’d treat any one of them the same way if they were upset. Dang. Don’t let Sarah hear that. She’ll have another meltdown.

Serena P’s one-on-one FINALLY begins. The two go horseback riding through the lovely woods. Serena confesses that she typically takes things slower. But she knows time is of the essence. She’s going to push herself. Serena puts together a cheese board with Matt’s help. They chat. Serena’s dad didn’t support her joining The Bachelor. He’s a smart dad, to be honest. Matt confessed that he has lived his life according to other’s expectations. Now, he’s breaking free. His mom was actually supportive of him being the Bachelor. He admits having feelings for Serena. (Sarah’s spidey sense must be pinging). As they make out, a donkey shows up for a cute moment.

Serena admits that she’s “falling in like”

Serena says she’s “falling in like” right now. But even that is surprising her. Later, the two have dinner at a resort restaurant. Matt wants to hear about her past relationships. She’s only had one that was serious. She thought he was the one. But he wasn’t, and it was painful. Matt’s last relationship lasted only 4 months, because he couldn’t see them married. He admits that he’s never been in love. Serena was “very deeply in love” with her ex. She’s admits she’s surprised by her developing feelings for Matt. He admits the feeling is mutual. Serena gets her rose. They make out in a hot tub. 

Dang, back at the residence, Sarah is still moping about, away from the other girls. Victoria thinks she needs a Xanax. “Sometimes you just let a b*tch go.” Sarah joins them when the date card arrives. MJ confronts her. Sarah apologizes to the women she interrupted, particularly to Katie. She reveals that she needed to talk to Matt because she was nearly ready to bolt the competition.

Sarah insists the girls know her, and have had great conversations. Victoria laughs in her face. The ladies are skeptical, to say the least. “This is not the Sarah show,” says Victoria. They basically say, if you don’t want to be here, just go. She complains that it’s been difficult. Anna point out all the time she’s spent with Matt, while others have had no time with him.  The girls begin piling on, calling her selfish, and self-important, calculated, manipulative and toxic. 

Everybody hates Sarah

Victoria says in a confessional “If Matt sends her home, I’ll want to f*** him, because…that’s so hot, that he can see through her bull****.” To her face, Victoria says “I can’t speak to the others, but I don’t accept your apology, even if you say it 20 more times.” Kit says that she hopes Sarah’s connection with Matt is strong, because the rest of her time in the residence “is going to be horrible.”  

Everybody hates Sarah.

The next day, Sarah is still hiding. The ladies are still irritated. They plan to ignore her. Katie drops in on Sarah to see how she is. She didn’t like what happened last night at all. “That was hard to watch,” she says. Sarah reveals that she’s decided to leave. “I can’t do this,” she says. Katie says if Matt is interested in her, she needs to see it through. “I don’t want to be his backup plan,” Katie says. “He’s going to be wondering what if.” she adds.

“I’m not in a good headspace here. I need to put my well being first,” says Sarah sharing that her dad has ALS and may only live a short while longer. Katie reveals that her dad passed away in 2012. She’s crying now too. “I 100% encourage you to be with him,” Katie insists. “If I could get back the minutes I had with him…I missed out on my goodbye to my dad.”

Sarah packs up

Sarah packs up! “I believe in my feelings for Matt…but Matt deserves the best, and I just don’t feel my best. I want him to have everything and more…but I don’t think it can be with me.” Oh. She’s going to tell him she’s leaving. Hm… Meanwhile, Katie tells the group that Sarah is leaving. “I don’t want her to think she’s being bullied out of here.” 

Sarah heads to Matt’s apartment. She says that the connection is amazing, but she’s doubting everything. “I just feel so alone here.” Then she goes on to describe how the women came after her. “I feel so attacked.” Oh man. She’s really playing the victim. “It’s really hard for me.” Of course, Matt reassures her that he really really wants her here.  “I don’t want to lose you,” he says. “I just don’t think I’m ready for this,” she says. “I wish you could see my heart,” she says, “I’m sorry, I just can’t do this.” Matt promises to keep thinking about her and praying for her family. “I’ve learned so much from you already, about sacrifice.” 

Wow. Sarah isn’t fishing for more reassurance. She’s really leaving. She breaks down sobbing in the car. 

Next week…five new girls arrive! One of them may be….AN ESCORT. Oh my.