In last night's episode of "The Bachelor," Ben Flajnik, 28, brought his 18 ladies to Sonoma, Calif., so they could see where, if he chose her, they would spend their lives together.
Ben sported a button-up short, shorts and tennis shoes sans socks--very laid back California.
His first date card went to Kacie B. He picked her up from the house and the two walked around the quiet and quaint downtown area of Sonoma.
They visited a candy store and she showed him her batton twirling that she learned as a kid. Then they had a romantic dinner where they shared their first kiss, and where he also gave her a rose.
Here's what he shared with People.com: "I was really excited to get to know her because she exuded so much confidence the first night. She is a woman of integrity and love, and made me feel right at home.
"Our evening consisted of lots of emotional moments, including a wonderful dinner, sharing home movies – and our first kiss. We talked a lot about our life, our family and really got down to the nitty-gritty early on. I don't remember being with a woman where I opened up so much on the first date! I was immediately impressed with Kacie B. and knew she was something special."
Home movies on a first date? Reality TV at its best.
Ben then went on a group date with about 10 girls. The date consisted of hanging out with budding child actors, who helped the group put on a play for the community. Everyone had fun and were comfortable acting silly. But then get the drinks flowing and the bikinis on, and there's bound to be trouble.
Blakely was at the center of the drama. She was acting like she was better than the rest of the girls and taunting them with her rose that she eventually got for the group date night. When she came around to sit among the rest of the group, a few girls would disperse because they didn't want to be near her. Her big personality lasts through the final ceremony too ... more about that later.
Ben also chose Courtney-- the model that lives in Santa Monica, Calif., --to take on a date. It's evident these two have chemistry, but there's something unsettling about this woman.
She seems catty and snotty and the things she says during interviews is not helping her case. However, Ben really enjoyed their date: "I was surprised that we were so lovely-dovey so early on, as it was just the start of my journey and I knew there were lots of other relationships I still needed to explore. It really helped that Scotch was a fan of Courtney's too," he wrote on People.com.
Yes, Ben brought his beloved Jack Russell on the date with them, which probably made things comfortable for the two who shared a date among red woods and later drove around on a tractor.
Later, it was time for the cocktail party that leads to the rose ceremony. Booze and tears were flowing.
The comments about Blakely finally got to her and she coward in a corner in the luggage room crying. Ben later came to find her and told her he understood what she was going through. ANd to please meet him downstairs when she was ready.
He also said, to the cameras, that he didn't expect there to be this much drama so soon. Yea. Week two.
And then there was Jenna. Jenna who cried during the very first day, still had more tears to shed. She's a blogger, so maybe she should write him letters instead of trying to convey in spoken words how she feels about him. It was a jumble mess and she couldn't find the right words to explain that she isn't willing to fight for time with him like the other girls, because that's not her style.
Needless to say, ben let Jenna go. He told People.com that this situation and environment was not for her.
"She crumbled under the pressure and was truly not herself. My heart went out to her for struggling so much, and I couldn't put her through anymore of this journey," he wrote..
He also sent home a girl with two-toned hair that never left an impression on anyone. That leaves 16 ladies to vye for Ben's love and affection.
Previews for next week's episode look crazy. They all go to San Francisco, but then clips of the next rose ceremony shows someone on the floor and all the girls gasping and huddled around whomever it is.
