Last night ABC aired episode 5 of their new show Bachelor Pad, which airs Mondays at 7pm. And what a crazy episode! This show has blown me away every week! I laugh, I shake my head in disbelief, I love analyzing the strategy (or lack of) of each cast member.
The first big dramatic event began when it was announced that three ladies were going home before lunch! Chris arrived to say that for the rest of the competition they would be working as couples. So the guys would now choose the girl they wanted to partner up with, ask her to accept his kiss and that would be it. The four guys stood around a table and spun a bottle. Kiptyn went first and picked Tenley - shocker. Then Kovacs chose Elizabeth. Maybe Kovacs thought about picking another girl as his partner - the editors work really hard at making us think the guys really consider their options before choosing - though if he did he's crazy because Elizabeth would go straight home and boil his bunny while he was still at the pad competing with another woman. But since he and Elizabeth had been semi seeing each other for months before The bachelor Pad, Kovacs probably knew she was his best bet anyway (or he's afraid of her).
The other two guys went with the predictable choice as well. Jesse B chose Peyton and Dave chose Natalie. The ladies headed out were no surprise: Gwen, Nikki & Ashley.
Next up was the competition for the rose! A water balloon toss! OMG I would have been out in the first round. All those guys can just be thankful I wasn't their partner! But our competitors, far tougher than I, lined up outside the mansion, ready to battle it out for the rose. Peyton & Jesse B were the first out of the competition - once she broke one balloon I think her nerves got the best of her because she broke the next 2 in quick succession and that was it. Peyton felt the pressure - she knows of the 4 couples, she & Jesse B are on the outside - and immediately started crying. But Jesse B was a sweet guy as usual and made her feel better. It's too bad he's so rough around the edges, but I'm sure there are still a lot of takers, don't you think ladies?
Next Kiptyn & Tenley lost all their balloons and lost their chance at this weeks rose. When Elizabeth eliminated herself & Kovacs, it looked like Dave & Natalie were getting the roses but Chris informed them they still needed a successful catch to win this weeks rose. So of course Natalie broke the balloon on the very next toss! But no worries, she caught the second toss and they won the rose!
On a side-note, Kudos to Kovacs this week - first he climbed into the hot-as-hell Lamborghini meant for his buddy, made out with Elizabeth in the drivers seat and across the back, later snuck into the fantasy suite, took a bubble bath and spent the night there with Elizabeth. Smooth, Kovacs. I like it.
So the end was nearing and voting was upon the pad mates again. Here's how it looked:
Dave and Natalie are safe.
Kovacs & Elizabeth
Kiptyn & Tenley
Jesse B & Peyton
Jesse B & Peyton obviously felt like they had the biggest disadvantage and were clearly going home. They knew their best bet would be to vote off Kovacs & Elizabeth, but could they convince anyone else to vote their way?
Kiptyn & Tenley are in the in-crowd, for now, but probably not for long. Dave and Kovacs have a cute little bromance going on and Kiptyn just isn't part of that. If they were the final three couples, Kiptyn & Tenley would just be the next in line to go home. And does Kiptyn see that Jesse B & Peyton are likely far less competition than Kovacs & Elizabeth? Kovacs is more athletic and seems more capable than Jesse B. Add to that the fact that he & Elizabeth know each other and have the potential to do well in relationship type challenges. Kiptyn should be sending Kovacs & Elizabeth home. But would he do that? Tenley was pretty clearly convinced but Kiptyn wasn't in her boat.
Kovacs & Elizabeth felt pretty confident in their position. They almost remind me of the snooty kids that ruled the school. Kovacs knows he has Dave on his side, and Elizabeth thinks she's queen B so of course they voted for Jesse B & Peyton and assumed everyone else would do the same because who ever goes against the popular kids?
Dave & Natalie are an interesting duo, because Dave wants to vote off Jesse B and Peyton but Natalie wants to vote off Kovacs & Elizabeth. She's thinking strategically but Dave is thinking of his friendship with Kovacs.
The way it was looking it could end up being 2 votes for Jesse B & Peyton and 2 votes for Kovacs & Elizabeth. But could Tenley & Jesse B sway Kiptyn? Would Natalie be able to convince Dave to vote against his buddy?
Then Chris walked in and announced they would be working as a couple and be voted off as a couple, but would actually vote individually! Oh well that changes everything.
Natalie & Tenley went off to whisper in a corner and Natalie pointed out that now the numbers are in their favor and Kovacs & Elizabeth will surely go home - If all went well with the whispering strategy sessions, Jesse B, Peyton, Kiptyn, Tenley and Natalie would all be voting to send home Kovacs & Elizabeth and it wouldn't matter who Dave voted for.
Then the roses are given out and guess who gets the last spot: Kovacs & Elizabeth! So obviously Kiptyn sided with Kovacs & Elizabeth. Wait, so who else changed sides at the last minute? Because if it were just Kiptyn it would have been a tie vote. But it wasn't. And then in a private interview we find that it was Natalie! She decided that the better strategy would be to side with her partner than to create any rift between them. So we say goodbye to Jesse B & Peyton!
Crazy how Natalie kind of pulled a Gia by instigating a group vote against Kovacs & Elizabeth, then went ahead and voted the other way in the final moment. But because Natalie voted the way she did, there was no tie, no need for a tie breaker and no one has to know how everyone voted (until they see the show air, complete with all the personal interviews and voting footage). But for the moment, clueless Elizabeth had no idea she just made it by the skin of her teeth this week!
The funny thing is that Natalie probably made the right choice after all. If Kovacs & Elizabeth had gone home many agree that Dave & Natalie would likely have the biggest advantage. Jesse B promised Kiptyn he wouldn't vote against him next week if he wasn't sent home this week - that would put Kiptyn & Tenley and Jesse B & Peyton in the finale. But as it stands, Kiptyn & Tenley will most likely go home next week and the finale will be down to Kovacs & Elizabeth and Dave & Natalie.
